Lakes Entrance VIC 3909
Located in Victoria, Lakes Entrance sits 322 km from Melbourne CBD, around 4 hours by car. The town has 5,145 residents, a median age of 55, and a median household income of $45,032 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The town grew 7.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $252 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,227. Lakes Entrance is characterised by high crime risk and high coastal erosion risk. Of 3 schools within the town boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Lakes Entrance a good town?
Lakes Entrance scores a D (28/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, weaker on transit, prices, safety, and community.
Above the state average
3 schools · 2 above peer schools · Top 7% in VIC
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 321.5 km · 242 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $535K · Cheaper than 82% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 56/100 · Crime 94/100 · Flood 57/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 55 · 5,145 residents
Liveability Rating
28 / 100 · Ranked #750 in VICEach bar is Lakes Entrance's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Lakes Entrance?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
28 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataLakes Entrance's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $535,000, about 6% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$535,000
3% below its 3 neighbours (median $550,000)
Based on 163 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 74 days — median across 54 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 24 sales $402K
- 3 bed 89 sales $525K
- 4 bed 38 sales $592K
Land
$196,500
Based on 40 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 137 days — median across 15 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Lakes Entrance are currently listed at around $668,000 on average. Based on 134 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$668K
134 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$438K
20 units listed in the last 6 months.
154 of the suburb's 2,157 dwellings (7.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Lakes Entrance rent for around $500 a week on average, based on 37 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$500/wk
37 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$345/wk
4 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
41 rentals advertised against an estimated 623 rented homes (6.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025109 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3909.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$500/week ($26,000 a year) on a $668,000 median
$345/week ($18,000 a year) on a $438,000 median
Based on a small sample (4 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Lakes Entrance safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Lakes Entrance sits in the high band, with 1,065 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 38% on the prior year.
1,065 offences
38.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20258 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 4.1 km
- Rate
- -0.85 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -40.5 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Lakes Entrance, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Lakes Entrance Primary School and St Brendan's School lead the pack.
- • 603 students across 3 schools (avg 201)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 889-1017, median 917 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Brendan's School (246 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Lakes Entrance is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 3 supermarkets, 5 parks and 14 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Lakes Entrance.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 15.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 20.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 1.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 17.9 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Lakes Entrance.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 50%
- Premises covered
- 3,598
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
East Gippsland: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 14 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Lakes Entrance is home to about 5,100 residents, with a median age of 55 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $45,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,145
Median Age
55
Median Household Income
$45,032/yr
Census Median Rent
$252/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,227/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$26,728/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
32.7%
Total Dwellings
2,157
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.1%
Houses
81.4%
Rental Stress
29.1%
Mortgage Stress
32.7%
Work From Home
11.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
119 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 13 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 594 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 75.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 85.3%
- Employment Rate
- 35.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 26.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
50 residents (1.0%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
10.4% of residents (508) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (454).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 4,908 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 1,838 people work here; 1,573 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident).
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,807 a year through East Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 54%
- Residential 22%
- Parks and recreation 20%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- Commercial 1%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: East Gippsland
In the year to August 2026, 386 new dwellings were approved across East Gippsland. That mix is 362 houses and 24 units. Approvals are up 50.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Bairnsdale Airport, 38.2 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 73 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.9 km
- 2.9 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 620 mm
- 82 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.5°C
- 8 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.5°C
- 7 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 0.8 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Chlorine & compounds · Ammonia (total) · Oxides of Nitrogen
- 3.4 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Ammonia (total)
EV adoption
In postcode 3909, 26 of 7,678 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (115 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3909, 1,914 rooftop-solar systems totalling 11.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,626 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 92 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
4 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3909 in 2025-26, rank 143 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 56, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in this town.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $535,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Darren Chester The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Darren Chester | 30.6% | 69.4% | +1.2 |
| 2022 | Darren Chester | 29.4% | 70.6% | +3.9 |
| 2019 | Darren Chester | 33.3% | 66.7% | -1.5 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Tim Bull The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tim Bull NP | 63.3% | 26.1% | 73.9% |
| 2018 | Tim Bull NP | 56.7% | 32.4% | 67.6% |
| 2014 | Tim Bull NP | 60.4% | 32.1% | 67.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Lakes Entrance?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 5,145 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
Nearby suburbs
Compare Lakes Entrance to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Lakes Entrance
Is Lakes Entrance a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Lakes Entrance is high (94/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Lakes Entrance?
Lakes Entrance has a moderate recorded bushfire history (56/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (57/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Lakes Entrance a good place to live?
Lakes Entrance has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (28/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Lakes Entrance?
Lakes Entrance, VIC had a population of 5,145 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Lakes Entrance, VIC?
The postcode for Lakes Entrance, VIC is 3909.
How far is Lakes Entrance from Melbourne?
Lakes Entrance is 322 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 242 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Lakes Entrance?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Lakes Entrance was $45,032 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Lakes Entrance?
The median advertised rent in Lakes Entrance is $500 a week for houses (37 listings) and $345 a week for units (4 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Lakes Entrance?
The median age of residents in Lakes Entrance was 55 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Lakes Entrance at risk of bushfire?
Lakes Entrance has a moderate recorded bushfire history (56/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Lakes Entrance?
There are 3 schools inside the Lakes Entrance boundary: 2 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Lakes Entrance?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale Airport (38.2 km away), summer days average 25.5°C, winter nights 4.5°C, 620 mm of rain a year over 82 rainy days, and 8 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Lakes Entrance?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Lakes Entrance belong to?
Lakes Entrance sits within the East Gippsland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Lakes Entrance?
The average residential rates bill through East Gippsland is $1,807 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Lakes Entrance?
Across East Gippsland, 386 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 50.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Lakes Entrance in?
Lakes Entrance sits within the federal Division of Gippsland, currently held by Darren Chester (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.