Leongatha VIC 3953
Leongatha sits 134 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Census data records 5,869 residents with a median age of 45 and a median household income of $61,516 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town grew 3.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $270 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,430. Leongatha is characterised by high crime risk and high flood risk. 7 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Leongatha a good town?
Leongatha scores a C (31/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools and safety.
Below the state average
7 schools · Bottom 16% in VIC
Very walkable
Walkability 69/100 · 134 km · 104 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $561K · Cheaper than 84% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 82/100 · Flood 70/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 45 · 5,869 residents
Liveability Rating
31 / 100 · Ranked #701 in VICEach bar is Leongatha's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Leongatha?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
31 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataLeongatha's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $561,000, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$561,250
Based on 156 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 66 days — median across 72 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $388K
- 3 bed 92 sales $508K
- 4 bed 45 sales $680K
- 5 bed 8 sales $625K
Units
$425,000
Based on 16 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 35 days — median across 9 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 16 sales $425K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Leongatha are currently listed at around $649,000 on average. Based on 109 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$649K
109 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$438K
8 units listed in the last 6 months.
117 of the suburb's 2,420 dwellings (4.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Leongatha rent for around $470 a week on average, based on 18 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$470/wk
18 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$450/wk
3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
21 rentals advertised against an estimated 566 rented homes (3.7%) 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 3953.
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$470/week ($24,000 a year) on a $649,000 median
$450/week ($23,000 a year) on a $438,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 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 Leongatha safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Leongatha sits in the high band, with 431 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 14% on the prior year.
431 offences
14.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202516 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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.
Schools
Seven schools serve Leongatha, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,980 students across 5 schools (avg 396)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 2 Independent, 2 Catholic
- • ICSEA 952-1041, median 1008 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Leongatha Secondary College (607 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Leongatha is somewhat walkable on foot — at 69/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the town there are 3 supermarkets, 4 parks and 9 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Leongatha.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 2.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 2.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 1.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 4.5 min
- Span of service
- 17.5 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 655 min wait
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 Leongatha.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 40%
- Premises covered
- 3,436
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
South 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 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Leongatha is home to about 5,900 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $62,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,869
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$61,516/yr
Census Median Rent
$270/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,430/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$33,332/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.2%
Total Dwellings
2,420
Owner-Occupier Rate
76.6%
Houses
94.9%
Rental Stress
22.8%
Mortgage Stress
27.9%
Work From Home
11.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
46 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 34 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 547 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 83.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.7%
- Employment Rate
- 51.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 32.0%
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.
70 residents (1.2%) 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.
8.2% of residents (456) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (412).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 5,568 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (22 of 2,480).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,961 people work here; 2,480 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 1.6 jobs for every working resident. At least 36% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
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 $2,282 a year through South Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 78%
- Residential 12%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- Industrial 3%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Farming Zone → General Residential Zone · C131sgip, Nov 2025 23.1 ha
Land in this town moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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: South Gippsland
In the year to August 2026, 170 new dwellings were approved across South Gippsland. That mix is 154 houses and 16 units. Approvals are up 21.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council 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 Wonthaggi, 33.7 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 84 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 21.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 906 mm
- 119 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 24.6°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.9°C
- 0 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
3 facilities within 5 km- 0.3 kmMilk and Cream ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 1.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 2.6 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
EV adoption
In postcode 3953, 34 of 8,064 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (169 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3953, 1,566 rooftop-solar systems totalling 11.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,571 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 87 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.
11 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3953 in 2025-26, rank 82 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 63, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
3 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 $561,250 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 2026-10-27 — 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 Mary Aldred Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mary Aldred | 45.9% | 54.1% | -1.2 |
| 2022 | Russell Broadbent | 47.1% | 52.9% | -4.0 |
| 2019 | Russell Broadbent | 42.6% | 57.4% | -0.1 |
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 Danny O'Brien The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Danny O'Brien NP | 53.3% | 34.8% | 65.2% |
| 2018 | Danny O'Brien NP | 61.9% | 34.7% | 65.3% |
| 2014 | Peter Ryan NP | 57.3% | 34.3% | 65.7% |
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 Leongatha?
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 5,869 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.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Leongatha to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Leongatha
Is Leongatha a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Leongatha is high (82/100, 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 Leongatha?
Leongatha has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (70/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Leongatha a good place to live?
Leongatha has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (31/100), 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 Leongatha?
Leongatha, VIC had a population of 5,869 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Leongatha, VIC?
The postcode for Leongatha, VIC is 3953.
How far is Leongatha from Melbourne?
Leongatha is 134 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 104 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Leongatha?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Leongatha was $61,516 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 Leongatha?
The median advertised rent in Leongatha is $470 a week for houses (18 listings) and $450 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Leongatha?
The median age of residents in Leongatha was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Leongatha?
There are 7 schools inside the Leongatha boundary: 3 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Leongatha walkable?
Leongatha scores 69/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Leongatha?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Leongatha, Wonthaggi (33.7 km away), summer days average 24.6°C, winter nights 6.9°C, 906 mm of rain a year over 119 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Leongatha?
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 Leongatha belong to?
Leongatha sits within the South Gippsland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Leongatha?
The average residential rates bill through South Gippsland is $2,282 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Leongatha?
Across South Gippsland, 170 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 21.1% 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 Leongatha in?
Leongatha sits within the federal Division of Monash, currently held by Mary Aldred (Liberal).
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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.
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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.