Modella VIC 3816

Located in Victoria, Modella sits 90 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 15 minutes by car. The suburb has 169 residents, a median age of 44, and a median household income of $115,336 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 40% nationally. Population grew 14.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $320 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,119. The area shows high flood risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Walkability is low.

This suburb is too small to rate.

The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 169. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.

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Median House Price

Public listings data

The median house sale price in Modella sits at $1.02 million, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only three sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.

$1,020,000

Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.

Is Modella safe? Crime statistics

2026

Crime in Modella sits in the low band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 60% on the prior year.

2 offences

60.0% since 2025
Arson 1 (50.0%)
Theft 1 (50.0%)

Crime Trend

Serious Road Crashes

2021–2025

7 crashes

where someone was killed or admitted to hospital

Where they happened

Koo Wee Rup-Longwarry Road 5 (71.4%)

Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.

Schools

No schools in this suburb boundary.

Walkability

Modella is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.

0
out of 100
Very Car-Dependent
Public Transport within 1 km not measured
Schools within 1.5 km 0
Parks within 800 m 0
Supermarkets within 1 km 0
GPs within 1 km 0
Pharmacies within 1 km 0
Childcare within 1 km 0
Hospitals within 5 km 0

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.

NBN connectivity

The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Modella.

30
connectivity score / 100
Most common
Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share
0%
Premises covered
61
Technology mix
Fixed wireless (WIRELESS) 100%

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

Supermarkets
None
Shopping Centres
None
Cafes & Restaurants
None
Parks & Reserves
1 in suburb
Sport & Recreation
None
Beaches
None
Waterways
None
Childcare
None
GPs
None
Pharmacies
None
Hospitals
None
Police Stations
None
Banks & Bank@Post
None
Fuel Stations
None
EV Chargers
None
Pubs & Bars
None
Arts & Culture
None
Places of Worship
None

Baw Baw: council population

The whole council area, not just Modella · estimated residents
at 30 June 2025
Residents
62,784
+1.6% in a year
Change
+991
people since 2024
Density
16
people per km² across the council area
What drove the change
Natural increase
+350
births minus deaths
Net internal migration
+514
moves within Australia
Net overseas migration
+127
arrivals minus departures

The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.

Socio-economic profile

ABS SEIFA · ranked against every suburb in Australia, and within the state
2021 census
Advantage and disadvantage
7/10
6/10 within VIC
income, education, jobs and housing together
Economic resources
9/10
9/10 within VIC
income against housing cost and household size
Education and occupation
5/10
4/10 within VIC
qualifications and job type, income excluded

Modella is home to 169 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $115,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.0%.

2021 Census · change since 2016

Population

169

14.2% since 2016

Median Age

44

no change since 2016

Median Household Income

$115,336/yr

45.4% since 2016
Top 13% in VIC

Census Median Rent

$320/wk

14.3% since 2016

Census Median Mortgage

$2,119/mo

15.2% since 2016

Avg Household Size

2.7

3.8% since 2016

Median Personal Income

$49,712/yr

50.6% since 2016

Unemployment Rate

3.0%

Unoccupied Dwellings

18.2%

12.5% since 2016

Total Dwellings

55

14.6% since 2016

Owner-Occupier Rate

72.5%

6.6% since 2016

Houses

100.0%

9.1% since 2016

Rental Stress

14.4%

21.7% since 2016

Mortgage Stress

22.0%

41.8% since 2016

Work From Home

36.1%

8.4% since 2016

Dwelling Types

Houses 55 (100.0%)

Property Ownership

Owned Outright 19 (37.3%)
Mortgage 18 (35.3%)
Renting 14 (27.5%)

Demographics

Born in Australia
85.2%
English Spoken at Home
90.5%
Employment Rate
67.9%
0.1% since 2016
Completed Year 12
27.2%

Occupations

Managers 32 (33.0%)
Technicians & Trades 13 (13.4%)
Labourers 13 (13.4%)
Professionals 10 (10.3%)
Clerical & Administrative 8 (8.2%)
Community & Personal Service 8 (8.2%)
Machinery Operators & Drivers 8 (8.2%)
Sales 5 (5.2%)

Religion

No Religion 98 (58.0%)
Christianity 55 (32.5%)

Age Distribution

0-4 6 (3.6%)
5-14 25 (14.8%)
15-19 10 (5.9%)
20-24 10 (5.9%)
25-34 19 (11.2%)
35-44 21 (12.4%)
45-54 31 (18.3%)
55-64 34 (20.1%)
65-74 11 (6.5%)
75-84 8 (4.7%)

Family & Household Composition

Couple Families 20 (54.1%)
Lone Person 9 (24.3%)
One Parent Families 8 (21.6%)

Commute to Work

Car (driver) 48 (57.8%)
Worked from Home 30 (36.1%)
Car (passenger) 5 (6.0%)

Education

Certificate III & IV 30 (17.8%)
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 12 (7.1%)
Bachelor Degree 7 (4.1%)
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3 (1.8%)

Cars per Dwelling

1 car 10 (20.0%)
2 cars 22 (44.0%)
3 cars 12 (24.0%)
4+ cars 10 (20.0%)

Council Rates

Baw Baw
FY 2024-25

Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,138 a year through Baw Baw based on 2024 figures.

Avg residential rate
$2,138/yr
10% above the VIC average of $1,937 · median of 79 councils
Rate in the dollar
0.303¢ / $
of property valuation
Valuation basis
Capital Improved Value
land + buildings

How this land is zoned

Share of Modella's area by planning zone
2026-09
  • Rural and farming 89%
  • Infrastructure and transport 7%
  • Other and special use 4%

Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.

Building Approvals: Baw Baw

The whole council area, not just Modella · new residential dwellings
to 2026-08

In the year to August 2026, 619 new dwellings were approved across Baw Baw. That mix is 604 houses and 15 units. Approvals are up 49.3% on the same period a year earlier.

Trailing 12 months
619dwellings
+49.3% YoY
Houses
604
detached dwellings
Units
15
townhouses + apartments

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 Powelltown Dnre, 35.2 km

High rainfall.

Elevation
29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean
21.4 km
Annual rainfall
1,350 mm
96 rainy days
Summer max (Jan)
—
Winter min (Jul)
—

Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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

EV adoption

0.3%
of light vehicles are electric
Up from 0.00% in 2021
Bottom 22% in VIC

In postcode 3816, 9 of 3,042 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.9% (26 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.2%.

Electric share, year by year
2021
0.00%
2022
0.00%
2023
0.14%
2024
0.31%
2025
0.30%

Rooftop solar

46
systems per 100 dwellings
Averaging 7.1 kW each

In postcode 3816, 566 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,229 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 34 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.

Systems installed, year by year
2019
46
2020
31
2021
44
2022
41
2023
38
2024
24
2025
34
2026
15

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.

6 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3816 in 2025-26, rank 120 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 44, in 2011-12.

2000-01 to 2025-26

Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.

Verify eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria

Mortgage repayments

I'm looking for
Deposit
$
%
Monthly repayment
$5,320
Loan amount
$816,000
Total interest over 30 years
$1,099,095
Deposit
$204,000
Stamp duty
$56,100
Cash needed at settlement
$260,100

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.

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

Division of Monash

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 suburb's voters across time.

State Electorate

Narracan District

Currently held by Wayne Farnham Liberal

Next state election: 28 November 2026.

Year Winner Won with 2PP ALP 2PP LNP
2022* Wayne Farnham LP 51.7% — —
2018 Gary Blackwood LP 51.7% 42.7% 57.3%
2014 Gary Blackwood LP 55.2% 38.7% 61.3%

* The 2022 poll here was replaced by a supplementary election on 28 January 2023; its result is shown.

Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.

Looking at a specific address in Modella?

Every figure above is a suburb 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.

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Nearby suburbs

Compare Modella 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 Modella

Is Modella a safe place to live?

Recorded crime in Modella is low (18/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).

What natural hazards affect Modella?

Modella has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (98/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.

What is the population of Modella?

Modella, VIC had a population of 169 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

What is the postcode for Modella, VIC?

The postcode for Modella, VIC is 3816.

How far is Modella from Melbourne?

Modella is 90 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 73 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.

What is the median household income in Modella?

At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Modella was $115,336 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 Modella?

There are too few current rental listings in Modella for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $320, across all dwelling types.

What is the median age in Modella?

The median age of residents in Modella was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.

What is the weather like in Modella?

At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Modella, Powelltown Dnre (35.2 km away), 1,350 mm of rain a year over 96 rainy days over 2006-2026.

Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Modella?

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 Modella belong to?

Modella sits within the Baw Baw local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.

How much are council rates in Modella?

The average residential rates bill through Baw Baw is $2,138 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.

How much is being built near Modella?

Across Baw Baw, 619 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 49.3% 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 Modella in?

Modella sits within the federal Division of Monash, currently held by Mary Aldred (Liberal).

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