Neerim South sits 113 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Census data records 1,599 residents with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $70,668 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 22.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $260 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,549. The area shows high bushfire risk. Of 2 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Neerim South a good town?
Neerim South scores a D (29/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 113.4 km · 91 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $658K
High bushfire risk
Fire 97/100 · Crime 48/100 · Flood 23/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 47 · 1,599 residents
Liveability Rating
29 / 100 · Ranked #734 in VICEach bar is Neerim South's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Neerim South?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
29 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataNeerim South's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $658,000, about 5% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$657,500
Based on 48 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 78 days — median across 20 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 20 sales $603K
- 4 bed 23 sales $725K
Land
$457,500
Based on 10 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 90 days — median across 5 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Neerim South are currently listed at around $905,000 on average. Based on 19 houses listed in the past six months.
$905K
19 houses listed in the last 6 months.
19 of the suburb's 565 dwellings (3.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Neerim South safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Neerim South sits in the moderate band, with 49 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 9% on the prior year.
49 offences
8.9% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20259 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
Two schools serve Neerim South, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Neerim South Primary School leads the pack.
- • 371 students across 2 schools (avg 186)
- • ICSEA 948-994, median 971 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Neerim District Secondary College (223 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Neerim South is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, nearly all errands require a car.
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 Neerim South.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 664
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
Baw Baw: 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
Neerim South is home to about 1,600 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $71,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,599
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$70,668/yr
Census Median Rent
$260/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,549/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$35,256/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.0%
Total Dwellings
565
Owner-Occupier Rate
88.1%
Houses
95.9%
Rental Stress
19.1%
Mortgage Stress
26.3%
Work From Home
20.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 80.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.4%
- Employment Rate
- 51.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.8%
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.
3 residents (0.2%) 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.
15.8% of residents (240) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (236).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,516 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
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (13 of 686).
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.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,138 a year through Baw Baw based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 62%
- Parks and recreation 30%
- Residential 5%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
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: Baw Baw
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.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
No Registered Aboriginal Party is appointed for this area. About an eighth of Victoria, mostly in the north-east, has no appointment; that is a fact about the register rather than about the Country.
Climate & Setting
from Noojee (Slivar), 12.2 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 228 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 49.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,090 mm
- 133 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.1°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.7°C
- 12 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 3831, 12 of 2,017 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.7% (35 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3831, 476 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 788 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 28 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.
3 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3831 in 2025-26, rank 155 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 11, in 2020-21.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in postcode 3831.
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 $657,500 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 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 town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Neerim South?
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 1,599 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 Neerim South 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 Neerim South
Is Neerim South a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Neerim South is moderate (48/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Neerim South?
Neerim South has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (23/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Neerim South a good place to live?
Neerim South has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (29/100), 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 Neerim South?
Neerim South, VIC had a population of 1,599 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Neerim South, VIC?
The postcode for Neerim South, VIC is 3831.
How far is Neerim South from Melbourne?
Neerim South is 113 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 91 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Neerim South?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Neerim South was $70,668 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 Neerim South?
There are too few current rental listings in Neerim South for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $260, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Neerim South?
The median age of residents in Neerim South was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Neerim South at risk of bushfire?
Neerim South has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100). 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 Neerim South?
There are 2 schools inside the Neerim South boundary: 1 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Neerim South walkable?
Neerim South scores 4/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. 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 Neerim South?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Neerim South, Noojee (Slivar) (12.2 km away), summer days average 25.1°C, winter nights 3.7°C, 1,090 mm of rain a year over 133 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Neerim South?
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 Neerim South belong to?
Neerim South 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 Neerim South?
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 Neerim South?
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 Neerim South in?
Neerim South 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
- 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.