Orbost VIC 3888
Orbost is a town in Victoria, 391 km from Melbourne CBD, around 5 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 2,264; the median age is 53 and the median household income is $40,820 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 1.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $190 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $867. The area shows high bushfire risk and high crime risk. 5 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Orbost a good town?
Orbost scores a D (9/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on schools, transit, safety, and community.
Below the state average
5 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 10/100 · 390.8 km · 309 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $362K · Cheaper than 90% of VIC
High bushfire risk
Fire 92/100 · Crime 85/100 · Flood 71/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 53 · 2,264 residents
Liveability Rating
9 / 100 · Ranked #873 in VICEach bar is Orbost's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Orbost?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
9 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataOrbost's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $362,000, about 4% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$362,500
Based on 120 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 75 days — median across 46 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 6 sales $228K
- 2 bed 14 sales $326K
- 3 bed 77 sales $368K
- 4 bed 18 sales $458K
Land
$115,000
Based on 16 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Orbost are currently listed at around $420,000 on average. Based on 64 houses listed in the past six months.
$420K
64 houses listed in the last 6 months.
65 of the suburb's 964 dwellings (6.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Orbost rent for around $430 a week on average, based on 13 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$430/wk
13 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
14 rentals advertised against an estimated 218 rented homes (6.4%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$430/week ($22,000 a year) on a $420,000 median
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 Orbost safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Orbost sits in the high band, with 256 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 5% on the prior year.
256 offences
5.2% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20256 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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
Five schools serve Orbost, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 373 students across 2 schools (avg 186)
- • Sectors: 4 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 918-956, median 937 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Orbost Community College (347 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Orbost is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 2 supermarkets, 4 parks and 8 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.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Orbost.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 16%
- Premises covered
- 1,422
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 8 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.
Orbost is home to about 2,300 residents, with a median age of 53 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $41,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,264
Median Age
53
Median Household Income
$40,820/yr
Census Median Rent
$190/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$867/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$25,428/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.8%
Total Dwellings
964
Owner-Occupier Rate
77.4%
Houses
93.6%
Rental Stress
24.2%
Mortgage Stress
25.5%
Work From Home
12.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
46 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 9 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 207 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.3%
- Employment Rate
- 38%
- Completed Year 12
- 24.4%
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.
4 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.
6.8% of residents (147) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (112).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,163 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 824 people work here; 722 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.1 per resident). At least 8% 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 $1,807 a year through East Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 68%
- Rural and farming 29%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
- Residential 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
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.
Setting
- Elevation
- 116 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 16.4 km
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 3888, 10 of 3,508 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.1% (37 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3888, 790 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,867 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.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3888 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 36, in 2000-01.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
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 $362,500 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 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 Orbost?
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 2,264 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 Orbost 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 Orbost
Is Orbost a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Orbost is high (85/100, 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 Orbost?
Orbost has a high recorded bushfire history (92/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (71/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Orbost a good place to live?
Orbost has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (9/100), 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 Orbost?
Orbost, VIC had a population of 2,264 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Orbost, VIC?
The postcode for Orbost, VIC is 3888.
How far is Orbost from Melbourne?
Orbost is 391 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 309 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Orbost?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Orbost was $40,820 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 Orbost?
The median advertised rent in Orbost is $430 a week for houses (13 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Orbost?
The median age of residents in Orbost was 53 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Orbost at risk of bushfire?
Orbost has a high recorded bushfire history (92/100). 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 Orbost?
There are 5 schools inside the Orbost boundary: 2 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Orbost walkable?
Orbost scores 10/100 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.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Orbost?
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 Orbost belong to?
Orbost 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 Orbost?
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 Orbost?
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 Orbost in?
Orbost 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
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- 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.