Penshurst VIC 3289
Penshurst is a rural locality in Victoria, 271 km from Melbourne CBD, around 3 hours 20 minutes by car. Population is 677; the median age is 51 and the median household income is $52,728 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 8.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $175 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $825. The area shows no recorded flood exposure. 2 schools sit within the locality boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Penshurst a good place to live?
Penshurst scores a C (42/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and community.
Mixed results
2 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 271 km · 198 min drive to Melbourne
Median available
Median $316K
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 45/100 · Crime 17/100 · Flood 0/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 51 · 677 residents
Liveability Rating
42 / 100 · Ranked #544 in VICEach bar is Penshurst'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 Penshurst?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
42 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataPenshurst's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $316,000, about 5% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$315,500
Based on 16 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 208 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $258K
- 3 bed 7 sales $365K
Land
$105,000
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Short-Stay Rentals
3 active Airbnb listings: 3 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.9% of the locality's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Penshurst safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Penshurst sits in the low band, with 6 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 20% on the prior year.
6 offences
20.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality 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 Penshurst, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 31 students across 2 schools (avg 16)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 973-977, median 975 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Joseph's School (16 students)
Primary
Walkability
Penshurst 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 Penshurst.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 335
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
Southern Grampians: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Penshurst is home to 677 residents, with a median age of 51 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $53,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
677
Median Age
51
Median Household Income
$52,728/yr
Census Median Rent
$175/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$825/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$28,600/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
22.3%
Total Dwellings
269
Owner-Occupier Rate
83.1%
Houses
98.1%
Rental Stress
17.3%
Mortgage Stress
18.8%
Work From Home
29.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 86.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.9%
- Employment Rate
- 45.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 31.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
4.8% of residents (31) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (27).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 649 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,892 a year through Southern Grampians based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 98%
- Zones under 1% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Southern Grampians
In the year to August 2026, 43 new dwellings were approved across Southern Grampians. That mix is 31 houses and 12 units. Approvals are up 200.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2013).
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 Hamilton Airport, 33.1 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 225 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 604 mm
- 103 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.5°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.7°C
- 5 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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 3289, 0 of 842 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.9% (8 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3289, 141 rooftop-solar systems totalling 0.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 390 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 4 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.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3289 in 2025-26. The most was 15, 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 $315,500 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 Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Emma Kealy The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Emma Kealy NP | 58.9% | 28.4% | 71.6% |
| 2018 | Emma Kealy NP | 66.9% | 26.5% | 73.5% |
| 2014 | Emma Kealy NP | 54.1% | 28.7% | 71.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Penshurst?
Every figure above is a locality 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 677 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 Penshurst 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 Penshurst
Is Penshurst a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Penshurst is low (17/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Penshurst?
Penshurst has a moderate recorded bushfire history (45/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Penshurst a good place to live?
Penshurst has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (42/100), 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 Penshurst?
Penshurst, VIC had a population of 677 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Penshurst, VIC?
The postcode for Penshurst, VIC is 3289.
How far is Penshurst from Melbourne?
Penshurst is 271 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 198 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Penshurst?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Penshurst was $52,728 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 Penshurst?
There are too few current rental listings in Penshurst for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $175, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Penshurst?
The median age of residents in Penshurst was 51 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Penshurst at risk of bushfire?
Penshurst has a moderate recorded bushfire history (45/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality 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 Penshurst?
There are 2 schools inside the Penshurst boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Penshurst walkable?
Penshurst 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 Penshurst?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Penshurst, Hamilton Airport (33.1 km away), summer days average 26.5°C, winter nights 4.7°C, 604 mm of rain a year over 103 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Penshurst?
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 Penshurst belong to?
Penshurst sits within the Southern Grampians local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Penshurst?
The average residential rates bill through Southern Grampians is $1,892 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Penshurst?
Across Southern Grampians, 43 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 200.0% 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 Penshurst in?
Penshurst sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.