Ruby VIC 3953
Ruby is a rural locality in Victoria, 131 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Population is 187; the median age is 48 and the median household income is $111,228 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $320 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,550. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 187. 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.
How do you rate the liveability in Ruby?
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Our score
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Rental Market
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.
Is Ruby safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Ruby sits in the low band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 50% on the prior year.
2 offences
50.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Ruby killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
Walkability
Ruby is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, 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 Ruby.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 78
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 locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Ruby is home to 187 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $111,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
187
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$111,228/yr
Census Median Rent
$320/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,550/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$43,472/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
18.2%
Total Dwellings
66
Owner-Occupier Rate
91.7%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
15.0%
Mortgage Stress
16.7%
Work From Home
28.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 91.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.5%
- Employment Rate
- 64.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 39.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
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 95%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- Parks and recreation 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: 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, 33.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 193 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 24.6 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 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 4.4 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 4.7 kmMilk and Cream ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
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.
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 locality'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 locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Ruby?
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 187 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 Ruby 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 Ruby
Is Ruby a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Ruby is low (18/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Ruby?
Ruby has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (14/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Ruby?
Ruby, VIC had a population of 187 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Ruby, VIC?
The postcode for Ruby, VIC is 3953.
How far is Ruby from Melbourne?
Ruby is 131 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 103 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Ruby?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Ruby was $111,228 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 Ruby?
There are too few current rental listings in Ruby 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 Ruby?
The median age of residents in Ruby was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
What is the weather like in Ruby?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Ruby, Wonthaggi (33.8 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 Ruby?
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 Ruby belong to?
Ruby 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 Ruby?
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 Ruby?
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 Ruby in?
Ruby sits within the federal Division of Monash, currently held by Mary Aldred (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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.
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