Rutherglen VIC 3685
Rutherglen sits 297 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 3 hours 15 minutes by car. Census data records 2,579 residents with a median age of 48 and a median household income of $67,912 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 8.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $250 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. 3 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Rutherglen a good town?
Rutherglen scores a D (28/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on schools and transit.
Below the state average
3 schools · Bottom 24% in VIC
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 296.6 km · 193 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $555K · Cheaper than 80% of VIC
Moderate crime risk
Fire 19/100 · Crime 50/100 · Flood 45/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 48 · 2,579 residents
Liveability Rating
28 / 100 · Ranked #752 in VICEach bar is Rutherglen's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Rutherglen?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
28 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataRutherglen's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $555,000, about 8% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$555,000
Based on 68 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 84 days — median across 32 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 49 sales $550K
- 4 bed 14 sales $650K
Land
$265,000
Based on 19 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 164 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Rutherglen are currently listed at around $690,000 on average. Based on 29 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$690K
29 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$409K
5 units listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 6 days.
34 of the suburb's 1,044 dwellings (3.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Rutherglen rent for around $550 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$550/wk
7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
9 rentals advertised against an estimated 206 rented homes (4.4%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $690,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
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 Rutherglen safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Rutherglen sits in the moderate band, with 87 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 22% on the prior year.
87 offences
21.6% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20255 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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
Three schools serve Rutherglen, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 587 students across 3 schools (avg 196)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 954-1007, median 1004 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Rutherglen High School (306 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Rutherglen is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 1 supermarket, 16 parks and 5 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 Rutherglen.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 42%
- Premises covered
- 1,370
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
Indigo: 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 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Rutherglen is home to about 2,600 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $68,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,579
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$67,912/yr
Census Median Rent
$250/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$37,544/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.8%
Total Dwellings
1,044
Owner-Occupier Rate
80.3%
Houses
92.5%
Rental Stress
19.1%
Mortgage Stress
23.0%
Work From Home
12.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
36 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 9 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 197 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 88.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 94.0%
- Employment Rate
- 54.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 33.6%
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.
11 residents (0.4%) 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.
6.1% of residents (149) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (129).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,454 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (10 of 1,170).
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 $1,828 a year through Indigo based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 89%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
- Residential 3%
- Parks and recreation 3%
Proposed rezonings
- Farming Zone → Public Use Zone · C79indi, exhibited Oct 2026 5.3 ha
- Low Density Residential Zone → Public Park and Recreation Zone · C79indi, exhibited Oct 2026 2.5 ha
and 4 smaller changes
Land in this town moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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: Indigo
In the year to August 2026, 120 new dwellings were approved across Indigo. That mix is 117 houses and 3 units. Approvals are up 15.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2007).
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 Rutherglen Research, 5.3 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, frosty winters.
- Elevation
- 157 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 567 mm
- 68 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.7°C
- 25 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 2.1°C
- 53 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 4.1 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 4.8 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 3685, 16 of 3,256 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.7% (54 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3685, 890 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,336 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 54 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 3685 in 2025-26, rank 155 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 30, in 2001-02.
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 $555,000 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 Helen Haines Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Helen Haines | 43.3% | 56.7% | -1.4 |
| 2022 | Helen Haines | 44.7% | 55.3% | -7.5 |
| 2019 | Helen Haines | 37.3% | 62.7% | +7.7 |
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 Bill Tilley Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bill Tilley LP | 50.9% | 36.7% | 63.3% |
| 2018 | Bill Tilley LP | 52.5% | 41.1% | 58.9% |
| 2014 | Bill Tilley LP | 54.6% | 40.3% | 59.7% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Rutherglen?
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 2,579 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
Wahgunyah VIC 3687
Norong VIC 3682
Browns Plains VIC 3685
Cornishtown VIC 3683
Lilliput VIC 3682
Carlyle VIC 3685
Compare Rutherglen 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 Rutherglen
Is Rutherglen a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Rutherglen is moderate (50/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Rutherglen?
Rutherglen has a low recorded bushfire history (19/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (45/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Rutherglen a good place to live?
Rutherglen has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (28/100), 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 Rutherglen?
Rutherglen, VIC had a population of 2,579 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Rutherglen, VIC?
The postcode for Rutherglen, VIC is 3685.
How far is Rutherglen from Melbourne?
Rutherglen is 297 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 193 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Rutherglen?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Rutherglen was $67,912 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 Rutherglen?
The median advertised rent in Rutherglen is $550 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Rutherglen?
The median age of residents in Rutherglen was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Rutherglen at risk of bushfire?
Rutherglen has a low recorded bushfire history (19/100). 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 Rutherglen?
There are 3 schools inside the Rutherglen boundary: 2 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Rutherglen?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Rutherglen, Rutherglen Research (5.3 km away), summer days average 31.7°C, winter nights 2.1°C, 567 mm of rain a year over 68 rainy days, and 25 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Rutherglen?
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 Rutherglen belong to?
Rutherglen sits within the Indigo local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Rutherglen?
The average residential rates bill through Indigo is $1,828 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Rutherglen?
Across Indigo, 120 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 15.0% 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 Rutherglen in?
Rutherglen sits within the federal Division of Indi, currently held by Helen Haines (Independent).
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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.