Sale VIC 3850
Sale is a suburb in Victoria, 216 km from Melbourne CBD, around 2 hours 40 minutes by car. Population is 14,296; the median age is 42 and the median household income is $69,004 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 4.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $280 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Sale is characterised by high flood risk and high aircraft noise risk. Of 12 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Sale a good suburb?
Sale scores a C (38/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and prices, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
12 schools · 3 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 86/100 · 215.5 km · 159 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $544K · More affordable than 78% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 90/100 · Flood 92/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 42 · 14,296 residents
Liveability Rating
38 / 100 · Ranked #594 in VICEach bar is Sale's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Sale?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
38 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSale's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $544,000, roughly 19% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$543,750
Based on 408 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 50 days — median across 178 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 29 sales $410K
- 3 bed 204 sales $471K
- 4 bed 150 sales $625K
- 5 bed 18 sales $669K
Units
$335,000
Based on 53 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 52 days — median across 29 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 8 sales $217K
- 2 bed 35 sales $335K
- 3 bed 9 sales $470K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Sale are currently listed at around $640,000 on average. Based on 224 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$640K
224 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$337K
22 units listed in the last 6 months.
246 of the suburb's 5,786 dwellings (4.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Sale rent for around $530 a week on average, based on 106 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$530/wk
106 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$385/wk
14 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
120 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,950 rented homes (6.2%) in the last 6 months.
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 3850.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$530/week ($28,000 a year) on a $640,000 median
$385/week ($20,000 a year) on a $337,000 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 Sale safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Sale sits in the high band, with 1,984 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 7% on the prior year.
1,984 offences
7.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202527 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Aircraft Noise
ANEF Contour Details
Significant impact — conditional building
Significant impact — conditional building
Moderate impact — noise insulation required
Noticeable aircraft noise
Low aircraft noise
Schools
Twelve schools serve Sale, and performance is broadly at peer-suburb levels with one standout. Sale Primary School and St Mary's Primary School lead the pack.
- • 4,099 students across 9 schools (avg 455)
- • Sectors: 6 Government, 4 Catholic, 2 Independent
- • ICSEA 937-1096, median 1003 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Gippsland Grammar (1,039 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Sale is very walkable on foot — at 86/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 7 supermarkets, 13 parks and 31 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Sale.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 49.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 40.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 30.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 16.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Sale.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 45%
- Premises covered
- 7,988
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
Wellington: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 32 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Sale is home to about 14,300 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $69,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
14,296
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$69,004/yr
Census Median Rent
$280/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$36,452/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.1%
Total Dwellings
5,786
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.3%
Houses
84.5%
Rental Stress
21.1%
Mortgage Stress
22.6%
Work From Home
10.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
211 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 38 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,898 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.4%
- Employment Rate
- 52.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.6%
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.
279 residents (2.0%) 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.
8.7% of residents (1,176) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (761).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 13,454 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 (35 of 6,121).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 7,582 people work here; 6,121 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 16% 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 $1,960 a year through Wellington based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 57%
- Residential 18%
- Parks and recreation 14%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Commercial 2%
- Industrial 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Wellington
In the year to August 2026, 209 new dwellings were approved across Wellington. That mix is 180 houses and 29 units. Approvals are up 16.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Gunaikurnai Land and Waters 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 East Sale, 5.4 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 13 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 29.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 546 mm
- 82 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.5°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.0°C
- 12 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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
1 facility within 5 km- 1.2 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3850, 61 of 13,058 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.6% (338 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3850, 2,282 rooftop-solar systems totalling 15.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,872 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 126 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.
5 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3850 in 2025-26, rank 129 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 206, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
9 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
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 $543,750 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 suburb'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 suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Sale?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 14,296 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 Sale 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 Sale
Is Sale a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Sale is high (90/100, 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 Sale?
Sale has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (92/100). Part of it sits inside an aircraft noise contour. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Sale a good place to live?
Sale has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (38/100), 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 Sale?
Sale, VIC had a population of 14,296 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Sale, VIC?
The postcode for Sale, VIC is 3850.
How far is Sale from Melbourne?
Sale is 216 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 159 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Sale?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Sale was $69,004 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 Sale?
The median advertised rent in Sale is $530 a week for houses (106 listings) and $385 a week for units (14 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Sale?
The median age of residents in Sale was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Sale?
There are 12 schools inside the Sale boundary: 3 above and 5 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Sale walkable?
Sale scores 86/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. 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 Sale?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Sale, East Sale (5.4 km away), summer days average 25.5°C, winter nights 4°C, 546 mm of rain a year over 82 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Sale?
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 Sale belong to?
Sale sits within the Wellington local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Sale?
The average residential rates bill through Wellington is $1,960 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Sale?
Across Wellington, 209 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 16.7% 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 Sale in?
Sale sits within the federal Division of Gippsland, currently held by Darren Chester (The Nationals).
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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
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.