Scotchmans Lead VIC 3352
Located in Victoria, Scotchmans Lead sits 123 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. The suburb has 105 residents, a median age of 50, and a median household income of $106,600 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 8.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. The area shows high bushfire risk. Walkability is low.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 105. 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 Scotchmans Lead?
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Our score
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3352.
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 Scotchmans Lead safe? Crime statistics
2024Crime in Scotchmans Lead sits in the low band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2024 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
2 offences
100.0% since 2023Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Scotchmans Lead killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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.
Schools
Walkability
Scotchmans Lead 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 Scotchmans Lead.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 36
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
Ballarat: 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
Scotchmans Lead is home to 105 residents, with a median age of 50 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $107,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
105
Median Age
50
Median Household Income
$106,600/yr
Census Median Rent
—
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.6
Median Personal Income
$53,872/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
0.0%
Total Dwellings
39
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
79.5%
Rental Stress
—
Mortgage Stress
19.5%
Work From Home
6.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.5%
- Employment Rate
- 62.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 31.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, 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 $2,086 a year through Ballarat based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 99%
- Zones under 1% 1%
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: Ballarat
In the year to August 2026, 1,451 new dwellings were approved across Ballarat. That mix is 1,134 houses and 317 units. Approvals are up 41.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2009).
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 Ballarat Aerodrome, 17.7 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 388 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Annual rainfall
- 605 mm
- 97 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.7°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.5°C
- 17 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 3352, 81 of 19,154 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (287 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3352, 3,568 rooftop-solar systems totalling 25.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,023 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 242 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.
12 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3352 in 2025-26, rank 77 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 131, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Catherine King Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Catherine King | 60.7% | 39.3% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Catherine King | 63.0% | 37.0% | -2.7 |
| 2019 | Catherine King | 61.0% | 39.0% | -3.6 |
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 Michaela Settle Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Michaela Settle ALP | 57.2% | 57.2% | 42.8% |
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 Scotchmans Lead?
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 105 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 Scotchmans Lead to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Scotchmans Lead
Is Scotchmans Lead a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Scotchmans Lead is low (27/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Scotchmans Lead?
Scotchmans Lead has a high recorded bushfire history (91/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (11/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Scotchmans Lead?
Scotchmans Lead, VIC had a population of 105 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Scotchmans Lead, VIC?
The postcode for Scotchmans Lead, VIC is 3352.
How far is Scotchmans Lead from Melbourne?
Scotchmans Lead is 123 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 95 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Scotchmans Lead?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Scotchmans Lead was $106,600 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median age in Scotchmans Lead?
The median age of residents in Scotchmans Lead was 50 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Scotchmans Lead at risk of bushfire?
Scotchmans Lead has a high recorded bushfire history (91/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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.
What is the weather like in Scotchmans Lead?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Scotchmans Lead, Ballarat Aerodrome (17.7 km away), summer days average 25.7°C, winter nights 3.5°C, 605 mm of rain a year over 97 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Scotchmans Lead?
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 Scotchmans Lead belong to?
Scotchmans Lead sits within the Ballarat local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Scotchmans Lead?
The average residential rates bill through Ballarat is $2,086 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Scotchmans Lead?
Across Ballarat, 1,451 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 41.8% 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 Scotchmans Lead in?
Scotchmans Lead sits within the federal Division of Ballarat, currently held by Catherine King (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2024
- 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.