Shady Creek is a rural locality in Victoria, 116 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. Population is 186; the median age is 42 and the median household income is $109,200 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The locality grew 3.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $200 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Shady Creek is characterised by high bushfire risk. 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 186. 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.
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Our score
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Is Shady Creek safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Shady Creek sits in the low band, with 4 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 50% on the prior year.
4 offences
50.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20255 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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
Shady Creek 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 Shady Creek.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 59
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
Baw Baw: 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
Shady Creek is home to 186 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $109,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
186
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$109,200/yr
Census Median Rent
$200/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.6
Median Personal Income
$42,380/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.6%
Total Dwellings
69
Owner-Occupier Rate
95.1%
Houses
89.9%
Rental Stress
9.5%
Mortgage Stress
19.0%
Work From Home
31.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 90.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 91.4%
- Employment Rate
- 70.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.0%
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 $2,138 a year through Baw Baw based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 93%
- Other and special use 5%
- Parks and recreation 2%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Farming Zone → Special Use Zone · GC263, Apr 2026 271.2 ha
Land in this locality 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 locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Baw Baw
In the year to August 2026, 619 new dwellings were approved across Baw Baw. That mix is 604 houses and 15 units. Approvals are up 49.3% 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 Noojee (Slivar), 23.5 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 100 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 1,090 mm
- 133 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.1°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.7°C
- 12 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 3821, 18 of 3,081 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.3% (39 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3821, 654 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,180 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 41 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 3821 in 2025-26. The most was 21, in 2001-02.
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 Wayne Farnham Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022* | Wayne Farnham LP | 51.7% | — | — |
| 2018 | Gary Blackwood LP | 51.7% | 42.7% | 57.3% |
| 2014 | Gary Blackwood LP | 55.2% | 38.7% | 61.3% |
* The 2022 poll here was replaced by a supplementary election on 28 January 2023; its result is shown.
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 Shady Creek?
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 186 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 Shady Creek 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 Shady Creek
Is Shady Creek a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Shady Creek is low (25/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Shady Creek?
Shady Creek has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (47/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Shady Creek?
Shady Creek, VIC had a population of 186 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Shady Creek, VIC?
The postcode for Shady Creek, VIC is 3821.
How far is Shady Creek from Melbourne?
Shady Creek is 116 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 96 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Shady Creek?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Shady Creek was $109,200 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 Shady Creek?
There are too few current rental listings in Shady Creek for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $200, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Shady Creek?
The median age of residents in Shady Creek was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Shady Creek at risk of bushfire?
Shady Creek has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100). 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.
What is the weather like in Shady Creek?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Shady Creek, Noojee (Slivar) (23.5 km away), summer days average 25.1°C, winter nights 3.7°C, 1,090 mm of rain a year over 133 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Shady Creek?
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 Shady Creek belong to?
Shady Creek sits within the Baw Baw local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Shady Creek?
The average residential rates bill through Baw Baw is $2,138 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Shady Creek?
Across Baw Baw, 619 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 49.3% 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 Shady Creek in?
Shady Creek 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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