Smeaton is a rural locality in Victoria, 137 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 40 minutes by car. Population is 245; the median age is 51 and the median household income is $70,408 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality grew 6.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $180 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,463. Smeaton 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 245. 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 Smeaton?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Smeaton sits at $680,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only five sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$680,500
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 5 sales $680K
Is Smeaton safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Smeaton sits in the low band, with 1 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 50% on the prior year.
1 offences
50.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Smeaton 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 Smeaton.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 137
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
Hepburn: 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
Smeaton is home to 245 residents, with a median age of 51 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $70,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
245
Median Age
51
Median Household Income
$70,408/yr
Census Median Rent
$180/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,463/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$38,844/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.2%
Total Dwellings
107
Owner-Occupier Rate
91.8%
Houses
102.8%
Rental Stress
13.3%
Mortgage Stress
24.9%
Work From Home
29.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.6%
- Employment Rate
- 53%
- Completed Year 12
- 38.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (4 of 107).
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 $1,748 a year through Hepburn based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 98%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
- Residential 1%
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: Hepburn
In the year to August 2026, 104 new dwellings were approved across Hepburn. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 5.9% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
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 Eberys, 12.7 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 421 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 531 mm
- 76 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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 3364, 13 of 2,413 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.7% (40 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3364, 527 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 991 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 38 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.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3364 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 15, in 2005-06.
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 $680,500 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 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 locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Martha Haylett Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Martha Haylett ALP | 53.0% | 53.0% | 47.0% |
| 2018 | Louise Staley LP | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| 2014 | Louise Staley LP | 50.8% | 49.2% | 50.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Smeaton?
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 245 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 Smeaton 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 Smeaton
Is Smeaton a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Smeaton is low (13/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Smeaton?
Smeaton has a high recorded bushfire history (70/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (15/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Smeaton?
Smeaton, VIC had a population of 245 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Smeaton, VIC?
The postcode for Smeaton, VIC is 3364.
How far is Smeaton from Melbourne?
Smeaton is 137 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 101 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Smeaton?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Smeaton was $70,408 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 Smeaton?
There are too few current rental listings in Smeaton for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $180, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Smeaton?
The median age of residents in Smeaton was 51 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Smeaton at risk of bushfire?
Smeaton has a high recorded bushfire history (70/100). 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 Smeaton?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Smeaton, Eberys (12.7 km away), 531 mm of rain a year over 76 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Smeaton?
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 Smeaton belong to?
Smeaton sits within the Hepburn local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Smeaton?
The average residential rates bill through Hepburn is $1,748 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Smeaton?
Across Hepburn, 104 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 5.9% 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 Smeaton in?
Smeaton sits within the federal Division of Ballarat, currently held by Catherine King (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.