St Arnaud VIC 3478
St Arnaud sits 241 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 2 hours 50 minutes by car. Census data records 2,318 residents with a median age of 52 and a median household income of $47,840 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 5.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $188 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $867. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded flood exposure. Of 3 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is St Arnaud a good town?
St Arnaud scores a C (42/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on safety and community.
Mixed results
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 47/100 · 241.2 km · 171 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $300K · More affordable than 95% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 37/100 · Crime 86/100 · Flood 0/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 52 · 2,318 residents
Liveability Rating
42 / 100 · Ranked #538 in VICEach bar is St Arnaud's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in St Arnaud?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
42 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSt Arnaud's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $300,000, roughly 21% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$300,000
Based on 79 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 56 days — median across 31 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $262K
- 3 bed 57 sales $300K
- 4 bed 10 sales $274K
Land
$99,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in St Arnaud are currently listed at around $365,000 on average. Based on 27 houses listed in the past six months.
$365K
27 houses listed in the last 6 months.
27 of the suburb's 1,042 dwellings (2.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in St Arnaud rent for around $420 a week on average, based on 3 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$420/wk
3 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
4 rentals advertised against an estimated 215 rented homes (1.9%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$420/week ($22,000 a year) on a $365,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 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 St Arnaud safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in St Arnaud sits in the high band, with 279 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 67% on the prior year.
279 offences
67.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202510 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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 St Arnaud, and performance is broadly at peer-suburb levels with one standout. St Arnaud Primary School leads the pack.
- • 380 students across 3 schools (avg 127)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 958-1011, median 975 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Arnaud Secondary College (168 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
St Arnaud is car-dependent on foot — at 47/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in St Arnaud.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 42%
- Premises covered
- 1,455
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
Northern Grampians: 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 7 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.
St Arnaud is home to about 2,300 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $48,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,318
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$47,840/yr
Census Median Rent
$188/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$867/mo
Avg Household Size
2.0
Median Personal Income
$29,120/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.4%
Total Dwellings
1,042
Owner-Occupier Rate
79.4%
Houses
94.0%
Rental Stress
20.4%
Mortgage Stress
21.7%
Work From Home
4.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
26 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 18 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 207 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 85.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.6%
- Employment Rate
- 45.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 26.9%
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.
27 residents (1.2%) 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.
4.9% of residents (108) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (102).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,208 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
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 870 people work here; 919 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.9 per resident). At least 3% of employed residents must work outside the town.
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 $1,730 a year through Northern Grampians based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 50%
- Parks and recreation 42%
- Residential 4%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- 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 town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Northern Grampians
In the year to August 2026, 28 new dwellings were approved across Northern Grampians. That mix is 19 houses and 9 units. Approvals are down 62.5% 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 St Arnaud, 1.4 kmDry climate.
- Elevation
- 264 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 453 mm
- 57 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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- 0.9 kmPrepared Animal and Bird Feed ManufacturingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 2.9 kmPig FarmingTop reported: Ammonia (total) · Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen
EV adoption
In postcode 3478, 3 of 2,696 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.6% (17 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3478, 569 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,389 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 26 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 3478 in 2025-26. The most was 40, in 2000-01.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this town, 2 across postcode 3478.
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 $300,000 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 Anne Webster The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | -0.1 |
| 2022 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | +3.3 |
| 2019 | Anne Webster | 33.8% | 66.2% | -3.6 |
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 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 town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in St Arnaud?
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 2,318 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 St Arnaud 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 St Arnaud
Is St Arnaud a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in St Arnaud is high (86/100, 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 St Arnaud?
St Arnaud has a low recorded bushfire history (37/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is St Arnaud a good place to live?
St Arnaud has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (42/100), 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 St Arnaud?
St Arnaud, VIC had a population of 2,318 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for St Arnaud, VIC?
The postcode for St Arnaud, VIC is 3478.
How far is St Arnaud from Melbourne?
St Arnaud is 241 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 171 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in St Arnaud?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in St Arnaud was $47,840 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 St Arnaud?
The median advertised rent in St Arnaud is $420 a week for houses (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in St Arnaud?
The median age of residents in St Arnaud was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is St Arnaud at risk of bushfire?
St Arnaud has a low recorded bushfire history (37/100). 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 St Arnaud?
There are 3 schools inside the St Arnaud boundary: 1 above and 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is St Arnaud walkable?
St Arnaud scores 47/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. 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 St Arnaud?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to St Arnaud, St Arnaud (1.4 km away), 453 mm of rain a year over 57 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in St Arnaud?
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 St Arnaud belong to?
St Arnaud sits within the Northern Grampians local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in St Arnaud?
The average residential rates bill through Northern Grampians is $1,730 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near St Arnaud?
Across Northern Grampians, 28 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 62.5% 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 St Arnaud in?
St Arnaud sits within the federal Division of Mallee, currently held by Anne Webster (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
- 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.