Tarnagulla is a rural locality in Victoria, 181 km from Melbourne CBD, around 2 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 153; the median age is 59 and the median household income is $40,508 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The locality grew 15.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $155 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $637. Tarnagulla is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, and 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 153. 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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Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Tarnagulla sits at $335,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only four sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$335,000
Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 202593 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 32% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3551.
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 Tarnagulla safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Tarnagulla sits in the high band, with 12 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
12 offences
100.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Tarnagulla killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
One school serves Tarnagulla, but none have published comparable ratings yet.
- • 21 students in one school (avg 21)
Primary
Walkability
Tarnagulla is car-dependent on foot — at 32/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Tarnagulla.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 101
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
Loddon: 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
Tarnagulla is home to 153 residents, with a median age of 59 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $41,000 a year, with unemployment at 13.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
153
Median Age
59
Median Household Income
$40,508/yr
Census Median Rent
$155/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$637/mo
Avg Household Size
1.9
Median Personal Income
$22,880/yr
Unemployment Rate
13.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
62.3%
Total Dwellings
69
Owner-Occupier Rate
95.8%
Houses
104.3%
Rental Stress
19.9%
Mortgage Stress
18.9%
Work From Home
14.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.8%
- Employment Rate
- 31.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 25.5%
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 $1,353 a year through Loddon based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 73%
- Rural and farming 22%
- Residential 3%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
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: Loddon
In the year to August 2026, 27 new dwellings were approved across Loddon. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 150.0% 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 Maryborough, 32.2 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 226 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 510 mm
- 77 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.0°C
- 16 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.9°C
- 10 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 3551, 189 of 33,479 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.2% (723 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3551, 8,119 rooftop-solar systems totalling 54.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 12,599 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 665 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.
63 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3551 in 2025-26, rank 21 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 289, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
8 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 3551.
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 $335,000 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 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 Tarnagulla?
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 153 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 Tarnagulla 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 Tarnagulla
Is Tarnagulla a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Tarnagulla is high (80/100, 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 Tarnagulla?
Tarnagulla has no recorded bushfire history. No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Tarnagulla?
Tarnagulla, VIC had a population of 153 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Tarnagulla, VIC?
The postcode for Tarnagulla, VIC is 3551.
How far is Tarnagulla from Melbourne?
Tarnagulla is 181 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 129 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Tarnagulla?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Tarnagulla was $40,508 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 Tarnagulla?
There are too few current rental listings in Tarnagulla for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $155, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Tarnagulla?
The median age of residents in Tarnagulla was 59 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Tarnagulla?
There is 1 school inside the Tarnagulla boundary, none of which has enough NAPLAN and ICSEA data for a quality band.
Is Tarnagulla walkable?
Tarnagulla scores 32/100 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 Tarnagulla?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Tarnagulla, Maryborough (32.2 km away), summer days average 29°C, winter nights 3.9°C, 510 mm of rain a year over 77 rainy days, and 16 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Tarnagulla?
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 Tarnagulla belong to?
Tarnagulla sits within the Loddon local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Tarnagulla?
The average residential rates bill through Loddon is $1,353 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Tarnagulla?
Across Loddon, 27 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 150.0% 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 Tarnagulla in?
Tarnagulla 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
- 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.