Tarwin Lower sits 176 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 2 hours 20 minutes by car. Census data records 462 residents with a median age of 53 and a median household income of $65,624 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The locality grew 29.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $210 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,548. Tarwin Lower is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and high flood risk. 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 462. 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 Tarwin Lower?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median House Price
Public listings dataTarwin Lower's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $422,000, 0.7% above where it sat a year earlier. That said, only eight sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
Houses
$421,500
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 6 sales $422K
Land
$1,075,000
Based on only 6 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Tarwin Lower are currently listed at around $1.04 million on average, with the typical listing on the market for 5 days. Based on 11 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.04M
11 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 5 days.
11 of the suburb's 190 dwellings (5.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Tarwin Lower safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Tarwin Lower sits in the moderate band, with 23 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 21% on the prior year.
23 offences
21.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 crashes
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.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 5.0 km
- Rate
- -0.10 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -5.7 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Tarwin Lower, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 34 students in one school (avg 34)
Primary
Walkability
Tarwin Lower 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 Tarwin Lower.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 121
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
South Gippsland: 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
Tarwin Lower is home to 462 residents, with a median age of 53 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $66,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
462
Median Age
53
Median Household Income
$65,624/yr
Census Median Rent
$210/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,548/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$37,232/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
48.4%
Total Dwellings
190
Owner-Occupier Rate
88.9%
Houses
97.4%
Rental Stress
16.6%
Mortgage Stress
28.3%
Work From Home
31.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.4%
- Employment Rate
- 55.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 41.1%
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.
0 residents (0.0%) 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.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (9 of 214).
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 $2,282 a year through South Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 82%
- Parks and recreation 10%
- Not zoned 8%
Planning zones cover 92% of the locality's area. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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: South Gippsland
In the year to August 2026, 170 new dwellings were approved across South Gippsland. That mix is 154 houses and 16 units. Approvals are up 21.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
No Registered Aboriginal Party is appointed for this area. About an eighth of Victoria, mostly in the north-east, has no appointment; that is a fact about the register rather than about the Country.
Climate & Setting
from Wonthaggi, 33.0 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 37 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.6 km
- Annual rainfall
- 906 mm
- 119 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 24.6°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.9°C
- 0 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 3956, 21 of 3,253 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.8% (57 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3956, 1,056 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,975 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 57 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.
1 first-home grant was paid in postcode 3956 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 24, in 2001-02.
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 $421,500 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 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 Danny O'Brien The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Danny O'Brien NP | 53.3% | 34.8% | 65.2% |
| 2018 | Danny O'Brien NP | 61.9% | 34.7% | 65.3% |
| 2014 | Peter Ryan NP | 57.3% | 34.3% | 65.7% |
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 Tarwin Lower?
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 462 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
Venus Bay VIC 3956
Fish Creek VIC 3959
Buffalo VIC 3958
Walkerville VIC 3956
Pound Creek VIC 3996
Middle Tarwin VIC 3956
Compare Tarwin Lower 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 Tarwin Lower
Is Tarwin Lower a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Tarwin Lower is moderate (62/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Tarwin Lower?
Tarwin Lower has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (73/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Tarwin Lower?
Tarwin Lower, VIC had a population of 462 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Tarwin Lower, VIC?
The postcode for Tarwin Lower, VIC is 3956.
How far is Tarwin Lower from Melbourne?
Tarwin Lower is 176 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 138 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Tarwin Lower?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Tarwin Lower was $65,624 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 Tarwin Lower?
There are too few current rental listings in Tarwin Lower for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $210, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Tarwin Lower?
The median age of residents in Tarwin Lower was 53 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Tarwin Lower at risk of bushfire?
Tarwin Lower has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100). 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.
How are the schools in Tarwin Lower?
There is 1 school inside the Tarwin Lower boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Tarwin Lower?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Tarwin Lower, Wonthaggi (33 km away), summer days average 24.6°C, winter nights 6.9°C, 906 mm of rain a year over 119 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Tarwin Lower?
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 Tarwin Lower belong to?
Tarwin Lower sits within the South Gippsland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Tarwin Lower?
The average residential rates bill through South Gippsland is $2,282 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Tarwin Lower?
Across South Gippsland, 170 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 21.1% 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 Tarwin Lower in?
Tarwin Lower sits within the federal Division of Monash, currently held by Mary Aldred (Liberal).
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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.