Located in Victoria, Winchelsea sits 118 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 30 minutes by car. The town has 2,456 residents, a median age of 41, and a median household income of $74,984 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town grew 25.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $295 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,560. Winchelsea is characterised by high flood risk. 1 school sits within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Winchelsea a good town?
Winchelsea scores a C (31/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 118.1 km · 88 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $650K
High flood risk
Fire 22/100 · Crime 59/100 · Flood 71/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 41 · 2,456 residents
Liveability Rating
31 / 100 · Ranked #698 in VICEach bar is Winchelsea's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Winchelsea?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
31 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWinchelsea's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $650,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$650,000
Based on 77 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 50 days — median across 37 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 9 sales $565K
- 3 bed 39 sales $632K
- 4 bed 26 sales $678K
Land
$292,500
Based on 24 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 70 days — median across 15 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Winchelsea are currently listed at around $738,000 on average. Based on 34 houses listed in the past six months.
$738K
34 houses listed in the last 6 months.
36 of the suburb's 953 dwellings (3.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Winchelsea rent for around $560 a week on average, based on 10 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$560/wk
10 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
12 rentals advertised against an estimated 193 rented homes (6.2%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$560/week ($29,000 a year) on a $738,000 median
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.
Short-Stay Rentals
8 active Airbnb listings: 7 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 0.7% of the town's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Winchelsea safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Winchelsea sits in the moderate band, with 105 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 1% on the prior year.
105 offences
1.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202515 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
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
One school serve Winchelsea, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 141 students in one school (avg 141)
Primary
Walkability
Winchelsea is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, 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.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Winchelsea.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 1.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 0.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 68 min
- Span of service
- 14.2 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Winchelsea.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 44%
- Premises covered
- 1,464
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
Surf Coast: 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 8 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.
Winchelsea is home to about 2,500 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $75,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,456
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$74,984/yr
Census Median Rent
$295/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,560/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$38,948/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.8%
Total Dwellings
953
Owner-Occupier Rate
79.7%
Houses
94.9%
Rental Stress
20.5%
Mortgage Stress
25.0%
Work From Home
17.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
23 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 0 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 186 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 83.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.8%
- Employment Rate
- 56%
- Completed Year 12
- 34.9%
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.
9 residents (0.4%) 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.
6.3% of residents (144) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (126).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,285 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (14 of 1,130).
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 $2,314 a year through Surf Coast based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 92%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Residential 2%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Transport Zone 2 → Farming Zone · C147surf, Aug 2026 2.6 ha
Land in this town 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 town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Surf Coast
In the year to August 2026, 300 new dwellings were approved across Surf Coast. That mix is 270 houses and 30 units. Approvals are up 56.8% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this town: 377 homes
- Lots in approved subdivisions, not yet titled 31 homes
- Land zoned for housing, not yet subdivided 84 homes
- Land set aside, awaiting a precinct structure plan 262 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2013).
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 Aireys Inlet, 27.3 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 90 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 27.1 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.4% of addresses
- 8 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 599 mm
- 93 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 23.2°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.6°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
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
1 facility within 5 km- 3.5 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3241, 15 of 3,137 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.6% (49 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3241, 615 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,306 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 64 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.
13 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3241 in 2025-26, rank 72 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 27, in 2009-10.
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 $650,000 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 Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
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 Richard Riordan Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.8% | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| 2018 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.1% | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| 2014 | Terry Mulder LP | 55.4% | 39.4% | 60.6% |
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 Winchelsea?
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 2,456 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
Inverleigh VIC 3321
Birregurra VIC 3242
Buckley VIC 3240
Winchelsea South VIC 3241
Wurdiboluc VIC 3241
Ombersley VIC 3241
Compare Winchelsea 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 Winchelsea
Is Winchelsea a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Winchelsea is moderate (59/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Winchelsea?
Winchelsea has a low recorded bushfire history (22/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (71/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Winchelsea a good place to live?
Winchelsea has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (31/100), 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 Winchelsea?
Winchelsea, VIC had a population of 2,456 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Winchelsea, VIC?
The postcode for Winchelsea, VIC is 3241.
How far is Winchelsea from Melbourne?
Winchelsea is 118 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 88 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Winchelsea?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Winchelsea was $74,984 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 Winchelsea?
The median advertised rent in Winchelsea is $560 a week for houses (10 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Winchelsea?
The median age of residents in Winchelsea was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Winchelsea at risk of bushfire?
Winchelsea has a low recorded bushfire history (22/100). 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 Winchelsea?
There is 1 school inside the Winchelsea boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Winchelsea walkable?
Winchelsea scores 4/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Winchelsea?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Winchelsea, Aireys Inlet (27.3 km away), summer days average 23.2°C, winter nights 7.6°C, 599 mm of rain a year over 93 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Winchelsea?
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 Winchelsea belong to?
Winchelsea sits within the Surf Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Winchelsea?
The average residential rates bill through Surf Coast is $2,314 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Winchelsea?
Across Surf Coast, 300 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 56.8% 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 Winchelsea in?
Winchelsea sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (Liberal).
Search another suburb or address
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
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.