Epping (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Epping is an outer northern suburb of Melbourne, about 18 kilometres from the central business district, within the City of Whittlesea. A village reserve was surveyed here in 1839, and the settlement was named Epping in 1853 after Epping Forest in England; a hotel had operated since 1844 and a post office opened in 1857. Early farming families, many of Irish origin, worked dairy farms and quarries, and a railway line from Melbourne reached the township in 1889. The original village stood on higher ground west of Darebin Creek, and several of its older buildings were raised in bluestone, plentiful across the surrounding volcanic plains. Major suburban growth followed from the 1970s. Today Epping centres on the Pacific Epping shopping centre and the adjoining Northern Hospital, while the local campus of Melbourne Polytechnic ranks among Victoria's largest providers of training to the agriculture sector.
Less advantaged than the national average
Epping (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 32% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 955, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Epping (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 33,489
- Median age
- 35
- Median weekly household income
- $1,671
- SEIFA score
- 955
- Coordinates
- -37.6430, 145.0162
Epping (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Epping (Vic.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 32%, 29% of homes are rented, and 43% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 6,970 | 21% |
| Youth (15–24) | 4,040 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 10,644 | 32% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 7,637 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,204 | 13% |
Share of the 33,495 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,762 | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 4,490 | 42% |
| Rented | 3,146 | 29% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 8,687 | 81% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,816 | 17% |
| Flats & apartments | 188 | 2% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 10,702 occupied private dwellings in Epping (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $361
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,811
- Median weekly personal income
- $709
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 13,384 (43%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 16,693 (54%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 325 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 15,280 (60%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.5%
- Employed full-time
- 8,962
- Employed part-time
- 5,089
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Epping (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Epping (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.9°C). The area receives roughly 724 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 14.1°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 13.3°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 20°C | 10.5°C | 62 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8.4°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm |
| Jul | 12.9°C | 6.1°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 13.7°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 65 mm |
| Oct | 19.6°C | 8.8°C | 76 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 10.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 12.6°C | 66 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Epping (Vic.)
Where is Epping (Vic.)?
Epping (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Epping (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Epping (Vic.) had a population of about 33,489.
Is Epping (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Epping (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 955, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 32 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 32% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Epping (Vic.)?
Epping (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 724 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Epping (Vic.)?
Epping (Vic.) is one of the most populous suburbs in Victoria — the 19th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 33,489 usual residents).
Where Epping (Vic.) ranks
Epping (Vic.) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Victoria#19 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.