Heathcote (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Heathcote is a town in central Victoria, about 110 kilometres north of Melbourne and 40 kilometres south-east of Bendigo on the McIvor Highway. It lies on the traditional lands of the Taungurung people of the Kulin nation. The explorer Thomas Mitchell passed through in 1836, but the district was transformed late in 1852 when gold was struck at McIvor Creek, drawing some forty thousand diggers within months to one of the richest fields of the Victorian rushes. As the alluvial gold thinned the population fell away, and the settlement that remained took the name Heathcote in 1854. Today the town is best known as the heart of a celebrated wine region prized for its shiraz, with the Pink Cliffs, Lake Eppalock and the O'Keefe Rail Trail drawing visitors.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Heathcote (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 907, 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.
Heathcote (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,962
- Median age
- 57
- Median weekly household income
- $946
- SEIFA score
- 907
- Coordinates
- -36.9114, 144.7235
Heathcote (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Heathcote (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 seniors (65+) at 35%, 14% of homes are rented, and 14% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 334 | 11% |
| Youth (15–24) | 185 | 6% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 460 | 16% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 929 | 31% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,043 | 35% |
Share of the 2,951 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 642 | 51% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 373 | 30% |
| Rented | 176 | 14% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,191 | 95% |
| Townhouses & semis | 30 | 2% |
| Flats & apartments | 6 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,250 occupied private dwellings in Heathcote (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $255
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,291
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,283
- Median weekly personal income
- $490
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 358 (14%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 104 (4%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 49 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 793 (31%)
- Labour-force participation
- 40.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Employed full-time
- 527
- Employed part-time
- 385
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.
Common questions about Heathcote (Vic.)
Where is Heathcote (Vic.)?
Heathcote (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Heathcote (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Heathcote (Vic.) had a population of about 2,962.
Is Heathcote (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Heathcote (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 907, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 14 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of Australian suburbs.
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