Swan Hill, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Swan Hill is a city on the Murray River in north-western Victoria, about 338 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the country of the Wemba-Wemba and neighbouring peoples. The explorer Thomas Mitchell named it in 1836 for the swans and waterfowl he saw on a nearby lagoon. River trade shaped its early growth: in 1853 Francis Cadell steamed up the Murray to Swan Hill in his paddle steamer Lady Augusta, and the Burke and Wills expedition passed through in 1860. The heritage-listed road bridge dates from 1896. Today the city anchors a productive irrigated farming district and lends its name to a sizeable wine region, with its riverside setting and pioneering river history drawing travellers to this stretch of the Murray.
Less advantaged than the national average
Swan Hill is more socio-economically advantaged than about 25% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 940, 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.
Swan Hill at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 11,186
- Median age
- 38
- Median weekly household income
- $1,390
- SEIFA score
- 940
- Coordinates
- -35.3621, 143.5127
Swan Hill demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Swan Hill 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 27%, 32% of homes are rented, and 14% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,148 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,253 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,981 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,454 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,346 | 21% |
Share of the 11,182 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,520 | 35% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,305 | 30% |
| Rented | 1,381 | 32% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,609 | 83% |
| Townhouses & semis | 368 | 8% |
| Flats & apartments | 337 | 8% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,350 occupied private dwellings in Swan Hill.
- Median weekly rent
- $235
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,802
- Median weekly personal income
- $754
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,472 (14%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,382 (13%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 473 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,818 (44%)
- Labour-force participation
- 59.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 3%
- Employed full-time
- 3,146
- Employed part-time
- 1,752
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 Swan Hill
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Swan Hill is January (average daytime high around 32.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 14°C). The area receives roughly 375 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32.7°C | 18.7°C | 29 mm |
| Feb | 31.1°C | 17.5°C | 12 mm |
| Mar | 28°C | 15.7°C | 19 mm |
| Apr | 22.7°C | 11.8°C | 45 mm |
| May | 17.7°C | 8.6°C | 32 mm |
| Jun | 14.4°C | 6.3°C | 34 mm |
| Jul | 14°C | 5.6°C | 23 mm |
| Aug | 15°C | 5.9°C | 33 mm |
| Sep | 18.8°C | 7.8°C | 42 mm |
| Oct | 23.4°C | 10.7°C | 44 mm |
| Nov | 26.7°C | 13.4°C | 32 mm |
| Dec | 30.2°C | 16.3°C | 30 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Swan Hill
Where is Swan Hill?
Swan Hill is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Swan Hill?
At the 2021 Census, Swan Hill had a population of about 11,186.
Is Swan Hill an advantaged area?
Swan Hill has an ABS SEIFA score of 940, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 25 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 25% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Swan Hill?
Swan Hill has average daytime highs of about 22.9°C and overnight lows of about 11.5°C, with roughly 375 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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