Aerial view

Imagery © Esri

The quick read on

Barwon Downs

VIC 3243 · Colac Otway

What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.

Median house: $562,000
Population: 136
Postcode: 3243

Property market insights for Barwon Downs

Median sale price and rental income of properties in Barwon Downs VIC

Median price trend for houses

Based on 3 sales in the preceding 12 months

$562,000

Down 7.5% over 12 months

2 bed: $520k
3 bed: $1.2m

Market data updated October 2026.

The median house price in Barwon Downs, VIC is currently $562,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Barwon Downs has a 12-month growth rate of -7.5% for houses.

Two-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $520,000, Three-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $1,200,000 in Barwon Downs.

Crime and safety

Is Barwon Downs safe?

The overall rate for Barwon Downs is 4,690 offences per 100,000 residents — 15% above the Rest of Vic. benchmark.

That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Barwon Downs.

See the detailed Barwon Downs crime profile →How to read crime data

Overall crime rate

4,690

offences per 100,000 residents

15% aboveRest of Vic.

Barwon DownsRest of Vic.: 4,070

Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.

The people behind the postcode

Who lives in Barwon Downs?

Barwon Downs VIC 3243 is in Victoria, within Rest of Vic..

136 people call Barwon Downs home, with an average of 2.1 people per household and a median household income of $1,037 a week.

Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.

Population: 136
Median age: 48 years
Median mortgage: $1,083 / month
2021 household rent: $230 / week

Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineRest of Vic. benchmark

Age profile

Share of residents in each age band.

Under 1512.5%Below

15–3412.5%Below

35–5433.8%Above

55–7431.6%Above

75 and over7.4%Below

Homes

Share of occupied private dwellings.

Separate houses90.8%Above

Townhouses0.0%Below

Apartments0.0%Below

Ownership

Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.

Owned outright51.0%Above

Paying a mortgage42.9%Above

Renting6.1%Below

Cars at home

Vehicles available to occupied households.

No car0.0%Below

One car30.4%Below

Two cars33.9%Below

Three or more33.9%Above

Getting to work

Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.

Worked from home27.4%Above

Drove to work53.4%Below

Train, tram or bus0.0%Below

Walked or cycled0.0%Below

What stands out in Barwon Downs

27.4% of workers in Barwon Downs worked from home on Census day — about twice the rate across Rest of Vic..

49.3% of people in Barwon Downs described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.

A closer look at the Census

Questions people ask about Barwon Downs

Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Barwon Downs VIC 3243.

Is Barwon Downs family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.

12.5% of Barwon Downs's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is somewhat below the Rest of Vic. average.

35 family households lived in Barwon Downs; 28.6% were couple families and 8.6% were one-parent families.

34.3% of local families included children under 15. That is almost exactly typical for Rest of Vic..

These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.

What is the age profile of Barwon Downs?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.

Barwon Downs had 136 residents at the 2021 Census.

19.9% of residents were aged 25 to 44.

39.0% were 55 or older. That is somewhat above the Rest of Vic. average.

Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.

What kind of homes are in Barwon Downs?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.

Separate houses made up 90.8% of occupied private dwellings in Barwon Downs.

Townhouses and other attached homes represented 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.

Flats and apartments accounted for 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.

All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.

Do people own or rent in Barwon Downs?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.

51.0% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is well above the Rest of Vic. average.

42.9% were buying their home with a mortgage.

6.1% rented their home. That is about half the Rest of Vic. rate.

Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.

How large are households in Barwon Downs?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.

The average household in Barwon Downs had 2.1 people.

One-person households made up 42.4% of occupied homes. That is well above the Rest of Vic. average.

Two-person households represented 44.1%, while 10.2% had four or more usual residents.

Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.

How do people get to work in Barwon Downs?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.

27.4% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is about twice the Rest of Vic. rate.

53.4% drove a car as their only travel method. That is well below the Rest of Vic. average.

0.0% used only a train, tram or bus, while 0.0% walked or cycled.

Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.

How many cars do households have in Barwon Downs?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.

0.0% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is about half the Rest of Vic. rate.

One-car households formed 30.4% of the total.

67.9% of households had two or more vehicles.

Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.

Who's moving to Barwon Downs, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.

76.0% were at the same address five years earlier, while 24.0% reported a different address.

5.1% of residents were born outside Australia. That is about half the Rest of Vic. rate.

Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.

What languages are spoken in Barwon Downs?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.

89.7% of residents used only English at home.

6.6% used a language other than English at home.

0.0% spoke Mandarin at home, 0.0% spoke Cantonese and 0.0% spoke Hindi.

Home language is separate from English proficiency.

Where were Barwon Downs residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.

5.1% of Barwon Downs's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 94.9% was born in Australia.

0.0% of residents were born in China.

0.0% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 89.7%.

Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.

What ancestries shape Barwon Downs?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.

English ancestry accounted for 44.9% of ancestry responses in Barwon Downs.

Australian ancestry made up 32.4% of responses.

Chinese ancestry represented 0.0% of responses.

People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.

What work do people do in Barwon Downs?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.

19.2% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is almost exactly typical for Rest of Vic..

Managers accounted for 26.0% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 4.1%.

Health care and social assistance employed 12.3% of workers, and education and training employed 5.5%.

Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.

How active is the workforce in Barwon Downs?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.

The labour-force participation rate was 64.3%, compared with 57.4% across Rest of Vic..

31.4% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 25.4% worked part time.

Unemployment was 4.1%, compared with 4.1% across Rest of Vic..

Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.

What does the health profile of Barwon Downs show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.

55.1% reported no selected long-term health condition.

10.3% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.

8.1% reported asthma, 10.3% arthritis and 2.9% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.

These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.

How educated is Barwon Downs?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.

28.0% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is well above the Rest of Vic. average.

Postgraduate degrees accounted for 4.9% of qualification responses.

Diploma-level qualifications represented 14.6%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 24.4%.

Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.

What do incomes and housing costs look like in Barwon Downs?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.

Median household income was $1,037 per week in the 2021 Census.

The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $1,083.

Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $230 per week.

These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.

How does Barwon Downs compare with Rest of Vic.?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.

Working from home was 27.4% in Barwon Downs, compared with 15.1% across Rest of Vic..

Outright ownership was 51.0% locally and 40.9% across Rest of Vic.. That is well above the Rest of Vic. average.

Renting accounted for 6.1% in Barwon Downs, against 24.5% across Rest of Vic..

Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.

Three useful questions

A buyer’s quick guide to Barwon Downs

Is Barwon Downs expensive?

The median house price is $562,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.

Is Barwon Downs good for families?

The Census counted 35 local families, and 12.5% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.

What can I get for $1.5m in Barwon Downs?

3-bedroom houses have a median around $1,200,000, the closest bedroom benchmark we hold to a $1.5m budget. Individual homes can differ substantially with block size, renovation and location.

Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.

Explore the area

Streets and suburbs around Barwon Downs

26 streets in Barwon Downs

Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.

Birregurra-Forrest Rd
Blacks Rd
Callahans Ln
Callahans Rd
Creamery Rd
Delaneys Rd
Dewings Bridge Rd
Division Rd
Griffins Rd
James Rd
Kents Rd
Loves Rd
Mahers Rd
Mclaughlins Rd
Mcnamas Rd
Mcpaddens Rd
Neck Trk
Old Mill Rd

Show all 26 streets

Rowlands Rd
Taylors Rd
Thompsons Track
Thompsons Trk
Wallaces Rd
Wickhams Ln
Wineshanty Rd
Woodlands Rd

12 suburbs surrounding Barwon Downs

Compare nearby suburb prices, rents and five-year market trends.

Keep exploring

Is Barwon Downs right for your search?

Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.

Compare suburbs Open the full report

Read the thinking

Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.