Ararat
VICArarat is a declining suburb in VIC with 8,500 residents.
- SAL code
- 20053
- SA2
- 215011386
- Population
- 8,500
Ararat, VIC had 8,500 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.8% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 45. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,083 a month. Around 72.6% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 42.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 90.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 22 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?8,500
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-1.8%
3yr: +0.3% · 10yr: +0.9%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,216/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
45
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?2/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.2%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
6
4 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?7
3 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?22
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?49
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Ararat (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Ararat suburb alone is ~8,500 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,150 to 8,399 over 24 years, averaging 0.1% per year.
Schools
6 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 3.2%Almost entirely detached houses (90.5%), owner-occupied (73%), built for families (55% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Bushfire
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Flood
Hazard data is not yet available for this state.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped hazard polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
18 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 69.2% | 111.53 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 13.4% | 21.55 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 4.0% | 6.46 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 3.9% | 6.24 km² |
| RLZ | Rural Living ZoneRural | 3.9% | 6.22 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Other | 1.0% | 1.65 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 0.8% | 1.36 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Other | 0.8% | 1.34 km² |
| SUZ1 | Special Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.6% | 1.04 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.4% | 0.69 km² |
| PUZ7 | Public Use Zone Schedule 7Special use | 0.4% | 0.59 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 0.3% | 0.49 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.3% | 0.47 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.2% | 0.33 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.2% | 0.33 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.2% | 0.32 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.1% | 0.20 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.1% | 0.17 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.