Echuca
VICEchuca is a declining suburb in VIC with 15,056 residents.
- SAL code
- 20838
- SA2
- 216011406
- Population
- 15,056
Echuca, VIC had 15,056 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 0.5% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 45. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,468 a month. Around 67.8% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 37.5%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 87.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 12 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Echuca, VIC at a glance
Echuca is a regional river town on the Murray ~210 km north of Melbourne, the seat of Campaspe Shire and the larger half of the Echuca-Moama twin-town. Tourism (paddle-steamers, port precinct, riverfront) underpins a ~$250m local economy alongside agriculture and health. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Echuca trades on the Murray. The historic Port of Echuca (largest paddle-steamer fleet in the world) anchors the riverfront, with heritage High Street and Hare Street running back into a working regional CBD — full Coles/Woolworths/Aldi footprint, Echuca Mall, Echuca Regional Health hospital, and a mix of period cottages, mid-century brick and newer house-and-land releases as you fan out toward Echuca West and Echuca Village. Schooling is well-served: Echuca College (~800 students, Years 7-12, government), St Joseph's College (~890 students, Catholic co-ed, ~140-year history) and Echuca Primary School cover most family needs. Median age is 45 (above the Victorian average), reflecting a steady mix of long-term locals, retirees crossing from Moama (NSW) and tourism-sector workers. Melbourne is ~2.5 hours by car or coach; Bendigo ~90 minutes for the nearest V/Line rail hub. In short: a working river town with genuine regional amenity, heritage character and weekend lifestyle on tap — not a commuter suburb.
For investors
Echuca is a high-yield regional play on a 12-month uplift. Median house $600,000 against $650/week rent gives ~7.87% gross yield (Your Investment Property May 2026); units median $422,500 with weaker recent growth (-7.14% YoY). 12-month house growth +9.09% with 258 house sales and 54 unit sales over the period — a deep regional market. Days-on-market ~46 (houses), reflecting normal regional pacing rather than metro tightness.
Strengths
- Strong cashflow profile — house gross yield ~7.87% (Your Investment Property May 2026), well above metro Melbourne.
- Recent capital growth +9.09% YoY houses while remaining sub-$650K entry — rare combination of yield and growth.
- Deep, liquid regional market — 258 house + 54 unit sales in 12 months supports entry/exit.
- Diversified local economy — Campaspe Shire seat, Echuca Regional Health, ~$250m/yr tourism base — reduces single-employer risk.
Trade-offs
- Days-on-market ~46 (houses) — slower turnover than metro Melbourne; pricing must be realistic.
- Unit segment soft — median $422,500 with -7.14% 12-month movement; thinner stratified pool (54 sales).
- Tourism exposure — river-trade and visitor spend cycles flow through to local rents and short-stay competition.
- Regional location — Melbourne ~2.5 hours by road; no commuter-belt fallback if local conditions soften.
What's coming
Campaspe Shire's 2025/26 Budget commits $14.53m to redevelop Victoria Park, Echuca, plus $1.74m to continue the Echuca Holiday Park master plan, $1.08m for kerb and channel works, $100K for Bridge-to-Bridge design and $80K for Northern Highway urban design. Combined, these progressively lift the riverfront and CBD-fringe public realm through 2026.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a heritage river town with full regional amenity and lifestyle pull. For investors: a yield-led regional play with recent growth — slower turnover and a soft unit segment to watch.
Population
?15,056
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.5%
3yr: -1.3% · 10yr: +3.9%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,335/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
45
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?3/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.5%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
8
5 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?9
4 long day, 3 OSHC
Parks & green space
?12
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?73
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Echuca (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Echuca suburb alone is ~15,056 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 12,544 to 15,357 over 24 years, averaging 0.8% per year.
Schools
8 in suburbSector
5 public · 3 private
Type
4 primary · 2 secondary · 1 K-12 · 1 special
Total enrolment
3,493(7 of 8 reporting)
Avg per school
499
Government 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 5.9%Almost entirely detached houses (87.1%), mixed tenure (67.8% own or mortgage), built for families (47% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
20 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZ1 | Farming Zone Schedule 1Rural | 53.5% | 76.94 km² |
| FZ2 | Farming Zone Schedule 2Rural | 6.6% | 9.52 km² |
| RAZ | Rural Activity ZoneRural | 5.5% | 7.92 km² |
| RLZ2 | Rural Living Zone Schedule 2Rural | 5.5% | 7.92 km² |
| GRZ | General Residential ZoneResidential | 4.8% | 6.93 km² |
| UGZ1 | UGZ1Other | 4.3% | 6.23 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 3.7% | 5.34 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 3.4% | 4.95 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 3.1% | 4.46 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 1.7% | 2.49 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.6% | 2.32 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 1.5% | 2.16 km² |
| SUZ3 | Special Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 1.2% | 1.73 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.0% | 1.49 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.6% | 0.86 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 0.5% | 0.69 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.3% | 0.49 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.2% | 0.34 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.2% | 0.33 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.2% | 0.25 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.