Wangaratta (Vic.)
VICWangaratta (Vic.) is a stable suburb in VIC with 19,214 residents.
- SAL code
- 22680
- SA2
- 204021066
- Population
- 19,214
- LGA
- Wangaratta
Wangaratta (Vic.), VIC had 19,214 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.5% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 44. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,300 a month. Around 66.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 36.8%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 85.6% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 45 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
Wangaratta (Vic.), VIC at a glance
Wangaratta is a regional cathedral city ~250 km north-east of Melbourne, sitting at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers and serving as the service hub for the Rural City of Wangaratta and the broader north-east Victoria wine country. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
Wangaratta has a working country-town feel rather than a commuter one. You'll find a mix of older weatherboards near the CBD, brick veneer 70s-80s stock through the inner ring, and newer estates pushing out toward Yarrunga and the bypass. The Ovens River foreshore, Merriwa Park, and the One Mile Creek rail-trail are the recreation anchors; the CBD has a genuine cafe scene plus the annual Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues. Wangaratta High and Galen Catholic College (~1,200 students, College Street) cover the secondary catchment, with two TAFE campuses adding post-school options. The V/Line North East line runs to Southern Cross (~2.5 hrs) and Albury, and Falls Creek + Mount Hotham snowfields are inside two hours by car. In short: a self-contained regional city for buyers who want country-town livability with city-grade services and an easy run to Melbourne or the alps.
For investors
Wangaratta is a yield-and-stability market more than a growth one. Median house sale $525,000 against ~$495/week rent gives a ~4.81% gross yield; units sit at $373,275 / $385pw for ~5.44% (htag.com.au May 2026). 12-month house growth is flat at 0.00% while units posted +9.70%. 404 house sales and 52 unit sales over the past 12 months, houses 38 days on market, units 18, and vacancy 0.8% (htag May 2026) — thin stock, fast lease-up.
Strengths
- Tight rental market — 0.8% vacancy and ~2 months of inventory (htag May 2026) supports lease-up speed.
- Above-average gross yield for regional VIC at ~4.81% houses / ~5.44% units (htag May 2026).
- Diversified employment base — health, government, manufacturing, agriculture and education anchor tenant demand independent of Melbourne cycles.
- Unit segment posted +9.70% 12-month growth (htag May 2026) — a thinner, faster-moving slice (52 sales).
Trade-offs
- House capital growth flat at 0.00% over 12 months (htag May 2026) — this is a cashflow play, not a growth one.
- Days-on-market for houses is 38 (htag May 2026) — slower than metro turnover; pricing discipline matters.
- Older stock dominates inner suburbs; maintenance capex on weatherboard and 70s-80s brick veneer is a recurring line item.
- Tenant pool skewed to local services + retirees; limited investor liquidity if you need to exit fast.
What's coming
The Rural City of Wangaratta had spent $6.8m of its capital works program by 31 December 2025 with a further $4.09m committed (Wangaratta Chronicle, 2025). The Merriwa Park Levee project was being tendered through late 2025 with completion targeted by February 2026 — a flood-resilience upgrade to the central river-park precinct. Track council's Our Projects page for current strategic planning work.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a working regional city with real services, river lifestyle, and a 2.5-hour V/Line link to Melbourne. For investors: a yield + low-vacancy play, not a capital-growth one — buy for cashflow, not for the chart.
Population
?19,214
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+1.5%
3yr: +0.5% · 10yr: +7.5%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,218/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
44
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?3/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?6.5%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
12
8 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?20
7 long day, 7 OSHC
Parks & green space
?45
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?109
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?4
Wangaratta · Feb 2026
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 — Wangaratta (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Wangaratta (Vic.) suburb alone is ~19,214 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 17,109 to 20,019 over 24 years, averaging 0.7% per year.
Schools
12 in suburbSector
6 public · 6 private
Type
7 primary · 2 secondary · 1 K-12 · 2 special
Total enrolment
5,350
Avg per school
446
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 4.6%Almost entirely detached houses (85.6%), mixed tenure (66.7% own or mortgage), built for families (51% 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
26 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 47.4% | 23.12 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 21.2% | 10.35 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 5.2% | 2.54 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 4.6% | 2.24 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 3.0% | 1.49 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 2.4% | 1.15 km² |
| LDRZ1 | Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 2.3% | 1.14 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.7% | 0.82 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 1.2% | 0.60 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 1.2% | 0.58 km² |
| SUZ2 | Special Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.1% | 0.54 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.0% | 0.49 km² |
| SUZ7 | Special Use Zone Schedule 7Special use | 0.9% | 0.44 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.8% | 0.39 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.8% | 0.37 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.7% | 0.36 km² |
| PUZ7 | Public Use Zone Schedule 7Special use | 0.7% | 0.34 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.7% | 0.33 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 0.6% | 0.32 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.4% | 0.22 km² |
| RLZ1 | Rural Living Zone Schedule 1Rural | 0.4% | 0.20 km² |
| SUZ1 | Special Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.3% | 0.16 km² |
| SUZ3 | Special Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.3% | 0.16 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.3% | 0.15 km² |
| SUZ5 | Special Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.3% | 0.15 km² |
| SUZ6 | Special Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.1% | 0.07 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.