Buloke
Statistical Area - sa2

Buloke is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Buloke's population is approximately 6,002 as of August 2025. This figure shows a decrease of 182 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,184. The decline is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 5,965 in June 2024 and the addition of 18 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 0.70 persons per square kilometer. Buloke's population decline of -2.9% is similar to that of the SA3 area (-1.5%), indicating comparable population trends across the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest a modest increase below Australia's non-metropolitan median, with an expected growth of 6.2% to reach 6,389 persons by 2041 based on the latest numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Buloke, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Buloke has received approximately 13 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 69 approvals from FY21 to FY25 and one so far in FY26. Despite population decline during this period, new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, offering good choice for buyers. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $661,000, indicating a focus on premium developments.

This financial year has seen $42.6 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Buloke records about three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks at the 45th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This level is below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New building activity consists of 92% standalone homes and 8% medium to high-density housing, maintaining Buloke's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 380 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. Future projections indicate Buloke will add 375 residents by 2041. Existing development levels appear aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Buloke has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include Corack East Wind Project, Corack Road Service Station & Food Premises, Kooka's Country Cookies New Manufacturing Facility, and Donald's Transformation. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The labour market in Buloke demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Buloke has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, diverse industry representation, and an unemployment rate of 2.4% as of June 2025. It has 2,927 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 1.4% lower than the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is somewhat below standard at 52.4%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly strong with an employment share 4.3 times the regional level. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.8% versus the regional average of 10.4%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 4.2%, employment declined by 3.7%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment contracted by 0.9%, labour force fell by 0.4%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Buloke's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.1% over five years and 11.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 indicates Buloke had a median income among taxpayers of $43,226. The average level stood at $52,479, which is below the national average. This compares to levels of $48,741 and $60,693 across Rest of Vic., respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $47,596 (median) and $57,785 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Buloke all fall between the 7th and 14th percentiles nationally. The largest segment comprises 28.6% earning $800 - 1,499 weekly (1,716 residents), differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.3%. While housing costs are modest with 94.0% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 16th percentile nationally.

Buloke is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Buloke, as per the latest Census evaluation, 94.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 5.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. This compares to Non-Metro Vic., which had 90.7% houses and 9.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Buloke stood at 60.5%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 23.3% and rented ones at 16.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $734, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,083. The median weekly rent in Buloke was recorded at $158, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $200. Nationally, Buloke's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Buloke features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 62.8% of all households, including 21.8% couples with children, 32.4% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 37.2%, with lone person households making up 34.7% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in Buloke fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 15.1%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.5%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.9%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (28.4%). Educational participation is high at 26.6%, comprising 10.1% in primary, 9.4% in secondary, and 2.2% in tertiary education.

Eleven schools serve 799 students, with Buloke showing typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 988). The educational mix includes five primary, one secondary, and five K-12 schools. Note that where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Buloke has 16 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 8 different routes that together offer 38 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is limited, with residents typically living 990 meters away from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, the average service frequency is 5 trips per day, resulting in approximately 2 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Buloke is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Buloke faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 47% (around 2,802 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 12.1 and 8.6% of residents respectively. Conversely, 59.9% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 64.1% in the rest of Victoria. Buloke has a higher proportion of seniors, with 29.9% (1,791 people) aged 65 and over, compared to 24.0% in the rest of Victoria. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are better than those of the general population.

The latest Census data sees Buloke placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Buloke had a cultural diversity index below average. Its population was composed of 88.6% citizens, with 92.8% born in Australia and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 58.8% of Buloke's population, compared to 53.2% across the rest of Victoria.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.2%), English (31.5%), and Irish (13.0%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented in Buloke at 10.7%, compared to 8.0% regionally.

Buloke ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Buloke is 52 years, significantly higher than Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 and well above the national norm of 38. The 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in Buloke at 17.4%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s average, while the 35-44 year-olds are under-represented at 8.5%. This concentration of the 55-64 age group is higher than the national average of 11.2%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 8.8% to 9.5%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.1% to 11.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Buloke. The 35-44 age group is projected to grow by 31%, adding 160 residents to reach 673. Conversely, population declines are forecasted for the 55-64 and 15-24 cohorts.