suburb.guide

VIC · Glenelg Council

Heywood, 3304

Current weather

8.4°CLight drizzle

85% humidity · 23.4 km/h wind · 13° / 7.2° today · 4.8 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

33.5/100
Below average

864th in VIC

82% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
  • Café precinct
What Heywood is known for: Green suburb, National parks, Education hub, High desirability, Café precinct

Suburb profile

Heywood is a quieter smaller community in Glenelg, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.

An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.

The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.

The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment against similar regional towns, even with parks and green space and housing affordability holding up better.

Population

Population
1,815
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,077
Dwelling vacancy
9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
72 of 804
Median monthly mortgage
$1,025
Employment rate
47.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
55 / 25 / 3

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Total offences (2026)
204
Against the person
36
Against property
89
Rate per 1,000 residents
112.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 50 residents
State safety percentile
78.7th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+30.8%

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage18
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft11
  • B49 Other Theft18
  • C32 Drug Possession16
  • D11 Firearms Offences17

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
898.5
  • Heywood Consolidated SchoolPrimary
  • Heywood District Secondary CollegeSecondary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Lindsay St/Princes Hwy
  • Lindsay St/Princes Hwy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

12 planning-related records

2021· 7 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Buildings and works to construct farm shed in a Heritage Overlay
    OAKBANK, 157 OAKBANK LANE HEYWOOD 3304Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Building and Works to Construct a Third Dwelling
    22A MURRAY STREET HEYWOOD 3304Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2021

  • AMENDMENT: Use and development for a service station, native vegetation removal, and create access to Road Zone Category 1.
    3013 HENTY HIGHWAY HEYWOOD 3304NOD issued by a delegate

  • June 2021

  • Re-subdivision of Two Lots
    RIGHETTI ROAD HEYWOOD 3304Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Two Lot Subdivision, and Removal of Easement Shown as E-1 on PS602923T
    53 MARKHAM STREET HEYWOOD 3304Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2021

  • Building and Works to Construct a Shed
    23 Owen StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Building and Works to Construct a Shed
    2210 Princes HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 5 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Two Lot Re-subdivision and use of dwelling
    2215 Princes HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use and development of land for a dwelling and associated outbuilding
    8 Kentbruck RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • October 2020

  • Twelve Lot Subdivision (2 Stages)
    15-19 Blake StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • September 2020

  • Change of Use to Service Station, associated Building and Works, and Signage
    PRINCES HIGHWAY HEYWOOD 3304NOD issued by a delegate

  • May 2020

  • Two (2) Lot Subdivision
    51 Scott StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

  • PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Period: 2020–2022 · Updated on site · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Heywood Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Myamyn Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
2
Emergency department
On site
  • Heywood Rural HealthBarclay Streethospital
  • Heywood Rural Healthhospital

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
59
Parks (OSM)
1

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score
33.5/100 — Below average
National rank
4564th in Australia
State rank
864th in VIC
Peer rank
#184 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#408 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
82%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • B21 Criminal Damagecrime18
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theftcrime11
  • B49 Other Theftcrime18
  • C32 Drug Possessioncrime16
  • D11 Firearms Offencescrime17
  • Heywood Rural HealthhealthBarclay Streethospital
  • Heywood Rural Healthhealthhospital
  • Heywood Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
  • Myamyn Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
  • AMENDMENT: Use and development for a service station, native vegetation removal, and create access to Road Zone Category 1.planning3013 HENTY HIGHWAY HEYWOOD 3304Lodged 16 Jul 2021 · NOD issued by a delegate

Data sources & freshness

More in Glenelg Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.