suburb.guide

VIC · South Gippsland Council

Mardan, 3953

Current weather

9.4°CThunderstorm

95% humidity · 24.2 km/h wind · 12.2° / 8.3° today · 21.3 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

29.9/100
Below average

1001st in VIC

62% data confidence

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

Suburb profile

Mardan is a quieter smaller community in South Gippsland, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. 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. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.

Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in parks and green space. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
248
Median age
50
Median household income / week
$1,649
Dwelling vacancy
10.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
10 of 92
Median monthly mortgage
$1,626
Employment rate
53.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
7 / 0 / 0

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)
13
Against the person
6
Against property
7
Rate per 1,000 residents
52.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 41 residents
State safety percentile
49th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+1200%

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • A211 Fv Serious Assault2
  • A231 Fv Common Assault1
  • A731 Fv Threatening Behaviour3
  • B21 Criminal Damage3
  • B49 Other Theft2

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

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).

6 planning-related records

2021· 1 proposal

  • June 2021

  • Develop land with an extension to an existing dwelling
    125 GRAYS ROAD MARDAN 3953Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 5 proposals

  • November 2020

  • Develop land for a dwelling
    2100 Meeniyan-Mirboo North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • August 2020

  • Use and develop land with dwelling and develop land with outbuilding Amendment seeks - - Change to the location of the dwelling and the outbuilding - New dwelling design
    1850 Meeniyan-Mirboo North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2020

  • Develop land with an extension (deck and verandah) to an existing dwelling
    40 Coulters RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2020

  • 2 lot subdivision (boundary realignment) and single dwelling - Amend endorsed plans
    1422 Mardan RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • Development of land for an agricultural shed
    1465 Mardan RoadPermit 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

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

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)
88
Parks (OSM)
0

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
29.9/100 — Below average
National rank
5246th in Australia
State rank
1001st in VIC
Peer rank
#254 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#522 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
62%

Data sources & freshness

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

Recent changes

  • A211 Fv Serious Assaultcrime2
  • A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime1
  • A731 Fv Threatening Behaviourcrime3
  • B21 Criminal Damagecrime3
  • B49 Other Theftcrime2
  • 2 lot subdivision (boundary realignment) and single dwelling - Amend endorsed plansplanning1422 Mardan RoadLodged 07 Apr 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Develop land for a dwellingplanning2100 Meeniyan-Mirboo North RoadLodged 24 Nov 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Develop land with an extension (deck and verandah) to an existing dwellingplanning40 Coulters RoadLodged 31 Jul 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Develop land with an extension to an existing dwellingplanning125 GRAYS ROAD MARDAN 3953Lodged 08 Jun 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of land for an agricultural shedplanning1465 Mardan RoadLodged 03 Mar 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

  • Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
  • PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Updated on site · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access

More in South Gippsland Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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