VIC · Bass Coast Council

Smiths Beach, 3922

Current weather

12.5°CClear sky

79% humidity · 43.6 km/h wind · 13.3° / 12.2° today · 17 mm rain

Desirability score

29.1/100

5330th in Australia

60% data confidence

How this score is calculated

Last updated 2 July 2026 at 6:16 pm AEST

Suburb snapshot

Smiths Beach is a small locality in the Bass Coast area, home to around 315 residents (2021 Census). Available data shows 9 offences in 2026 with falling year-on-year trends (-36%), roughly 28.6 offences per 1,000 residents, limited but present public transport access, fewer mapped amenities than nearby suburbs, and some planning and development activity on record. See the sections below for population, safety, schools and local activity.

Population

Population: 315
Median age: 51
Median household income / week: $1,181
Dwelling vacancy: 75.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings: 411 of 546
Median monthly mortgage: $1,600
Employment rate: 57.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats): 7 / 0 / 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 1 July 2026 at 5:05 pm AEST · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Total offences (2026): 9
Against the person: 4
Against property: 5
Rate per 1,000 residents: 28.6
Person-crime prevalence: About 1 in 79 residents
State safety percentile: 22.8th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate): -35.7%

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

A231 Fv Common Assault2
A232 Non-Fv Common Assault1
A83 Throw Or Discharge Object Endangering People1
B21 Criminal Damage2
B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site 2 July 2026 at 12:14 pm AEST · Year ending March release

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

Dolphin Dr/Back Beach Rd
Dolphin Dr/Back Beach Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:20 pm AEST · GTFS static feed

Planning & development

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

7 planning-related records

2021· 6 proposals

May 2021
Use and development of land for a dwelling in the FZ, and buildings and works in SLO2 and ESO128 May 2021
87 BACK BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922Refusal issued by a delegate
The use of the land for a licensed premises (Liquor) for an existing food and drink premise in the Mixed Use Zone with flood lit advertising signage14 May 2021
219-221 SMITHS BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
Subdivision of land into two lots in the GRZ113 May 2021
115 BACK BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2021
Creation of accessway to Road Zone Category 1 (RZ1)29 Apr 2021
171 BACK BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Development of land for a dwelling in excess of 7 metres in DDO121 Apr 2021
19 MARLIN STREET SMITHS BEACH 3922NOD issued by a delegate
February 2021
Display promotional signage in the GRZ26 Feb 2021
233 Smiths Beach RoadLapsed

2020· 1 proposal

January 2020
Development of land for a second dwelling02 Jan 2020
31 Marlin StreetWithdrawn

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 1 July 2026 at 5:31 pm AEST · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access

Amenities

8 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

Bicycle Parking
Dolphin Dr/Back Beach RdBus stop
Cafe
YCW Beach car parkParking
Post Box
Public toilets
Telephone
Water Point

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:15 pm AEST · Weekly refresh

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021): 8/10
IRSD decile (2021): 8/10

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

SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:05 pm AEST · 2021 SEIFA release

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 1 July 2026 at 6:14 pm AEST

Desirability index

Desirability score: 29.1/100
National rank: 5330th in Australia
State rank: 1046th in VIC
Peer rank: #67 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank: #110 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence: 60%

Data sources & freshness

Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site 2 July 2026 at 6:10 pm AEST · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime2
A232 Non-Fv Common Assaultcrime1
A83 Throw Or Discharge Object Endangering Peoplecrime1
B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglarycrime1
Creation of accessway to Road Zone Category 1 (RZ1)planning171 BACK BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922Lodged 29 Apr 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Development of land for a dwelling in excess of 7 metres in DDO1planning19 MARLIN STREET SMITHS BEACH 3922Lodged 21 Apr 2021 · NOD issued by a delegate
Development of land for a second dwellingplanning31 Marlin StreetLodged 02 Jan 2020 · Withdrawn
Display promotional signage in the GRZplanning233 Smiths Beach RoadLodged 26 Feb 2021 · Lapsed
Subdivision of land into two lots in the GRZ1planning115 BACK BEACH ROAD SMITHS BEACH 3922Lodged 13 May 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site 2 July 2026 at 12:13 pm AEST · Year ending March release
PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:31 pm AEST · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access

Similar suburbs

Suburbs with a similar population, SEIFA decile and location.