About
Dawson (VIC 3858): population 40, median age 62, median household income $1,437/week, SEIFA IRSD decile 8. Victorian suburb guide with housing, jobs and community insights.
Dawson is a small locality in Wellington, Victoria (postcode 3858), located in the Gippsland region. At the ABS Census 2021 it had a population of 40 people.
At a glance
Age distribution
Housing tenure
Key statistics
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Postcode | 3858 |
| Population (2021) | 40 |
| Males | 22 (55.0%) |
| Females | 23 (57.5%) |
| Median age | 62 years |
| Average household size | 1.9 |
| Median weekly household income | $1,437 |
| Median weekly family income | $2,166 |
| Median weekly rent | $230 |
| Median monthly mortgage | $2,167 |
| Labour force | 16 |
| Unemployment rate | 0% |
| Participation rate | 53.3% |
| Born overseas | 10.0% |
| Separate houses | 76.0% |
| Worked at home | 62.5% |
| SEIFA IRSD decile | 8 of 10 |
| Bachelor degree or higher | 50.0% |
| Households with 2+ vehicles | 55.0% |
| Distance from Melbourne CBD | 152.0 km (straight line) |
Age profile
Median age: 62 years. Residents under 15: 0.0%. Residents aged 65 and over: 42.5%.
| Age group | People | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 5-14 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 15-19 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 20-24 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 25-34 | 3 | 7.5% |
| 35-44 | 5 | 12.5% |
| 45-54 | 4 | 10.0% |
| 55-64 | 7 | 17.5% |
| 65-74 | 14 | 35.0% |
| 75-84 | 3 | 7.5% |
| 85 and over | 0 | 0.0% |
Households and families
| Household type | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 19 | |
| Average household size | 1.9 | |
| One person | 7 | 36.8% |
| Two persons | 7 | 36.8% |
| Three persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Four persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Five persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Six or more persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Family type | Count | Share of families |
|---|---|---|
| Total families | 12 | |
| Couples with children | 0 | 0.0% |
| Couples without children | 7 | 58.3% |
| One-parent families | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other families | 0 | 0.0% |
Housing
| Dwellings | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings | 25 | |
| Occupied | 19 | 76.0% |
| Unoccupied | 7 | 28.0% |
| Dwelling structure | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Separate house | 19 | 76.0% |
| Semi-detached or townhouse | 0 | 0.0% |
| Flat or apartment | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other dwelling | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tenure | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 16 | 84.2% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 0 | 0.0% |
| Rented | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other tenure | 0 | 0.0% |
Employment
| Labour force status | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 16 | |
| Employed | 16 | 100.0% |
| Unemployed | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not in the labour force | 14 | |
| Unemployment rate | 0% | |
| Participation rate | 53.3% |
Household income
Household incomes in Dawson are distributed across the following weekly bands.
| Weekly household income | Share of households |
|---|---|
| Under $650 | 42.9% |
| $650 to $1,499 | 57.1% |
| $1,500 to $2,999 | 0.0% |
| $3,000 or more | 0.0% |
Travel to work
| Method | Count | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Car driver | 9 | 56.2% |
| Car passenger | 0 | 0.0% |
| Train | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bus | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tram | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bicycle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Walked only | 0 | 0.0% |
| Worked at home | 10 | 62.5% |
Religious affiliation
| Religion | Count | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 13 | 32.5% |
| No religion | 23 | 57.5% |
| Islam | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hinduism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other or not stated | 4 | 10.0% |
Socio-economic profile (SEIFA 2021)
SEIFA deciles run from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (least disadvantaged) nationally.
| Index | Score | Decile | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRSD (disadvantage) | 1048 | 8 | 71 |
| IRSAD (advantage and disadvantage) | 983 | 5 | |
| IER (economic resources) | 1068 | 8 | |
| IEO (education and occupation) | 902 | 2 |
Ancestry
Residents of Dawson most commonly report the following ancestries.
| Ancestry | Responses | Share of responses |
|---|---|---|
| English | 17 | 47.2% |
| Australian | 11 | 30.6% |
| Irish | 5 | 13.9% |
| Scottish | 3 | 8.3% |
Work and industry
The largest employment sectors for Dawson residents are listed below.
| Industry of employment | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 6 | 66.7% |
| Public Administration and Safety | 3 | 33.3% |
The most common occupations among Dawson residents are listed below.
| Occupation | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 10 | 58.8% |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 4 | 23.5% |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 3 | 17.6% |
Education
The most common fields of study among Dawson residents with qualifications are listed below.
| Field of study | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and Related Technologies | 5 | 41.7% |
| Health | 4 | 33.3% |
| Architecture and Building | 3 | 25.0% |
| Creative Arts | 0 | 0.0% |
| Food, Hospitality and Personal Services | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mixed Field Programmes | 0 | 0.0% |
Long-term health conditions
53.1% of residents report no long-term health condition. The most commonly reported conditions in Dawson are listed below.
| Health condition | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma | 6 | 12.2% |
| Arthritis | 5 | 10.2% |
| Kidney disease | 4 | 8.2% |
| Diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes) | 3 | 6.1% |
| Stroke | 0 | 0.0% |
| Cancer (including remission) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Dementia (including Alzheimer's) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Heart disease (including heart attack or angina) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Lung condition (including COPD or emphysema) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) | 0 | 0.0% |
Community and care
How residents of Dawson contribute to their community (share of residents aged 15 and over).
| Community activity | Share |
|---|---|
| Volunteers for an organisation or group | 20.5% |
| Provides unpaid assistance to a person with a disability or health condition | 0.0% |
| Provides unpaid child care | 43.6% |
| Does 15 or more hours of unpaid domestic work | 41.0% |
Moving and stability
| Mobility | Share of residents |
|---|---|
| Same address 1 year ago | 100.0% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last year | 0.0% |
| Moved interstate in the last year | 0.0% |
| Moved from overseas in the last year | 0.0% |
| Same address 5 years ago | 100.0% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
| Moved interstate in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
| Moved from overseas in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
Crime and safety
Dawson recorded fewer than 10 offences in the 12 months to March 2026. Counts at this volume are not shown in detail.
Population too small for a reliable rate.
For context, the Wellington local government area recorded 12,346 offences per 100,000 residents in the same period. That figure is the official Crime Statistics Agency rate for the LGA.
Five-year trend
1
1
2
7
4
Recorded offences count crimes reported to Victoria Police in this locality, not crimes committed by or against its residents. Areas with shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals or entertainment precincts record more offences regardless of how safe they are for people who live there. Counts are revised as investigations progress.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Data tables - Recorded offences, Year ending March 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates per 1,000 residents are calculations by My Victoria AU using ABS Census 2021 population and are not CSA figures. View the source dataset.
Location
<iframe src="https://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=146.6718%2C-37.9836%2C146.6958%2C-37.9656&layer=mapnik&marker=-37.974570%2C146.683796" width="100%" height="320" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Map of Dawson, Victoria"></iframe>Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby suburbs
- Seaton (3.6 km)
- Cowwarr (6.0 km)
- Heyfield (9.2 km)
- Walhalla East (10.1 km)
- Toongabbie (10.7 km)
Browse more suburbs in Wellington, or explore the wider Gippsland region of Victoria.
Data disclaimer: The statistics on this page are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (ASGS Edition 3), and are used under the ABS CC BY 4.0 licence. This directory is an independent community resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ABS.
