Harcourt, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Harcourt sits in the Central Highlands of Victoria, at the foot of Mount Alexander about 8km north-east of Castlemaine and roughly 30km from Bendigo, where the Midland and Calder highways meet. Its post office opened in 1858, and the district went on to become what was once described as the premier apple-growing region in Australia. Orchards still define the area, though growers have increasingly branched into wine and cider, celebrated each year at the local Applefest. Harcourt is also known for its granite: stone quarried here has been used across the country for war memorials and notable public buildings. The old railway station closed in 1981, and today the economy leans on farming, food, tourism and outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking and trout fishing.
Around the national middle
Harcourt is more socio-economically advantaged than about 42% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 973, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Harcourt at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,038
- Median age
- 46
- Median weekly household income
- $1,430
- SEIFA score
- 973
- Coordinates
- -36.9984, 144.2557
Harcourt demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Harcourt using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 29%, 13% of homes are rented, and 8% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 183 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 97 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 219 | 21% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 304 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 234 | 23% |
Share of the 1,037 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 174 | 44% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 158 | 40% |
| Rented | 50 | 13% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 391 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 391 occupied private dwellings in Harcourt.
- Median weekly rent
- $305
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,517
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,820
- Median weekly personal income
- $751
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 76 (8%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 19 (2%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 17 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 392 (48%)
- Labour-force participation
- 58.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Employed full-time
- 233
- Employed part-time
- 196
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Harcourt
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Harcourt is January (average daytime high around 29.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.6°C). The area receives roughly 637 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.9°C | 16.6°C | 41 mm |
| Feb | 28.5°C | 15.7°C | 20 mm |
| Mar | 25.8°C | 14.6°C | 40 mm |
| Apr | 20.9°C | 11.6°C | 55 mm |
| May | 16.1°C | 8.9°C | 62 mm |
| Jun | 13.3°C | 7°C | 64 mm |
| Jul | 12.6°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 13.6°C | 6.2°C | 63 mm |
| Sep | 16.5°C | 7.7°C | 59 mm |
| Oct | 20.6°C | 9.7°C | 72 mm |
| Nov | 23.5°C | 11.8°C | 56 mm |
| Dec | 27.1°C | 14.2°C | 46 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Harcourt
Where is Harcourt?
Harcourt is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Harcourt?
At the 2021 Census, Harcourt had a population of about 1,038.
Is Harcourt an advantaged area?
Harcourt has an ABS SEIFA score of 973, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 42 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 42% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Harcourt?
Harcourt has average daytime highs of about 20.7°C and overnight lows of about 10.9°C, with roughly 637 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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