Maffra (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Maffra is a town in the Gippsland region of Victoria, in the Shire of Wellington, set on the Macalister River about 220km east of Melbourne and 17km north-west of Sale. It grew from the 1860s as an outstation of the Boisdale cattle run, taking its name from squatters who had moved across from the Monaro district of New South Wales, and its post office opened in 1864. The rich river flats made it a centre for dairying and grazing - long known as the beef-cattle capital of West Gippsland - and for many years Maffra was the only beet-sugar processing town in Australia, a history now recalled at the local Beet Museum. Dairying still anchors the economy today, supported by the fertile farmland of the surrounding district.
Less advantaged than the national average
Maffra (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 20% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 929, 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.
Maffra (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 5,384
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $1,285
- SEIFA score
- 929
- Coordinates
- -37.9608, 146.9969
Maffra (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Maffra (Vic.) 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 24%, 22% of homes are rented, and 9% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,027 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 554 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,232 | 23% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,295 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,265 | 24% |
Share of the 5,373 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 843 | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 754 | 35% |
| Rented | 459 | 22% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,978 | 93% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 134 | 6% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,123 occupied private dwellings in Maffra (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $250
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,737
- Median weekly personal income
- $669
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 438 (9%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 157 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 88 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,627 (39%)
- Labour-force participation
- 55.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.8%
- Employed full-time
- 1,285
- Employed part-time
- 818
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 Maffra (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Maffra (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 26.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 13.7°C). The area receives roughly 648 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.7°C | 14.6°C | 49 mm |
| Feb | 25.9°C | 14°C | 31 mm |
| Mar | 23.7°C | 13.2°C | 54 mm |
| Apr | 20.3°C | 10.2°C | 52 mm |
| May | 16.7°C | 7.7°C | 34 mm |
| Jun | 13.9°C | 5.5°C | 53 mm |
| Jul | 13.7°C | 5.2°C | 40 mm |
| Aug | 14.6°C | 5.5°C | 50 mm |
| Sep | 17.5°C | 6.7°C | 57 mm |
| Oct | 20.3°C | 8.8°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 22.3°C | 10.5°C | 78 mm |
| Dec | 24.7°C | 12.5°C | 72 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Maffra (Vic.)
Where is Maffra (Vic.)?
Maffra (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Maffra (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Maffra (Vic.) had a population of about 5,384.
Is Maffra (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Maffra (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 929, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 20 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 20% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Maffra (Vic.)?
Maffra (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 20°C and overnight lows of about 9.5°C, with roughly 648 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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