Wangaratta (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Wangaratta is a city in north-eastern Victoria, set where the Ovens and King rivers meet, about 236 kilometres north-east of Melbourne. The district is the Country of the Pallanganmiddang, Waywurru and Waveroo peoples, and the surveyor Thomas Wedge recorded the name in 1848; it is thought to derive from an Aboriginal word variously rendered as the nesting place of cormorants or the meeting of the waters. A settlement grew at the Ovens crossing from 1838, and the gold rushes around Beechworth from the 1850s turned Wangaratta into a busy service centre; it was proclaimed a city in 1959. Once a textile-manufacturing town, it is today known as a gateway to the King Valley wine and food district and for its strong sporting culture.
Less advantaged than the national average
Wangaratta (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 21% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 930, 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.
Wangaratta (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 19,214
- Median age
- 44
- Median weekly household income
- $1,218
- SEIFA score
- 930
- Coordinates
- -36.3664, 146.3120
Wangaratta (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Wangaratta (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 seniors (65+) at 25%, 28% of homes are rented, and 10% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,315 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,084 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,388 | 23% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,665 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,764 | 25% |
Share of the 19,216 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,910 | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,367 | 30% |
| Rented | 2,256 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 6,750 | 85% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,127 | 14% |
| Flats & apartments | 5 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 7,920 occupied private dwellings in Wangaratta (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $260
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,694
- Median weekly personal income
- $700
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,877 (10%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,167 (6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 439 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 6,505 (43%)
- Labour-force participation
- 55.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Employed full-time
- 4,774
- Employed part-time
- 3,189
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 Wangaratta (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Wangaratta (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 31.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.2°C). The area receives roughly 682 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.2°C | 17.6°C | 56 mm |
| Feb | 29.8°C | 16.4°C | 24 mm |
| Mar | 26.8°C | 14.5°C | 42 mm |
| Apr | 21.5°C | 10.3°C | 60 mm |
| May | 16°C | 6.9°C | 60 mm |
| Jun | 12.7°C | 4.5°C | 68 mm |
| Jul | 12.2°C | 4°C | 56 mm |
| Aug | 13.2°C | 4.1°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.6°C | 5.8°C | 62 mm |
| Oct | 21°C | 9°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 24.4°C | 11.7°C | 66 mm |
| Dec | 28.6°C | 14.8°C | 51 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Wangaratta (Vic.)
Where is Wangaratta (Vic.)?
Wangaratta (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Wangaratta (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Wangaratta (Vic.) had a population of about 19,214.
Is Wangaratta (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Wangaratta (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 930, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 21 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 21% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Wangaratta (Vic.)?
Wangaratta (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 21.2°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 682 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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