Suburb · VIC · 2026 data

St Leonards, VIC

In 2026, police recorded 169 offences in St Leonards, or 47.7 per 1,000 residents. That is 0.54× the VIC rate.

3,542 residents · estimated 29.2 km² -38.8% vs 2025
Crime rank within VIC
41 out of 100
Average crime

Higher weighted crime rate than 41% of 1,069 ranked VIC suburbs (2026).

Violent
56
Property
37

Higher = more crime. Severity-weighted rate per resident · method v2026.07

All offences
169
2026 · ▼ -38.8%
Crimes / 1,000
47.7
VIC avg 89.1
Violent / 1,000
9.3
33 offences · avg 13.7
Property / 1,000
23.2
82 offences · avg 51.3
Harm-focused / 1,000
39.0
excl. justice & regulatory · avg 74.5
Violent crime, roughly
1 in 107residents per year
VIC: 1 in 73
Property crime, roughly
1 in 43residents per year
VIC: 1 in 19

By crime type, 2026

St Leonards VIC average Line = 2021–2026

Rates per 1,000 residents. ×-values compare with the state rate for the same offence type.

Crimes against the person

9.3 / 1,000 VIC 13.7 · National 17.5
Assault and related offences
6.21
0.8×
Other crimes against the person
1.69
—
Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour
0.85
0.4×
Dangerous and negligent acts endangering people
0.56
0.6×

Property & deception

23.2 / 1,000 VIC 51.3 · National 49.7
Theft
9.32
0.3×
Property damage
7.62
1.1×
Deception
2.82
0.6×
Burglary/Break and enter
1.98
0.4×
Arson
1.41
2.7×

Drug offences

0.6 / 1,000 VIC 5.0 · National 5.9
Drug use and possession
0.56
0.1×

Public order & weapons

5.9 / 1,000 VIC 4.5 · National 3.2
Weapons and explosives offences
4.52
1.8×
Disorderly and offensive conduct
1.13
1.1×
Public nuisance offences
0.28
0.4×

Justice procedures

8.5 / 1,000 VIC 14.4 · National 10.3 administrative
Breaches of orders
8.19
0.7×
Justice procedures
0.28
0.1×

Traffic, regulatory & other

0.3 / 1,000 VIC 0.2 · National 0.1 administrative
Miscellaneous offences
0.28
4.7×
View as table
GroupOffence typeCountPer 1,000VIC per 1,000
Crimes against the personAssault and related offences226.217.48
Crimes against the personOther crimes against the person61.690.00
Crimes against the personStalking, harassment and threatening behaviour30.852.15
Crimes against the personDangerous and negligent acts endangering people20.560.94
Property & deceptionTheft339.3233.72
Property & deceptionProperty damage277.626.74
Property & deceptionDeception102.824.61
Property & deceptionBurglary/Break and enter71.985.73
Property & deceptionArson51.410.52
Drug offencesDrug use and possession20.564.12
Public order & weaponsWeapons and explosives offences164.522.55
Public order & weaponsDisorderly and offensive conduct41.131.07
Public order & weaponsPublic nuisance offences10.280.80
Justice proceduresBreaches of orders298.1912.35
Justice proceduresJustice procedures10.282.09
Traffic, regulatory & otherMiscellaneous offences10.280.06

Trend

TotalViolentPropertydashed = projection
01382762021202220232024202520262027

Recorded offences per year. Projection is a simple linear trend, not a forecast of individual risk.

Vs state & national

per 1,000 residents
St LeonardsState
All offences
St Leonards
47.7
State
89.1
Violent
St Leonards
9.3
State
13.7
Property
St Leonards
23.2
State
51.3

Nearby suburbs

  1. Indented Head0.0 km 10 compare
  2. Portarlington0.0 km 31 compare
  3. Clifton Springs10.8 km 15 compare
  4. Curlewis10.8 km 30 compare
  5. Drysdale10.8 km 31 compare
  6. Mannerim10.8 km not ranked compare
  7. Marcus Hill10.8 km not ranked compare
  8. Bellarine12.6 km not ranked compare

Housing, rent and growth

Housing & rent

ABS Census 2021

Median rent is 30% of median household income. Below the 30% stress benchmark

MeasureValuevs other VIC suburbs
Median rent$350/week higher than 75%
Median household income$1,183/week higher than 22%
Rent as a share of income30% higher than 96%
Median mortgage repayment$1,654/month higher than 58%
Homes that are rented24% higher than 81%
Owned outright49% higher than 65%
Social housing0% higher than 35%
Average household size2.1 people higher than 17%

2021 Census figures: rents and incomes have risen since, so compare suburbs rather than reading today's prices. The rent share uses the median rent and the median income of all households (owners included), so it is a guide, not the share any one renter pays. The 30% benchmark is a common convention.

Growth & new homes

ABS Regional Population · Building Approvals
MeasureValuevs other VIC areas
Population growth, 5 years
2020–2025
+22.4% higher than 93%
Population growth, last year
2024–2025
+2.6% higher than 87%
New homes approved, 12 months
12 months to Aug 2026
205 higher than 88%
New homes approved per 1,000 residents
12 months to Aug 2026
18.9 higher than 91%

ABS publishes these for larger areas: figures are for “Portarlington”, which contains this suburb. Approvals are dwellings approved, not yet built. Growth and new supply are change indicators, not a price forecast.

Common questions about St Leonards

Is St Leonards a high-crime area?

St Leonards falls in the “average crime” band: Higher weighted crime rate than 41% of 1,069 ranked VIC suburbs (2026). Rankings use a severity-weighted rate per resident, so serious offences count more than minor ones.

What is the crime rate in St Leonards?

In 2026, 169 offences were recorded in St Leonards, or 47.7 per 1,000 residents. That is 0.5× the VIC rate of 89.1.

What are the chances of being a victim of crime in St Leonards?

Based on 2026 recorded offences per resident, roughly 1 in 107 for violent crime and 1 in 43 for property crime. Recorded crime includes offences against visitors and businesses, so this overstates risk for residents.

Where does this data come from?

Official recorded-crime statistics published by state police and crime statistics agencies, divided by 2021 Census or ABS population estimates. See the methodology page for details.

Data notes

  • Population is estimated (medium confidence) from the ABS 2021 Census.
  • Recorded crime counts offences reported to or detected by police where they occurred. That includes offences against visitors and businesses, so busy centres score higher than their resident risk.
  • States classify offences differently, so ranks compare areas within the same state.