Suburb · VIC · 2026 data

Winter Valley, VIC

In 2026, police recorded 637 offences in Winter Valley, or 185.2 per 1,000 residents. That is 2.08× the VIC rate.

3,440 residents · estimated 4.9 km² +37.9% vs 2025
Crime rank within VIC
93 out of 100
Very high crime

Higher weighted crime rate than 93% of 1,069 ranked VIC suburbs (2026).

Violent
91
Property
94

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

All offences
637
2026 · ▲ +37.9%
Crimes / 1,000
185.2
VIC avg 89.1
Violent / 1,000
30.8
106 offences · avg 13.7
Property / 1,000
110.5
380 offences · avg 51.3
Harm-focused / 1,000
153.8
excl. justice & regulatory · avg 74.5
Violent crime, roughly
1 in 32residents per year
VIC: 1 in 73
Property crime, roughly
1 in 9residents per year
VIC: 1 in 19

By crime type, 2026

Winter Valley 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

30.8 / 1,000 VIC 13.7 · National 17.5
Assault and related offences
15.41
2.1×
Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour
6.10
2.8×
Dangerous and negligent acts endangering people
4.65
5.0×
Other crimes against the person
4.36
—
Robbery
0.29
0.7×

Property & deception

110.5 / 1,000 VIC 51.3 · National 49.7
Theft
77.62
2.3×
Property damage
16.86
2.5×
Burglary/Break and enter
10.47
1.8×
Deception
3.78
0.8×
Arson
1.74
3.4×

Drug offences

5.8 / 1,000 VIC 5.0 · National 5.9
Drug use and possession
4.65
1.1×
Drug dealing and trafficking
0.87
1.7×
Cultivate or manufacture drugs
0.29
0.9×

Public order & weapons

6.7 / 1,000 VIC 4.5 · National 3.2
Weapons and explosives offences
5.23
2.1×
Disorderly and offensive conduct
0.87
0.8×
Public nuisance offences
0.58
0.7×

Justice procedures

31.1 / 1,000 VIC 14.4 · National 10.3 administrative
Breaches of orders
29.94
2.4×
Justice procedures
1.16
0.6×

Traffic, regulatory & other

0.3 / 1,000 VIC 0.2 · National 0.1 administrative
Miscellaneous offences
0.29
4.8×
View as table
GroupOffence typeCountPer 1,000VIC per 1,000
Crimes against the personAssault and related offences5315.417.48
Crimes against the personStalking, harassment and threatening behaviour216.102.15
Crimes against the personDangerous and negligent acts endangering people164.650.94
Crimes against the personOther crimes against the person154.360.00
Crimes against the personRobbery10.290.42
Property & deceptionTheft26777.6233.72
Property & deceptionProperty damage5816.866.74
Property & deceptionBurglary/Break and enter3610.475.73
Property & deceptionDeception133.784.61
Property & deceptionArson61.740.52
Drug offencesDrug use and possession164.654.12
Drug offencesDrug dealing and trafficking30.870.51
Drug offencesCultivate or manufacture drugs10.290.33
Public order & weaponsWeapons and explosives offences185.232.55
Public order & weaponsDisorderly and offensive conduct30.871.07
Public order & weaponsPublic nuisance offences20.580.80
Justice proceduresBreaches of orders10329.9412.35
Justice proceduresJustice procedures41.162.09
Traffic, regulatory & otherMiscellaneous offences10.290.06

Trend

TotalViolentPropertydashed = projection
03567132021202220232024202520262027

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

Vs state & national

per 1,000 residents
Winter ValleyState
All offences
Winter Valley
185.2
State
89.1
Violent
Winter Valley
30.8
State
13.7
Property
Winter Valley
110.5
State
51.3

Nearby suburbs

  1. Bonshaw3.2 km 97 compare
  2. Delacombe3.4 km 88 compare
  3. Sebastopol3.4 km 90 compare
  4. Lucas3.6 km 64 compare
  5. Lake Gardens6.3 km 85 compare
  6. Wendouree6.3 km 96 compare
  7. Alfredton6.4 km 64 compare
  8. Ballarat Central6.4 km 99 compare

Housing, rent and growth

Housing & rent

ABS Census 2021

Median rent is 19% of median household income. Below the 30% stress benchmark

MeasureValuevs other VIC suburbs
Median rent$390/week higher than 84%
Median household income$2,013/week higher than 77%
Rent as a share of income19% higher than 63%
Median mortgage repayment$1,600/month higher than 54%
Homes that are rented24% higher than 83%
Owned outright17% higher than 3%
Social housing0% higher than 35%
Average household size2.9 people higher than 87%

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
+56.4% higher than 97%
Population growth, last year
2024–2025
+7.3% higher than 96%
New homes approved, 12 months
12 months to Aug 2026
824 higher than 98%
New homes approved per 1,000 residents
12 months to Aug 2026
54.0 higher than 99%

ABS publishes these for larger areas: figures are for “Delacombe”, 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 Winter Valley

Is Winter Valley a high-crime area?

Winter Valley falls in the “very high crime” band: Higher weighted crime rate than 93% 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 Winter Valley?

In 2026, 637 offences were recorded in Winter Valley, or 185.2 per 1,000 residents. That is 2.1× the VIC rate of 89.1.

What are the chances of being a victim of crime in Winter Valley?

Based on 2026 recorded offences per resident, roughly 1 in 32 for violent crime and 1 in 9 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.