Moving to Lorne VIC 3232
What the official numbers say about living in Lorne — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,930,000 for a median house or $1,187,500 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 137% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $363 a week, against a median household income of $1,525 a week.
About 72% of homes are owner-occupied and 23% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Lorne shrank 5% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (1,394 → 1,327 people).
Around 60% of households are families, averaging 2.1 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, India; most spoken languages besides English: Greek, Spanish, Mandarin.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Lorne sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 8 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (61% of workers), while 26% work from home.
Nearest airport: Colac Airport, 37.9 km north-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 118 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 1 school · 19 cafes & restaurants · 1 supermarket · 2 parks · 2 beaches — see them all on the Lorne profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Lorne P-12 College 150 m
Groceries: FoodWorks 350 m
Parks and reserves: Lions Park 950 m · Queens Park 1.3 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Lorne, most often seen first: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo · Red Wattlebird · Superb Fairy-wren · Pied Currawong · Laughing Kookaburra · Australian Magpie.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Lorne, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorne here | 1,327 | $1,930,000 | 8/10 | 92% |
| Wye River | 67 | — | 9/10 | 90% |
| Fairhaven | 390 | $1,925,000 | 10/10 | 64% |
| Aireys Inlet | 979 | $1,605,000 | 9/10 | 83% |
| Anglesea | 3,208 | $1,460,000 | 9/10 | 70% |
| Birregurra | 942 | $700,000 | 8/10 | 7% |
| Winchelsea | 2,456 | $645,000 | 4/10 | 2% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Surf Coast — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Wannon — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3232 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Lorne profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Lorne has a median sale price of $1,930,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $1,187,500. Renters pay a median $363 a week, and about 23% of homes here are rented.
The population fell 5% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 1,394 people to 1,327. It sits about 118 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line. Local government is Surf Coast council, and the federal seat is Wannon.
Weighing up alternatives?
Nearby guides: Wye River · Fairhaven · Aireys Inlet · Anglesea · Birregurra · Winchelsea.
Keep an eye on Lorne
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