Victoria · Postcode 3885
Buchan postcode and suburb data
Victoria · Phone area code 03 · 284 km from Melbourne
Suburb snapshot
Buchan at a glance vs VIC
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against VIC
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Buchan ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of VIC suburbs.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Buchan vs the VIC average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Buchan | VIC avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,083 -VIC | $1,817 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $158 -VIC | $375 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,000 -VIC | $1,933 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 54 | 46.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 3/10 -VIC | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 5.1% ≈VIC | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the VIC average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Buchan is a remote community in Victoria, with postcode 3885. It lies roughly 284 km from Melbourne, classified by the ABS as remote Australia. The area is administered by East Gippsland.
According to the 2021 Census, Buchan has a population of 201 with a median age of 54. The median weekly household income is $1,083, below the VIC average. The unemployment rate is 5.1%. The Indigenous population is 5 (2.5% of residents).
Housing in Buchan includes a median weekly rent of $158, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,000, with 79 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the VIC average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 85.9% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Buchan scores in decile 3 out of 10, which is below the national average.
Buchan is served by Buchan Primary School.
Buchan is part of the Gippsland - East statistical area in Victoria.
Buchan details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 3885 |
| State | Victoria (VIC) |
| Phone Area Code | 03 |
| Population (2021) | 201 |
| Median Age | 54 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,083/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $581/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $158 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,000 |
| Average Household Size | 2.1 persons |
| Area | 429.5 km² |
| Population Density | 0/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 79 |
| Australian Citizens | 85.1% |
| Indigenous Population | 5 (2.5%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.1% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 3/10 (below average) |
| Latitude | -37.5121541 |
| Longitude | 148.165845 |
| Distance from Melbourne | 284 km |
| Region (SA4) | Latrobe - Gippsland |
| Area (SA3) | Gippsland - East |
| Local Government | East Gippsland |
| Federal Electorate | Gippsland |
| State Electorate | Gippsland East (Eastern Victoria) |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Melbourne (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 23 (11.4%) |
| 15–24 years | 20 (10.0%) |
| 25–44 years | 32 (15.9%) |
| 45–64 years | 69 (34.3%) |
| 65+ years | 60 (29.9%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 16 (8.0%) |
| Diabetes | 11 (5.5%) |
| Lung Condition | 11 (5.5%) |
| Heart Disease | 9 (4.5%) |
| Asthma | 7 (3.5%) |
| Cancer | 6 (3.0%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 0 (0.0%) |
| 1 vehicle | 22 (29.7%) |
| 2 vehicles | 31 (41.9%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 21 (28.4%) |
Schools in Buchan
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Buchan. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Buchan
Same Postcode (3885)
More Buchan Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.