Victoria · Suburb Profile

Rochester VIC — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Rochester, Victoria. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Rochester VIC is 3,154 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Rochester is $583 per week ($30,316 per year). Median rent in Rochester is $220 per week ($953 per month). Rochester has a median age of 53 years, older than the national median of 38. Rochester has a population density of 36.5 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Rochester is England. The most common religion is No Religion (42% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is SAL Tot. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rochester is $1,083.

There were 222 recorded offences in Rochester in 2025-25, a rate of 70 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was justice procedures (61 offences).

Rochester Map

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Rochester Population

residents (Census 2021)

Rochester Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$583/wk

$30,316 per year

#7330 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$220/wk

$953 per month

#7029 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

53years

15 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,083/mo

Avg household size: 2.2 · 0.7 per bedroom

Rochester Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.8% (1,538) Female 51.2% (1,615)

Population Density

36.5

people per km²

3,154 people · 86.4 km²

Households

2.2

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,439

Family income/wk

Rochester Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Rochester Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

64.8% 649 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

35.2% 353 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Rochester Country of Birth

Australia

98.4%

England

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Rochester Religion

No Religion

42.4%

Catholic

20.4%

Anglican

13.1%

Not stated

8.1%

Uniting Church

7.1%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

6.1%

Christian (other)

1.5%

Salvation Army

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Rochester Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

37.3%

Year 10 or equivalent

27.3%

Year 11 or equivalent

21.1%

Year 9 or equivalent

14.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Rochester Languages Spoken at Home

SAL Tot

25.0%

Italian

19.4%

Thai

13.9%

Mandarin

13.9%

Other

11.1%

SAL Indon

8.3%

SAL Oth

8.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Rochester Employment

💼

Employed full-time

27.8% 666 people

⏰

Employed part-time

19.3% 463 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.0% 48 people

🏠

Not in labour force

51.0% 1,223 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Rochester Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

53.3%

Bachelor Degree

19.0%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

18.1%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.0%

Certificate I/II

3.7%

Postgraduate Degree

2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Rochester Occupation

Professionals

21.3%

Technicians & Trade Workers

17.1%

Community & Personal Service

16.4%

Managers

15.3%

Labourers

10.5%

Clerical & Administrative

7.7%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

7.6%

Sales Workers

4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Rochester Field of Study

Engineering

17.9%

Society & Culture

15.9%

Health

14.4%

Management & Commerce

12.8%

Education

10.7%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

8.7%

Architecture & Building

7.6%

Agriculture & Environment

6.6%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.7%

Creative Arts

2.0%

Information Technology

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Rochester Dwelling Types

Separate house

94.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Rochester Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.0%

$1-$149/wk

0.8%

$150-$299/wk

2.1%

$300-$399/wk

3.3%

$400-$499/wk

12.1%

$500-$649/wk

8.0%

$650-$799/wk

10.4%

$800-$999/wk

8.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

8.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.1%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.9%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

9.4%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

6.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.5%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.0%

$4,000+/wk

3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Rochester Marital Status

💍

Married

46.3% 1,253

↔️

Separated

4.5% 121

📋

Divorced

10.8% 292

🕊️

Widowed

9.6% 259

👤

Never married

28.9% 783

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Rochester Ancestry

Australian

35.6%

English

35.3%

Irish

10.2%

Scottish

8.8%

German

2.8%

Other

2.3%

Aboriginal Australianralian

1.6%

Italian

1.5%

Dutch

0.7%

Chinese

0.5%

New Zealander

0.4%

Maltese

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Rochester School & University Attendance

Secondary — Government

28.8%

Primary — Government

26.7%

Primary — Catholic

16.8%

Vocational Education

11.8%

Pre-school

9.3%

Secondary — Catholic

3.7%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

2.1%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Rochester Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

11.1% 650

✅

No need for assistance

88.9% 5,220

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Rochester Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

19.9% 496

—

Not a volunteer

80.1% 1,997

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Rochester Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

8.8%

$300-$449/mo

5.5%

$450-$599/mo

2.7%

$600-$799/mo

10.0%

$800-$999/mo

15.5%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

29.2%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

14.3%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

9.1%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

2.4%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Rochester How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

76.4%

Did not go to work

12.2%

Car (passenger)

5.1%

Walked only

4.2%

Bicycle

1.1%

Truck

0.5%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.3%

Bus

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Rochester Car Ownership

0 vehicles

5.2%

1 vehicle

36.3%

2 vehicles

34.9%

3 vehicles

14.6%

4+ vehicles

8.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Rochester Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

4.3%

2 bedrooms

16.5%

3 bedrooms

51.7%

4 bedrooms

23.2%

5 bedrooms

4.0%

6+ bedrooms

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Rochester Population Mobility

11.5%

moved in the last year

32.8%

moved in the last 5 years

3.7%

unemployment rate (Census)

47.4%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Rochester Indigenous Population

2.4%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

141

Indigenous residents

5,767

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Rochester Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

374

Arthritis

201

Asthma

149

Heart disease

128

Diabetes

117

Lung condition

Cancer

Stroke

Kidney disease

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Rochester Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.5%

$1-$149/wk

5.1%

$150-$299/wk

8.5%

$300-$399/wk

7.5%

$400-$499/wk

7.4%

$500-$649/wk

4.9%

$650-$799/wk

11.8%

$800-$999/wk

10.1%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

3.6%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

5.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.6%

$3,500+/wk

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Rochester Family Structure

Couple — no children

39.7%

Couple — children under 15

29.8%

Couple — no children under 15

14.9%

One parent — children under 15

9.1%

One parent — no children under 15

6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Rochester Military Service

🏅

Previously served

3.6% 89

👤

Never served

96.4% 2,410

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Rochester Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.5% 385

—

Did not provide

84.5% 2,103

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Rochester Children Ever Born

No children

24.3%

1 child

9.1%

2 children

27.2%

3 children

23.4%

4 children

13.1%

5+ children

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Rochester When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Rochester Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

17.3%

5–14 hours

26.2%

15–29 hours

13.1%

30+ hours

12.4%

Did not do domestic work

31.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Rochester Household Size

1 person

34.1%

2 persons

39.9%

3 persons

10.2%

4 persons

8.4%

5 persons

4.8%

6+ persons

2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Rochester Where Residents Moved From

Same address

2,559

Moved from VIC

176

Moved — same area (SA2)

114

Moved from NSW

Moved from QLD

Moved from overseas

Moved from SA

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Rochester Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

82.6%

Step family — no other children

9.9%

Blended family — no other children

7.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Rochester Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 222 total

Justice Procedures

Theft

Assault

Property Damage

Break & Enter

Drug Offences

Weapons

Public Order

Fraud

Other

Offence trend by year:

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria — crimestatistics.vic.gov.au

Rochester Schools

schools nearby

government

978

avg ICSEA score

619

total students

St Joseph's School Catholic

Primary · Prep-6 · 95 students

991

ICSEA

Rochester Primary School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 181 students

978

ICSEA

Rochester Secondary College Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 343 students

964

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Rochester with map →

Rochester Rent Prices & Affordability

21%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $1,073/wk

Median Rent $220/wk

Rent-to-Income 20.5%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Rochester

Your weekly income

≈ $4,650/month

Median rent $220/wk

Left after rent $853/wk

Rent share 20.5%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Orbost

Income: $489/wk Rent: $190/wk Save: $30/wk

Ouyen

Income: $614/wk Rent: $165/wk Save: $55/wk

Dimboola

Income: $575/wk Rent: $170/wk Save: $50/wk

Donald

Income: $604/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $40/wk

St Arnaud

Income: $560/wk Rent: $188/wk Save: $32/wk

Corryong

Income: $589/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $20/wk

Koondrook

Income: $538/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $20/wk

Cohuna

Income: $594/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $35/wk

Rochester vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

Chiltern

Pop: 1,580 Income: $682/wk Rent: $260/wk

Neerim South

Pop: 1,599 Income: $678/wk Rent: $260/wk

Yarrambat

Pop: 1,602 Income: $867/wk Rent: $450/wk

Thomson (Greater Geelong - Vic.)

Pop: 1,606 Income: $667/wk Rent: $295/wk

Badger Creek

Pop: 1,610 Income: $683/wk Rent: $323/wk

Williamstown North

Pop: 1,622 Income: $963/wk Rent: $400/wk

Compare Rochester (Vic.)

Rochester (Vic.) vs Chiltern →Rochester (Vic.) vs Neerim South →Rochester (Vic.) vs Yarrambat →Rochester (Vic.) vs Thomson (Greater Geelong - Vic.) →

Frequently Asked Questions About Rochester

What is the population of Rochester VIC?

The population of Rochester VIC is 3,154 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 36.5 people per km².Rochester is ranked #2,319 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Rochester?

The median personal income in Rochester VIC is $583 per week, or $30,316 per year.The median household income is $1,073 per week.Family income is $1,439 per week.Rochester is ranked #7,330 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Rochester?

Median rent in Rochester VIC is $220 per week ($953 per month).Rent represents 20.5% of household income, which is considered affordable.Rochester ranks #7,029 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Rochester?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rochester VIC is $1,083. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Rochester?

The median age in Rochester VIC is 53 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Rochester a good suburb to live in?

Rochester is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 3,154.The median income is $583/wk, which is below the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22184. All dollar figures in AUD.