City profile
Yarra Ranges covers Melbourne's outer east, from suburbs such as Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park and Kilsyth to the Dandenong Ranges, the Yarra Valley and the forested upper Yarra around Warburton. The council describes 55 townships and says around 70% of residents live in urban areas that cover a small share of the land. Its Civic Centre is in Lilydale.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Local Government Area (LGA)
- The official area a council governs.
- Estimated Resident Population (ERP)
- The official population count for an area.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- The national statistics agency behind population figures.
The area at a glance
- Population (ERP, 30 June 2025)
- 160,906ABS Estimated Resident Population (preliminary). The council's pages give 'over 150,000' (About the region) and 'over 165,000' (Council Plan snapshot).
- Area
- 2,468 km²ABS. The council gives about 2,500 km².
- Population density
- About 65 people per km²ABS ERP ÷ ABS area.
- Wards
- 9, with one councillor each
- Council group (LGPRF)
- Interface (on the edge of metropolitan Melbourne)
- Council formed
- 15 December 1994From the former Shires of Healesville, Lillydale, Sherbrooke and Upper Yarra (council's 'About the region').
- Traditional Owners
- The Wurundjeri and other Kulin nations, Taungurung and BunurongAs recognised in the council's Council Plan 2025–2029 snapshot.
Suburbs & postcodes
- Badger Creek3777
- Beenak (part)3139
- Belgrave3160
- Belgrave Heights3160
- Belgrave South3160
- Big Pats Creek3799
- Cambarville3779
- Chirnside Park3116
- Chum Creek3777
- Coldstream3770
- Dixons Creek3775
- Don Valley3139
- East Warburton3799
- Emerald (part)3782
- Fernshaw3778
- Ferny Creek3786
- Gilderoy3797
- Gladysdale3797
- Gruyere3770
- Healesville3777
- Hoddles Creek3139
- Kallista3791
- Kalorama3766
- Kilsyth (part)3137
- Launching Place3139
- Lilydale3140
- Lysterfield (part)3156
- Macclesfield3782
- Matlock (part)3723
- McMahons Creek3799
- Menzies Creek (part)3159
- Millgrove3799
- Monbulk3793
- Montrose3765
- Mooroolbark3138
- Mount Dandenong3767
- Mount Evelyn3796
- Mount Toolebewong3777
- Narre Warren East3804
- Olinda3788
- Powelltown3797
- Reefton3799
- Sassafras (part)3787
- Selby3159
- Seville3139
- Seville East3139
- Sherbrooke3789
- Silvan3795
- Steels Creek3775
- Tarrawarra3775
- Tecoma3160
- The Patch3792
- Three Bridges3797
- Toolangi (part)3777
- Toorongo (part)3833
- Tremont3785
- Upper Ferntree Gully (part)3156
- Upwey3158
- Wandin East3139
- Wandin North3139
- Warburton3799
- Wesburn3799
- Wonga Park (part)3115
- Woori Yallock3139
- Yarra Glen3775
- Yarra Junction3797
- Yellingbo3139
- Yering3770
On the map
The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.
The council doesn't publish a single list of its localities, so this list comes from the official Vicmap locality boundaries, checked against the council boundary. A locality is listed when at least 5% of its area is inside the council, and marked '(part)' when less than 95% is. Shares inside Yarra Ranges: Emerald about 6%, Wonga Park 7%, Toolangi 21%, Upper Ferntree Gully 33%, Toorongo 49%, Lysterfield 55%, Menzies Creek 57%, Matlock 68%, Sassafras 87%, Kilsyth 88%, Beenak 94%. The council's ward descriptions also name St Clair, which isn't a Vicmap locality. Postcodes come from the CSA's suburb and postcode table for Yarra Ranges (Gilderoy and Toorongo from earlier years of the same table). The shaded area on the map is the council boundary from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ASGS 2025) — the same boundary the ABS area and population figures are measured on.
Sources — check it yourself
- ABS — Regional population 2024–25, data cube 32180DS0002 Table 2 (Victoria) · ERP 30 Jun 2025
- ABS — Regional population, latest release · Released Mar 2026
- Yarra Ranges Council — About the region · Sep 2026
- Yarra Ranges Council — Council Plan 2025–2029 snapshot (PDF) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Yarra Ranges Shire Council (9 single-councillor wards) · Sep 2026
- Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) — LGA Recorded Offences, Table 03 (suburb and postcode by LGA) · Jul 2025 to Jun 2026
- DataVic — Vicmap Admin locality polygons · Sep 2026
- Local Government Victoria — LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (council group: Interface) · 2024–25
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.