Bendigo is located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its 2016 estimated population is 92,379 for just the city. When you include the people living in the outlying towns, the population of Bendigo reaches to more than 140,000. The city is the fourth largest inland city in Australia and the fourth largest city in the state of Victoria.
The estimated population for Bendigo is 92,379 people for the city, and 140,000 for the city plus outlying area. The city is located on 3,000 square kilometers of land, much of which is regional parks, national parks, and bushland. A great deal of rural land is also used for farming purposes such as livestock and vineyards. Most of the city’s retail is located in the Central Business District and along main roads. There are 22 suburbs of Bendigo, and many of these suburbs were once independent townships. Many of them also extend into the bushland. The population density of Bendigo is about 600 people per square kilometer or about 1500 people per square mile.
In Bendigo, the percentage of male residents is 48.8%, and the percentage of female residents is 51.2%. The median age of residents is 41 years of age. The percentage of children 0-14 years old is 18.8%, while the percentage of people over the age of 65 is 17.4%. The percentage of residents over the age of 15 who are married is 47.2%, and the percentage of residents over the age of 15 who have never been married is 32.9%. People who are separated or divorced make up 13.2% of the population, and 6.7% of the population are widowed. 28.9% of the city’s residents are enrolled in school. Of the people enrolled in school 27.2% are in primary school, 23% are in secondary school, and 18.8% are in technical or tertiary schools.
The most common ancestries in Bendigo are English and Australian. 31.9% of residents are of English ancestry, and 31.6% are of Australian ancestry. There are also a significant number of residents of Irish, Scottish, and German descent. The breakdown is 10.3% of the population is of Irish ancestry, 8.3% are of Scottish ancestry, and 3.3% of residents are of German ancestry. 87.2% of the people of Bendigo were born in Australia, and 80.6% of the population has parents that were both born in Australia as well. The percentage of aboriginal people is 1.3% of the overall population.
The most common religious affiliation is no religious affiliation. 36.2% of residents claim no religious affiliation, while 22% claim a Catholic religious affiliation. The next three most common religious affiliations are Anglican at 17.6% of the population, Uniting Church at 9.1% of the population, and 3% of the population claiming Presbyterian affiliation. In the city of Bendigo, 92.6% of households speak only the English language, and 4.2% of households speak two or more languages.
Bendigo was a gold rush boomtown in the 1850s. The population declined in the 1900s, but then began to grow again in the post-WWII era. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the state of Victoria. The projected population in Bendigo for 2031 is 145,608 for just the city proper.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 5,464,920 | 1.35% |
| Sydney | 5,312,640 | 1.22% |
| Brisbane | 2,599,740 | 1.23% |
| Perth | 2,195,090 | 1.19% |
| Adelaide | 1,407,600 | 1.05% |
| Gold Coast | 762,290 | 1.29% |
| Canberra | 488,541 | 1.15% |
| Newcastle | 474,766 | 1.06% |
| Wollongong | 321,908 | 1.06% |
| Hobart | 178,009 | 1.01% |
| Townsville | 168,729 | 1.01% |
| Geelong | 157,104 | 1.02% |
| Cairns | 144,730 | 1.02% |
| Darwin | 118,456 | 1.03% |
| Toowoomba | 100,032 | 1.01% |
| Ballarat | 93,759 | 1.02% |
| Maitland | 78,015 | 1.03% |
| Mackay | 75,710 | 1% |
| Launceston | 75,329 | 1% |
| Bunbury | 71,090 | 1.02% |
| Rockhampton | 61,214 | 1% |
| Melton | 54,456 | 1.04% |
| Hervey Bay | 52,073 | 1.01% |
| Bundaberg | 50,148 | 1% |
| Wagga Wagga | 48,263 | 1.01% |
| Coffs Harbour | 48,225 | 1.01% |
| Albury | 47,974 | 1.01% |
| Port Macquarie | 44,814 | 1.02% |
| Orange | 37,182 | 1.01% |
| Queanbeyan | 36,248 | 1% |
| Wodonga | 35,130 | 1.02% |
| Sunbury | 34,425 | 1.01% |
| Dubbo | 34,339 | 1.01% |
| Tamworth | 33,885 | 0.99% |
| Bathurst | 33,587 | 1.01% |
| Mildura | 33,444 | 1.01% |
| Gladstone | 33,418 | 1.01% |
| Geraldton | 31,982 | 1% |
| Warrnambool | 30,709 | 1.01% |
| Albany | 29,373 | 1.02% |
| Lismore | 27,569 | 1% |
| Gawler | 26,472 | 1.02% |
