Baxter
With 92.3% of residents commuting by car and only 1.1% using public transport, Baxter is one of the most car-dependent suburbs in the Mornington Peninsula region. That figure captures the suburb's character: low density at 218.5 people per km2, a predominantly detached-house stock at 87.3%, and a relatively stable population of 2,166 where 83.3% have stayed put in the same dwelling compared to high-turnover urban centres.
Local council: Mornington Peninsula
Population
2,166
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,493/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$770K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
The housing stock is dominated by separate houses at 87.3%, with three-bedroom homes accounting for 64.7% of all dwellings and four-plus bedrooms at 22.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,690, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, which falls below the standard 30% stress threshold. Ownership rates are high: 34.5% own outright and 48.4% are on a mortgage, leaving only 17.1% renting.
For Buyers
The housing stock is dominated by separate houses at 87.3%, with three-bedroom homes accounting for 64.7% of all dwellings and four-plus bedrooms at 22.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,690, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, which falls below the standard 30% stress threshold. Ownership rates are high: 34.5% own outright and 48.4% are on a mortgage, leaving only 17.1% renting.
For Investors
Baxter's investor fundamentals are modest rather than compelling. The vacancy rate of 4.5% is elevated, signalling soft rental demand relative to supply. Development activity is thin at just 4 applications in the past 12 months, meaning no near-term supply pressure from new builds.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Baxter
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Baxter Primary School
Demographics
Baxter skews slightly older than average, with a median age of 40 matching the national figure exactly. The overseas-born share of 14.4% is 7.2 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting the suburb's Anglo-Celtic roots: English (943 residents), Irish (265) and Scottish (250) are the three largest ancestry groups. University qualifications at 19.7% run 10.4 points below the national figure, consistent with an occupational mix weighted toward trade and service industries. Average household size of 2.3 is marginally below the national average. The family composition leans toward couples: 33.0% of families are couples with children and 30.6% are couples without children, with no single-parent family data recorded.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.3%
Houses
12.7%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure pattern reveals a settled, mortgage-committed community. Outright owners at 34.5% and mortgage holders at 48.4% together account for 82.9% of households, compared to a national owner-occupier average well below that combined figure. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 64.7%, followed by four-plus bedrooms at 22.4%, making Baxter a family-oriented market rather than a downsizer or investor-driven one. The semi-detached share of 12.7% provides some housing diversity around the detached-dominant 87.3% majority.
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$360
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$774
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.2%
Couples with children
41.2%
Couples, no children
18.8%
Single parent
622
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is the dominant industry at 22.5% of local employment (162 workers), unusually high compared to the national average, because the peninsula's ongoing residential and rural development draws tradespeople to the area. Healthcare follows at 17.1% (123 workers), then Education at 10.8%, Manufacturing at 7.4% and Retail at 6.5%. By occupation, Professionals lead (162 workers), followed closely by Labourers (144), Community and Personal Service (137), Managers (134) and Clerical/Admin (132). The unemployment rate of 2.8% is low and the full-time employment rate sits at 62.8%. Household income at the 46.6th percentile nationally puts Baxter in the mid-income bracket, below the median but not in the lower tier.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
1,164
Unemployed
31
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.1%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
63.3%
Employed
1,133
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.7%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
14.4%
Dwellings
902
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the defining livability trade-off in Baxter. With 92.3% of residents driving to work and only 1.1% using public transport, the suburb functions as a low-density, lifestyle-oriented area that works well for households with multiple vehicles but is difficult without one. Crime stands at 254 recorded offences, a rate of 117.3 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 156 of those. At 2,166 residents across 9.91 km2, the density of 218.5 people per km2 is low compared to suburban Melbourne norms. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary itself, so families depend on facilities in surrounding Mornington Peninsula localities. Mortgage stress is minimal with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, which is below the 30% threshold that typically signals financial strain.
Drive
78.3%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
15.2%
Growth Outlook
The suburb's population stability is notable: with an 83.3% stay-rate and only 16.7% annual turnover, Baxter is far less transient than urban growth corridors. Development activity of just 4 applications in 12 months confirms this is a slow-change area rather than a rapidly densifying one.
Population trend: Mornington Peninsula council area
Baxter sits in the Mornington Peninsula council area. These are the council area's residents, not Baxter's.
Residents 2025
172,217
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
254
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
117.3
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Baxter compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baxter a good suburb to live in?
Baxter suits households seeking a low-density, semi-rural lifestyle on the Mornington Peninsula. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1% is below the 30% stress threshold, meaning typical owner-occupiers are not financially stretched. The main trade-offs are near-complete car dependence (92.3% drive to work) and no recorded schools inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on neighbouring localities.
What schools are in Baxter?
No schools are recorded within the Baxter suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the area typically access schools in neighbouring Mornington Peninsula suburbs. The suburb's university qualification rate of 19.7% is 10.4 points below the national figure, reflecting the local occupational mix rather than a lack of educational engagement.
Is Baxter safe?
Baxter recorded 254 offences in the reference period, a rate of 117.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 156 incidents. Crimes against the person numbered 31. The low population of 2,166 means even a modest absolute count produces a relatively elevated per-capita rate, so context matters when interpreting this figure.
How is Baxter's population changing?
Baxter has a stable, low-turnover population of 2,166, with 83.3% of residents staying in the same dwelling and only 16.7% annual turnover. Development activity of just 4 planning applications in the past 12 months confirms the suburb is in slow-change mode rather than active expansion. The density of 218.5 people per km2 is low, suggesting significant land remains undeveloped relative to Melbourne's denser suburbs.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
Explore Baxter on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map