Beechworth
A 49-year median age is the standout feature of Beechworth's 4,274-resident profile, sitting 9 years above the national comparison. Detached housing accounts for 94.5% of dwellings, while 45.6% of households own outright, helping explain the town's settled feel and average household size of 2.2, which is 0.3 below national. Compared with nearby Yackandandah, Beechworth has a broader service base through healthcare, education and public administration. Its 9.7% vacancy rate provides more choice than a tightly held market, while 0.81% annual growth and an aging trajectory point to gradual change.
Population
4,274
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,401/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
20
Median House
$818K
October to December 2025
The monthly mortgage figure of $1,550 represents 25.6% of household income, so repayments appear more manageable than the headline price alone suggests. Buyers are choosing a strongly detached market: 94.5% of homes are separate houses, with 47.2% containing 3 bedrooms and 29.9% having 4 or more. That mix suits established households more than apartment-oriented buyers.
For Buyers
The monthly mortgage figure of $1,550 represents 25.6% of household income, so repayments appear more manageable than the headline price alone suggests. Buyers are choosing a strongly detached market: 94.5% of homes are separate houses, with 47.2% containing 3 bedrooms and 29.9% having 4 or more. That mix suits established households more than apartment-oriented buyers.
For Investors
Rental investors face a mixed picture. Weekly rent is $300, while 20.8% of households rent and the vacancy rate is 9.7%, giving tenants more choice than in a tightly held market. Compared with the 45.6% outright ownership share, Beechworth has a smaller rental base, so demand can be sensitive to local employment and services. Rents have grown 50.0% in the shift profile, while forecast migration is Balanced. Twenty planning matters in 12 months point to continued subdivision and local change, but the pipeline is more consistent with incremental additions than a large development surge.
Development Activity
Total DAs
42
Last 12 Months
20
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+122.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Beechworth
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Beechworth Montessori School
Beechworth Primary School
St Joseph's School
Beechworth Secondary College
Demographics
Beechworth's median age of 49 is 9 years above the national figure, and 35.0% of residents hold a university qualification, 4.9 percentage points higher than the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 12.6%, 9.0 points below national, while English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 1,864, 713 and 614. No religion is the largest stated affiliation at 2,274, ahead of Christianity at 1,468. Household size averages 2.2, or 0.3 below national, because couples without children make up 50.5% of families. Compared with nearby Yackandandah, Beechworth has a more institutionally anchored community, with 78.5% of residents staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.5%
Houses
3.9%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Beechworth remains overwhelmingly a detached-house market, with separate houses at 94.5% and apartments at just 0.9%. The bedroom profile is led by 3-bedroom homes at 47.2%, followed by 4-plus-bedroom dwellings at 29.9%, so the stock is better suited to conventional houses than compact formats. Ownership is relatively strong: 45.6% own outright, 31.6% have a mortgage and 20.8% rent. That places the latest result 177.1% above the earliest price but 8.1% below the peak. Housing costs look contained for existing owners because mortgage commitments are 25.6% of household income and rent is 21.4%, with neither carrying a recorded stress flag.
Mortgage / mo
$1,550
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$767
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
183
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.6%
Couples with children
50.5%
Couples, no children
14.8%
Single parent
1,155
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Beechworth's largest listed industry at 23.9% of jobs, followed by education at 13.2%, public administration at 12.6%, manufacturing at 8.2% and construction at 7.1%. This service-heavy mix supports local employment and public services, while occupations are led by professionals at 528 and managers at 325, ahead of community and personal service roles at 277. Unemployment is 2.9% and participation is 55.7%, with 1,419 people outside the labour force, consistent with the suburb's older age profile. Household income sits at the 40.3rd percentile, below the midpoint, even as SEIFA places education and occupation in decile 7 and economic resources in decile 6. Compared with the national benchmark, university attainment is 4.9 points higher.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
2,001
Unemployed
58
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.2%
Part-time
39.2%
Participation
55.7%
Employed
1,943
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.0%
Postgraduate
8.9%
Born Overseas
12.6%
Dwellings
1,677
Transport to Work
Beechworth's 165.49 square kilometre footprint and detached housing pattern make the car the practical default: 65.8% travel as car drivers, compared with 8.5% who walk or cycle, while 22.1% work from home. Education access includes 4 nearby schools, spanning 3 primary options and 1 secondary school across Catholic, government and independent sectors; enrolment zones should be checked for the exact address. Safety needs a measured reading: 168 recorded offences equate to 39.3 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 111. Compared with a denser urban setting, Beechworth provides more space but less compact transport. An IRSAD decile of 6 and IEO decile of 7 indicate above-midpoint relative advantage.
Drive
65.8%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
8.5%
Work from Home
22.1%
Population Forecast
+0.81%/yr
(+40 people/yr)
EstablishedBeechworth is an established market, with annual growth forecast at 0.81% and a Balanced migration driver, pointing to steady rather than migration-led acceleration. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share has risen 5.7 percentage points, while the working share has fallen 4.4 points and the young share has eased 0.4 points. Population change across the wider area is 18.2% over 10 years, so the direction remains positive, but age structure will shape demand more than rapid household expansion. The gentrification forecast gives a score of 5 and stage Not gentrifying. Affordability moved from 40.1 in 2011 to 39.2 in 2021 and is labelled Stable. Compared with a growth corridor, this profile is more consistent with incremental change and rising demand for age-friendly services.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+12
Net Internal / yr
+11
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +16% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
168
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
39.3
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 Beechworth compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beechworth a good suburb to live in?
Beechworth can suit buyers who value detached housing, local services and a slower pace. The median age is 49, 94.5% of homes are separate houses and 65.8% commute by car, so it is better matched to established, car-oriented households than apartment-focused buyers. Its IRSAD decile of 6 is above the midpoint.
What schools are in Beechworth?
Beechworth has 4 nearby schools: 3 primary options and 1 secondary college. The sector mix includes government, Catholic and independent education, giving families more choice than a single-sector network. Check the exact enrolment zone and year-level availability before buying, because access can differ by address.
Is Beechworth safe?
Beechworth recorded 168 offences, equal to 39.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 111, compared with 22 crimes against the person. Those figures support checking recent local trends and the exact street, rather than relying on a simple safe or unsafe label.
Is Beechworth good for property investment?
Investment prospects are mixed. Weekly rent is $300, the vacancy rate is 9.7% and renters represent 20.8% of households, while rents have grown 50.0% in the shift profile. Compared with the 45.6% outright ownership rate, the rental pool is smaller, so investors should test tenant demand, maintenance costs and resale depth.
How is Beechworth's population changing?
Beechworth's population is changing gradually rather than through a sharp growth cycle. Annual growth is forecast at 0.81%, migration is labelled Balanced and the wider area's 10-year population change is 18.2%. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 5.7 points and working share down 4.4, so demand should favour services and accessible housing more than rapid family expansion.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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