VIC 3160 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Belgrave Heights

With 98.3% of dwellings being separate houses, Belgrave Heights ranks among Victoria's most detached-house-dominant suburbs, a figure well above the national average. The household income sits in the 81.4th percentile nationally, yet the suburb spans just 2.36 square kilometres with a population of 1,398. Only 10.1% of residents rent, compared to national norms, reflecting a strongly owner-occupier community where 37.4% own outright and 52.5% hold a mortgage. The crime rate of 22.2 incidents per 1,000 residents is low relative to metropolitan Melbourne benchmarks.

Local council: Yarra Ranges

Belgrave Heights urban fabric map

Population

1,398

Median Age

40.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,132/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

0

Median House

$1.0M

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.

2.36 km²· 593.5 people/km²· Family income $2,313/wk

The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 98.3%, with 46.0% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms and 44.0% having 3 bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,900, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% is below the 30% stress threshold, indicating that typical buyers here carry a manageable debt load relative to income.

For Buyers

The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 98.3%, with 46.0% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms and 44.0% having 3 bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,900, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% is below the 30% stress threshold, indicating that typical buyers here carry a manageable debt load relative to income.

For Investors

The rental market is thin: only 10.1% of dwellings are rented, well below national averages, and weekly rent is $373. The vacancy rate stands at 2.9%, which is moderate rather than tight. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, supply is effectively static. The 85.6% resident stability rate, meaning fewer than 15% moved in the prior year, signals low tenant turnover, though the small renter pool also limits landlord options when tenants do leave.

Schools in Belgrave Heights

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Belgrave Heights Christian School

Pri/Sec Independent

Demographics

The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, placing Belgrave Heights at the national average for age structure. University qualifications reach 31.6% of residents, which is 1.5 percentage points above the national figure. The overseas-born share at 17.8% is 3.8 points below the national rate, consistent with the suburb's Anglo-leaning ancestry profile: English (650), Scottish (191) and Irish (181) are the three largest ancestry groups. Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above the national figure, reflecting the prevalence of families with children, where couples with children (533) outnumber couples without children (271) by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Age Distribution

0-14
18.9%
15-24
13.6%
25-44
24.3%
45-64
29.4%
65+
14.9%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
2.2%
2 bed
7.8%
3 bed
44.0%
4+ bed
46.0%

Dwelling Structure

98.3%

Houses

0.0%

Townhouse

1.7%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 36.9% Mortgage 51.7% Rent 10.0% Other 1.5%

Tenure is dominated by owners: 37.4% own outright and 52.5% carry a mortgage, leaving just 10.1% renting. This ownership concentration is notably higher than state and national averages. The housing stock is almost entirely detached houses at 98.3%, with apartments accounting for only 1.7%. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 46.0% of dwellings, reflecting the family-oriented character of the suburb, where the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% stays well below the 30% stress threshold.

Mortgage / mo

$1,900

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$373

Census 2021

HH Size

2.9

Personal Income / wk

$827

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

2.9%

Unoccupied

14

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

17.5%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

20.6%

Community Profile

Ancestry

English
650
Scottish
191
Irish
181
Other
147
Dutch
85
German
58

Household Composition

50.6%

Couples with children

34.3%

Couples, no children

14.1%

Single parent

397

Total families

Economy & Employment

Education and healthcare dominate local employment, together at 34.6%: Education leads at 18.7% and Healthcare follows at 15.9%. Construction adds 11.9% and Professional/Technical services 9.6%. Professionals (171) are the largest occupation group, ahead of Managers (101) and Community/Personal workers (93). Unemployment is 4.2% and the full-time employment rate of 57.7% is solid. Household income in the 81.4th percentile nationally reflects the professional and healthcare workforce, where above-average earnings are common.

Unemployment

3.9%

Labour Force

773

Unemployed

30

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Full-time

53.7%

Part-time

39.4%

Participation

67.6%

Employed

743

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 171
Trades 118
Managers 101
Community/Personal 93
Clerical/Admin 91
Sales 61
Labourers 47
Machinery/Drivers 40

Top Industries

Education 18.7%
Healthcare 15.9%
Construction 11.9%
Professional/Tech 9.6%
Manufacturing 6.4%

University

31.6%

Postgraduate

7.0%

Born Overseas

17.8%

Dwellings

472

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high: 89.0% of residents drive to work and only 2.4% use public transport, below the national average, because outer Dandenong Ranges connectivity is limited. The crime rate of 22.2 incidents per 1,000 residents is low relative to Melbourne. Volunteering runs at 23.9% and only 3.7% of residents require daily assistance. Financially, the suburb is comfortable: the rent-to-income ratio is 17.5% and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 20.6%, both below the 30% stress threshold and better than many state averages.

Drive

58.0%

Public Transport

1.5%

Walk / Cycle

0.9%

Work from Home

34.8%

Growth Outlook

The suburb's population of 1,398 is spread across 2.36 square kilometres, giving a density of 593.5 people per square kilometre, lower than most Melbourne metropolitan suburbs. The resident stability rate of 85.6% means few people leave each year, and only 14.4% of residents turned over in the prior year, which is low compared to higher-density urban areas. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, confirming the suburb is not in an active construction phase.

Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area

Belgrave Heights sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Belgrave Heights's.

Residents 2025

160,906

Growth, 5 yr average

+0.2%/yr

2020 to 2025

Growth, last year

+0.7%

2024 to 2025

ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

31

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

22.2

Offence Categories

Crimes against the person
19
Property and deception offences
9
Justice procedures offences
2
Public order and security offences
1

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Belgrave Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 25%
Household Income
Top 19%
Rent Level
Top 21%
Apartments
Top 18%
Renters
Bottom 35%
Uni Educated
Top 31%
Public Transport
Bottom 32%
Born Overseas
Top 36%
Density
Top 18%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Belgrave Heights a good suburb to live in?

Belgrave Heights offers low crime at 22.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, strong owner-occupancy at 89.9% of dwellings, and household income in the 81.4th percentile nationally. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% and rent-to-income ratio of 17.5% are both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to typical incomes.

What schools are in Belgrave Heights?

No schools are recorded inside the Belgrave Heights boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Belgrave and Upper Ferntree Gully. University-qualified residents account for 31.6% of the population, which is 1.5 points above the national figure.

Is Belgrave Heights safe?

Belgrave Heights recorded 31 criminal incidents in the reference period, a rate of 22.2 per 1,000 residents. This is low by Melbourne metropolitan standards. The largest category was crimes against the person (19 incidents), followed by property and deception offences (9 incidents).

Is Belgrave Heights good for property investment?

The renter pool is thin at 10.1% of dwellings, weekly rent is $373, and no development activity was recorded in the past 12 months. The 2.9% vacancy rate is moderate.

How is Belgrave Heights's population changing?

Belgrave Heights has a population of 1,398 across 2.36 square kilometres, giving a density of 593.5 per square kilometre. The resident stability rate of 85.6% is high, meaning only 14.4% of residents turned over in the prior year. Zero development applications in the past 12 months point to a stable rather than growing suburb.

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).

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