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.
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
Price history shows a median house price of $850,000 in 2023, down from a peak of $1,055,500 in 2022, representing a 19.5% correction from the peak. Over the longer term, prices have risen 97.7% from $430,000 in 2013, producing a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% over 10 years. 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
Price history shows a median house price of $850,000 in 2023, down from a peak of $1,055,500 in 2022, representing a 19.5% correction from the peak. Over the longer term, prices have risen 97.7% from $430,000 in 2013, producing a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% over 10 years. 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 long-term capital growth story is stronger than yield, given a 7.1% compound annual growth rate over 10 years from 2013 to 2023. 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 iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Belgrave Heights Christian School
Prep-12 · 776 students
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
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.3%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
1.7%
Apartment
Tenure
The long-run price record spans from $430,000 in 2013 to $850,000 in 2023, a 97.7% rise over 10 years. The 2022 peak of $1,055,500 has since corrected 19.5%, bringing prices closer to pre-boom levels. 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.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,900
Rent / wk
$373
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
Household Composition
22.1%
Couples, no children
1,224
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.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.7%
Part-time
38.1%
Participation
63.2%
Employed
692
Occupations
Top Industries
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
89.0%
Public Transport
2.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
31
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
22.2
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 Belgrave Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
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 is the median house price in Belgrave Heights?
The most recent recorded median house price is $850,000 (2023), down from a peak of $1,055,500 in 2022 but up 97.7% from $430,000 in 2013. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,900 and weekly rent runs at $373.
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 10-year compound annual growth rate of 7.1% from 2013 to 2023 is the main investor argument. However, 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. Yield is modest; the long-run capital growth story is stronger.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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