Berwick
Anchored by detached family housing on the south-east edge of Greater Melbourne, Berwick has grown 52% since 2011 to a population of 50,298 across 33.2 km². The suburb is overwhelmingly detached-house territory (89.1% separate houses) and overwhelmingly mortgaged (47.8% with a loan, 29.5% owned outright, only 22.7% renting), placing it firmly in Victoria's outer-suburban mortgage belt. Household income sits in the 79.9th percentile nationally, well above the typical Australian suburb, and the median age of 38 tracks 2 years below the national figure of 40, reflecting the family demographic that has driven 14 years of compounded house-price growth at a 4.8% CAGR.
Population
50,298
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,113/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
34
Median House
$877K
Apr-Jun 2024
Berwick is built for families buying their forever home rather than a starter unit. Detached houses account for 89.1% of dwellings, semi-detached 10.5%, and apartments just 0.3%, so almost any purchase here is a freestanding home. Four-or-more-bedroom houses make up 53.3% of stock and 3-bed homes another 38.5%, compared with the 17.7% of dwellings nationally that are 2-bed or smaller. The median house price reached $877,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, down 1.5% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $890,000 but still 93.6% higher than the 2013 median of $453,000. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,000 against a household income of $2,113 per week produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than mortgage stress in many inner-Melbourne suburbs.
For Buyers
Berwick is built for families buying their forever home rather than a starter unit. Detached houses account for 89.1% of dwellings, semi-detached 10.5%, and apartments just 0.3%, so almost any purchase here is a freestanding home. Four-or-more-bedroom houses make up 53.3% of stock and 3-bed homes another 38.5%, compared with the 17.7% of dwellings nationally that are 2-bed or smaller. The median house price reached $877,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, down 1.5% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $890,000 but still 93.6% higher than the 2013 median of $453,000. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,000 against a household income of $2,113 per week produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than mortgage stress in many inner-Melbourne suburbs.
For Investors
Berwick is a low-yield, capital-growth play rather than a rental cash-flow suburb. Only 22.7% of dwellings are rented, weekly rent sits at $400, and the rent-to-income ratio is 18.9%, comfortably below stress. Vacancy of 4.7% is higher than the typical Melbourne benchmark, signalling that supply is keeping up with demand. Council recorded 29 development applications in the past 12 months, modest for a suburb of 50,298 and skewed toward small-lot subdivisions (Section 22 consolidations and 2-lot splits) rather than apartment towers. Population growth of 2.62% per year, driven by a balanced mix of net internal migration (+189/yr) and net overseas migration (+146/yr), supports rental demand from incoming families. The investor risk is yield compression, the median price has compounded at 4.8% per year over 14 years while rents have moved more slowly.
Development Activity
Total DAs
65
Last 12 Months
34
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+325.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Berwick iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Nossal High School
9-12 · 825 students
St Margaret's Berwick Grammar
Prep-12 · 980 students
St Catherine's Primary School
Prep-6 · 601 students
Brentwood Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 1017 students
Berwick Primary School
Prep-6 · 884 students
Demographics
Berwick reads as a family-stage outer suburb with a strong Anglo base and a fast-growing South Asian and Chinese overlay. The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, and the average household size of 2.9 people sits 0.4 above the national average, both signals of a family-life-cycle suburb. University attainment of 38.6% is 8.5 percentage points above the national average, while 35.4% of residents were born overseas, 13.8 points higher than the national share. English (14,630), Irish (3,930) and Scottish (3,909) ancestries dominate, but Indian (3,738) and Chinese (3,041) communities together exceed 6,700 residents. Mandarin (954) and Sinhalese (945) are the largest non-English languages, ahead of Hindi (391) and Punjabi (367). Christianity remains the majority faith at 21,844 followers, with Hinduism (2,744) and Buddhism (2,345) reflecting the migration overlay.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.1%
Houses
10.5%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing tenure in Berwick is the textbook outer-suburban mortgage profile, with 47.8% of dwellings on a loan, 29.5% owned outright, and 22.7% rented. The dwelling stock is 89.1% detached, 10.5% semi-detached and almost no apartments at 0.3%, far more house-skewed than the typical Melbourne suburb. Bedroom mix mirrors the family orientation, 4-plus bed dwellings make up 53.3% of homes and 3-bed another 38.5%, leaving only 8.2% with 2 bedrooms or fewer. The median house price has run from $453,000 in 2013 to $877,000 by Apr-Jun 2024, a 93.6% gain over 14 years and a compound annual growth rate of 4.8%. The current price sits 1.5% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $890,000, a mild correction rather than a downturn. The price-to-income ratio of 7.98 (median house over annual household income of $109,876) is high in absolute terms but lower than inner-Melbourne ratios above 12.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$852
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
813
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.5%
Couples, no children
43,563
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Berwick's local industry mix at 18.6% of workers (3,214 residents), well above the typical Melbourne suburb, anchored by St John of God Berwick and the Casey Hospital precinct in adjacent Berwick fringe. Education follows at 12.0% (2,070 workers) and Construction at 11.0% (1,900 workers), reflecting both the school-rich landscape and the building boom in surrounding growth corridors. Professionals are the largest occupational class at 5,956 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin (3,597) and Managers (3,502). The unemployment rate of 5.2% is broadly in line with state averages, and the participation rate of 63.3% is consistent with a family suburb where one parent often works part-time. SEIFA scores tell a coherent story, advantage/disadvantage at decile 8, education and occupation at decile 7, economic resources at decile 8, all comfortably above the median Australian suburb.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
13,652
Unemployed
382
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.9%
Part-time
29.9%
Participation
63.3%
Employed
23,920
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.6%
Postgraduate
10.9%
Born Overseas
35.4%
Dwellings
16,646
Transport to Work
Car dependence dominates Berwick's commuting profile, with 90.2% of workers driving and only 2.4% taking public transport, far higher than the Melbourne metropolitan average. The Pakenham line stops at Berwick station, but the suburb's 33.2 km² area and detached-housing layout make most trips a car run. Schools are a major draw, Nossal High School (ICSEA 1155, government selective, 825 students) and St Margaret's Berwick Grammar (ICSEA 1155, independent combined, 980 students) both score 155 points above the national ICSEA average of 1000, putting them in the top decile of Victorian schools. Eight further schools have ICSEA scores between 1037 and 1108, all above the national average, and Kambrya College alone enrols 2,369 students. The crime rate of 56.7 offences per 1,000 residents is moderate for outer Melbourne, with property and deception offences (1,630 of 2,854 total) the dominant category. The volunteering rate of 12.2% suggests stronger community engagement than transient inner suburbs.
Drive
90.2%
Public Transport
2.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.62%/yr
(+347 people/yr)
EstablishedBerwick is growing at 2.62% annually, adding 347 people per year on the medium-trend forecast, well above the typical Australian suburb. Historical population has climbed from 8,722 in 2011 to 13,243 in 2025 in the small-area count, a 52% increase in 14 years that places Berwick in the high-growth bracket. Migration is balanced rather than overseas-driven, with net internal migration averaging +189 per year and net overseas migration +146 per year, meaning interstate and intrastate movers are the larger contributor, unusual for a Melbourne suburb. The medium population scenario projects growth from 13,334 in 2026 to 15,070 by 2031, a 13% gain over 5 years. The gentrification score of 56 places Berwick in the Active stage, accelerating from 11% to 37% on internal scoring, though the demographic shift trajectory is Declining young, with the under-35 share down 3.7 percentage points and the senior share up 2.4 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+146
Net Internal / yr
+189
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +52% since 2011, Net internal migration +189/yr, Accelerating: 11% → 37%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,854
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.7
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 Berwick compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berwick a good suburb to live in?
Berwick suits families buying a detached home in Melbourne's south-east, with 89.1% separate houses, a median age of 38, and household income in the 79.9th percentile nationally. Strong schools (Nossal High and St Margaret's both ICSEA 1155) and low mortgage stress (21.9%) are the main draws. The trade-off is car dependence, with 90.2% of commutes by car and only 2.4% on public transport.
What is the median house price in Berwick?
The median house price in Berwick is $877,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 1.5% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $890,000. Over the 14 years from 2013 to 2024 the median has risen 93.6% from $453,000, a compound annual growth rate of 4.8%. Median weekly rent is $400 and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000.
What schools are in Berwick?
Berwick has at least 10 mainstream schools, all above the national ICSEA average of 1000. Top picks are Nossal High School (government selective, ICSEA 1155, 825 students) and St Margaret's Berwick Grammar (independent, ICSEA 1155, 980 students). Kambrya College is the largest at 2,369 students, and St Catherine's Primary scores ICSEA 1108. Berwick's school ICSEA range of 1037 to 1155 is consistently above the state median.
Is Berwick safe?
Berwick recorded 2,854 criminal incidents in the past year, a rate of 56.7 per 1,000 residents, moderate for outer Melbourne. Property and deception offences dominate at 1,630 incidents, while crimes against the person sit at 549 and drug offences at 100. Volunteering rate of 12.2% and SEIFA disadvantage decile of 8 (top 20% nationally) point to a relatively cohesive community.
Is Berwick good for property investment?
Berwick is a capital-growth play rather than a yield play. Only 22.7% of dwellings are rented and weekly rent of $400 against the $877,000 median produces a gross rental yield around 2.4%, below most metro Melbourne suburbs. Vacancy is 4.7% and only 29 DAs were lodged in the past 12 months. The 4.8% CAGR over 14 years is the historical case for capital growth, but yield compression is the main risk.
How is Berwick's population changing?
Berwick is growing at 2.62% per year, adding 347 people annually, with population up 52% since 2011. Migration is balanced, with net internal migration of +189/yr and net overseas migration of +146/yr. The medium forecast projects growth from 13,334 in 2026 to 15,070 by 2031. Notably the under-35 share has fallen 3.7 percentage points while the senior share has risen 2.4 points, an aging-while-growing trajectory.
What languages are spoken in Berwick?
English is the dominant language, but 35.4% of Berwick residents were born overseas, 13.8 percentage points above the national average. Mandarin (954 speakers) and Sinhalese (945) are the two largest non-English languages, followed by Hindi (391), Punjabi (367), Malayalam (293), Arabic (218), Gujarati (174) and Italian (170). Indian and Chinese are the largest non-Anglo ancestry groups at 3,738 and 3,041 residents.
What development is happening in Berwick?
Council recorded 29 development applications in the past 12 months, modest for a suburb of 50,298. Activity is dominated by small-lot subdivisions (Section 22 consolidations and 2-lot splits) and minor works such as VicSmart shed approvals, rather than apartment towers. The dwelling mix remains 89.1% detached, with semi-detached at 10.5% and apartments at just 0.3%, meaning new supply is almost entirely house-and-land rather than infill.
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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