Black Rock
A $2,300,000 median house price and a median age of 49, which is 9.0 years above the national figure, define this bayside pocket more than anything else. Household income sits in the 90.9th percentile nationally, yet the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSAD, IEO and IRSD indexes, the top advantage tier on three of four SEIFA measures. The story buyers miss is the price retreat: the median peaked at $3,000,000 in early 2024 and has since fallen 23.3% to $2,300,000, even though the 14-year trend still shows 85.9% total growth. University qualifications reach 54.3%, which is 24.2 points above national, and 56.1% of dwellings are separate houses rather than apartments.
Population
6,389
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,416/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$2.3M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $2,300,000 median places Black Rock among Melbourne's premium bayside markets, but timing matters more here than usual: the median has fallen 23.3% from its $3,000,000 peak in early 2024, so recent buyers face a softer entry than 2024 sellers got. Stock favours families because 56.1% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.0% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes at 41.1% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 34.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,897, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite the high purchase price, because household incomes sit in the 90.9th percentile. Outright owners at 50.8% far outnumber mortgage holders at 31.4%, a sign the market is held by established, debt-free owners rather than recent entrants.
For Buyers
The $2,300,000 median places Black Rock among Melbourne's premium bayside markets, but timing matters more here than usual: the median has fallen 23.3% from its $3,000,000 peak in early 2024, so recent buyers face a softer entry than 2024 sellers got. Stock favours families because 56.1% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.0% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes at 41.1% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 34.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,897, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite the high purchase price, because household incomes sit in the 90.9th percentile. Outright owners at 50.8% far outnumber mortgage holders at 31.4%, a sign the market is held by established, debt-free owners rather than recent entrants.
For Investors
Only 17.8% of residents rent here, a shallow tenant pool compared with most Melbourne markets, and weekly rent of $541 against the $2,300,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.2%, very low. The 7.7% vacancy rate is moderate rather than tight, so finding tenants is workable but not effortless. Development is minimal at just 6 applications in the past 12 months, mostly subdivisions rather than new dwelling supply, which limits both competing stock and value-add opportunities. Rent-to-income runs at 22.4%, comfortable for tenants but a ceiling on rent growth. With the median down 23.3% from peak, the investment case rests on buying into a price dip and long-run capital growth, the 14-year CAGR being 4.5%, rather than on yield or rental volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
11
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+500.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Black Rock iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Black Rock Primary School
Prep-6 · 489 students
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9.0 years above the national figure, one of the clearer aging signals you will find in a metropolitan suburb, and average household size is 2.5, matching national exactly. Overseas-born residents reach 25.5%, which is 3.9 points above national, a modest international mix. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,609), Irish (883) and Scottish (854), and the top non-English languages are Greek (51 speakers), Mandarin (46) and German (30). University qualifications at 54.3% run 24.2 points above national, consistent with a professional, established-wealth base. Couples without children make up 30.3% of families, higher than the couples-with-children share would suggest for a younger area, reinforcing the older, empty-nester profile that the median age implies.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
56.1%
Houses
34.2%
Townhouse
8.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by outright ownership: 50.8% own their home debt-free, 31.4% carry a mortgage and only 17.8% rent, a split that points to long-held wealth rather than a churn of new buyers. Separate houses make up 56.1% of dwellings against just 8.0% apartments, and three-bedroom homes (41.1%) plus four-plus-bedroom homes (34.1%) confirm a family-house market. The median price has swung sharply: it troughed at $1,237,500 back in 2013, peaked at $3,000,000 in early 2024, and now sits at $2,300,000, a 23.3% pullback from peak but still 85.9% above the 2013 level. Mortgage-to-income at 27.7% stays below the stress threshold while rent-to-income at 22.4% is also comfortable, a divergence that reflects how much of the stock is owned outright by higher-income, older households.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,897
Rent / wk
$541
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$1,067
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
209
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.3%
Couples, no children
5,345
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in knowledge and care sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 17.4% (401 workers), Healthcare follows at 14.6% (337) and Education at 12.1% (280), with Construction at 8.4% and Finance at 7.6%. By occupation, Professionals (1,052) and Managers (768) together account for the bulk of jobs, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.2% and the full-time employment rate is 61.0%. Participation reads 57.1%, below what the income would suggest, because the aging profile leaves 1,935 residents not in the labour force. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD and IRSD but decile 9 on IER for economic resources, a small step down that reflects retirees drawing on assets rather than wages.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
35.8%
Participation
57.1%
Employed
2,978
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.3%
Postgraduate
14.0%
Born Overseas
25.5%
Dwellings
2,485
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 88.1% of residents drive to work, while only 1.8% use public transport and 5.9% walk or cycle, well above the car reliance seen in inner suburbs and a practical cost of the bayside, low-density setting at 2,006 residents per km2. The suburb earns decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 10 on IRSD, meaning very few residents face relative disadvantage. Volunteering runs at 20.2% and only 3.7% (228 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 49. Recorded crime totals 249 offences, a rate of 39.0 per 1,000 residents, and 180 of those are property and deception offences rather than crimes against the person, which number 43. No schools are recorded inside the 3.19 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
88.1%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
249
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
39.0
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 Black Rock compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Black Rock a good suburb to live in?
Black Rock scores decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 90.9th percentile. University qualifications reach 54.3%, which is 24.2 points above national. The main trade-offs are a high $2,300,000 median house price and heavy car dependence at 88.1%.
What is the median house price in Black Rock?
The median house price is $2,300,000 as of the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, down 23.3% from a $3,000,000 peak in early 2024 but still 85.9% above the 2013 level. Weekly rent averages $541 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,897, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.7%.
What schools are in Black Rock?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.19 km2 Black Rock boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 54.3%, which is 24.2 points above the national figure.
Is Black Rock safe?
Recorded crime totals 249 offences, a rate of 39.0 per 1,000 residents. Of these, 180 are property and deception offences while crimes against the person number 43. The suburb also scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Black Rock good for property investment?
Rent of $541 a week against a $2,300,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.2%, very low, and only 17.8% of residents rent. The 7.7% vacancy rate is moderate. With the median down 23.3% from peak, returns depend on capital growth at a 4.5% long-run CAGR rather than yield.
How is Black Rock's population changing?
The population of 6,389 is aging, with a median age of 49 that sits 9.0 years above the national figure. Couples without children make up 30.3% of families and 1,935 residents are not in the labour force, pointing to a settled, empty-nester profile rather than rapid growth.
What languages are spoken in Black Rock?
About 25.5% of residents were born overseas, 3.9 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Greek (51 speakers), Mandarin (46), German (30) and Russian (28) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a small but established international resident mix.
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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