Boolarra
At a median age of 50, Boolarra's resident base is 10 years older than the national figure, and this shapes almost everything about the suburb. Household income sits at the 25.3rd percentile nationally, yet 48% of dwellings are owned outright, one of the highest ownership-without-mortgage rates you find in regional Victoria. Every dwelling in the suburb is a separate house, 100% of the stock, with no apartments or semi-detached homes recorded. Crime is low at 26.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, and 80.1% of residents stayed put over the measured period, signalling a stable, long-settled community rather than a transient one.
Local council: Latrobe (Vic.)
Population
1,023
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,200/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$422K
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.
The entire housing stock is separate houses, so buyers face no apartment or semi-detached trade-offs. Three-bedroom homes are most common at 50.6%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 32.2%, giving families meaningful choice at the upper end. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, and mortgage-to-income sits at 20.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments more manageable than in most metropolitan markets. The 12.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared to tightly held urban suburbs, which can create entry opportunities but also warrants scrutiny of local demand drivers.
For Buyers
The entire housing stock is separate houses, so buyers face no apartment or semi-detached trade-offs. Three-bedroom homes are most common at 50.6%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 32.2%, giving families meaningful choice at the upper end. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, and mortgage-to-income sits at 20.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments more manageable than in most metropolitan markets. The 12.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared to tightly held urban suburbs, which can create entry opportunities but also warrants scrutiny of local demand drivers.
For Investors
The rental market is small: only 10.4% of households rent, versus a much higher national share, and weekly rent averages $218. Vacancy at 12.4% is the main caution flag, indicating the rental pool is not deep. Development activity is minimal, with only 2 planning applications lodged in 12 months, both subdivision permits, so new competing supply is not a near-term risk. The aging population and low labour-force participation rate of 48.2% are structural headwinds for rental demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
12
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Boolarra
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Boolarra Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, placing Boolarra among Victoria's older regional communities. University qualifications reach 20.3% of residents, which is 9.8 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, health and public administration rather than graduate-heavy sectors. Overseas-born residents make up 12.8%, which is 8.8 points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (436 residents), Scottish (129) and Irish (111) are the top three. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national figure, and 36.3% of families are couples without children, a high share that reflects the older age profile. Volunteering at 21.2% is a notable feature of the community, well above typical urban rates.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
All 100% of Boolarra's dwellings are separate houses, an unusually pure detached stock compared to most of Victoria. Ownership is the dominant tenure: 48% own outright and 41.6% carry a mortgage, leaving just 10.4% as renters, far below the national renter share. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.6% of the stock and 4-plus bedrooms for 32.2%, skewing toward larger family-sized dwellings. Mortgage stress is contained at 20.8% of household income, and rent-to-income sits at 18.2%, both below standard stress thresholds. The high outright-ownership rate reflects the older resident base, many of whom paid down mortgages over decades rather than recent high-leverage purchases.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$218
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$599
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.4%
Unoccupied
57
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.3%
Couples with children
51.1%
Couples, no children
14.3%
Single parent
266
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs the largest share of Boolarra's workforce at 17.4% (52 workers), followed by Education at 13.8% (41), Public Administration at 11.1% (33) and Construction at 9.7% (29). These sectors reflect a service-oriented regional economy that depends on local government and community services rather than manufacturing or agriculture. By occupation, Professionals lead at 77 workers, followed by Labourers (52), Managers (51) and Community/Personal Services (49). Unemployment sits at 7.2%, above the national average, and labour-force participation is low at 48.2%, partly because 334 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the aged demographic profile. Weekly household income of $1,200 places the suburb at the 25.3rd percentile nationally, meaning roughly three in four Australian households earn more.
Unemployment
6.6%
Labour Force
455
Unemployed
30
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.0%
Part-time
39.3%
Participation
52.5%
Employed
425
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.3%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
12.8%
Dwellings
397
Transport to Work
Car dependency is very high at 88.7% of residents driving to work, which is expected in a 42.45 square kilometre rural locality where public transport options are limited. Only 3.3% walk or cycle. Crime is low in absolute terms, with 27 total incidents recorded and a rate of 26.4 per 1,000 residents; property offences account for 14 of those 27 cases. Rent-to-income at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 20.8% are both below stress thresholds, making housing costs more manageable than the national average. The volunteering rate of 21.2% and an 80.1% residential stability rate point to a cohesive, long-settled community. Need-for-assistance sits at 6.5% (60 people), slightly above average, tied to the older age profile.
Drive
71.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
19.7%
Growth Outlook
The suburb recorded 2 subdivision planning applications in the past 12 months, signalling incremental land release rather than major development activity. Resident mobility is low, with 80.1% of residents staying in the same address over the measured period, compared to higher churn rates in metro markets. The aging population profile, with a median age of 50 versus 40 nationally, and a low participation rate of 48.2% suggest that natural population growth will remain subdued. The 12.4% vacancy rate is one indicator that demand has not absorbed existing stock at the same pace prices have risen, a divergence worth monitoring.
Population trend: Latrobe (Vic.) council area
Boolarra sits in the Latrobe (Vic.) council area. These are the council area's residents, not Boolarra's.
Residents 2025
79,112
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
27
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
26.4
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 Boolarra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boolarra a good suburb to live in?
Boolarra suits buyers who value space, stability and low housing costs. Mortgage repayments average $1,083 per month, with mortgage-to-income at 20.8%, below the stress threshold. Crime is low at 26.4 incidents per 1,000 residents and 80.1% of residents stayed in place over the measured period.
What schools are in Boolarra?
Families rely on schools in nearby towns in the Latrobe Valley region. The suburb's university qualification rate is 20.3%, which is 9.8 points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce oriented toward trades and services.
Is Boolarra safe?
Boolarra recorded 27 total criminal incidents in the measured period, giving a rate of 26.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 14 incidents, followed by justice procedures offences at 8. That overall rate is low in the context of Victoria's regional suburbs.
Is Boolarra good for property investment?
The 12.4% vacancy rate and small renter share of 10.4% limit rental demand depth. Development is minimal at 2 applications in 12 months, so oversupply risk is low.
How is Boolarra's population changing?
Boolarra's population is 1,023, with 80.1% of residents staying in the same address over the measured period, indicating low turnover compared to metro areas. The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure. Labour-force participation is 48.2%, below the national average, consistent with an aging and partially retired resident base.
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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