Botanic Ridge
A median age of 32, fully 8.0 years below the national figure, sets Botanic Ridge apart from most established Melbourne suburbs and explains nearly everything else about it. The housing stock is 95.9% separate houses and 80.9% of dwellings carry four or more bedrooms, a family-formation profile that pairs with an average household size of 3.2, which sits 0.7 above national. Of all dwellings, 70.6% are held on a mortgage against just 17.0% owned outright, the signature of a young buyer base still building equity. Household income reaches the 92.9th percentile nationally, yet the median house price of $927,500 keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at a manageable 19.9%.
Population
6,739
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,552/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$928K
Apr-Jun 2024
Botanic Ridge is built for the family buyer. With 95.9% of dwellings separate houses and 80.9% holding four or more bedrooms, three-bedroom stock is only 18.6% and smaller dwellings are negligible, so buyers wanting a large home compete in a deep pool rather than a scarce one. The median house price reached $927,500 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, up 88.5% from $492,000 in 2013, a 4.6% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Recent quarters were choppy, falling to $817,500 in early 2024 before rebounding, so timing matters. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, and because household income sits in the 92.9th percentile the mortgage-to-income ratio holds at 19.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability cushion, rare for a near-million-dollar median, is the main reason younger mortgage holders dominate here.
For Buyers
Botanic Ridge is built for the family buyer. With 95.9% of dwellings separate houses and 80.9% holding four or more bedrooms, three-bedroom stock is only 18.6% and smaller dwellings are negligible, so buyers wanting a large home compete in a deep pool rather than a scarce one. The median house price reached $927,500 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, up 88.5% from $492,000 in 2013, a 4.6% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Recent quarters were choppy, falling to $817,500 in early 2024 before rebounding, so timing matters. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, and because household income sits in the 92.9th percentile the mortgage-to-income ratio holds at 19.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability cushion, rare for a near-million-dollar median, is the main reason younger mortgage holders dominate here.
For Investors
The investment case here leans on owner-occupier demand rather than a deep tenant pool. Only 12.4% of dwellings are rented, far below the share in most Melbourne markets, while 70.6% carry a mortgage, so this is an owner-occupier suburb first. Weekly rent averages $404 against the $927,500 median, implying a gross yield near 2.3%, low and typical of a detached, family-owned area. The vacancy rate of 2.6% is tight and signals that the few rentals available do get taken, supporting rent stability. There were 0 development applications recorded in the past 12 months, so new rental supply is not a near-term threat. With prices up 88.5% since 2013 at a 4.6% CAGR, the return profile favours steady capital growth over rental yield, suiting a buy-and-hold investor more than a cash-flow strategy.
Schools in Botanic Ridge iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Botanic Ridge Primary School
Prep-6 · 445 students
Demographics
The defining trait is youth: the median age of 32 runs 8.0 years below the national figure, and the average household size of 3.2 is 0.7 above national, both consistent with young families in the child-rearing stage. Couples with children make up 3,600 of 6,252 families against 1,219 couples with no children, so households skew firmly toward kids. University qualifications reach 25.2%, which is 4.9 points below national, and 17.2% of residents were born overseas, 4.4 points below national, marking a more Australian-born, less degree-heavy population than the city average. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,706), Scottish (576) and Irish (559), with Italian (359) the largest European minority. The top non-English languages, Malayalam (29) and Punjabi (18), point to a small but present South Asian community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.9%
Houses
4.1%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure here is dominated by debt: 70.6% of dwellings carry a mortgage, 17.0% are owned outright and only 12.4% are rented, the inverse of established suburbs where outright ownership leads. That mortgage skew reflects a young buyer cohort that has bought recently rather than paid down over decades. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 95.9% separate houses, with 80.9% holding four or more bedrooms and just 18.6% at three bedrooms, so this is large-format family housing almost exclusively. The median house price climbed from $492,000 in 2013 to $927,500 by Apr-Jun 2024, an 88.5% rise at a 4.6% compound annual rate. Despite that near-million median, mortgage-to-income stays at 19.9% and rent-to-income at 15.8%, both comfortably below the 30% stress mark, because household incomes reach the 92.9th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wk
$404
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,093
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.6%
Unoccupied
56
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.5%
Couples, no children
6,252
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is anchored in trades and care rather than corporate sectors. Construction leads at 18.1% (457 workers) and Healthcare follows at 17.3% (438), with Education at 11.7% (297), Manufacturing at 8.3% and Public Administration at 7.4%, a blue-and-pink-collar mix that contrasts with knowledge-sector inner suburbs. By occupation, Professionals (671) narrowly lead Clerical and Administrative workers (586) and Managers (501), a flatter distribution than the university rate of 25.2%, which sits 4.9 points below national, would predict. The labour market is strong: unemployment is just 2.2% and the participation rate reaches 74.0%, with 2,390 residents working full time. That high participation, paired with household income in the 92.9th percentile, reflects dual-earner young families servicing recent mortgages.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.1%
Part-time
29.7%
Participation
74.0%
Employed
3,509
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.2%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
17.2%
Dwellings
2,079
Transport to Work
Daily life here is car-dependent and family-oriented. Some 94.3% of residents drive to work while only 1.1% use public transport and 0.5% walk or cycle, a reliance on cars well above the national norm that reflects the suburb's greenfield, low-density position at 1,093 residents per square kilometre. No schools are recorded inside the 6.16 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families travel to neighbouring suburbs for education, a practical trade-off in a young area where couples with children number 3,600. The recorded crime rate is 46.9 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (143 of 316 incidents) the dominant category, typical of a residential outer suburb. Only 2.9% of residents need daily assistance and mortgage-to-income stays at 19.9%, both pointing to a comfortable, established-family standard of living.
Drive
94.3%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
316
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
46.9
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 Botanic Ridge compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Botanic Ridge a good suburb to live in?
Botanic Ridge suits young families: the median age of 32 is 8.0 years below national, 95.9% of homes are separate houses and 80.9% have four or more bedrooms. Household income sits in the 92.9th percentile, and with mortgage-to-income at 19.9% the area stays affordable for buyers despite a $927,500 median.
What is the median house price in Botanic Ridge?
The median house price is $927,500 as of the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, up 88.5% from $492,000 in 2013, a 4.6% compound annual growth rate. Weekly rent averages $404 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,200, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9%.
What schools are in Botanic Ridge?
No schools are recorded inside the 6.16 square kilometre Botanic Ridge boundary in this dataset, so families travel to neighbouring suburbs for education. This matters because couples with children make up 3,600 of the suburb's 6,252 families, a far higher share than couples without kids at 1,219.
Is Botanic Ridge safe?
The recorded crime rate is 46.9 per 1,000 residents, totalling 316 incidents. Property and deception offences dominate at 143 incidents, while crimes against the person are lower at 51, a profile typical of a residential outer suburb. Only 2.9% of residents need daily assistance.
Is Botanic Ridge good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $404 against the $927,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, low and typical of a detached suburb. Only 12.4% of dwellings are rented versus 70.6% on a mortgage, so demand is owner-occupier led. The tight 2.6% vacancy rate supports rents, but returns lean on capital growth.
How is Botanic Ridge's population changing?
The population of 6,739 skews young, with a median age of 32 that is 8.0 years below national and an average household size of 3.2, which is 0.7 above national. Residential turnover runs at 26.4%, and with 70.6% of dwellings on a mortgage, the suburb continues to fill with new families.
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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