Cape Paterson
A median age of 55 and a 58% vacancy rate tell the same story: Cape Paterson is overwhelmingly a holiday and retirement destination rather than a primary-residence suburb. The permanent population of 1,111 lives in a coastal township 15.8 km2 in area, and 57.3% of households own their home outright, well above the national norm, reflecting a settled, mortgage-free older cohort. The stock is 97.4% separate houses, and development is minimal at just 3 applications in the past 12 months.
Local council: Bass Coast
Population
1,111
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,285/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$865K
October to December 2025
Three-bedroom homes dominate at 54.3% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties at 31.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 27.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because buyers typically bring significant equity. Outright owners at 57.3% far outnumber mortgage holders at 25.3%, signalling that the suburb is held by established, wealth-accumulators rather than first-home buyers. The stock is 97.4% detached houses, so apartment alternatives are essentially absent.
For Buyers
Three-bedroom homes dominate at 54.3% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties at 31.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 27.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because buyers typically bring significant equity. Outright owners at 57.3% far outnumber mortgage holders at 25.3%, signalling that the suburb is held by established, wealth-accumulators rather than first-home buyers. The stock is 97.4% detached houses, so apartment alternatives are essentially absent.
For Investors
The 58% vacancy rate is the dominant investment fact here: more than half of all dwellings are unoccupied at any given Census point, consistent with a holiday-home market where properties sit empty between visits. Permanent renters account for only 17.4% of dwellings, a thin tenant base. Development activity is negligible at 3 applications in 12 months, limiting supply pressure but also signalling limited growth in demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+400.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national figure, one of the most pronounced aging profiles in coastal Victoria. Couples without children account for 41.6% of families, consistent with the post-family retirement lifestyle the suburb attracts. The overseas-born share of 14.3% is 7.3 points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (494), Scottish (183), and Irish (181) account for the top three groups. University qualifications reach 34.4% of residents, which is 4.3 points above national, reflecting the professional backgrounds common among sea-change retirees. Average household size of 2.2 is 0.3 below national, matching the predominance of couples and single retirees over families with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.4%
Houses
1.9%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Cape Paterson's housing stock is almost entirely detached houses at 97.4%, higher than the national average where apartments and semi-detached dwellings form a much larger share. The tenure split is skewed toward outright ownership at 57.3%, with mortgage holders at 25.3% and renters at just 17.4%. Three-bedroom homes at 54.3% form the core stock, with 4-plus bedroom properties at 31.7%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$656
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
58.0%
Unoccupied
652
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.9%
Couples with children
55.8%
Couples, no children
9.0%
Single parent
312
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is small relative to population because 448 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a suburb where retirees form a significant share. Healthcare leads industries at 22.4% of workers (79 people), followed by Construction at 15.6% (55 people) and Education at 13.0% (46 people). Professional/Tech accounts for 9.6%. By occupation, Professionals are the largest group at 113 workers, followed by Managers at 74. The unemployment rate of 3.1% is low, but the participation rate of only 47.2% is well below the national level because of the retired population base. Full-time employment accounts for 52.8% of those employed. Household income at the 29.8th percentile nationally is below average, partly because much of the wealth is held in property rather than wages.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
496
Unemployed
14
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
48.8%
Part-time
43.6%
Participation
51.0%
Employed
482
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.4%
Postgraduate
9.3%
Born Overseas
14.3%
Dwellings
464
Transport to Work
Cape Paterson is car-dependent: 91.1% of residents drive to work, and public transport figures are not recorded, consistent with a rural coastal location with limited transit infrastructure. Walking and cycling account for 3.0% of commutes, reflecting flat coastal terrain. Crime totals 89 incidents per year at a rate of 80.1 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences lead at 36 incidents, followed by justice procedures at 30. The 80.1 per 1,000 rate is elevated compared to low-crime suburban benchmarks, though the small permanent population of 1,111 amplifies the rate mathematically. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on services in nearby Bass and Wonthaggi. Volunteering is notably high at 24.0%, above typical national levels, consistent with an engaged, time-rich retiree community. Only 4.7% of residents need daily assistance.
Drive
66.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
27.2%
Growth Outlook
The suburb's coastal holiday-home character means population growth metrics are less relevant than for commuter suburbs; the permanent population of 1,111 is the stable core, while the much larger holiday population drives price cycles. Development applications remain at just 3 in 12 months, so supply constraints support prices. The aging demographic base and 58% vacancy rate suggest demand is driven by lifestyle buyers rather than population growth.
Population trend: Bass Coast council area
Cape Paterson sits in the Bass Coast council area. These are the council area's residents, not Cape Paterson's.
Residents 2025
44,377
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+2.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
89
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
80.1
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 Cape Paterson compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cape Paterson a good suburb to live in?
Cape Paterson suits retirees and lifestyle buyers well. A median age of 55, 57.3% outright ownership, and 24% volunteering rate reflect an engaged, settled community. Trade-offs include car dependency (91.1% drive to work), no recorded schools, and a 58% vacancy rate that indicates most properties are holiday homes rather than full-time residences.
What schools are in Cape Paterson?
No schools are recorded within the Cape Paterson suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring towns such as Bass and Wonthaggi. The suburb's median age of 55 and dominance of couples without children means school access is a lower priority for most permanent residents than in family-oriented suburbs.
Is Cape Paterson safe?
Recorded crime totals 89 incidents per year, a rate of 80.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 36 of those incidents, followed by justice procedures at 30 and crimes against the person at 18. The rate is elevated in per-capita terms partly because the permanent population of 1,111 is small while holiday visitors add unrecorded exposure.
Is Cape Paterson good for property investment?
Returns depend on capital appreciation rather than rental income.
How is Cape Paterson's population changing?
The permanent population is 1,111, a small and stable base reflective of a coastal holiday community rather than a growing suburb. The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national figure, and 41.6% of families are couples without children, suggesting the resident base will continue aging rather than expanding through family formation.
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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