Casterton
A median age of 58 makes Casterton one of the oldest-skewing communities in regional Victoria, sitting 18 years above the national figure. The town's 1,673 residents have a household income in just the 7.1st percentile nationally, yet 61.8% own their homes outright, a proportion far above the national norm. The median house price of $298,600 has grown 206.3% since 2013, delivering an 8.3% compound annual return over 14 years from a low base of $97,500. Healthcare dominates the local economy at 27.3% of employment, which is unusually high compared to most regional centres.
Population
1,673
Median Age
58.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$881/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$299K
Apr-Jun 2024
At $298,600 (Apr-Jun 2024), Casterton's median house price sits well below state and national medians, making entry affordable for buyers priced out of larger centres. Separate houses make up 94.3% of stock, so buyers get genuine detached homes rather than apartments. Mortgage-to-income at 18.3% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, lower than most Victorian markets, meaning repayments at around $700 per month are manageable even on modest incomes. Prices have pulled back 9.5% from the $330,000 peak recorded in Jul-Sep 2023, offering an entry point below the recent high. The 61.8% outright-ownership rate signals long-term stability, with established owners holding rather than churning the market.
For Buyers
At $298,600 (Apr-Jun 2024), Casterton's median house price sits well below state and national medians, making entry affordable for buyers priced out of larger centres. Separate houses make up 94.3% of stock, so buyers get genuine detached homes rather than apartments. Mortgage-to-income at 18.3% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, lower than most Victorian markets, meaning repayments at around $700 per month are manageable even on modest incomes. Prices have pulled back 9.5% from the $330,000 peak recorded in Jul-Sep 2023, offering an entry point below the recent high. The 61.8% outright-ownership rate signals long-term stability, with established owners holding rather than churning the market.
For Investors
Casterton's investment case is defined by its 15.4% vacancy rate, one of the clearest risk signals in the brief. With only 15.5% of dwellings rented and weekly rent at $160, gross yield against the $298,600 median calculates to roughly 2.8%, below what most investors target for a regional centre with thin population growth. Development activity was just 1 application in the past 12 months, indicating virtually no new supply pressure but also no growth demand catalyst. The 84.5% of residents who stayed at the same address over the survey period reflects stability, but that same low turnover limits rental-pool expansion. Investors seeking yield over capital growth should weigh the high vacancy against the low entry price before committing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Casterton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sacred Heart School
Prep-6 · 41 students
Casterton Primary School
Prep-6 · 100 students
Casterton Secondary College
7-12 · 106 students
Demographics
The median age of 58 is 18 years above the national figure, making Casterton a notably older community than the Victorian average. Only 10.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 11.1 percentage points below the national share, and the ancestry profile runs predominantly English (731), Irish (230) and Scottish (198). University qualifications reach 18.0% of the population, sitting 12.1 points below the national average, consistent with the agricultural and healthcare workforce that dominates local employment. Average household size is 1.9, which is 0.6 below the national figure, because 45.7% of families are couples without children and the aging population produces more single-person households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.3%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
4.7%
Apartment
Tenure
The price trajectory tells a consistent story: from $97,500 in 2013 to $298,600 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 206.3% rise over 14 years at a compound annual growth rate of 8.3%. The peak hit $330,000 in Jul-Sep 2023, and the latest reading is 9.5% below that high. Outright owners dominate at 61.8%, which is substantially higher than most metropolitan or regional markets, compared to 22.7% carrying a mortgage and 15.5% renting. Three-bedroom homes account for 57.9% of dwellings, making the stock well-suited to families and retirees alike. At a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.3% and rent-to-income of 18.2%, housing costs here are low relative to household income by any national benchmark.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$700
Rent / wk
$160
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$523
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.4%
Unoccupied
139
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.7%
Couples, no children
1,088
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 27.3% of the workforce (100 workers), an unusually high share compared to most Victorian towns of this size, driven by aged-care demand from a median age of 58. Education follows at 12.8% (47 workers) and Agriculture at 12.0% (44), reflecting the town's service-centre role for the surrounding Glenelg Shire farmlands. By occupation, Labourers (101), Community and Personal Service Workers (95) and Managers (93) are the three largest groups. The unemployment rate sits at 4.6%, close to the national rate, but the labour-force participation rate of 39.8% is low nationally, because the older age profile places 740 residents outside the workforce entirely.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.8%
Part-time
33.6%
Participation
39.8%
Employed
566
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.0%
Postgraduate
3.2%
Born Overseas
10.5%
Dwellings
760
Transport to Work
Car dependence runs high, with 81.1% of workers driving, typical for a rural centre where public transport is minimal compared to regional cities. On a positive note, 11.2% walk or cycle to work, a higher share than many comparable towns. The volunteering rate of 23.8% is above average nationally, consistent with small-town civic engagement. The crime rate of 56.2 offences per 1,000 residents covers 94 total incidents, with property and deception offences accounting for 52 of those. Rent-to-income at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 18.3% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing affordability is not a day-to-day pressure for most residents. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in available datasets, so families rely on facilities in nearby centres.
Drive
81.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
11.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
94
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.2
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 Casterton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Casterton a good suburb to live in?
Casterton suits those seeking affordable rural living, with a $298,600 median house price and housing costs well below stress thresholds at 18.3% of income. The volunteering rate of 23.8% suggests strong community participation. The main trade-offs are a median age of 58 (18 years above national), limited transport options and a 15.4% vacancy rate that signals thin demand.
What is the median house price in Casterton?
The median house price is $298,600 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 9.5% from the peak of $330,000 in Jul-Sep 2023. From 2013's base of $97,500, prices have grown 206.3% over 14 years at an 8.3% compound annual rate. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $700.
What schools are in Casterton?
No schools are recorded within the Casterton suburb boundary in available datasets. Families typically access educational facilities in nearby centres across the Glenelg Shire. The local workforce shows 12.8% employed in education, representing 47 workers who may serve the broader district.
Is Casterton safe?
Casterton recorded 94 total offences, giving a crime rate of 56.2 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 52 incidents, while crimes against the person numbered 12. With a small population of 1,673, individual incidents can move the rate, so comparisons against the Victorian state average are more meaningful than raw counts.
Is Casterton good for property investment?
The low entry price of $298,600 and an 8.3% CAGR over 14 years are positive signals, but the 15.4% vacancy rate and weekly rent of $160 imply a gross yield near 2.8%, below typical regional investment thresholds. With only 1 development application in 12 months and household income in the 7.1st percentile nationally, rental demand growth is limited.
How is Casterton's population changing?
Casterton's population of 1,673 is spread across 226.79 km2 at a density of 7.4 persons per km2, well below comparable regional towns. The 84.5% residential stability rate, where most residents stayed at the same address, suggests low in-migration. The median age of 58 (18 years above national) points to an aging demographic without significant replacement from younger arrivals.
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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