Dennington
Roughly 1,994 people occupy 11.99 square kilometres on the western edge of Warrnambool, giving Dennington a density of just 166 residents per km2, far below typical suburban averages nationally. The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, signalling a younger population than most Victorian suburbs of similar size. Nearly all dwellings (99.1%) are separate houses, and 49.9% are owner-occupied with a mortgage, placing this squarely in the mortgage-belt bracket. The overseas-born share is only 6.8%, which is 14.8 percentage points below the national average, and the suburb records a low crime rate of 25.6 incidents per 1,000 residents.
Local council: Warrnambool (70% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
1,994
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,727/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$645K
October to December 2025
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,430, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.1%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most capital-city suburbs. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.1%, with three-bedroom homes making up 57.8% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom homes at 35.2%, so buyers have very little apartment or semi-detached competition. With 49.9% of households carrying a mortgage compared to only 32.1% owning outright, the suburb is attracting active buyers rather than settled long-term owners, keeping turnover and pricing more transparent than in locked-up legacy markets.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,430, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.1%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most capital-city suburbs. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.1%, with three-bedroom homes making up 57.8% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom homes at 35.2%, so buyers have very little apartment or semi-detached competition. With 49.9% of households carrying a mortgage compared to only 32.1% owning outright, the suburb is attracting active buyers rather than settled long-term owners, keeping turnover and pricing more transparent than in locked-up legacy markets.
For Investors
The renter share is 18.0%, lower than state averages, which reflects the owner-occupier character of the suburb compared to urban rental markets. Development activity is minimal with only 2 planning permits lodged in the past 12 months, limiting near-term supply pressure.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Dennington
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St John's School
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger profile anchored by family households rather than retirees. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national average, consistent with the 723 couples-with-children households dominating the family composition. The overseas-born share of 6.8% is 14.8 percentage points below the national average, making this one of the more Anglo-Celtic suburban profiles in regional Victoria, with English (837), Irish (347), and Scottish (219) ancestry leading. University qualification rates reach 19.0%, which is 11.1 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trades and services workforce rather than a professional-class concentration. Volunteering runs at 15.5% of residents, a healthy community engagement level.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.1%
Houses
0.9%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is clearly owner-dominated: 32.1% own outright, 49.9% carry mortgages and only 18.0% rent, a distribution tilted toward ownership compared to national patterns where renting is more prevalent. The stock is 99.1% detached houses with semi-detached at 0.9% and no apartments, keeping the product type simple and uniform. Three-bedroom homes represent 57.8% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom homes 35.2%, making Dennington a family-sized-home suburb. Rent-to-income at 21.4% sits below the 30% stress threshold, keeping housing affordable for the rental minority.
Mortgage / mo
$1,430
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$370
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$846
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.7%
Couples with children
32.2%
Couples, no children
19.1%
Single parent
549
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 21.6% of workers (142 people), a proportion above typical shares for comparable regional suburbs, reflecting proximity to South West Healthcare in Warrnambool. Construction follows at 15.7% (103 workers), consistent with steady residential activity in the greater Warrnambool catchment. Retail at 10.8% and Manufacturing and Education each at 8.7% round out the top five sectors. By occupation, Professionals (139), Labourers (136), Community and Personal Service workers (131), and Sales workers (129) are closely matched, indicating a balanced blue-collar and white-collar base. The unemployment rate of 3.8% and participation rate of 65.0% track near national norms. Full-time employment accounts for 62.8% of employed persons, higher than many part-time-heavy regional centres. Household income sits in the 60.7th percentile nationally, above average but below the top quartile.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
1,092
Unemployed
38
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.1%
Part-time
34.4%
Participation
70.1%
Employed
1,054
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.0%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
6.8%
Dwellings
698
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high, with 89.8% of residents driving to work, well above national norms, and public transport use at just 0.6% reflects the regional setting without rail or frequent bus access. The crime rate of 25.6 per 1,000 residents is low, with property and deception offences (26 incidents) and crimes against the person (14 incidents) making up the bulk of 51 total recorded incidents. Only 3.8% of residents (71 people) require daily assistance, indicating a healthy, working-age population. Rent-to-income sits at 21.4% and mortgage-to-income at 19.1%, both below the 30% stress threshold and below many metropolitan benchmarks, indicating financial comfort across both tenure types. No schools are listed within the suburb boundary, so families depend on Warrnambool schools nearby.
Drive
82.3%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
8.3%
Growth Outlook
Resident turnover is low at 20.4%, with 79.6% of households staying at the same address between census periods, which signals long-term settler appeal rather than transient tenant churn. Development approvals are currently low at 2 planning permits in the past 12 months, indicating limited supply pressure that historically supports price stability in comparable regional markets. The median age of 34, which is 6 years below the national average, points to continued household formation demand as younger families pursue affordable, detached housing compared to coastal or inner-city alternatives in Victoria.
Population trend: Warrnambool council area
About 70% of Dennington sits in Warrnambool; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Dennington's.
Residents 2025
36,255
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
51
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
25.6
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 Dennington compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dennington a good suburb to live in?
Dennington suits families seeking detached housing at moderate prices near Warrnambool. Household income sits in the 60.7th percentile nationally and mortgage repayments average 19.1% of income, well below the 30% stress level. The crime rate of 25.6 per 1,000 residents is low, and 79.6% of residents stay put from census to census. The main trade-off is high car dependency, as 89.8% drive and public transport use is only 0.6%.
What schools are in Dennington?
No schools are recorded within the Dennington suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in Warrnambool, which as a regional city offers a full range of options. The suburb's university qualification rate is 19.0%, which is 11.1 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a trades and services workforce profile.
Is Dennington safe?
Dennington recorded 51 total offences at a rate of 25.6 per 1,000 residents, which is low by regional Victorian standards. Property and deception offences accounted for 26 of those incidents and crimes against the person for 14. Only 3.8% of residents (71 people) need daily assistance, and the suburb is classified as low-crime-rate among comparable areas.
Is Dennington good for property investment?
Weekly rent averages $370, though the 7.0% vacancy rate is elevated above the 2 to 3% healthy range, so rental demand is softer than capital-growth fundamentals suggest. Development activity is low at 2 permits in the past 12 months, limiting near-term supply pressure.
How is Dennington's population changing?
Dennington's population stands at 1,994 with a median age of 34, which is 6 years younger than the national figure. Resident stability is high, with 79.6% staying at the same address between census periods and turnover at just 20.4%. The young median age and the dominance of couples-with-children households (723 families) suggest continued organic household formation demand rather than decline.
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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