Dromana
A median age of 50, fully 10.0 years above the national figure, is the single most defining fact about Dromana, and it shapes nearly everything else. The $1,050,000 median house price sits 9.1% below the $1,155,000 peak reached in Jul-Sep 2023, a pullback that followed a 127.3% climb from $462,000 in 2013. Household income lands in just the 31.1st percentile nationally, well below what the price tag implies, because much of the buyer base is older and asset-rich rather than high-earning. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 82.4% separate houses against only 1.8% apartments, and the reported vacancy rate of 39.6% is inflated by holiday homes left empty for much of the year in this Mornington Peninsula coastal town.
Population
6,626
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,304/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
45
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
Buyers face a $1,050,000 median, which is 9.1% below the Jul-Sep 2023 peak of $1,155,000, so entry timing now favours the purchaser more than it did two years ago. The market is built for families and downsizers wanting space: 50.0% of dwellings have three bedrooms and a further 29.0% have four or more, while 82.4% are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 1.8%. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,781 look modest against the price because 45.6% of homes are owned outright, meaning recent buyers are a minority. The catch is affordability: the mortgage-to-income ratio reads 31.5%, above the 30% stress threshold, which happens because local household income sits in only the 31.1st percentile nationally despite premium coastal pricing.
For Buyers
Buyers face a $1,050,000 median, which is 9.1% below the Jul-Sep 2023 peak of $1,155,000, so entry timing now favours the purchaser more than it did two years ago. The market is built for families and downsizers wanting space: 50.0% of dwellings have three bedrooms and a further 29.0% have four or more, while 82.4% are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 1.8%. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,781 look modest against the price because 45.6% of homes are owned outright, meaning recent buyers are a minority. The catch is affordability: the mortgage-to-income ratio reads 31.5%, above the 30% stress threshold, which happens because local household income sits in only the 31.1st percentile nationally despite premium coastal pricing.
For Investors
A 26.3% renter share and weekly rent of $380 give a gross yield near 1.9% against the $1,050,000 median, low for the outlay but typical of a lifestyle market priced on amenity rather than income. The headline 39.6% vacancy rate overstates rental risk because it captures holiday homes sitting empty, not failed long-term lettings, a pattern common to Mornington Peninsula coastal suburbs. Demand drivers are balanced rather than booming: net internal migration adds 75 residents a year and overseas migration 73, while rents have climbed 49.4% over the period. Development is steady at 41 applications in 12 months, mostly single dwellings rather than density, so supply stays tight. With forecast population growth of 2.04% a year, the investment case leans on capital growth and seasonal letting more than conventional yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
86
Last 12 Months
45
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+150.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Dromana iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Dromana Primary School
Prep-6 · 557 students
Dromana Secondary College
7-12 · 1752 students
Demographics
The median age of 50 runs 10.0 years above national, and the trajectory is described as declining young, with the under-working-age share down 2.1 points and the senior share up 2.6 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 25.8%, which is 4.3 points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and services rather than professions. Overseas-born residents make up 18.8%, sitting 2.8 points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,632), Irish (842) and Scottish (732). The top non-English languages are Greek (105) and Italian (69), a small Mediterranean thread. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, fitting a profile where couples with no children account for 36.7% of the 4,830 families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.4%
Houses
10.6%
Townhouse
1.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward debt-free ownership: 45.6% own outright, far above the 28.1% carrying a mortgage and the 26.3% renting, a split that signals long-held wealth rather than churn of new buyers. The stock is 82.4% separate houses with semi-detached at 10.6% and apartments at just 1.8%, so detached supply dominates. Three-bedroom homes are half of all dwellings at 50.0%, with four-plus-bedroom homes at 29.0%. The median house price rose from $462,000 in 2013 to $1,050,000, a 127.3% gain at a 6.0% CAGR over 14 years, then eased 9.1% from the $1,155,000 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 31.5% exceeds the stress threshold while rent-to-income sits lower at 29.1%, a gap that reflects how steep purchase prices are relative to the 31.1st-percentile local income.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,781
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$677
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
39.6%
Unoccupied
1,773
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.7%
Couples, no children
4,830
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in hands-on and care sectors rather than knowledge industries: Construction leads at 17.7% (319 workers), Healthcare follows at 16.2% (291) and Education at 11.5% (207), with Retail at 7.8% and Professional/Tech at 7.3%. By occupation, Professionals (452) and Managers (405) top the list, though the spread is even across Community/Personal (339) and Clerical/Admin (313) roles. Unemployment is low at 4.4%, yet the participation rate is only 46.5% because the aging profile leaves 2,297 residents not in the labour force, a direct consequence of the median age of 50. All four SEIFA indexes read decile 6, placing Dromana mid-table nationally, with IRSAD at 998 and IRSD at 1026, so the area is neither notably advantaged nor disadvantaged.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
6,848
Unemployed
258
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.4%
Part-time
38.2%
Participation
46.5%
Employed
2,517
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.8%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
18.8%
Dwellings
2,709
Transport to Work
Dromana is car-dependent by design: 90.3% drive to work while public transport carries just 1.2% and 3.1% walk or cycle, well below city norms, a function of its 30.3 km2 coastal-rural footprint at only 218.7 residents per km2. The recorded crime rate of 100.7 per 1,000 is elevated, with 667 offences led by property and deception (361) and justice procedures (163), though property crime in a holiday-home area often reflects opportunistic break-ins of empty dwellings rather than violent risk, as crimes against the person number only 70. No schools sit inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families travel to neighbouring Peninsula towns. SEIFA decile 6 across all indexes and a volunteering rate of 15.2% point to a settled, mid-advantage community with 6.6% of residents needing daily assistance.
Drive
90.3%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
3.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.04%/yr
(+284 people/yr)
EstablishedForecast population growth runs at 2.04% a year, or about 284 residents, and the area has expanded 48.3% since 2011, a strong run for an established suburb. Medium projections lift the SA2 catchment from 14,434 in 2026 to 15,855 by 2031, sustained by balanced migration that adds 75 residents internally and 73 from overseas each year. The gentrification stage reads early signs, scoring 26 to 32, supported by the 49% population rise since 2011 and steady internal inflow. Real incomes grew 19.3% over the decade and affordability held stable, moving only from 56.0% to 57.0%. The growth is demographically lopsided though: with the young share down 2.1 points and seniors up 2.6 points, expansion is driven more by older arrivals than by family formation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+73
Net Internal / yr
+75
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +49% since 2011, Net internal migration +75/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
667
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
100.7
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 Dromana compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dromana a good suburb to live in?
Dromana scores decile 6 on all four SEIFA indexes, placing it mid-table nationally, and suits older buyers and downsizers given a median age of 50, which is 10.0 years above national. The trade-offs are a $1,050,000 median house price and a crime rate of 100.7 per 1,000, elevated partly by holiday-home break-ins.
What is the median house price in Dromana?
The median house price is $1,050,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, sitting 9.1% below the $1,155,000 peak of Jul-Sep 2023. Over the long run prices rose 127.3% from $462,000 in 2013, a 6.0% annual growth rate. Weekly rent averages $380 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,781.
What schools are in Dromana?
No schools are recorded inside the Dromana boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Mornington Peninsula towns. University qualifications among residents reach 25.8%, which is 4.3 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and services workforce.
Is Dromana safe?
Dromana recorded 667 offences at a rate of 100.7 per 1,000, which is elevated, but the mix matters: property and deception offences (361) dominate while crimes against the person number only 70. Much of the property crime reflects opportunistic break-ins of holiday homes left empty rather than violent risk.
Is Dromana good for property investment?
Rent of $380 a week against a $1,050,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low but typical of a lifestyle market. The 39.6% vacancy rate overstates risk because it captures empty holiday homes. Balanced migration adds about 148 residents a year, so returns lean on 2.04% forecast growth and capital gains.
How is Dromana's population changing?
Dromana has grown 48.3% since 2011 and is forecast to expand 2.04% a year, roughly 284 residents annually. The profile is aging though, with the young share down 2.1 points and the senior share up 2.6 points over the decade, so growth comes more from older arrivals than family formation.
How much development is happening in Dromana?
There were 41 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly single dwellings rather than higher-density projects. This keeps supply tight, with apartments at just 1.8% of stock against 82.4% separate houses, consistent with steady 2.04% forecast population growth.
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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