Drouin
A 15,287-person regional suburb, Drouin combines 89.9% separate houses with a 76.7% car-driver commuting share, reflecting a family and mortgage-led market. Compared with nearby Warragul, Drouin reads more as a detached-house address than an apartment-oriented one. Housing values have risen 116.7% since 2013, and wider-area population change is forecast at 49.5% over 10 years. That growth is linked to a 2.7% annual trend and internal migration, although the suburb is also moving towards an aging profile.
Population
15,287
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,432/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Median House
$650K
October to December 2025
Drouin suits buyers seeking a conventional family house, with 89.9% of dwellings separate houses and 43.1% containing 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage payments are listed at $1,647, while mortgage costs equal 26.6% of household income and are not flagged as mortgage stress. The 41.0% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 36.1% owned-outright share, so affordability depends heavily on borrowing capacity. Buyers should compare exact streets, block sizes and commuting needs because car dependence is high.
For Buyers
Drouin suits buyers seeking a conventional family house, with 89.9% of dwellings separate houses and 43.1% containing 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage payments are listed at $1,647, while mortgage costs equal 26.6% of household income and are not flagged as mortgage stress. The 41.0% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 36.1% owned-outright share, so affordability depends heavily on borrowing capacity. Buyers should compare exact streets, block sizes and commuting needs because car dependence is high.
For Investors
Drouin has a 21.7% renting share, a weekly rent of $330 and a vacancy rate of 6.1%, pointing to a rental market with more available stock than a tightly constrained market. Rental growth has reached 50.0% in the longer-term shift profile, while 30 development records were lodged over 12 months, including subdivision activity for 2, 3 and 23 lots. The wider growth trend is 2.7% annually and is driven primarily by internal migration. Compared with a zero-growth market, that momentum may support tenant demand, but new supply can moderate rent competition. Active gentrification, scored at 40, adds potential for changing demand, although investors should allow for vacancy and maintenance costs rather than rely on growth alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
101
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-19.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Drouin
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Chairo Christian School
Drouin Primary School
St Ita's School
Drouin Secondary College
Demographics
Drouin has a median age of 39, which is 1 year below the national median, but its trajectory is aging because the senior share has increased by 3.6 percentage points and the working-age share has fallen by 1.0 point. University qualification levels are 20.5%, or 9.6 points below the national comparison, while the overseas-born share is 13.8%, 7.8 points below the national figure. English ancestry is recorded for 6,794 people, followed by Scottish at 1,693 and Irish at 1,671. No religion accounts for 7,440 people, compared with 6,482 identifying with Christianity. Average household size is 2.5, equal to the national comparison, and 75.7% stayed at the same address, indicating lower turnover than the 24.3% who moved.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.9%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
3.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership is split between 36.1% owned outright, 41.0% with a mortgage and 21.7% rented. Four-plus-bedroom homes account for 43.1%, while 3-bedroom homes represent 40.6%. The separate-house share is higher than the 3.8% apartment share, reinforcing a low-density family profile. Affordability worsened from 43.9 in 2011 to 46.9 in 2021, even though mortgage costs remain at 26.6% of household income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,647
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$694
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
374
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.9%
Couples with children
42.7%
Couples, no children
16.3%
Single parent
4,247
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Drouin's largest recorded industry at 19.8%, with 869 workers, followed by construction at 14.3% and 628, education at 13.6% and 594, manufacturing at 7.8% and 343, and retail at 7.1% and 312. The occupation mix is led by trades at 1,163 people, professionals at 1,058, community and personal services at 894, labourers at 878, and clerical and administration at 796. Unemployment is 4.1%, participation is 57.7% and full-time employment is 56.1%, supporting a practical employment base. Household income sits at the 42.4th percentile. SEIFA results vary: IEO is decile 3, below IER at decile 6, while IRSD and IRSAD are both decile 4. The gap suggests economic resources are stronger than education and occupation indicators.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
7,016
Unemployed
288
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.1%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
57.7%
Employed
6,728
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.5%
Postgraduate
3.8%
Born Overseas
13.8%
Dwellings
5,727
Transport to Work
Drouin is strongly car-oriented: 76.7% travel as car drivers, compared with 0.9% using public transport and 1.6% walking or cycling. A further 16.1% work from home, which may reduce some commuting pressure but does not remove the need to assess station, bus and road access from the exact address. Four local schools cover 2 primary options, 1 government secondary college and 1 independent Pri/Sec provider, with government, Catholic and independent sectors represented. Check enrolment zones against the property because boundaries can cut across suburb edges. Recorded crime totals 1,228 incidents, or 80.3 per 1,000 people, including 494 property and deception offences. IRSAD is decile 4, below the top half of deciles, so household budgets and service access remain relevant to the livability assessment.
Drive
76.7%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
16.1%
Population Forecast
+2.7%/yr
(+597 people/yr)
EstablishedDrouin's forecast annual growth trend is 2.7%, higher than zero growth and consistent with an expanding regional market. Internal migration is the primary driver, while wider-area population change is forecast at 49.5% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 3.6 points and the working share down 1.0 point, so future demand may increasingly include downsizers and established households. Gentrification is scored at 40 and classified as Active, with an accelerating signal from 23% to 35%. Rent growth of 50.0% and affordability moving from 43.9 to 46.9, marked as worsening, show why growth is attracting attention while placing more pressure on new buyers.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+48
Net Internal / yr
+408
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +408/yr, Accelerating: 23% → 35%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,228
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
80.3
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 Drouin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Drouin?
Drouin has 4 listed schools covering primary, secondary and Pri/Sec education. They include 2 government schools, 1 Catholic primary school and 1 independent Pri/Sec school. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and year-level availability for each address before buying.
Is Drouin safe?
Drouin recorded 1,228 offences, equal to 80.3 incidents per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 494, followed by justice procedures offences at 364. Safety can vary by street and time, so buyers and renters should review recent local incidents before committing.
Is Drouin good for property investment?
Drouin has several investment positives, including 21.7% renters, $330 weekly rent, 50.0% longer-term rent growth and a 2.7% annual growth trend. However, vacancy is 6.1% and 30 development records were lodged over 12 months, so investors should allow for competing supply and avoid assuming every property will perform equally.
How is Drouin's population changing?
The wider area's population change is forecast at 49.5% over 10 years, with an annual growth trend of 2.7% driven by internal migration. The trajectory is also labelled Aging: the senior share has risen by 3.6 points while the working share has fallen by 1.0 point.
What development is occurring in Drouin?
Development activity is active, with 30 records lodged over 12 months. Recent examples include subdivision applications for 2 lots, 3 lots and 23 lots. This may expand housing choice over time, but purchasers should check the immediate development pipeline, construction timing and likely impact on traffic near a proposed site.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Drouin on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map