Gembrook
At 12.6 residents per square kilometre across 202 square kilometres, Gembrook is one of the most sparsely settled suburbs in the Yarra Ranges fringe, yet household income sits at the 75th percentile nationally. The median house price reached $802,500 in mid-2024, having grown 133% from $344,000 in 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% over 14 years. Ownership rates are unusually high: 33.6% own outright and 54.1% hold a mortgage, leaving only 12.4% renting, well below the national renter share. Almost every dwelling (98.1%) is a separate house, and 45.6% have four or more bedrooms, pointing to families and lifestyle buyers rather than investors seeking yield.
Population
2,559
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,002/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$802K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $802,500 median house price for Apr-Jun 2024 is down 10.8% from the $900,000 peak reached in Jan-Mar 2024, giving buyers a softer entry point than the cycle high. The 14-year CAGR of 6.2% from a $344,000 base in 2013 shows consistent long-run appreciation. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,907, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22%, Gembrook stays below the 30% stress threshold, making it more manageable than many metropolitan suburbs on similar incomes. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.1%, with 45.6% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and a further 42% with three, so buyer choice runs toward larger family homes on rural blocks rather than compact product. Outright owners at 33.6% indicate many long-term holders who bought well before the 2020-2024 price surge.
For Buyers
The $802,500 median house price for Apr-Jun 2024 is down 10.8% from the $900,000 peak reached in Jan-Mar 2024, giving buyers a softer entry point than the cycle high. The 14-year CAGR of 6.2% from a $344,000 base in 2013 shows consistent long-run appreciation. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,907, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22%, Gembrook stays below the 30% stress threshold, making it more manageable than many metropolitan suburbs on similar incomes. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.1%, with 45.6% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and a further 42% with three, so buyer choice runs toward larger family homes on rural blocks rather than compact product. Outright owners at 33.6% indicate many long-term holders who bought well before the 2020-2024 price surge.
For Investors
Gembrook's investment case is thinner than its capital-growth record suggests. Weekly rent of $360 against an $802,500 median implies a gross yield below 2.4%, lower than most regional Victorian centres. The vacancy rate of 7.1% is elevated relative to metro benchmarks and reflects the limited tenant pool in a rural suburb of 2,559 people. Only 12.4% of residents rent, compared to the national average of around 30%, so rental demand is structurally thin. Development activity is minimal at 2 planning applications in 12 months, and the identity signals show a mortgage-belt, owner-occupier community, not a rental catchment. The suburb suits a long-hold capital-growth strategy rather than income generation; the 133% price appreciation since 2013 is the primary historical argument.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
2
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 Gembrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Gembrook Primary School
Prep-6 · 261 students
Demographics
Gembrook's median age of 41 is one year above the national median, consistent with a lifestyle-driven, family-stage community rather than a young renter market. Overseas-born residents make up 12.6% of the population, which is 9 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the Anglo-Celtic character confirmed by ancestry data: English (1,059 residents), Scottish (273), Irish (257) and Italian (142) are the top groups. University qualifications reach 24.7%, sitting 5.4 points below the national rate, a gap that aligns with the construction and trades concentration in the local workforce. The average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national, consistent with the dominance of couple-with-children families (898 families) and larger four-bedroom homes. Volunteering reaches 19%, indicating a high degree of community participation relative to population size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.1%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
1.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Gembrook's housing stock is one of the most uniform in Victoria: 98.1% separate houses with just 1.9% apartments and negligible semi-detached product. Bedroom mix skews large, with 45.6% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 42% having three, reflecting the lifestyle-property character of the suburb. Tenure is dominated by owners: 33.6% own outright and 54.1% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 12.4%, well below national norms. Mortgage stress is low at 22% of income, and rent stress is equally contained at 18% of income, both comfortably below stress thresholds. Price history shows a trough of $344,000 in 2013, a peak of $900,000 in early 2024, and a modest correction to $802,500 by mid-2024. The 133% appreciation over 14 years compares favourably to many outer Melbourne corridors.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,907
Rent / wk
$360
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$815
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
62
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.4%
Couples, no children
2,043
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads local employment at 15.8% (130 workers), narrowly ahead of Healthcare at 15.7% (129 workers) and Education at 13.1% (108 workers). This three-sector cluster of trades, care and teaching is typical of a semi-rural suburb where residents service both the local community and nearby towns. Professional and Technical services account for 6.4% (53 workers), a lower share than metropolitan Melbourne, consistent with the 5.4 percentage-point gap in university attainment below the national rate. Full-time employment runs at 64% of the workforce, and the unemployment rate is 3.2%, below the national average. Participation rate at 57.8% is moderate, partly because 533 residents are not in the labour force, likely reflecting the older household profile. Personal weekly income averages $815, placing household income at the 75th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.0%
Part-time
32.8%
Participation
57.8%
Employed
1,141
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.7%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
12.6%
Dwellings
807
Transport to Work
Car dependency in Gembrook is near-total: 93.8% of residents commute by private vehicle, compared to the national average, and only 0.4% use public transport, reflecting the rural geography and limited service frequency on this Yarra Ranges fringe. Walking and cycling account for 2.5% of commutes, consistent with the low-density layout. Crime stands at 89 recorded offences, giving a rate of 34.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 54 of those 89 cases (48 incidents), the dominant category. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset, so families likely rely on schools in neighbouring Cardinia Shire towns. The need-for-assistance rate of 4.9% (111 residents) is modest, and housing stress is low: both mortgage and rent-to-income ratios sit below 30%, making Gembrook financially comfortable for most residents by those measures.
Drive
93.8%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
89
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
34.8
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 Gembrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gembrook a good suburb to live in?
Gembrook suits families and lifestyle buyers who prioritise space and a rural setting over urban amenity. Household income sits at the 75th percentile nationally, housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 22% and rent-to-income at 18%, and 98.1% of dwellings are separate houses. The trade-off is near-total car dependency, with 93.8% of residents commuting by vehicle and public transport used by only 0.4%.
What is the median house price in Gembrook?
The median house price in Gembrook was $802,500 for the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, down 10.8% from the $900,000 peak recorded in Jan-Mar 2024. From a $344,000 base in 2013 prices have grown 133% over 14 years, a 6.2% compound annual rate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,907.
What schools are in Gembrook?
No schools are recorded within the Gembrook suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the area typically access schools in neighbouring Cardinia Shire towns. Local university attainment is 24.7%, which is 5.4 percentage points below the national average, though construction and healthcare industries dominate local employment.
Is Gembrook safe?
Gembrook recorded 89 offences in the most recent period, giving a crime rate of 34.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 48 of those cases, the largest category. With only 2,559 residents spread across 202 square kilometres, the area has a very low population density of 12.6 per square kilometre, which limits exposure to urban crime patterns.
Is Gembrook good for property investment?
Gembrook's 14-year capital growth of 133% (6.2% CAGR from 2013) is the primary investment argument. However, the rental yield is low: weekly rent of $360 against an $802,500 median implies a gross yield below 2.4%. The 7.1% vacancy rate is elevated and only 12.4% of residents rent, so the investment case rests on long-hold capital growth rather than rental income.
How is Gembrook's population changing?
Gembrook has a population of 2,559 across 202 square kilometres, giving a density of just 12.6 residents per square kilometre. Residential stability is high: 86.8% of residents stayed in the same dwelling in the year before the Census. The median age of 41 is one year above the national median, indicating a mature, settled community rather than a rapidly expanding younger demographic.
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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