Glen Waverley
Few Melbourne postcodes blend established Anglo-Australian wealth with a clear migrant-majority identity the way 3150 does. The median house price sits at $1.694M (Apr-Jun 2024), 60.7% of residents were born overseas (39 percentage points above the national average), and Chinese ancestry alone accounts for 16,188 residents, more than the next three groups combined. With university attainment at 59.8%, IRSAD decile 9, and ten mainstream schools all rated ICSEA 1097 or higher, Glen Waverley reads less like a generic outer-east suburb and more like a self-sustaining education and lifestyle precinct anchored on the Glen Waverley line and The Glen shopping centre.
Population
42,642
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,918/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
159
Median House
$1.7M
Apr-Jun 2024
Detached houses dominate the dwelling stock at 79.2%, well above what apartment-heavy inner suburbs like Clayton offer, with semi-detached townhouses at 10.6% and apartments at just 10.2%. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 49.8% of stock and three-bedroom homes for 37.1%, so the typical purchase here is a family-scale freestanding home rather than a unit. The median house price of $1.694M is just 0.9% below the Q1 2024 peak of $1.71M, so buyers are entering at the top of a 14-year run that has compounded at 5.4% per year from $815k in 2013. Median household income of $1,918 per week ranks at the 71st percentile nationally, yet the price-to-income multiple sits near 17, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.1% has tripped the mortgage stress flag.
For Buyers
Detached houses dominate the dwelling stock at 79.2%, well above what apartment-heavy inner suburbs like Clayton offer, with semi-detached townhouses at 10.6% and apartments at just 10.2%. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 49.8% of stock and three-bedroom homes for 37.1%, so the typical purchase here is a family-scale freestanding home rather than a unit. The median house price of $1.694M is just 0.9% below the Q1 2024 peak of $1.71M, so buyers are entering at the top of a 14-year run that has compounded at 5.4% per year from $815k in 2013. Median household income of $1,918 per week ranks at the 71st percentile nationally, yet the price-to-income multiple sits near 17, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.1% has tripped the mortgage stress flag.
For Investors
Glen Waverley is closer to a capital-growth play than a yield play. The rental ratio is 28.1%, well below Clayton's 63%, with median weekly rent at $480 and rent-to-income at 25.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress line. The suburb recorded 63 development applications in the past 12 months, mostly small-scale dual occupancies and single dwellings rather than mid-rise apartment projects. The 10.0% reported vacancy rate is high relative to inner Melbourne and likely reflects secondary holdings and inter-tenancy gaps among investor stock rather than soft demand. Net overseas migration of +868 per year is the primary growth driver, while net internal migration runs at -306 per year, so the tenant base skews international students and recent migrants tied to the Monash education corridor.
Development Activity
Total DAs
192
Last 12 Months
159
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+893.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glen Waverley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Glendal Primary School
Prep-6 · 886 students
Camelot Rise Primary School
Prep-6 · 426 students
Highvale Primary School
Prep-6 · 368 students
Mount View Primary School
Prep-6 · 920 students
St Leonard's School
Prep-6 · 268 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 sits effectively at the national average, but the income, education, and ancestry profile do not. University attainment of 59.8% is 29.7 percentage points above the national average, putting Glen Waverley in the top 5% of Australian suburbs. The migrant share is 60.7%, 39.1 percentage points above the national norm, with Chinese (16,188), Indian (4,074), and Sri Lankan (1,320) ancestries leading the mix and English ancestry at 6,114. Mandarin is the most common non-English language at home with 4,762 speakers, followed by Cantonese (1,659), Sinhala (924), Hindi (591), and Greek (363). Christianity remains the largest religion (13,657), but Buddhism (4,452) and Hinduism (4,197) together exceed any single Christian denomination, which is unusual for a Melbourne middle-ring suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.2%
Houses
10.6%
Townhouse
10.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward established ownership: 42.5% own outright, 29.4% hold a mortgage, and only 28.1% rent, which is a healthy gap above the renter share in inner Monash suburbs. The price story is straightforward but not boring. The median rose from $815,000 in 2013 to $1.694M in mid-2024, a 107.9% lift over 14 years and a 5.4% compound annual growth rate. The Q1 2024 peak of $1.71M is only 0.9% above the latest median, so the cycle has flattened rather than corrected. Affordability (price as a multiple of income) actually improved from 74.5 in 2011 to 64.8 in 2021 because real household income grew 16.4% over the decade. Bedrooms skew large with 49.8% at four-plus and 37.1% at three, which is consistent with the 79.2% detached stock and a family-buyer demographic.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$480
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$707
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.0%
Unoccupied
1,601
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.0%
Couples, no children
35,425
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local industry mix at 16.1% (2,368 workers), followed by Professional and Technical Services at 15.1%, Education at 10.5%, Retail at 8.4%, and Finance at 7.2%. The occupational profile is heavily white-collar: Professionals (6,492) and Managers (2,892) together represent 51% of all workers, well above any reasonable national benchmark. Full-time employment runs at 62.7% with unemployment at 6.2% and participation at 54.9%, both below national norms because of the large student and retired-cohort share. The four SEIFA sub-indexes line up at the top end: Index of Education and Occupation decile 9, IRSAD decile 9, IRSD decile 8, and IER decile 8. Unlike Clayton, where high education has not translated into household wealth, Glen Waverley shows a tight match between human capital and economic resources.
Unemployment
2.1%
Labour Force
11,821
Unemployed
249
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.7%
Part-time
31.1%
Participation
54.9%
Employed
18,304
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.8%
Postgraduate
20.7%
Born Overseas
60.7%
Dwellings
14,431
Transport to Work
Glen Waverley's livability proposition rests on schools, retail, and the train line. Ten mainstream schools sit within the suburb and every one of them scores above the national ICSEA average of 1,000, ranging from Glendal Primary at 1,157 down to Brentwood Secondary College at 1,097. Glen Waverley Secondary College is the largest at 2,417 students, and the cluster of seven primary schools all rated ICSEA 1,141 or higher is unusual at this scale. Daily commuting leans heavily on cars at 82.7%, with public transport at 7.0% and walking or cycling at 3.8%, reflecting suburban density of 2,532 people per square kilometre and the end-of-line train station. Crime totals 2,450 incidents in the past 12 months, a rate of 57.5 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 1,583 of those (65%), which is consistent with high-value detached housing rather than street-level disorder.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.17%/yr
(+273 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 21% between 2011 and 2025 in the housing forecast geography (19,303 to 23,417 residents), but the pace has cooled to a forecast 1.17% per year (+273 persons annually), well below high-growth suburbs like Clayton at 2.8%. The composition is the more interesting story: net overseas migration averages +868 per year while net internal migration runs at -306 per year, so the suburb is being repopulated from offshore as long-term residents move outward. Under the medium scenario, the (forecast geography) population reaches 24,637 by 2031. The shift trajectory is classified as Stable rather than aging or rapidly densifying, with the working-age share up 1.6 percentage points and the senior share up 0.1 over the decade. The gentrification score of 32 lands in the Early signs band, supported by accelerating real income growth from 4% to 16% across the period.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+868
Net Internal / yr
-306
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +21% since 2011, Net internal outflow -306/yr, Strong overseas inflow +868/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 16%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,450
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.5
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 Glen Waverley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glen Waverley a good suburb to live in?
Glen Waverley suits established families, professionals, and education-focused buyers. The median house price is $1.694M, ten schools all score ICSEA 1097 or higher, and the suburb sits in SEIFA IRSAD decile 9. Trade-offs include car dependence at 82.7% and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.1% that has tripped the stress flag for new entrants.
What is the median house price in Glen Waverley?
The median house price in Glen Waverley is $1,694,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024 (Victorian Valuer-General). That is 0.9% below the Q1 2024 peak of $1.71M and 107.9% above the 2013 median of $815,000, equivalent to a 5.4% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Median weekly rent is $480.
What schools are in Glen Waverley?
Glen Waverley has 10 mainstream schools, all rated above the national ICSEA average of 1,000. Top primaries include Glendal (ICSEA 1,157, 886 students), Camelot Rise (1,150, 426), and Mount View (1,146, 920). Glen Waverley Secondary College is the largest at 2,417 students with ICSEA 1,124, alongside Highvale Secondary (1,114) and Brentwood Secondary (1,097).
Is Glen Waverley safe?
Glen Waverley recorded 2,450 criminal incidents over the past 12 months, a rate of 57.5 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences (1,583, around 65% of incidents) dominate, while crimes against the person account for 333. SEIFA disadvantage decile of 8 and economic resources decile of 8 indicate a stable, advantaged resident base.
Is Glen Waverley good for property investment?
Glen Waverley is more a capital-growth than a yield play. The 28.1% rental ratio is well below Clayton's 63%, weekly rent is $480, and rent-to-income sits at 25.0%. The suburb logged 63 DAs over 12 months, mostly small dual-occupancy projects. The 10.0% vacancy rate is unusually high and signals investor-held secondary stock rather than weak demand.
How is Glen Waverley's population changing?
Glen Waverley's population is growing at 1.17% per year (+273 residents annually), classified as a stable trajectory rather than high growth. Net overseas migration of +868 per year is the primary driver, while internal migration runs at -306 per year. Under the medium scenario, the housing-geography population reaches 24,637 by 2031, up from 23,417 in 2025.
What languages are spoken in Glen Waverley?
60.7% of Glen Waverley residents were born overseas, 39.1 percentage points above the national average. Mandarin leads non-English languages at home with 4,762 speakers, followed by Cantonese (1,659), Sinhala (924), Hindi (591), Greek (363), and Korean (265). Chinese ancestry alone accounts for 16,188 residents, with Indian and Sri Lankan communities also prominent.
What development is happening in Glen Waverley?
Glen Waverley recorded 63 development applications in the past 12 months. The pipeline skews toward small-scale infill: dual-occupancy approvals (typically two double-storey dwellings on a single lot), individual home builds, and minor permit work. There is little capacity for large apartment projects given the 79.2% detached stock and 49.8% four-plus-bedroom dwellings.
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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