Heywood
At a median house price of $340,000 and a median age of 48 (8 years above the national figure), Heywood reads as one of southwest Victoria's most affordable and age-skewed rural towns. Household income sits in just the 16.5th percentile nationally, yet mortgage-to-income at 22.0% and rent-to-income at 16.7% both remain below stress thresholds because prices are low relative to the coast. The economy runs on Healthcare (21.0% of workers) and Agriculture (18.8%), two sectors that explain why residents stay put: 85.3% did not move in the five years to the last census.
Population
1,815
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,077/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$340K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $340,000 median house price is well below the VIC state median, making Heywood one of the more accessible entry points in the Glenelg region. The price briefly peaked at $440,000 in early 2024 before settling back, a 22.7% retreat from peak that opens a window for buyers who missed the run-up. Separate houses account for 95.0% of stock, and the three-bedroom format dominates at 60.5%, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,025, putting the mortgage-to-income ratio at 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright ownership at 45.6% is high compared to metropolitan averages, signalling a stable, long-settled owner base with limited forced selling.
For Buyers
The $340,000 median house price is well below the VIC state median, making Heywood one of the more accessible entry points in the Glenelg region. The price briefly peaked at $440,000 in early 2024 before settling back, a 22.7% retreat from peak that opens a window for buyers who missed the run-up. Separate houses account for 95.0% of stock, and the three-bedroom format dominates at 60.5%, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,025, putting the mortgage-to-income ratio at 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright ownership at 45.6% is high compared to metropolitan averages, signalling a stable, long-settled owner base with limited forced selling.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $180 against the $340,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.75%, above many regional VIC towns at this price point, though still lower than national rental yield averages for comparable markets. The 9.0% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants caution: supply exceeds demand in a town of 1,815 people. Renters make up 20.7% of households, a thinner pool than metropolitan markets. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, so new supply is not compressing yields further. Long-term capital growth shows 139.4% from 2013 to 2024 (a 6.4% CAGR over 14 years), better than the impression the current soft price gives.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
1
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 Heywood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Heywood Consolidated School
Prep-6 · 105 students
Heywood District Secondary College
7-12 · 72 students
Demographics
The median age of 48 sits 8 years above the national average, making Heywood one of the older rural communities in VIC. Overseas-born residents at 8.2% are 13.4 percentage points below the national figure, and ancestry skews heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (728), Scottish (174) and Irish (165) lead. University qualifications reach only 9.1%, which is 21 percentage points below national, consistent with a trades and agriculture employment base. Average household size is 2.2, marginally below the national 2.5, and couples without children (34.7%) slightly outnumber couples with children (34.3%), reflecting the aging profile. The volunteering rate of 18.4% is notable for a community of this size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.0%
Houses
3.4%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
From an earliest recorded price of $142,000 in 2013 to $340,000 in mid-2024, Heywood delivered a 139.4% total return over 14 years, equivalent to a 6.4% CAGR, above inflation for the period. The stock is almost entirely separate houses (95.0%), with virtually no apartments (0.4%), making the market simpler to read than denser suburban markets. Outright owners at 45.6% substantially outnumber mortgage holders at 33.7%, a tenure pattern typical of long-settled country towns where debt has been paid down over decades. Rent at $180 a week is low in absolute terms. The 252.99 sq km area and density of 7.2 people per sq km confirm this is rural in character, not a peri-urban fringe.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,025
Rent / wk
$180
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$622
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.0%
Unoccupied
72
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.7%
Couples, no children
1,247
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 21.0% (77 workers), followed by Agriculture at 18.8% (69 workers), then Public Admin at 9.3%, Manufacturing at 7.6% and Construction at 7.6%. By occupation, Managers (118), Labourers (103) and Machinery/Drivers (97) form the top three, reflecting a farm and trades economy rather than a professional services hub. The unemployment rate of 5.4% is marginally above the national average, and the participation rate of 45.6% is low because 589 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age of 48. Full-time employment represents 60.2% of those working. Income sits in the 16.5th household income percentile nationally, largely because rural healthcare and agriculture wages trail metropolitan professional salaries.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
34.4%
Participation
45.6%
Employed
644
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.1%
Postgraduate
1.0%
Born Overseas
8.2%
Dwellings
738
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme here: 90.4% of residents drive to work, well above the national average, with 5.1% walking or cycling. Public transport usage recorded as null in this dataset, consistent with the lack of rail or frequent bus services typical of rural VIC towns of this size. Crime sits at 86.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (55 incidents) and justice procedures offences (58 incidents) the two largest categories. The 9.6% of residents needing daily assistance is above the state average for regional towns, linked to the older resident base. Rent-to-income at 16.7% is low, meaning tenants face less financial pressure than in metropolitan markets, which contributes to the residential stability shown by the 85.3% who stayed put.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
5.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
157
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
86.5
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 Heywood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heywood a good suburb to live in?
Heywood suits buyers seeking affordable, low-density rural living. The $340,000 median house price is well below the VIC state median, and mortgage-to-income at 22.0% stays below the 30% stress threshold. The main trade-offs are car dependence (90.4% drive to work), limited services for a town of 1,815 people, and a 9.0% vacancy rate that reflects modest rental demand.
What is the median house price in Heywood?
The median house price is $340,000 (Apr-Jun 2024 quarter). It peaked at $440,000 in Jan-Mar 2024 before retreating 22.7%. From 2013 the price has grown 139.4% overall, a 6.4% CAGR over 14 years. Weekly rent averages $180 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $1,025.
What schools are in Heywood?
No schools are recorded inside the Heywood statistical boundary in this dataset. Families in the area typically access schools in Hamilton (approximately 35 km northeast) or other nearby Glenelg Shire towns. The local university qualification rate is 9.1%, which is 21 percentage points below the national average.
Is Heywood safe?
Heywood recorded 157 total crimes in the latest period, a rate of 86.5 per 1,000 residents. The two largest categories were justice procedures offences (58) and property and deception offences (55). The crime rate is higher than suburban VIC averages, though population is small and raw counts can move the rate significantly with a handful of incidents.
Is Heywood good for property investment?
The 6.4% CAGR over 14 years is solid for a rural VIC town, and the $340,000 entry price is low. However, the 9.0% vacancy rate and weekly rent of $180 produce a thin rental market. Gross yield near 2.75% is above many coastal regional towns but below national averages for investment benchmarks. Suitable for long-term capital holds rather than yield-focused strategies.
How is Heywood's population changing?
Heywood has 1,815 residents across a 253 sq km area. The community is stable but aging: median age is 48, which is 8 years above the national average. Residential turnover is low at 14.7%, with 85.3% of residents having not moved in the five years to census. The 9.6% rate of residents needing daily assistance signals growing aged-care demand over the coming decade.
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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