Inverloch
A median age of 54 sits 14 years above the national figure, the clearest signal of what Inverloch has become: a coastal retirement and second-home market rather than a family commuter belt. Detached houses make up 91.1% of dwellings and apartments just 0.3%, so the stock is almost entirely standalone homes spread across a large 109 km2 footprint at only 59.8 residents per km2. The reported vacancy rate of 40.8% is extreme by metropolitan standards and reflects the holiday-home share, where many dwellings sit empty outside summer. Population has risen 33.8% over the past decade, well above most established suburbs, yet the resident base keeps skewing older as the senior share climbed 5.5 points.
Population
6,526
Median Age
54.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,286/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$782K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price of $782,500 is well below Melbourne's metropolitan median, but the recent direction matters more than the level. Prices have fallen 21.2% from the 2022 peak of $992,500, and the latest Apr-Jun 2024 figure of $782,500 is down sharply from $975,000 in late 2023, so buyers are entering a softening market rather than chasing one. Over the full 14-year window prices still rose 81.6% from $431,000, a 4.4% compound annual rate. Stock suits families and downsizers alike: 48.2% of homes have three bedrooms and 34.8% have four or more, with separate houses at 91.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5% sits just above the 30% stress threshold because local household income ranks in only the 29.8th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
The median house price of $782,500 is well below Melbourne's metropolitan median, but the recent direction matters more than the level. Prices have fallen 21.2% from the 2022 peak of $992,500, and the latest Apr-Jun 2024 figure of $782,500 is down sharply from $975,000 in late 2023, so buyers are entering a softening market rather than chasing one. Over the full 14-year window prices still rose 81.6% from $431,000, a 4.4% compound annual rate. Stock suits families and downsizers alike: 48.2% of homes have three bedrooms and 34.8% have four or more, with separate houses at 91.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5% sits just above the 30% stress threshold because local household income ranks in only the 29.8th percentile nationally.
For Investors
The investment case here is unusual because the headline vacancy rate of 40.8% is driven by holiday homes left empty off-season, not by genuine rental oversupply. Renters are a thin 18.3% of households against 56.5% who own outright, so the long-term tenant pool is small. Weekly rent of $346 against the $782,500 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, modest but ahead of the rent-to-income ratio of 26.9% that keeps tenants out of stress. Demand support is real: net internal migration adds about 576 residents a year, far outweighing the 86 from overseas, and rent has grown 29.6% over the period. Development is light at 11 applications in 12 months, including a 56-lot subdivision, so new supply is limited compared with the population trend, which favours holding for capital growth over yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+266.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Inverloch iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Inverloch Primary School
Prep-6 · 461 students
Demographics
The median age of 54 runs 14 years above the national figure, and the trajectory keeps aging: the senior share rose 5.5 points while the working-age share fell 2.6 points over the decade. The population is notably Anglo-leaning, with English (2,849), Irish (959) and Scottish (922) the leading ancestries, and only 14.1% of residents born overseas, which is 7.5 points below the national average. Non-English languages are minimal, led by Italian (23) and German (15). University qualifications reach 33.7%, modestly above the national rate by 3.6 points, consistent with an educated retiree and professional cohort. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, and couples without children make up 43.4% of the 4,895 families, well ahead of couples with children at 1,795, the demographic fingerprint of a downsizing coastal town.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.1%
Houses
8.5%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by outright ownership at 56.5%, more than double the 25.2% on a mortgage and far above the 18.3% who rent, a pattern that points to debt-free retirees and established owners rather than recent buyers. The dwelling stock is 91.1% separate houses with apartments at just 0.3%, and three-bedroom homes lead at 48.2% with four-plus bedrooms at 34.8%. The median house price fell from a 2022 peak of $992,500 to $782,500 by mid-2024, a 21.2% decline, yet remains 81.6% above the 2013 figure of $431,000. Mortgage-to-income at 30.5% edges over the stress threshold while rent-to-income holds at 26.9%, a gap that reflects how purchase prices have outpaced the locally modest household income in the 29.8th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$346
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$703
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
40.8%
Unoccupied
1,833
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.4%
Couples, no children
4,895
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans on people-facing sectors rather than corporate jobs: Healthcare leads at 20.8% (382 workers) and Education follows at 16.7% (306), with Construction at 11.7% (215) reflecting ongoing coastal building activity. Professional/Tech is smaller at 7.8% and Public Admin at 6.8%. By occupation, Professionals (686) and Managers (432) top the list. Unemployment is low at 3.0%, but the participation rate of 43.8% is well below typical metropolitan levels because 2,590 residents are not in the labour force, the direct result of the retiree-heavy age profile. SEIFA scores land mid-table: IRSAD and IRSD both sit at decile 4 and IEO at decile 4, while IER reaches decile 5, a touch higher because the 56.5% outright-ownership base lifts the economic-resources measure despite modest incomes.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
13,387
Unemployed
472
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.2%
Part-time
43.8%
Participation
43.8%
Employed
2,338
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.7%
Postgraduate
7.6%
Born Overseas
14.1%
Dwellings
2,659
Transport to Work
Daily life here is built around the car, with 90.0% of residents driving to work and only 4.6% walking or cycling, an unavoidable consequence of a sprawling 109 km2 town at 59.8 residents per km2 with limited transit. The reported crime rate of 33.4 per 1,000 residents covers 218 recorded offences, of which 131 were property and deception offences and 55 crimes against the person, a profile weighted toward property rather than violent crime, partly a function of many holiday homes left vacant off-season. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring towns. Volunteering runs high at 24.0% and SEIFA disadvantage sits at decile 4, mid-range nationally, while 6.5% of residents need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 54.
Drive
90.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.07%/yr
(+606 people/yr)
EstablishedInverloch is growing far faster than its established label suggests, with the population up 33.8% over the decade and gentrification signals reading Active on a score of 55. The primary engine is internal migration, adding roughly 576 residents a year against just 86 from overseas, as buyers move from Melbourne and regional Victoria toward the coast. The shift is accelerating, with net internal migration lifting the growth contribution from around 11% to 30% of change. Affordability has stayed broadly stable, easing only slightly from 49.4% in 2011 to 48.2% in 2021, while rent grew 29.6% over the period. Real income growth of 7.8% trailed the rent move, so housing costs are rising faster than local earnings, a tension common to fast-growing coastal markets.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+86
Net Internal / yr
+576
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +44% since 2011, Net internal migration +576/yr, Accelerating: 11% → 30%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
218
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
33.4
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 Inverloch compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Inverloch a good suburb to live in?
Inverloch suits downsizers and retirees, with a median age of 54, which is 14 years above the national figure. SEIFA disadvantage sits at decile 4, mid-range nationally, volunteering runs high at 24.0%, and 56.5% of households own their home outright. The main trade-offs are heavy car reliance at 90.0% and no schools inside the suburb.
What is the median house price in Inverloch?
The median house price is $782,500 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 21.2% from the 2022 peak of $992,500. Over 14 years prices still rose 81.6% from $431,000, a 4.4% compound annual rate. Weekly rent averages $346 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,700.
What schools are in Inverloch?
No schools are recorded inside the Inverloch boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring towns. The resident base is well educated, with university qualifications at 33.7%, which is 3.6 points above the national figure.
Is Inverloch safe?
Inverloch recorded 218 offences for a crime rate of 33.4 per 1,000 residents. Of these, 131 were property and deception offences and 55 crimes against the person, so the profile leans toward property crime rather than violence, partly because many holiday homes sit vacant off-season.
Is Inverloch good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $346 against the $782,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, modest but workable. Renters are only 18.3% of households, so the tenant pool is thin, but net internal migration of about 576 residents a year and 29.6% rent growth support a hold-for-capital-growth case.
How is Inverloch's population changing?
The population has grown 33.8% over the past decade, well above most established suburbs, driven by net internal migration of about 576 residents a year. The profile keeps aging, with the senior share up 5.5 points and the working-age share down 2.6 points over the same period.
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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