Invermay Park
With 53.4% of households owning their home outright and a median age of 50, Invermay Park is one of Ballarat's most settled, debt-free residential pockets. At 1,692 residents across 2.51 square kilometres, it is a compact, low-density area where 96% of dwellings are separate houses. Household incomes sit at the 62.6th percentile nationally, above average but not affluent. SEIFA tells a contrasting story: the suburb scores decile 1 on IRSD, IRSAD and IER, meaning it ranks among the most disadvantaged areas nationally despite that income level, because low renter share and older demographics depress relative resource scores.
Population
1,692
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,775/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$505K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price of $505,000 as of April-June 2024 is well below Melbourne's median, making Invermay Park an accessible entry point for Ballarat buyers. The price peaked at $770,000 in April-June 2023 before falling 34.4% to current levels, a correction that reflects regional market cooling more than local demand collapse. Since 2013 the earliest recorded price was $378,000, and the compound annual growth rate over 14 years sits at 2.1%, moderate compared to capital city averages. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96%, with 47.8% having 3 bedrooms and 47.1% having 4 or more, suiting families and upsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
For Buyers
The median house price of $505,000 as of April-June 2024 is well below Melbourne's median, making Invermay Park an accessible entry point for Ballarat buyers. The price peaked at $770,000 in April-June 2023 before falling 34.4% to current levels, a correction that reflects regional market cooling more than local demand collapse. Since 2013 the earliest recorded price was $378,000, and the compound annual growth rate over 14 years sits at 2.1%, moderate compared to capital city averages. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96%, with 47.8% having 3 bedrooms and 47.1% having 4 or more, suiting families and upsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
For Investors
The investment case here is cautious. Only 9.9% of households rent, one of the lowest renter shares you will find, which limits tenant demand relative to owner-occupier markets. Weekly rent sits at $340, and the vacancy rate is 6.0%, above the 3% threshold commonly used as a landlord-friendly benchmark. Net internal migration runs at negative 90 persons per year, meaning more people leave the Ballarat region than arrive domestically, with overseas migration adding only 46 annually. Development activity recorded 0 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a concern, but neither is there the investment activity that drives price discovery. For yield-focused investors the maths are thin; for those seeking stability in a low-turnover suburb, the 84.6% of residents who stayed in the past year signals low churn.
Demographics
The median age of 50 sits 10 years above the national median, one of the more pronounced aging gaps you encounter in Victorian regional suburbs. Only 5.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 16.6 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a strongly Anglo-Celtic community: English (757), Irish (291) and Scottish (208) are the three largest ancestries. University qualifications reach 24.8% of residents, 5.3 points below the national average, consistent with a blue-collar and trade-oriented workforce rather than a professional one. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national average exactly. Couples without children make up 34.6% of families, a pattern typical of suburbs where children have grown and left, which is consistent with the high median age.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.0%
Houses
4.0%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership is the defining feature of housing here: 53.4% of households own outright, 36.7% carry a mortgage, and only 9.9% rent, a tenure split that is far more owner-heavy than the national average. This concentration of debt-free ownership partly explains the SEIFA decile 1 IER score, because the index weights renters and those with mortgages as having higher economic resources than outright owners of modest homes. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96%, with 4% semi-detached and effectively no apartments. Bedroom distribution skews large, with 47.8% having 3 bedrooms and 47.1% having 4 or more. Prices have compressed from a $770,000 peak to $505,000, a 34.4% fall in roughly 12 months, which represents both risk and opportunity depending on when a buyer enters.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$749
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.6%
Couples, no children
1,416
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local workforce at 22.0% of employed residents (112 workers), followed by Education at 19.4% (99 workers) and Construction at 9.4% (48 workers). This pattern mirrors Ballarat's broader economy as a regional centre anchored by Ballarat Health Services and Federation University. By occupation, Professionals (154) are the largest group, followed by Clerical/Admin (135) and Managers (115). The unemployment rate is just 1.8%, well below state and national averages, though the participation rate of 56.2% is lower than national because the older median age of 50 puts a larger proportion of residents outside the labour force (515 people). Full-time employment accounts for 60.0% of those working. The SEIFA decile 1 IRSD score flags relative disadvantage nationally despite these employment figures, driven by income and educational attainment levels rather than joblessness.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
1,953
Unemployed
113
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
38.2%
Participation
56.2%
Employed
802
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
5.0%
Dwellings
651
Transport to Work
Car dependence is very high at 93.5% of commuters driving, well above national averages, reflecting Invermay Park's position as a suburban residential area within Ballarat where public transport options are limited. Only 1.1% walk or cycle. The suburb recorded 72 total crimes, a rate of 42.6 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 35 incidents. Rent-to-income sits at 19.2% and mortgage-to-income at 19.7%, both below stress levels, meaning housing costs are manageable for current residents. The volunteering rate is 18.5%, above the national average, suggesting a cohesive community. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in the dataset, so families rely on facilities in surrounding Ballarat suburbs. The IRSAD decile 1 ranking indicates this is among the more disadvantaged areas nationally across combined advantage-disadvantage measures.
Drive
93.5%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.61%/yr
(+21 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth sits at 0.61% annually, below the national rate for major urban areas, adding roughly 21 persons per year. The medium forecast projects the area rising from 3,460 in 2025 to 3,657 by 2031. Net internal migration is negative 90 per year, offset partially by 46 overseas arrivals. The 10-year historical growth of 13.1% was real, but the trend reversed: population fell from 3,530 in 2023 to 3,460 in 2025. The young adult share declined 2.3 percentage points while the senior share grew 1.8 points. The gentrification score is 15 out of 100, classified as not gentrifying, so the suburb shows none of the investor-driven uplift seen in higher-scoring areas.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+46
Net Internal / yr
-90
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: -4% → 11%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
72
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
42.6
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 Invermay Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Invermay Park a good suburb to live in?
Invermay Park suits owner-occupiers who value low-density, house-dominated living at an accessible price. The median house price is $505,000 and mortgage-to-income sits at 19.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 1 ranking places it among the more disadvantaged areas nationally, though the 1.8% unemployment rate and 84.6% residential stability rate reflect a settled, low-churn community.
What is the median house price in Invermay Park?
The median house price was $505,000 in April-June 2024, down 34.4% from the $770,000 peak in April-June 2023. Since 2013 prices have grown at a compound annual rate of 2.1% from an earliest recorded price of $378,000. Weekly rent averages $340 and monthly mortgage repayments sit at approximately $1,517.
What schools are in Invermay Park?
No schools are recorded within the Invermay Park suburb boundary in this dataset. Residents have 1,692 people across 2.51 square kilometres and rely on schools in the broader Ballarat area. University qualification rates at 24.8% sit 5.3 points below the national average, which is consistent with a regional suburb rather than an education-hub catchment.
Is Invermay Park safe?
The suburb recorded 72 crimes in the measured period, a rate of 42.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 35 incidents, followed by justice procedures offences (17) and crimes against the person (14). As a reference, the suburb has 84.6% residential stability, meaning most residents stayed over the past year, which is associated with lower crime in comparable areas.
Is Invermay Park good for property investment?
The case is mixed. The 6.0% vacancy rate is above the 3% landlord-friendly benchmark, and only 9.9% of households rent, limiting tenant demand. Weekly rent of $340 against a $505,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.5%. Net internal migration is negative 90 per year, and population growth is modest at 0.61% annually, so capital growth will depend on broader Ballarat market conditions rather than local demand pressure.
How is Invermay Park's population changing?
The suburb is growing slowly at 0.61% annually, adding about 21 persons per year. Over 10 years population rose 13.1%, but since 2023 the count has dipped from 3,530 to 3,460. The young adult share fell 2.3 percentage points over the decade while the senior share grew 1.8 points, pointing to an aging demographic profile. Overseas migration of 46 per year is the main positive driver, as internal migration is negative 90 annually.
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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