Kallista
With just 1,418 residents spread across 12 square kilometres in the Dandenong Ranges, Kallista is a low-density, owner-occupier suburb where 41.5% of households own their home outright and only 9% rent. The median age of 47 sits 7 years above the national figure, reflecting an established, settled population: 88.6% of residents lived at the same address five years prior, one of the lowest turnover rates you will find anywhere in Victoria. University qualifications reach 43.3%, which is 13.2 percentage points above the national average, and household income sits in the 75th percentile nationally.
Local council: Yarra Ranges
Population
1,418
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,003/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$820K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.4%, so supply is constrained and there is little competition from units or apartments. Mortgage repayments average $2,028 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which points to manageable carrying costs relative to local incomes in the 75th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.4%, so supply is constrained and there is little competition from units or apartments. Mortgage repayments average $2,028 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which points to manageable carrying costs relative to local incomes in the 75th percentile nationally.
For Investors
The investor case is limited by fundamentals. Only 9% of dwellings are rented, the lowest tier for rental supply, and the vacancy rate stands at 6%, above the 3% threshold that typically signals balanced conditions. Just 1 development application was lodged in the past 12 months, confirming this is a low-development, stable residential area rather than a growth corridor.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
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 Kallista
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Kallista Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7 years higher than the national average, and 33.8% of families are couples without children, consistent with post-family or pre-retirement households. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry accounts for the largest ancestral groups, with 689 English, 218 Irish and 203 Scottish residents. Overseas-born residents make up 18.7%, which is 2.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting an Anglo-leaning demographic compared to broader metropolitan Melbourne. Volunteering reaches 20.9% of residents, above national norms, which fits a community with a high proportion of semi-retired or established households with time and capacity to contribute locally.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.4%
Houses
1.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses dominate at 98.4% of dwellings, making Kallista one of Victoria's most detached-dominant suburbs and leaving virtually no apartment stock. Bedroom distribution skews large: 39.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 44.9% have 3, so small dwellings under 2 bedrooms make up just 2.5%. Outright owners at 41.5% and mortgage holders at 49.5% together account for 91% of households, compared with only 9% renting, well below state and national averages.
Mortgage / mo
$2,028
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$347
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$821
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.6%
Couples with children
46.0%
Couples, no children
11.4%
Single parent
430
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education and healthcare together employ 35.5% of local workers (17.9% and 17.6% respectively), well above the composition you would find in a typical metropolitan suburb. Professional and technical services add a further 12.5%, so knowledge-sector work accounts for roughly half the local workforce. By occupation, Professionals number 237 and Managers 125, the two largest groups, consistent with a well-qualified workforce where 43.3% hold university degrees. The unemployment rate is 4.3% and the participation rate is 60.9%, with 392 residents not in the labour force, a figure explained partly by the older median age of 47 and the high proportion of households past peak earning years.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
781
Unemployed
32
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.4%
Part-time
40.6%
Participation
64.7%
Employed
749
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.3%
Postgraduate
12.6%
Born Overseas
18.7%
Dwellings
553
Transport to Work
Transport almost entirely depends on the car: 92.6% of residents drive to work and only 0.8% use public transport, lower than any metropolitan suburb and consistent with the rural-fringe location. Crime is very low at 18 recorded incidents in the most recent period, a rate of 12.7 per 1,000 residents, with property offences making up 10 of those 18 cases. Rent-to-income sits at 17.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.4%, both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionate to local incomes. Residents needing daily assistance number 54, representing 3.9% of the population.
Drive
56.8%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
38.6%
Growth Outlook
The population of 1,418 across 12 square kilometres implies a density of just 117.6 people per km2, very low compared with the Victorian state average, meaning the suburb does not face development pressure. The stability signal is strong: 88.6% of residents remained at the same address over five years, a retention rate that limits turnover and keeps transaction volumes low. The single development application in the past 12 months signals minimal new supply coming to market, which supports prices over time but offers little growth leverage for investors seeking capital events.
Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area
Kallista sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Kallista's.
Residents 2025
160,906
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
18
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
12.7
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 Kallista compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kallista a good suburb to live in?
Kallista suits buyers who prioritise space, stability and low crime over urban convenience. The crime rate is 12.7 per 1,000 residents, very low, and 88.6% of residents stay long-term.
What schools are in Kallista?
Families commute to schools in neighbouring Dandenong Ranges suburbs. The local adult population is highly qualified, with 43.3% holding university degrees, which is 13.2 percentage points above the national average.
Is Kallista safe?
Kallista recorded only 18 crimes in the most recent period, a rate of 12.7 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 10 of those cases and crimes against the person for 5. The low total reflects the suburb's small population of 1,418 and low-density character.
Is Kallista good for property investment?
The rental market is thin: only 9% of dwellings are rented and the vacancy rate is 6%, above typical balanced-market levels.
How is Kallista's population changing?
Kallista has a population of 1,418 with a very stable base: 88.6% of residents remained at the same address over the past 5 years, giving an annual turnover rate of just 11.4%. The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national figure, pointing to an aging but settled community rather than a growing one.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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