Lysterfield
Almost no suburb of this price tier is so monolithic in built form: 99.7% of Lysterfield's dwellings are separate houses and 70.4% have four or more bedrooms, the highest end of the family-home spectrum. The $1,335,500 median house price sits well above the wider Melbourne market, supported by household incomes in the 95.8th percentile nationally. The suburb scores decile 10 on both IER and IRSD, the top advantage tier, yet only decile 7 on IEO, a gap that reflects wealth built on managers and trades more than university credentials. At 31.58 km2 with just 211.5 residents per km2, density runs far below typical urban suburbs.
Population
6,681
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,754/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$1.3M
Apr-Jun 2024
Buying here means a large detached house, because 99.7% of stock is separate houses and 70.4% carry four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes the only smaller option at 28.5%. The $1,335,500 median has eased 4.7% from its $1,400,800 peak in mid-2023, a softer entry than two years ago, though it still rose from $1,262,600 in late 2023. Affordability is workable for the local cohort: average monthly repayments of $2,200 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.4%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most premium Melbourne suburbs. That low ratio exists because household incomes reach the 95.8th percentile, so the high price is carried by high earnings rather than overextension.
For Buyers
Buying here means a large detached house, because 99.7% of stock is separate houses and 70.4% carry four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes the only smaller option at 28.5%. The $1,335,500 median has eased 4.7% from its $1,400,800 peak in mid-2023, a softer entry than two years ago, though it still rose from $1,262,600 in late 2023. Affordability is workable for the local cohort: average monthly repayments of $2,200 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.4%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most premium Melbourne suburbs. That low ratio exists because household incomes reach the 95.8th percentile, so the high price is carried by high earnings rather than overextension.
For Investors
Lysterfield is built for owner-occupiers, not landlords. Only 7.5% of residents rent, one of the thinnest tenant pools you will find, while 38.5% own outright and 54.0% hold a mortgage. Weekly rent of $435 against the $1,335,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by Melbourne standards, and the 2.9% vacancy rate signals a tight but small market. Demand drivers are modest: net overseas migration adds about 45 residents a year while internal migration removes 65. Development is minimal at just 7 applications in 12 months, so there is no new rental supply pipeline. Rent did grow 24.3% over the decade, but with such a small renter base the case rests on long-run capital growth more than yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
14
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lysterfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lysterfield Primary School
Prep-6 · 482 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 sits just 1.0 year above the national figure, but the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.3 points over the decade while the young share fell 5.3 points. University qualifications reach 39.1%, which is 9.0 points above national, a moderate premium rather than an elite one. Overseas-born residents make up 23.2%, only 1.6 points above national, so the suburb skews Anglo, led by English (2,064), Italian (602) and Irish (567) ancestry. Average household size is 3.2, which is 0.7 above national, consistent with a family profile where couples with children (2,349) far outnumber couples without (1,153). Christianity (3,522) dominates, with Islam (175) and Buddhism (129) next largest.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.7%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-dominated: 54.0% carry a mortgage, 38.5% own outright and only 7.5% rent, a renter share well below most Melbourne suburbs. The stock is the most uniform you will see, 99.7% separate houses with apartments at just 0.3%, and 70.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms while 28.5% have three. The median house price rose from $681,500 in 2013 to $1,335,500 by mid-2024, a 96.0% gain at a 4.9% CAGR over 14 years, though it has slipped 4.7% from the $1,400,800 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 18.4% stays comfortable and rent-to-income runs even lower at 15.8%, both below the 30% stress line, because incomes in the 95.8th percentile easily service the high prices.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wk
$435
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$943
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.9%
Unoccupied
61
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.9%
Couples, no children
6,106
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce leans toward hands-on and service sectors rather than pure white-collar work: Healthcare leads at 14.3% (351 workers), tied with Construction at 14.3% (350), followed by Education at 10.9% and Professional/Tech at 9.2%. By occupation, Professionals (801) and Managers (666) lead, with Clerical/Admin (656) close behind. Unemployment is low at 3.6% and the full-time rate is 62.9%. The standout anomaly is the split between IER at decile 10 and IEO at decile 7: residents are wealthy through home equity and trade or managerial earnings more than university-credentialed professions, which keeps the education index well below the resource index. Real incomes grew 10.0% over the decade.
Unemployment
1.9%
Labour Force
4,210
Unemployed
78
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.9%
Part-time
33.5%
Participation
68.8%
Employed
3,670
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.1%
Postgraduate
7.6%
Born Overseas
23.2%
Dwellings
2,061
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent, low-density family enclave: 92.0% of commuters drive, far above the national average, while public transport is used by only 1.3% and walking or cycling by 0.8%, a direct consequence of the 31.58 km2 footprint holding just 211.5 residents per km2. Safety is a clear strength, with a crime rate of 22.0 per 1,000 residents, lower than most metropolitan areas, and the 147 recorded offences are dominated by property and deception crimes (81) rather than crimes against the person (15). The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, the top tier, and only 3.7% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
92.0%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.06%/yr
(+4 people/yr)
EstablishedLysterfield is firmly established and slow-growing: annual population growth registers just 0.06%, about 4 people a year, and the 10-year change is only 0.6%. The current population of 6,583 has not recovered to the pre-COVID level of 6,890, sitting 1.1% below the COVID low of 6,654 after a 3.4% dip. Medium forecasts hold the population near 6,726 by 2031, barely above today. Overseas migration of about 45 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 65. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 12, which fits a suburb already at decile 10 advantage and decile 9 on IRSAD, leaving little room to climb. Affordability improved from 50.1% in 2011 to 46.1% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+45
Net Internal / yr
-65
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
147
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
22.0
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 Lysterfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lysterfield a good suburb to live in?
Lysterfield scores decile 10 on both the IER and IRSD indexes, the top advantage tier nationally, with household incomes in the 95.8th percentile. Crime is low at 22.0 per 1,000 residents. The main trade-offs are a high $1,335,500 median house price and heavy car dependence, with 92.0% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Lysterfield?
The median house price is $1,335,500 as of the June 2024 quarter, up from $681,500 in 2013, a 96.0% gain at a 4.9% annual growth rate over 14 years. It has eased 4.7% from the $1,400,800 peak in 2023. Weekly rent averages $435.
What schools are in Lysterfield?
No schools are recorded inside the Lysterfield boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 39.1%, which is 9.0 points above the national figure.
Is Lysterfield safe?
Lysterfield records a crime rate of 22.0 per 1,000 residents, lower than most metropolitan areas, with 147 total offences. Most are property and deception crimes (81), while crimes against the person are rare at 15. The suburb also scores decile 10 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the top tier.
Is Lysterfield good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $435 against a $1,335,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.7%, low for the market, and only 7.5% of residents rent, a thin tenant pool. With population growth at just 0.06% a year, returns depend on long-run capital growth rather than yield.
How is Lysterfield's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.06% annually, about 4 people a year, with a 0.6% rise over 10 years. The current 6,583 residents remain below the pre-COVID 6,890 after a 3.4% dip. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.3 points over the 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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