Millgrove
A vacancy rate of 9.2% in a suburb where 100% of dwellings are detached houses tells a meaningful story about Millgrove. Located in Melbourne's outer Yarra Valley region, the suburb's 1,666 residents rely almost entirely on cars, with 94% driving to work, well above typical metropolitan rates. The workforce leans toward community-facing roles, with Healthcare and Construction dominating local employment.
Local council: Yarra Ranges
Population
1,666
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,201/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$627K
October to December 2025
Every dwelling is a separate house, so buyers face no apartment-style trade-off, and 3-bedroom homes are by far the most common at 68.6% of stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%, which is below the 30% stress threshold, making Millgrove relatively manageable compared to higher-income suburbs with similar prices. With 49% of residents on a mortgage and 35% owning outright, the owner-occupier base is strong, signalling community stability that typically underpins long-term price support.
For Buyers
Every dwelling is a separate house, so buyers face no apartment-style trade-off, and 3-bedroom homes are by far the most common at 68.6% of stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%, which is below the 30% stress threshold, making Millgrove relatively manageable compared to higher-income suburbs with similar prices. With 49% of residents on a mortgage and 35% owning outright, the owner-occupier base is strong, signalling community stability that typically underpins long-term price support.
For Investors
Rental stock is thin, with only 16% of dwellings rented compared to higher proportions in most outer-suburban markets. The 9.2% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants attention, suggesting supply either slightly exceeds tenant demand or turnover is higher than average. Development activity in the past 12 months recorded 0 applications, indicating essentially no new supply entering the market. The suburb's 13.2% annual residential turnover rate and the fact that 86.8% of residents stayed put point to a stable owner-occupier base rather than investor churn, which can moderate rental yield competition over time.
Schools in Millgrove
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Millwarra Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 40 is equal to the national median, sitting at 0 years difference. Overseas-born residents account for 12.5% of the population, which is 9.1 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the predominantly Anglo-Celtic heritage seen in the top ancestry groups: English (719 residents), Irish (183), Scottish (180) and German (92). University qualifications are held by 14.6% of residents, which is 15.5 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a working-trades oriented community. The average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national average. Couples with children make up 456 of the 1,171 total families, while 271 are couples without children, pointing to a mixed family-stage profile rather than a single dominant demographic.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Millgrove is exclusively detached housing, with 100% of dwellings being separate houses, compared to the diverse apartment and semi-detached mix found in most metropolitan suburbs. The 3-bedroom configuration dominates at 68.6%, followed by 2-bedroom at 17.9% and 4-plus bedroom at 12.2%, leaving very limited options for smaller households. Tenure is owner-heavy: 35% own outright and 49% hold a mortgage, while only 16% rent. Rent-to-income at 25.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.0% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are proportionally manageable relative to local incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$305
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$607
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.2%
Unoccupied
67
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.8%
Couples with children
32.9%
Couples, no children
28.6%
Single parent
413
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 25.1% of local workers (102 people), roughly double the share of the next sector, Construction at 13.0% (53 workers). Retail and Education are tied at 9.3% each (38 workers), followed by Other Services at 6.9%. By occupation, Community and Personal Services roles lead (120 workers), followed by Labourers (105) and Machinery and Drivers (75), a profile consistent with lower-complexity trades and care work rather than professional or managerial roles. Unemployment sits at 6.9%, higher than the national average, and the participation rate of 47.1% is low, partly because 507 residents are not in the labour force. Household income ranks in the 25.3rd percentile nationally, indicating incomes well below the national median household figure.
Unemployment
6.2%
Labour Force
713
Unemployed
44
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.3%
Part-time
36.6%
Participation
52.5%
Employed
669
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.6%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
12.5%
Dwellings
659
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total in Millgrove, with 94% of residents driving to work, substantially above the national average, reflecting the lack of public transport infrastructure common to outer Yarra Valley communities. Walking and cycling account for just 1.7% of commutes. Crime recorded 52 total offences, giving a rate of 31.2 per 1,000 residents. The volunteering rate of 14.7% indicates reasonable community engagement. Housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 25.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.0%, both below the 30% threshold. The suburb's 8.8% of residents needing daily assistance is worth noting as a service demand signal relative to the small overall population of 1,666.
Drive
80.6%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
14.2%
Growth Outlook
The compound annual growth rate of 6.9% over 14 years has been sustained through multiple market cycles, with no sign of price falling from peak as the current price equals the peak price. Population of 1,666 is modest for a 9.36 km2 area, giving a density of 177.9 people per km2, lower than outer suburban norms. The 13.2% residential turnover rate indicates steady movement rather than stagnation. With 0 development applications in the past 12 months, new supply is essentially absent, which typically supports price stability where demand remains consistent.
Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area
Millgrove sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Millgrove'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
52
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
31.2
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 Millgrove compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Millgrove?
Families typically access schools in nearby Yarra Valley communities such as Warburton and Healesville. Only 14.6% of local residents hold university qualifications, which is 15.5 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Millgrove safe?
Millgrove recorded 52 total offences in the reference period, giving a crime rate of 31.2 per 1,000 residents. The top categories were Crimes against the person (20 offences) and Property and deception offences (20 offences). For context, the suburb's population is only 1,666, so individual incidents have a larger statistical impact on the rate than in larger suburbs.
How is Millgrove's population changing?
Millgrove has a population of 1,666 across a 9.36 km2 area, giving a density of 177.9 people per km2, lower than most suburban benchmarks. The residential turnover rate is 13.2% annually, with 86.8% of residents staying from year to year. The suburb recorded 0 development applications in the past 12 months, suggesting slow physical growth.
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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