Moe
The suburb has 9,375 residents, 35.0% of households rent, and household income sits at the 8.9th percentile. Compared with nearby Newborough and Morwell, Moe has a strongly established, detached-house profile rather than a high-growth trajectory. Annual growth is forecast at 0.23%, while a 9.9% unemployment rate and SEIFA IRSAD decile 1 point to economic disadvantage. The combination of affordability, car dependence and an aging resident base makes Moe more relevant to budget-focused buyers and service-oriented investors than to buyers seeking rapid capital growth.
Population
9,375
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$902/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
23
Median House
$420K
October to December 2025
Monthly mortgage repayments are listed at $1,000, with mortgage costs equal to 25.6% of household income, below the threshold commonly associated with mortgage stress. Housing is predominantly separate houses at 80.0%, and 48.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms, making the suburb practical for households wanting conventional family stock. Affordability is supported by 37.0% outright ownership and 26.3% mortgage ownership, although buyers should allow for lower local incomes and a 9.9% unemployment rate when assessing borrowing capacity.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments are listed at $1,000, with mortgage costs equal to 25.6% of household income, below the threshold commonly associated with mortgage stress. Housing is predominantly separate houses at 80.0%, and 48.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms, making the suburb practical for households wanting conventional family stock. Affordability is supported by 37.0% outright ownership and 26.3% mortgage ownership, although buyers should allow for lower local incomes and a 9.9% unemployment rate when assessing borrowing capacity.
For Investors
Moe's investment case rests on a $200 weekly median rent and a sizeable renter base of 35.0%, but the 9.9% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly held rental market would typically support. That vacancy level can limit short-term rental competition and makes property selection, condition and tenant appeal important because gross rent alone does not guarantee strong performance. Development activity includes 24 applications over 12 months, including proposals for 2 dwellings and 1 dwelling, so additional supply should be monitored. Migration is forecast as Balanced and annual growth is only 0.23%, below a high-growth regional setting. Investors may find the lower entry price attractive, but the 9.9% unemployment rate and aging trajectory favour conservative assumptions about rent increases and resale demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
48
Last 12 Months
23
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+109.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Moe
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Moe (Albert Street) Primary School
Moe (South Street) Primary School
Moe Primary School
St Kieran's School
Baringa Special School
Demographics
Moe has an older and less university-qualified population than the national comparison: the median age is 46, which is 6 years higher, while university attainment is 13.0%, or 17.1 percentage points below national levels. Overseas-born residents account for 15.8%, 5.8 points below the national comparison, and the average household size is 2.0 people, 0.5 below the national figure. English ancestry is recorded for 3,507 people, followed by Scottish at 925 and Irish at 860. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 4,312 people, ahead of Christianity at 3,880. In the Latrobe Valley context shared with Newborough and Morwell, 81.5% of residents stayed at the same address while turnover was 18.5%, supporting an established rather than highly mobile population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.0%
Houses
13.4%
Townhouse
5.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Moe's house-price history shows substantial long-term growth but a softer recent result. The stock is detached-house dominant at 80.0%, while semi-detached homes represent 13.4% and apartments 5.8%; 48.8% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms. Compared with apartment-led locations, Moe's housing form is more land-based and family-oriented. Tenure is split between 37.0% outright owners, 26.3% mortgage holders and 35.0% renters, helping explain the suburb's varied buyer and tenant demand.
Mortgage / mo
$1,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $200.
$390
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $420 · units $310
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$541
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.9%
Unoccupied
455
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.3%
Couples with children
41.0%
Couples, no children
26.7%
Single parent
2,278
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Moe's largest employment industry with 446 workers, or 23.5%, followed by construction at 190, education at 177, public administration at 168 and retail at 147. The occupational mix is led by trades at 549, community and personal services at 511, labourers at 484, clerical and administration at 397, and professionals at 363. This structure creates employment around essential services and practical occupations, but it also helps explain why household income is only at the 8.9th percentile. Participation is 45.1%, full-time employment is 51.9% and unemployment is 9.9%, all consistent with a weaker labour-market position than more advantaged areas. Moe records decile 1 across IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, so both economic resources and relative social advantage sit well below the national midpoint.
Unemployment
9.9%
Labour Force
3,566
Unemployed
353
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.9%
Part-time
39.4%
Participation
45.1%
Employed
3,213
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.0%
Postgraduate
2.2%
Born Overseas
15.8%
Dwellings
4,153
Transport to Work
Moe covers 18.15 square kilometres and has 9,375 residents at a density of 516.5 people per square kilometre. Daily travel is strongly car-oriented, with 77.7% driving and only 1.7% using public transport; 10.8% work from home, which can reduce commuting for some households. Five local schools span four government settings, including three primary schools and one special school, plus one Catholic primary school. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. Safety needs careful consideration: 1,906 recorded offences equate to 203.3 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 809 and crimes against the person at 426. Compared with more advantaged areas, IRSAD decile 1 and a 12.4% need-assistance rate indicate greater social pressure, although volunteering reaches 12.5%.
Drive
77.7%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
10.8%
Population Forecast
+0.23%/yr
(+41 people/yr)
EstablishedMoe is forecast to grow at 0.23% annually, with migration labelled Balanced, so the outlook is steady rather than rapid. Population change across the wider area is 3.7% over 10 years, below a high-growth regional market. The trajectory is Aging because the senior share has increased by 5.7 percentage points while the young share has fallen by 2.2 points; the working-age share has also declined by 1.0 point. Affordability is marked Stable at 36.0% in both 2011 and 2021, even as rents rose 44.8% and real incomes increased 17.6%. Gentrification remains limited: the forecast score is 13 with a stage of Not gentrifying, while the longer shift profile records Early signs and a score of 26. Compared with faster-changing suburbs, Moe's main growth constraint is demographic aging rather than a lack of available housing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+54
Net Internal / yr
+103
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal migration +103/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,906
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
203.3
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 Moe compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Moe?
Moe has 5 listed schools across primary and specialist settings. Four are government schools, including 3 government primary schools and 1 special school, while St Kieran's School is a Catholic primary school. School choice is practical rather than extensive, so families should confirm enrolment zones, transport arrangements and each school's current capacity before signing a lease or purchasing. School locations do not by themselves indicate educational quality.
Is Moe safe?
Moe recorded 1,906 offences, equal to 203.3 offences per 1,000 residents. The largest categories were property and deception offences at 809, justice procedures offences at 483 and crimes against the person at 426. That rate is a significant comparison point against lower-crime locations, so buyers and renters should inspect the exact street, review current local information and consider lighting, parking and property security before deciding.
How is Moe's population changing?
Moe has 9,375 residents today, while population change across the wider area is 3.7% over 10 years and annual growth is forecast at 0.23%. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 5.7 percentage points and the young share fell 2.2 points. Migration is labelled Balanced rather than strongly driven by one source. Compared with faster-growing suburbs, Moe's change is likely to be gradual and shaped more by age structure than by rapid population expansion.
What is the rental market like in Moe?
The median rent is $200 per week and renters make up 35.0% of households. Vacancy is 9.9%, which is higher than a tightly held market and can give tenants more choice while increasing competition between landlords. Rent represents 22.2% of household income, below the recorded mortgage share of 25.6%, and rents have grown 44.8% across the longer shift period. Compared with low-vacancy locations, investors should allow for slower letting periods.
What development is happening in Moe?
Moe recorded 24 development applications over the past 12 months. Recent examples include a planning permit for 2 dwellings on a lot and another application involving 1 dwelling. This indicates ongoing small-scale residential activity rather than a single large project. Compared with a market with no recent applications, the level is meaningful, but it does not guarantee a particular construction pipeline or future price outcome. Buyers should check the exact property and planning controls.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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