Montrose
Detached houses make up 92.1% of dwellings across Montrose, one of the highest separate-house shares you will find in greater Melbourne, and that single fact shapes the rest of the picture. The median house price reached $945,000 in the June 2024 quarter, up 112.4% from $445,000 in 2013, a 5.5% compound annual rate over 14 years. Household income sits in the 79th percentile nationally, yet only 8.9% of residents rent, well below the typical Melbourne suburb. The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above national, the population skews aging, and growth is effectively flat at minus 0.04% a year.
Population
6,900
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,088/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Buyers in Montrose are almost always buying a house, not a unit: 92.1% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments account for just 4.0%. The median house price climbed to $945,000 in the June 2024 quarter, the market peak, having risen 112.4% from $445,000 in 2013. Larger family homes dominate the stock, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 45.4% and 3-bedroom at 43.7%, so smaller buyers have limited choice. Affordability is workable because incomes are strong: the mortgage-to-income ratio is 22.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and average monthly repayments run around $2,000. Owner-occupiers carrying a mortgage make up 53.5% of households, higher than the renting share of 8.9%, confirming a settled buy-and-hold market rather than one driven by churn.
For Buyers
Buyers in Montrose are almost always buying a house, not a unit: 92.1% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments account for just 4.0%. The median house price climbed to $945,000 in the June 2024 quarter, the market peak, having risen 112.4% from $445,000 in 2013. Larger family homes dominate the stock, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 45.4% and 3-bedroom at 43.7%, so smaller buyers have limited choice. Affordability is workable because incomes are strong: the mortgage-to-income ratio is 22.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and average monthly repayments run around $2,000. Owner-occupiers carrying a mortgage make up 53.5% of households, higher than the renting share of 8.9%, confirming a settled buy-and-hold market rather than one driven by churn.
For Investors
The investment case here is thin on the rental side. Only 8.9% of residents rent, far below most Melbourne markets, so the tenant pool is shallow and the vacancy rate sits at 4.9%. Weekly rent averages $365, which against the $945,000 median house price implies a gross yield near 2.0%, low for the metro area. Development is negligible, with just 2 planning applications lodged in the past 12 months, so investors face little new supply but also little signal of activity. Demand support is modest: net overseas migration adds 33 residents a year while internal migration removes 43, leaving population growth slightly negative. With rent up 45.4% over the period and capital values up 5.5% a year compounded, returns lean on long-term price growth rather than yield or tenant volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
2
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 Montrose iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Montrose Primary School
Prep-6 · 566 students
Billanook Primary School
Prep-6 · 438 students
Demographics
Montrose reads as an established Anglo-leaning suburb with an aging tilt. Only 14.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 6.7 points below the national figure, and ancestry is led by English (2,987), Scottish (782) and Irish (765). University qualifications reach 28.3%, sitting 1.8 points below national, a reminder that this is a trades and services population rather than a knowledge-worker enclave. The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above national and the senior share rose 4.2 points over the decade while working-age share fell 1.7 points. Average household size is 2.8, which is 0.3 above national, consistent with the family profile: couples with children number 2,660 against 1,357 couples without children. The dominant non-English languages, German (14) and Mandarin (12), are tiny, underscoring how homogeneous the resident mix is.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.1%
Houses
4.0%
Townhouse
4.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-heavy: 53.5% of households carry a mortgage and 37.7% own outright, leaving renters at just 8.9%. That mortgage-dominant split marks Montrose as a working mortgage-belt suburb where most homes change hands between owner-occupiers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92.1%, with apartments and semi-detached each at only 4.0%, and it skews large, as 4-plus bedroom homes are 45.4% and 3-bedroom 43.7%. The median house price rose to $945,000 by mid-2024, up 112.4% from $445,000 in 2013 at a 5.5% compound annual rate. Despite that climb, the mortgage-to-income ratio holds at 22.1% and rent-to-income at 17.5%, both below the 30% stress line, because household income sits in the 79th percentile nationally and supports the debt load comfortably.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$365
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$855
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
121
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.3%
Couples, no children
5,817
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is built on hands-on and care sectors rather than offices. Construction leads at 18.9% (447 workers), Healthcare follows at 16.7% (395) and Education at 12.1% (285), with Manufacturing at 9.1% and Professional/Tech at just 7.1%. By occupation, Professionals (683), Clerical/Admin (478) and Managers (448) head the list, a more even spread than the professional-heavy inner suburbs. Unemployment is low at 3.3% and the full-time employment rate is 62.1%, while participation reads 60.5%, held down because the aging profile leaves 1,787 residents out of the labour force. The SEIFA scores explain the mix: IER (economic resources) sits in decile 9 and IRSD in decile 9, both high, while IEO (education and occupation) is only decile 6, a gap that reflects strong incomes paired with below-average university attainment.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
3,766
Unemployed
95
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.1%
Part-time
34.6%
Participation
60.5%
Employed
3,246
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.3%
Postgraduate
5.3%
Born Overseas
14.9%
Dwellings
2,322
Transport to Work
Montrose is a car-dependent, low-density family suburb at 625.5 residents per km2 across an 11.03 km2 footprint. Public transport use is minimal at 1.1% and walking or cycling at 1.5%, while 91.6% of commuters drive, far above the metro average and a direct result of the spread-out, detached layout. Crime runs at 31.4 offences per 1,000 residents from 217 total incidents, weighted toward property and deception (93) rather than crimes against the person (43), a pattern typical of quiet residential pockets. The suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the top tier, and 7.2% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a low-density area.
Drive
91.6%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.04%/yr
(-3 people/yr)
EstablishedMontrose is an established, slow-growth suburb with population essentially static. Annual growth is minus 0.04%, about 3 fewer residents a year, and the 10-year change was just 3.2%. Medium forecasts hold the population near 6,940 by 2031, slightly below the current 6,904, so no expansion is expected. The only positive driver is overseas migration at 33 a year, offset by net internal outflow of 43. The gentrification stage reads as not gentrifying on the primary score of 0, though the trajectory shift score of 27 flags early signs, driven by 45.4% rent growth and 13.8% real income growth over the decade. Affordability has been stable, moving only from 40.9% in 2011 to 42.5% in 2021, which keeps the suburb accessible relative to faster-gentrifying markets.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+33
Net Internal / yr
-43
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
217
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
31.4
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 Montrose compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montrose a good suburb to live in?
Montrose scores decile 9 on the IRSD disadvantage index, near the top tier, with household income in the 79th percentile nationally. It suits families, as 92.1% of homes are detached houses and average household size is 2.8. The main trade-offs are car dependence, with 91.6% driving, and no schools recorded inside the boundary.
What is the median house price in Montrose?
The median house price reached $945,000 in the June 2024 quarter, up 112.4% from $445,000 in 2013, a 5.5% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Weekly rent averages $365 and average monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.1%, below the stress line.
What schools are in Montrose?
No schools are recorded inside the Montrose boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Education is the third largest local employer at 12.1% of workers, though university qualifications among residents sit at 28.3%, which is 1.8 points below the national figure.
Is Montrose safe?
Montrose records 217 total offences at a rate of 31.4 per 1,000 residents. The largest category is property and deception at 93 incidents, while crimes against the person are lower at 43. The suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the top tier, consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Montrose good for property investment?
Rent of $365 a week against the $945,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.0%, low for the metro area, and only 8.9% of residents rent. The vacancy rate is 4.9% and just 2 development applications were lodged in 12 months, so returns depend on capital growth of 5.5% a year rather than yield.
How is Montrose's population changing?
Population growth is minus 0.04% annually, about 3 fewer residents a year, with a 3.2% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.2 points and working-age share down 1.7 points over the decade. Forecasts hold the population near 6,940 by 2031, below the current 6,904.
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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