Moorabbin
A $1,350,000 median house price sitting alongside a 208.2-per-1,000 crime rate makes Moorabbin an unusual read, and both facts trace back to the suburb's mixed residential and industrial character. Detached houses dominate the stock at 76.8% despite the price tag, household income lands in the 76th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 8 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO. University qualifications reach 47.6%, which is 17.5 points above the national figure, while the median age of 39 runs 1.0 year below national. Prices have nearly doubled from $682,000 in 2013, a 97.9% lift, yet remain 3.6% below the 2021 peak of $1,400,000.
Population
6,287
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,031/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
80
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $1,350,000 median sits 3.6% below the 2021 peak of $1,400,000, so buyers enter after a modest correction rather than at a top. Unlike many established Melbourne suburbs at this price, the stock is house-led: 76.8% are separate houses, apartments only 14.3% and semi-detached 8.7%, which means a genuine family home is the default purchase here. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 46.1% and four-plus bedrooms 24.8%, so larger households are well served. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes reach the 76th percentile. Owners with a mortgage (39.7%) outnumber outright owners (30.6%), pointing to a market of working buyers paying down recent purchases rather than long-held wealth.
For Buyers
The $1,350,000 median sits 3.6% below the 2021 peak of $1,400,000, so buyers enter after a modest correction rather than at a top. Unlike many established Melbourne suburbs at this price, the stock is house-led: 76.8% are separate houses, apartments only 14.3% and semi-detached 8.7%, which means a genuine family home is the default purchase here. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 46.1% and four-plus bedrooms 24.8%, so larger households are well served. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes reach the 76th percentile. Owners with a mortgage (39.7%) outnumber outright owners (30.6%), pointing to a market of working buyers paying down recent purchases rather than long-held wealth.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $431 against the $1,350,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by Melbourne standards, so the case rests on capital growth rather than income. The 10.6% vacancy rate is high and signals softer tenant demand in the apartment segment, which is only 14.3% of stock. Demand support comes mainly from overseas migration, which adds 208 residents a year while net internal migration removes 90, leaving thin but positive natural growth. Rent has climbed 25.4% over the period, ahead of the 19.6% real income growth, which helps escalation. Development is steady at 77 applications in 12 months, largely two-dwelling subdivisions of existing house blocks rather than large new supply, so the investment thesis is land value and infill potential more than yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
93
Last 12 Months
80
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+900.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Moorabbin iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Southmoor Primary School
Prep-6 · 368 students
Moorabbin Primary School
Prep-6 · 545 students
St Catherine's School
Prep-6 · 85 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, and the profile is broadly stable, with the working-age share up 0.3 points and the senior share up 0.9 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 35.4%, which is 13.8 points above national, giving the suburb a genuinely international makeup. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,741), Irish (656) and Scottish (490), with Chinese (407) the largest non-European group. The top non-English languages are Mandarin (123 speakers), Greek (111) and Russian (85). University qualifications at 47.6% run 17.5 points above national, and the average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure exactly, consistent with the family-oriented mix where 2,359 families are couples with children against 1,192 couples without.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.8%
Houses
8.7%
Townhouse
14.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-led: 39.7% carry a mortgage, 30.6% own outright and 29.7% rent, a balance that points to working buyers still paying down recent purchases rather than entrenched wealth. The stock is heavily detached at 76.8%, with apartments at 14.3% and semi-detached at 8.7%, which keeps house prices firm through limited unit alternatives. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 46.1% and four-plus bedrooms at 24.8%. The median rose from $682,000 in 2013 to $1,350,000 in 2024, a 97.9% gain at a 5.0% compound annual rate over 14 years, though it now sits 3.6% below the 2021 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 26.2% and rent-to-income at 21.2% both stay below the 30% stress line, so affordability is healthier than the headline price suggests because incomes reach the 76th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,300
Rent / wk
$431
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$939
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.6%
Unoccupied
286
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.7%
Couples, no children
5,023
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in services rather than the area's industrial heritage: Healthcare leads at 16.8% (409 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 12.9% (313) and Education at 11.3% (276), with Construction at 9.4% and Retail at 7.3%. By occupation, Professionals (961) and Managers (535) form the largest groups, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.1% and the full-time employment rate is 65.7%, while participation reads 62.0%, held down by 1,530 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 19.6% over the decade. The four SEIFA deciles cluster tightly between 7 and 8, with the IER economic-resources score (decile 7) sitting just below the others because the 29.7% renter base trims aggregate household wealth measures.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
5,637
Unemployed
381
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
30.2%
Participation
62.0%
Employed
3,048
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.6%
Postgraduate
12.4%
Born Overseas
35.4%
Dwellings
2,411
Transport to Work
Car reliance is high at 83.9% of commuters driving, while only 6.0% use public transport and 4.8% walk or cycle, above-average car dependence for a middle-ring Melbourne suburb. The crime rate of 208.2 per 1,000 is elevated, driven mostly by property and deception offences (633 of 1,309 total) rather than crimes against the person (139), a pattern shaped by the suburb's commercial and industrial precincts more than its residential streets. On the positive side, Moorabbin scores decile 8 on IRSAD, the upper advantage tier nationally, and decile 8 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so few residents face deprivation. Only 6.1% of residents need daily assistance and volunteering runs at 14.0%, both consistent with a settled, established community.
Drive
83.9%
Public Transport
6.0%
Walk / Cycle
4.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.0%/yr
(+98 people/yr)
EstablishedMoorabbin grows at a steady 1.0% a year, about 98 residents, with a 13.2% population rise over the past decade, faster than a flat established suburb but below high-growth fringe markets. The trajectory reads as Stable, and the population recovered fully from a 3.6% COVID dip, climbing from a low of 9,197 back to 9,679 and onward to 9,826 by 2025. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 208 residents a year, offsetting a net internal outflow of 90. Medium forecasts lift the population to about 10,393 by 2031. The gentrification stage reads early signs at a score of 39, supported by the 17% rise since 2011 and affordability improving from 55.9% in 2011 to 47.6% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+208
Net Internal / yr
-90
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +17% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +208/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,309
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
208.2
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 Moorabbin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moorabbin a good suburb to live in?
Moorabbin scores decile 8 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, the upper advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 76th percentile. University qualifications reach 47.6%, 17.5 points above national. The main trade-off is an elevated crime rate of 208.2 per 1,000, skewed toward property offences in commercial areas.
What is the median house price in Moorabbin?
The median house price is $1,350,000 as of the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, up 97.9% from $682,000 in 2013 but 3.6% below the 2021 peak of $1,400,000. Weekly rent averages $431 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,300, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%.
What schools are in Moorabbin?
No schools are recorded inside the Moorabbin boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 47.6%, which is 17.5 points above the national figure.
Is Moorabbin safe?
Moorabbin records a crime rate of 208.2 per 1,000, which is elevated. Of 1,309 total offences, 633 are property and deception and only 139 are crimes against the person, a pattern tied to commercial precincts. The suburb still scores decile 8 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the upper tier.
Is Moorabbin good for property investment?
Rent of $431 a week against the $1,350,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.7%, low, and the 10.6% vacancy rate signals softer demand. Overseas migration of 208 a year supports the market, but with 1.0% population growth the case leans on land value and capital growth over yield.
How is Moorabbin's population changing?
Population grows about 1.0% a year, roughly 98 residents, with a 13.2% rise over the past decade to 9,826 by 2025. Overseas migration drives it at 208 a year, offsetting a net internal outflow of 90. Medium forecasts reach about 10,393 by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Moorabbin?
About 35.4% of residents were born overseas, 13.8 points above the national figure. English dominates, while Mandarin (123 speakers), Greek (111), Russian (85) and Hindi (49) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting an international resident mix.
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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