Mortlake
At 49, Mortlake has a notably older profile, with a median age 9 years above the national figure, while 1,477 residents occupy 354.49 square kilometres. Compared with nearby Camperdown, Mortlake places more weight on detached housing and very low density, with 97.7% of dwellings separate houses and just 4.2 people per square kilometre. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry is prominent, and 79.7% of residents stayed at the same address over the preceding period, reinforcing a settled local base.
Local council: Moyne
Population
1,477
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$984/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$375K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Mortlake suits buyers seeking a detached home at a lower entry price than many Victorian markets. Housing choice is strongly land based: 97.7% of dwellings are separate houses, while 50.2% have 3 bedrooms and 28.6% have 4 or more. High outright ownership at 48.2% also suggests many properties are held by long-term owners rather than frequent movers.
For Buyers
Mortlake suits buyers seeking a detached home at a lower entry price than many Victorian markets. Housing choice is strongly land based: 97.7% of dwellings are separate houses, while 50.2% have 3 bedrooms and 28.6% have 4 or more. High outright ownership at 48.2% also suggests many properties are held by long-term owners rather than frequent movers.
For Investors
Mortlake presents a low-price rental proposition, but the 12.8% vacancy rate is higher than investors generally prefer in a tightly supplied market. Weekly rent is $220 and 18.3% of occupied dwellings are rented, so the tenant pool is smaller than in larger regional centres. Rent growth of 19.5% may support income improvement because the starting rent is modest, although vacancy can offset that benefit through longer letting periods. Six development applications were recorded over 12 months, indicating limited new-project activity rather than a major construction pipeline. Forecast growth is 1.12% annually and is driven by overseas migration, but the aging trajectory means demand may favour accessible, practical homes over highly specialised stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
10
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+500.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mortlake
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Mortlake P-12 College
St Colman's School
Demographics
Mortlake has an older and less university-oriented population than Australia overall. The median age is 49, or 9.0 years above the national comparison, while university attainment is 19.6%, sitting 10.5 percentage points below the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 9.1%, which is 12.5 percentage points below the national level. English ancestry counts 691 people, followed by Scottish at 199 and Irish at 193, while Christianity accounts for 736 residents and no religion for 602. Average household size is 2.2, or 0.3 below the national comparison, because couples without children represent 51.4% of families. Compared with nearby Camperdown and Terang, Mortlake's profile is particularly settled, with 79.7% of residents remaining at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.7%
Houses
2.3%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Mortlake's housing market remains accessible but has moved well above its earlier base. Tenure is weighted toward stability: 48.2% of homes are owned outright, 30.6% carry a mortgage and 18.3% are rented. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, Mortlake is overwhelmingly detached, with 97.7% separate houses. Three-bedroom homes make up 50.2% of stock, while 28.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, reflecting family-sized rural housing.
Mortgage / mo
$932
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$220
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$572
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.8%
Unoccupied
89
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.9%
Couples with children
51.4%
Couples, no children
17.1%
Single parent
385
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mortlake's economy combines service work with rural and practical industries. Healthcare is the largest industry at 20.3%, followed by agriculture at 18.7%, construction at 10.4%, education at 10.1% and retail at 7.5%. Occupations are similarly mixed, led by managers with 112 people, labourers with 111 and trades workers with 77. Unemployment is 4.6% among a labour force of 615, while participation is 50.3%; the lower participation rate is consistent with a median age of 49 and 505 people outside the labour force. Household income is $984 per week, placing Mortlake at the 12.4th percentile, well below the middle of the national income distribution. That income position helps explain the suburb's affordable housing profile, even though mortgage stress remains below the stated threshold at 21.9% of income.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
615
Unemployed
28
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.4%
Part-time
40.0%
Participation
50.3%
Employed
587
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.6%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
9.1%
Dwellings
607
Transport to Work
Mortlake is highly car dependent because its 354.49 square kilometre footprint is spread across a density of only 4.2 people per square kilometre. Some 71.5% of residents drive to work, compared with 6.9% who walk or cycle, while 15.9% work from home. Local education access includes 2 schools, covering Catholic primary and government Pri to 12 options, giving families a broader sector mix than a single-school setting. Enrolment zones and travel times should be checked against the exact address. Recorded crime totals 101 offences, or 68.4 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 53, crimes against the person at 26, justice procedures at 15 and drug offences at 4. Compared with active-travel options, driving is clearly higher, so daily convenience depends on vehicle access and local services.
Drive
71.5%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
6.9%
Work from Home
15.9%
Growth Outlook
Mortlake's outlook is measured rather than rapid compared with high-growth suburban markets. Forecast annual growth is 1.12%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Across the wider area, the trajectory is labelled Aging and population change over ten years is 18.0%, while the young share has fallen 2.4 percentage points and the senior share has risen 5.4 points. Gentrification is rated Not gentrifying, with a score of 16, although a separate shift indicator records 35 and Early signs. The combination suggests gradual change rather than a sharp redevelopment cycle. Affordability is marked Improving, with the affordability measure moving from 68.2 in 2011 to 56.8 in 2021, while real income growth reached 16.6%. Growth is therefore more likely to follow steady migration and household turnover than major construction activity.
Population trend: Moyne council area
Mortlake sits in the Moyne council area. These are the council area's residents, not Mortlake's.
Residents 2025
17,760
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
101
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
68.4
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 Mortlake compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Mortlake?
Mortlake has 2 local schools, covering a Catholic primary option and a government Pri to 12 college. That provides a broader sector and year-level mix than a suburb with only one primary school. Families should check enrolment zones, transport arrangements and year-level availability against the exact address.
Is Mortlake safe?
Mortlake recorded 101 offences at a rate of 68.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were highest at 53, compared with 26 crimes against the person, 15 justice procedures offences and 4 drug offences. These figures support checking the specific street and recent local conditions rather than making a blanket judgement.
How is Mortlake's population changing?
Mortlake has 1,477 residents today, while population change across the wider area is forecast at 18.0% over ten years. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 5.4 percentage points and the young share fell 2.4 points. Annual growth is 1.12% and overseas migration is the primary driver.
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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