Morwell
Affordability defines Morwell: a $331,500 median house price sits alongside 86.0% separate houses, giving buyers far more detached stock than many regional centres. Compared with nearby Traralgon and Moe, Morwell's profile is shaped by lower income capacity, with household income at the 10.2 percentile nationally, and by practical risks such as 10.0% rental vacancy and a 334.1 per 1k crime rate. The 14,389 population and median age of 43 point to a settled Latrobe Valley centre rather than a fast-growth market.
Population
14,389
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$942/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median House
$332K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers get price relief, but not without trade-offs. The median house price is $331,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, which is 11.6% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $375,000, so recent buyers have more negotiating room than at the top of the cycle. Detached living dominates because 86.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 54.0% have 3 bedrooms. A $953 monthly mortgage and 23.4% mortgage-to-income ratio look manageable, although local household income sits at only the 10.2 percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get price relief, but not without trade-offs. The median house price is $331,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, which is 11.6% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $375,000, so recent buyers have more negotiating room than at the top of the cycle. Detached living dominates because 86.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 54.0% have 3 bedrooms. A $953 monthly mortgage and 23.4% mortgage-to-income ratio look manageable, although local household income sits at only the 10.2 percentile nationally.
For Investors
Morwell's investment case is yield-led rather than scarcity-led. Renters occupy 35.2% of homes and median rent is $215 a week, but the 10.0% vacancy rate means leasing risk is higher than in tighter markets. Development activity is moderate at 18 applications over 12 months, so new supply is present but not overwhelming. Demand has a migration base because overseas migration averages 50 people a year, while internal migration averages 16 people leaving, making tenant selection and rent setting important.
Development Activity
Total DAs
62
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+72.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Morwell iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Vincent de Paul's School
Prep-6 · 215 students
Sacred Heart School
Prep-6 · 102 students
Kurnai College
7-12 · 1302 students
Morwell Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 332 students
Morwell Central Primary School
Prep-6 · 419 students
Demographics
Morwell is older, more locally born and less university-qualified than the national profile. The median age is 43, which is 3.0 years above national, while 18.2% of residents were born overseas, 3.4 percentage points below national. University attainment is 12.8%, sitting 17.3 percentage points below national, and average household size is 2.2, or 0.3 lower than national. English ancestry is the largest reported group at 5,217 people, with Scottish at 1,328 and Irish at 1,156, while Italian is the largest listed non-English language at 137 speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.0%
Houses
6.3%
Townhouse
7.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Morwell's housing market has risen substantially over the long run but has cooled from its latest peak. The median moved from $160,000 in 2013 to $331,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 107.2% gain and a 5.3% CAGR over 14 years, yet it remains 11.6% below the $375,000 peak in Apr-Jun 2023. Ownership is broad, with 38.7% owned outright, 26.0% mortgaged and 35.2% rented. The stock is heavily detached at 86.0%, while apartments are only 7.3%, keeping the market more house-focused than unit-focused.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$953
Rent / wk
$215
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$522
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.0%
Unoccupied
647
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.7%
Couples, no children
9,665
Total families
Economy & Employment
Morwell's economy is anchored in services and public-facing work, but labour market pressure is clear. Healthcare is the largest industry at 22.7% and 591 workers, followed by education at 9.4%, public admin at 9.2%, construction at 8.6% and retail at 7.6%. Labourers are the largest occupation group at 732 people, ahead of community and personal service workers at 698. Unemployment is 11.9% and participation is 41.0%, which helps explain why IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all sit in decile 1 nationally.
Unemployment
12.8%
Labour Force
6,128
Unemployed
785
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.5%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
41.0%
Employed
4,296
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.8%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
18.2%
Dwellings
5,810
Transport to Work
Daily life in Morwell is car-based. Public transport accounts for 1.6% of commuting, while 87.3% drive and 3.5% walk or cycle, so access works best for households with reliable vehicles. Schooling includes 5 local schools with Catholic and government options, and ICSEA ranges from 888 to 1001. St Vincent de Paul's School leads at 1001 with 215 enrolments, Sacred Heart School records 970, and Kurnai College has 1,302 students. The main livability constraint is safety, with crime at 334.1 per 1k and IRSAD in decile 1.
Drive
87.3%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.16%/yr
(+23 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is very slow and ageing is the key shift. The trend rate is 0.16% a year, or about 23 people annually, taking the medium projection to 14,572 by 2031, only higher than the current 14,389 base by a small margin. Migration is led by overseas arrivals, averaging 50 people a year, while internal migration averages 16 people leaving. The age mix is moving older because the senior share rose 3.6 points and the young share fell 1.2 points. Forecast gentrification is score 0, stage Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+50
Net Internal / yr
-16
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
4,808
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
334.1
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 Morwell compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Morwell a good suburb to live in?
Morwell can suit buyers prioritising price and detached housing: the median house price is $331,500 and 86.0% of dwellings are separate houses. Trade-offs include a 334.1 per 1k crime rate and car reliance at 87.3% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Morwell?
The median house price in Morwell is $331,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 11.6% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $375,000, but still 107.2% above the 2013 starting point of $160,000.
What schools are in Morwell?
Morwell has 5 listed schools: 2 Catholic primary schools and 3 government schools across primary and secondary levels. ICSEA spans 888 to 1001, with St Vincent de Paul's School at 1001 and Kurnai College enrolling 1,302 students.
Is Morwell safe?
Morwell records 4,808 offences and a crime rate of 334.1 per 1k residents. Property and deception offences account for 1,781, with justice procedure offences at 1,597, so safety checks at street level matter.
Is Morwell good for property investment?
Morwell has investor appeal on affordability, with a $331,500 median house price and 35.2% renting. The caution is vacancy at 10.0%, so returns depend on buying well and allowing for longer leasing periods.
How is Morwell's population changing?
Morwell's growth is slow: the trend adds about 23 people a year, or 0.16%. The medium path reaches 14,572 people by 2031, while migration is led by 50 overseas arrivals and 16 internal net departures annually.
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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