Mount Eliza
Premium, low-density housing defines Mount Eliza: 91.8% of dwellings are separate houses and the median house price is $1,600,000. Household income sits in the 92.8 percentile nationally, which helps explain why ownership is high and renting is only 8.6%. Compared with busier Mornington and more urban Frankston South, Mount Eliza reads as a quieter, established bayside market with an older median age of 45 and slow annual growth of 0.41%. Its strengths are space, schools and wealth, while the trade-off is car reliance at 90.2%.
Population
18,734
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,547/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
52
Median House
$1.6M
Apr-Jun 2024
Mount Eliza suits buyers seeking larger detached homes rather than apartments: 91.8% of dwellings are separate houses, 58.2% have 4 or more bedrooms and apartments are only 4.4%. The $1,600,000 median house price is below the 2022 peak of $1,730,500 but still 113.3% higher than the 2013 level of $750,000, so entry remains premium. Holding costs look manageable for many local households because mortgage payments sit at 23.6% of income, below common stress thresholds, supported by household income in the 92.8 national percentile.
For Buyers
Mount Eliza suits buyers seeking larger detached homes rather than apartments: 91.8% of dwellings are separate houses, 58.2% have 4 or more bedrooms and apartments are only 4.4%. The $1,600,000 median house price is below the 2022 peak of $1,730,500 but still 113.3% higher than the 2013 level of $750,000, so entry remains premium. Holding costs look manageable for many local households because mortgage payments sit at 23.6% of income, below common stress thresholds, supported by household income in the 92.8 national percentile.
For Investors
Mount Eliza is a low-rental-supply market, with renters making up just 8.6% of households compared with 46.2% owned outright and 45.2% mortgaged. Median rent is $512 weekly, and rent has risen 42.2% across the shift period, but the 6.4% vacancy rate is higher than tight inner-market conditions. The investment case is therefore more capital-preservation than yield-led. Demand is supported by 34 development applications over 12 months and overseas migration of 192 people a year, although net internal migration is lower at -130 a year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
73
Last 12 Months
52
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+420.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Eliza iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Toorak College
Prep-12 · 901 students
Peninsula Grammar
Prep-12 · 1270 students
Mount Eliza North Primary School
Prep-6 · 514 students
St Thomas More's School
Prep-6 · 287 students
Kunyung Primary School
Prep-6 · 762 students
Demographics
Mount Eliza is older, wealthier and more locally rooted than the national average. The median age is 45, which is 5.0 years above the national benchmark, and university attainment is 44.2%, or 14.1 percentage points higher than nationally. Overseas-born residents make up 23.0%, only 1.4 points above the national figure, so the ancestry profile leans strongly English, Irish and Scottish with counts of 8,857, 2,427 and 2,390. Average household size is 2.8, higher by 0.3, reflecting family-sized homes rather than small rental households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.8%
Houses
3.8%
Townhouse
4.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the core signal in Mount Eliza. The latest median house price of $1,600,000 is 7.5% below the 2022 peak of $1,730,500, yet it remains 113.3% above the 2013 trough of $750,000, equal to a 5.6% CAGR over 14 years. Compared with denser bayside suburbs, the structure is overwhelmingly detached: 91.8% separate houses, 3.8% semi-detached and 4.4% apartments. Ownership depth is high, with 46.2% owned outright and renting only 8.6%, because long-held family homes dominate the local stock.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wk
$512
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$966
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
428
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.5%
Couples, no children
16,135
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mount Eliza has an affluent professional economy rather than an industrial base. Healthcare leads at 17.1% of workers, followed by education at 13.5%, professional and tech at 12.6%, construction at 11.6% and manufacturing at 6.9%. Occupations sit above average in skill and seniority, with 2,524 professionals and 1,951 managers. Unemployment is low at 3.5%, while participation is 58.2%, partly lower because the suburb has an older age profile. SEIFA confirms the advantage: IRSAD, IRSD and IER are all decile 10, with IEO still high at decile 9.
Unemployment
1.2%
Labour Force
9,864
Unemployed
116
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.4%
Part-time
37.1%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
8,361
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.2%
Postgraduate
10.6%
Born Overseas
23.0%
Dwellings
6,275
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for families who drive and value schools, space and lower crime exposure. There are 7 local schools with ICSEA scores from 1063 to 1151; Toorak College at 1151 and Peninsula Grammar at 1125 anchor the independent sector, while Mount Eliza North Primary at 1119 adds a high-scoring government option. Crime is 35.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 657 total offences, and IRSAD is decile 10, above most Victorian suburbs. The main constraint is transport: 90.2% drive to work and only 1.2% use public transport.
Drive
90.2%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.41%/yr
(+78 people/yr)
EstablishedMount Eliza is on a slow-growth path, not a rapid infill trajectory. The trend forecast adds 0.41% a year, or about 78 residents annually, taking the medium projection from 19,267 in 2026 to 19,658 in 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 192 net people a year, but this is partly offset by net internal migration of -130, showing some locals move out despite external demand. The shift trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 3.8 and working share down 3.4. The formal gentrification score is 0, stage Not gentrifying, below reinvention markets.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+192
Net Internal / yr
-130
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -130/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
657
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.1
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 Mount Eliza compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Eliza a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for households prioritising space, schools and a premium coastal setting. It has 7 local schools, 91.8% separate houses and an IRSAD decile of 10, although daily life is car-dependent with 90.2% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Mount Eliza?
The median house price in Mount Eliza is $1,600,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 7.5% below the 2022 peak of $1,730,500, but still 113.3% higher than the 2013 level of $750,000.
What schools are in Mount Eliza?
Mount Eliza has 7 schools across Independent, Government and Catholic sectors. Top ICSEA results include Toorak College at 1151, Peninsula Grammar at 1125 and Mount Eliza North Primary School at 1119.
Is Mount Eliza safe?
Mount Eliza records 657 offences, equal to 35.1 crimes per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 350, followed by crimes against the person at 119.
Is Mount Eliza good for property investment?
It suits investors seeking established, premium housing more than high rental turnover. Renters are only 8.6% of households, vacancy is 6.4% and the median rent is $512 weekly, while long-term house prices are up 113.3% since 2013.
How is Mount Eliza's population changing?
Growth is slow, with the trend forecast at 0.41% a year or 78 residents annually. The medium projection rises from 19,267 in 2026 to 19,658 in 2031, driven by 192 net overseas migrants a year and offset by -130 internal migration.
Is there much development in Mount Eliza?
Development is active but not high-rise led, with 34 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include a single dwelling, a tennis pavilion and fencing or vegetation works, which fits the established housing pattern of 91.8% separate houses.
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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