Mount Martha
Mount Martha is a premium Mornington Peninsula market with a median house price of $2.15 million and 43.9% of homes owned outright, giving it a more established wealth profile than many mortgage-led suburbs. Its median age is 46, 6 years above the national benchmark, and the 84.3% separate-house share is higher than apartment-focused coastal areas. Compared with nearby Mornington and Safety Beach, it reads as more detached, family-house oriented and lower density, with 19,846 residents across 30.21 sq km.
Population
19,846
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,097/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$2.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for space, coast and established ownership: the median house price is $2.15 million, up 194.5% from the 2013 level of $730,000 and now at its Apr-Jun 2024 peak. Detached houses dominate at 84.3%, while apartments are only 0.3%, so choice is lower for downsizers wanting compact stock. Mortgage costs sit at 23.9% of income, below common stress levels, because household income is in the 79.3 percentile, but entry prices remain high compared with most Melbourne suburbs.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for space, coast and established ownership: the median house price is $2.15 million, up 194.5% from the 2013 level of $730,000 and now at its Apr-Jun 2024 peak. Detached houses dominate at 84.3%, while apartments are only 0.3%, so choice is lower for downsizers wanting compact stock. Mortgage costs sit at 23.9% of income, below common stress levels, because household income is in the 79.3 percentile, but entry prices remain high compared with most Melbourne suburbs.
For Investors
Mount Martha is a selective rental market rather than a high-turnover investor suburb. Renting is only 12.5%, below many metropolitan areas, and weekly rent is $496 against a $2.15 million median house price, so income returns are constrained by the premium entry cost. Vacancy is high at 14.3%, likely reflecting coastal and lifestyle stock, while only 8 development applications over 12 months point to lower new supply. Demand has support from overseas migration averaging 147 people a year, compared with internal migration at -83.
Development Activity
Total DAs
36
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+700.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Martha iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Balcombe Grammar School
Prep-12 · 954 students
Mount Martha Primary School
Prep-6 · 544 students
Osborne Primary School
Prep-6 · 638 students
Demographics
Mount Martha skews older, educated and locally rooted. The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, while university attainment of 35.0% is 4.9 percentage points higher than the national benchmark. Overseas-born residents are 20.9%, slightly below national levels by 0.7 points, so English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts of 9,442, 2,694 and 2,638 shape the profile. Household size is 2.7, 0.2 above national, because larger detached homes still attract families despite the aging trajectory.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.3%
Houses
15.4%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by large owner-occupied houses: 84.3% are separate houses, 15.4% semi-detached and just 0.3% apartments, a far lower apartment share than inner Melbourne. The bedroom mix reinforces this, with 46.0% having 4 or more bedrooms and 44.0% having 3. Ownership is deep, with 43.9% owned outright and 43.6% mortgaged, while renting is only 12.5%. Prices have climbed from $730,000 in 2013 to $2.15 million in Apr-Jun 2024, an 8.0% annualised rate over 14 years.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$496
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$846
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.3%
Unoccupied
1,176
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.1%
Couples, no children
16,566
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is weighted to stable service sectors and senior occupations. Healthcare employs 1,156 people or 17.9%, above any other listed industry, followed by education at 901 and construction at 892. Professionals number 2,238 and managers 1,725, which helps explain household income in the 79.3 percentile. Unemployment is low at 3.0%, but participation is 56.2% because the median age is higher than national. SEIFA is strong, with IRSD decile 9 and IER decile 10 compared with the national middle.
Unemployment
1.6%
Labour Force
10,568
Unemployed
167
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.9%
Part-time
39.1%
Participation
56.2%
Employed
8,734
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.0%
Postgraduate
7.3%
Born Overseas
20.9%
Dwellings
7,020
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for car-based households seeking schools, space and lower density. Public transport commuting is only 0.5%, far below car driving at 91.5%, because the suburb is spread across 30.21 sq km and is not rail-centred. Three schools sit locally, led by Balcombe Grammar School with ICSEA 1096 and 954 enrolments, plus government primaries at ICSEA 1090 and 1071. Crime is 32.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, and IRSD decile 9 indicates lower disadvantage than the national middle.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.11%/yr
(+223 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The forecast trend adds 223 residents a year, or 1.11% annually, taking the medium population path from 20,941 in 2026 to 22,056 in 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver, with average net overseas migration of 147 a year compared with net internal migration of -83. The shift is aging, with seniors up 5.1 percentage points and young residents down 2.7 points, while the gentrification score is 5 and stage is Not gentrifying because prices are already premium.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+147
Net Internal / yr
-83
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +15% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
651
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
32.8
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 Martha compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Martha a good suburb to live in?
Mount Martha suits households wanting coastal space, schools and a quieter detached-home setting. It has 84.3% separate houses, 3 local schools and a crime rate of 32.8 per 1,000 residents, with SEIFA IRSD decile 9 above the national middle.
What is the median house price in Mount Martha?
The median house price in Mount Martha is $2.15 million for Apr-Jun 2024. That is also the recorded peak, with prices rising 194.5% from $730,000 in 2013, equal to an 8.0% annualised gain over 14 years.
What schools are in Mount Martha?
Mount Martha has 3 listed schools: Balcombe Grammar School, Mount Martha Primary School and Osborne Primary School. ICSEA scores range from 1071 to 1096, with enrolments of 954, 544 and 638 respectively.
Is Mount Martha safe?
Mount Martha recorded 651 offences, equal to 32.8 per 1,000 residents. The largest category was property and deception offences with 358 incidents, followed by 142 justice procedures offences and 90 crimes against the person.
Is Mount Martha good for property investment?
Mount Martha is more a premium capital-value market than a rental-yield suburb. Renting is only 12.5%, vacancy is 14.3% and rent is $496 a week, while the median house price is much higher at $2.15 million.
How is Mount Martha's population changing?
Mount Martha is growing steadily, with a forecast increase of 223 people a year or 1.11% annually. The medium path reaches 22,056 residents by 2031, while the suburb is aging with senior share up 5.1 percentage points.
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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