Mount Riverview
A 3,074-person mountain suburb, Mount Riverview is defined by detached housing, established ownership and a strong work-from-home base. Separate houses account for 99.4% of dwellings, while 47.6% of residents work from home and the median age is 40. Household income ranks at the 84.8th percentile, yet the annual growth trend is below zero at -0.32%, giving the area a more settled profile than an expansion corridor. For buyers comparing nearby Glenbrook and Blaxland, its low-density housing and low-turnover population are key distinctions, alongside a 12.9% turnover rate and 87.1% who stayed at the same address.
Local council: Blue Mountains
Population
3,074
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,248/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
20
Mount Riverview suits buyers seeking a conventional family house rather than apartment stock. Separate dwellings represent 99.4%, with 56.4% containing four or more bedrooms and 40.3% being three-bedroom homes, so land, layout and renovation quality will drive differences between properties. Ownership is established: 42.1% own outright and 46.1% have a mortgage, compared with only 11.8% renting. At $2,383 a month, the stated mortgage cost is higher than the 20.0% rent-to-income measure, while a $450 weekly rent provides a useful comparison for buyers weighing repayments against leasing. Low turnover also favours purchasers planning to hold their home for several years.
For Buyers
Mount Riverview suits buyers seeking a conventional family house rather than apartment stock. Separate dwellings represent 99.4%, with 56.4% containing four or more bedrooms and 40.3% being three-bedroom homes, so land, layout and renovation quality will drive differences between properties. Ownership is established: 42.1% own outright and 46.1% have a mortgage, compared with only 11.8% renting. At $2,383 a month, the stated mortgage cost is higher than the 20.0% rent-to-income measure, while a $450 weekly rent provides a useful comparison for buyers weighing repayments against leasing. Low turnover also favours purchasers planning to hold their home for several years.
For Investors
Investor appeal is constrained by the suburb's owner-occupier structure. Only 11.8% of households rent, versus 42.1% owning outright and 46.1% carrying a mortgage, so the tenant pool is smaller than the resident owner base. Weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 2.4%, a combination that may support leasing when a suitable home is available, but turnover is only 12.9%, limiting regular rental churn. Rent growth has reached 50.0%, while the wider area's growth trend is below zero at -0.32% annually and migration is Balanced. Twenty development applications in 12 months point to ongoing dwelling activity, yet investors should prioritise holding quality and tenant fit over assuming rapid population expansion.
Development Activity
Total DAs
113
Last 12 Months
20
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Riverview
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Mount Riverview has an established, Anglo-leaning demographic profile, with a median age of 40, 2.8 people per household and 87.1% of residents staying at the same address. University attainment is 37.6%, which is 7.5 percentage points above the national comparison, while 15.4% were born overseas, 6.2 points below national levels. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 1,369, 463 and 367, and Christianity and no religion account for 1,621 and 1,290 people respectively. Couples with children represent 46.5% of families and couples without children 40.3%, helping explain the suburb's family orientation, even as the aging trajectory and 4.0% senior-share increase point to changing needs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
0.4%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and comparatively owner-held. Separate houses make up 99.4% of dwellings, far higher than the 0.3% apartment share and the 0.4% semi-detached share. Tenure is split between 42.1% owned outright and 46.1% mortgaged, while only 11.8% is rented, indicating a settled market with limited investor stock. The bedroom mix is also family-sized: 56.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 40.3% have three. Average household size is 2.8. Rent-to-income pressure at 20.0% is lower than mortgage-to-income pressure at 24.5%, even as affordability worsened from 43.0 in 2011 to 54.3 in 2021. Compare each street carefully because house condition, block size and outlook can change value.
Mortgage / mo
$2,383
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $450.
$660
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $670
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$918
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.4%
Unoccupied
27
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.5%
Couples with children
40.3%
Couples, no children
12.4%
Single parent
909
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mount Riverview's economic base is professional and service-oriented. Education is the largest listed industry at 19.6% and 215 workers, followed by healthcare at 18.0% and 197, public administration at 10.8% and 118, construction at 10.2% and 112, and professional and technical services at 8.0% and 88. Occupations reinforce that pattern, led by 433 professionals, 231 managers and 222 clerical or administrative workers. Unemployment is 3.2%, participation is 62.1% and full-time work is 59.8%, supporting household income of $2,248 weekly at the 84.8th percentile. That income rank is above the national midpoint, but IRSAD, IRSD, IEO and IER all sit at decile 1. This contrast matters because household purchasing power and area-wide disadvantage can coexist, affecting service access and buyer expectations.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
1,508
Unemployed
49
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.8%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
62.1%
Employed
1,459
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.6%
Postgraduate
10.4%
Born Overseas
15.4%
Dwellings
1,081
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households that can use a car or work from home. Car driving accounts for 47.0% of journeys and working from home for 47.6%, compared with 1.3% using public transport and 0.3% walking or cycling, so daily access is more car-reliant than active or transit-based. Mount Riverview Public School provides one government primary school in the suburb; families should verify enrolment zones against the exact address and plan secondary access separately. The IRSAD decile is 1, while household income ranks at the 84.8th percentile, a contrast that warrants checking local services and street-level conditions. For safety decisions, inspect the area at different times and consult current police information, since conditions can vary between streets.
Drive
47.0%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.3%
Work from Home
47.6%
Growth Outlook
Mount Riverview is an established, slow-growth suburb. Across the wider area, the annual trend is below zero at -0.32%, while population change over 10 years is -5.3%. The primary migration driver is Balanced, so growth is not being powered by a single strong inflow. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.0% and the young share down 4.7%, consistent with the 87.1% address-stay rate and established housing stock. Affordability worsened from 43.0 in 2011 to 54.3 in 2021, while rent growth reached 50.0%. Gentrification is recorded as score 0, Not gentrifying, while the shift indicators show 25 and Early signs. Together, these signals favour gradual change over rapid redevelopment.
Population trend: Blue Mountains council area
Mount Riverview sits in the Blue Mountains council area. These are the council area's residents, not Mount Riverview's.
Residents 2025
79,236
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.1%/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
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Riverview compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Riverview a good suburb to live in?
Mount Riverview suits households wanting detached homes, an established setting and strong work-from-home capacity. It has 99.4% separate houses, 47.6% working from home and 1 government primary school, but transport is car-oriented, with 47.0% driving.
What is the median house price in Mount Riverview?
Check current sales data before relying on a median, because 99.4% of dwellings are separate houses and block size, renovation quality and outlook can produce wide price differences. A $450 weekly rent is useful when assessing holding costs, but it is not a substitute for a current sale median.
What schools are in Mount Riverview?
Mount Riverview Public School is the suburb's 1 government primary school. Confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address, then check nearby secondary-school options and travel times, as access can differ across the Blue Mountains area. The suburb has 3,074 residents, so demand should be assessed at address level.
Is Mount Riverview safe?
Use current NSW Police and council information, inspect streets at different times and ask about the immediate pocket before deciding. Mount Riverview has 3,074 residents, but population size does not establish safety, and a single suburb-wide impression may not reflect conditions on every street.
Is Mount Riverview good for property investment?
Investment is more defensive than growth-led: rent is $450 a week, vacancy is 2.4% and only 11.8% of households rent, while the wider area's annual trend is -0.32%. The 50.0% rent-growth figure is supportive, but Balanced migration and an aging trajectory favour careful property selection over rapid-growth assumptions.
How is Mount Riverview's population changing?
The population is 3,074 today, while the wider area's 10-year change is -5.3% and its annual trend is -0.32%. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.0% and the young share down 4.7%, so change is more likely to involve household turnover and service needs than rapid expansion.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
Explore Mount Riverview on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map