Olinda
Only 1,773 people live across Olinda's 17.75 square kilometres in the Dandenong Ranges, producing one of Victoria's most sparsely settled footprints at 99.9 persons per km2. That low density is paired with high affluence: household income sits at the 74.7th percentile nationally and all four SEIFA indexes land at decile 9, placing Olinda well above the national average on advantage. An unusually high 85.5% of residents stayed at the same address over the five-year period, almost 15 points above typical metropolitan turnover, signalling the kind of deep residential attachment that suppresses supply and underpins prices. The median house price reached $1,065,000 in mid-2024, more than double the $496,000 recorded in 2013.
Population
1,773
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,995/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
Olinda's $1,065,000 median house price as of April to June 2024 reflects 114.7% growth since 2013, a compound annual rate of 5.6% over 14 years. The market peaked at $1,125,000 in 2021 and sits 5.3% below that peak, which is a modest correction compared to sharper pullbacks seen in many metropolitan areas. The dwelling mix is almost exclusively separate houses at 99.4%, so buyers are not choosing between house and apartment. Bedroom counts skew large, with 40.5% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 41.3% having three, making Olinda better suited to families than singles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000 and mortgage-to-income at 23.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning households carrying debt are not financially stretched relative to the national average.
For Buyers
Olinda's $1,065,000 median house price as of April to June 2024 reflects 114.7% growth since 2013, a compound annual rate of 5.6% over 14 years. The market peaked at $1,125,000 in 2021 and sits 5.3% below that peak, which is a modest correction compared to sharper pullbacks seen in many metropolitan areas. The dwelling mix is almost exclusively separate houses at 99.4%, so buyers are not choosing between house and apartment. Bedroom counts skew large, with 40.5% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 41.3% having three, making Olinda better suited to families than singles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000 and mortgage-to-income at 23.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning households carrying debt are not financially stretched relative to the national average.
For Investors
The rental market in Olinda is thin relative to the price level. Only 12.3% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, and weekly rent sits at $398, which against a $1,065,000 median implies a gross yield under 2%. The vacancy rate of 12.3% is elevated, pointing to periods of extended time on the rental market. Development activity is essentially absent, with zero applications in the past 12 months, so no new supply is entering the market. The brief does not include a population growth forecast, but the low turnover rate of 14.5% and stable owner-occupier base suggest very limited rental stock will emerge from ownership churn. Investors should weigh capital growth credentials, with a 114.7% price gain since 2013, against sub-2% yields and low rental demand.
Schools in Olinda iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Olinda Primary School
Prep-6 · 13 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, making Olinda one of the older communities in the outer east. University qualifications reach 41.0% of residents, which is 10.9 percentage points above the national rate, consistent with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with English (790), Scottish (244) and Irish (231) the leading groups. Overseas-born residents make up 19.5%, which is 2.1 percentage points below the national share, reinforcing an established local-born character. The volunteering rate is high at 23.6%, a pattern associated with community investment and longer residential tenure, and 85.5% of residents did not move in the five-year period before the census.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Olinda's housing stock is 99.4% separate houses, the highest concentration possible among standard dwelling types, with semi-detached at just 0.6% and no recorded apartments. The tenure split tells a story of established ownership: 38.8% own outright, 48.9% are under mortgage, and only 12.3% rent. Outright owners are unusually high relative to the 48.9% mortgage share, reflecting a mix of long-term residents who have paid down debt and newer buyers who entered at elevated prices. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 40.5% and three-bedroom homes 41.3%, producing a median-sized household with few small or studio dwellings. Prices climbed from $496,000 in 2013 to a peak of $1,125,000 in 2021 before easing to $1,065,000 by mid-2024, a still-strong 114.7% total gain compared to many regional benchmarks.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$398
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$859
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.3%
Unoccupied
91
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.4%
Couples, no children
1,408
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Olinda's employment at 15.7% (102 workers), followed by Education at 13.4% (87) and Professional or Technical services at 11.2% (73), with Construction at 10.0% (65) and Public Administration at 8.4% (55). By occupation, Professionals (234) and Managers (175) are the top two groups, consistent with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation advantage. The full-time employment rate is 58.9% and the unemployment rate is 4.3%, both within normal ranges. Personal weekly income of $859 sits above the level expected for lower decile areas, though participation at 58.2% reflects the older median age keeping a larger share out of the labour force, with 465 residents recorded as not in the labour force. The 4.9% needing daily assistance is a moderate figure for an aging community.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.9%
Part-time
36.8%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
811
Occupations
Top Industries
University
41.0%
Postgraduate
12.1%
Born Overseas
19.5%
Dwellings
642
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme in Olinda, with 86.6% of residents driving to work and only 1.8% using public transport, reflecting the rural topography and distance from rail corridors in the Dandenong Ranges. Walking and cycling account for 6.1%, above what typical car-dependent outer suburbs record. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on neighbouring communities. The safety picture is moderate: 68 total offences in the reference period give a crime rate of 38.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences make up 30 of those, and crimes against the person 27. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD, indicating high advantage relative to most of Australia, with low housing cost stress at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.2% and rent-to-income of 19.9%.
Drive
86.6%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
6.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
68
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
38.4
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 Olinda compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Olinda a good suburb to live in?
Olinda scores decile 9 on all four SEIFA advantage indexes, placing it well above the national average. Household income sits at the 74.7th percentile nationally. The trade-offs are extreme car dependence, with 86.6% driving to work, no schools recorded inside the suburb boundary, and limited public transport at 1.8% usage.
What is the median house price in Olinda?
The median house price is $1,065,000 as of April to June 2024. Prices have grown 114.7% since 2013 when the median was $496,000, a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000 and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.2% sits below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Olinda?
No schools are recorded inside the Olinda suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Dandenong Ranges communities. Despite this, 41.0% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 10.9 percentage points above the national figure, suggesting families prioritise education through commuting to local schools.
Is Olinda safe?
Olinda recorded 68 total offences in the reference period, giving a crime rate of 38.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 30 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 27. The decile 9 IRSD score indicates very low relative disadvantage, which correlates with lower crime risk nationally.
Is Olinda good for property investment?
Olinda has produced 114.7% price growth since 2013, with a compound annual rate of 5.6% over 14 years. However, rental demand is low, with only 12.3% of dwellings rented, rent of $398 per week implying a gross yield below 2% against the $1,065,000 median, and a vacancy rate of 12.3%. The investment case depends on capital growth, not yield.
How is Olinda's population changing?
Olinda has a population of 1,773 across 17.75 km2. The suburb shows high stability with 85.5% of residents remaining at the same address over the five-year census period and a turnover rate of just 14.5%. The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, pointing to an aging but settled community rather than a high-growth one.
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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