Ouyen
At 1,533 square kilometres with just 1,170 residents, Ouyen is one of Victoria's most sparsely settled towns, averaging 0.8 people per square kilometre. The median house price of $240,000 sits well below the national average, yet the suburb delivered a 220% price gain since 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% over 14 years. The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national figure, and 53.1% of homes are owned outright, the highest ownership-without-debt rate seen in low-income postcodes. Household income sits in just the 17th percentile nationally, yet housing costs consume only 15.5% of income for mortgagors, far below the 30% stress threshold.
Population
1,170
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,092/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$240K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $240,000 median house price makes Ouyen among the most affordable entry points in Victoria compared to state and national medians. Monthly mortgage repayments average $734, and mortgage-to-income sits at 15.5%, well below the 30% stress benchmark. Detached houses dominate at 95.8% of all dwellings, giving buyers rare stock consistency. The bedroom split leans practical: 56.1% are 3-bedroom homes and 24.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, so families get full-size houses at a fraction of metropolitan cost. Outright ownership at 53.1% is unusually high, signalling long-held properties changing hands infrequently. The vacancy rate of 15.5% is elevated compared to typical metro rates, which means buyers have selection but should scrutinise holding costs before committing.
For Buyers
The $240,000 median house price makes Ouyen among the most affordable entry points in Victoria compared to state and national medians. Monthly mortgage repayments average $734, and mortgage-to-income sits at 15.5%, well below the 30% stress benchmark. Detached houses dominate at 95.8% of all dwellings, giving buyers rare stock consistency. The bedroom split leans practical: 56.1% are 3-bedroom homes and 24.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, so families get full-size houses at a fraction of metropolitan cost. Outright ownership at 53.1% is unusually high, signalling long-held properties changing hands infrequently. The vacancy rate of 15.5% is elevated compared to typical metro rates, which means buyers have selection but should scrutinise holding costs before committing.
For Investors
Ouyen's 15.5% vacancy rate is the central risk for investors, sitting substantially higher than the 2-3% range typical of tightly held markets. Weekly rent is $165 against a $240,000 median, implying a gross yield of roughly 3.6%, modest for a rural location. Renting accounts for only 21.7% of households, limiting the tenant pool. On the upside, prices rose from $75,000 in 2013 to $240,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 220% gain that outpaces many regional peers. Only 2 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, confirming this is a market where supply is static rather than expanding. Investors who focus on capital growth over yield will find the 8.7% CAGR over 14 years compelling, though the thinness of tenant demand warrants caution.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ouyen iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Ouyen P-12 College
Prep-12 · 196 students
Demographics
The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national figure, one of the most pronounced aging gaps in Victoria. Only 6.7% of residents were born overseas, which is 14.9 percentage points below the national share, reflecting limited recent migration to this remote agricultural area. University qualifications stand at 17.9%, which is 12.2 points below national, consistent with a workforce dominated by trade, agricultural, and healthcare occupations rather than knowledge-economy roles. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic: English (424), Irish (135) and Scottish (114) are the three largest groups. Average household size of 2.1 is 0.4 below national, in line with an older resident base where 40.8% of families are couples without children at home. A volunteering rate of 32.7% is notably high for a small town.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.8%
Houses
3.3%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
House prices rose from $75,000 in 2013 to $240,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 220% increase over 14 years at a CAGR of 8.7%. The current price equals the peak, meaning buyers are not entering at a discounted level relative to recent history. Tenure is tilted heavily toward ownership: 53.1% own outright, 25.2% carry a mortgage, and only 21.7% rent, a profile more common in retired farming communities than general suburbs. The stock is 95.8% separate houses, with semi-detached at 3.3%, and apartments effectively absent. Three-bedroom homes make up 56.1% of dwellings. Rent-to-income at 15.1% is well below the national stress threshold, making the rental market affordable for tenants compared to most Australian postcodes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$734
Rent / wk
$165
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$614
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.5%
Unoccupied
89
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.8%
Couples, no children
764
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 23.3% of jobs (66 workers), followed by Agriculture at 19.4% (55 workers) and Education at 14.5% (41 workers). Construction (7.8%) and Transport (6.7%) round out the top five, reflecting a services-and-primary-production economy rather than a knowledge or manufacturing base. The occupation mix shows Managers (124) as the largest group, which in a rural context typically means farm operators and small business owners rather than corporate roles. The unemployment rate of 4.4% is modest, though the participation rate of just 46.6% signals a large retiree population outside the labour force entirely, with 414 people classified as not in the labour force. Full-time employment among those who do work runs at 65.3%, in line with the national average.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.3%
Part-time
30.3%
Participation
46.6%
Employed
452
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.9%
Postgraduate
3.2%
Born Overseas
6.7%
Dwellings
480
Transport to Work
Ouyen's liveability is defined by car dependence and community self-reliance. Car use for travel to work reaches 80.9%, expected given the absence of public transport data and the vast 1,533 km2 catchment area. Walking or cycling accounts for 11.6% of work trips, which is above average for a rural town and reflects the compact town centre. No schools appear in the suburb boundary dataset, so families rely on facilities in the broader Mallee region. Crime totals 67 incidents, with a rate of 57.3 per 1,000 residents, elevated above typical low-density regional towns, though the dominant categories are justice procedure offences (21) and property offences (20) rather than violent crime. Volunteering at 32.7% is well above the national average, pointing to the community interdependence that characterises remote agricultural towns. Housing stress is low: both rent-to-income (15.1%) and mortgage-to-income (15.5%) sit comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
80.9%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
11.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
67
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.3
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 Ouyen compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ouyen a good suburb to live in?
Ouyen suits buyers who value affordability and space over urban amenity. The $240,000 median house price is well below state and national averages, housing stress is low at 15.5% mortgage-to-income, and 53.1% of homes are owned outright. The trade-off is a remote location spanning 1,533 km2 with limited public transport and an aging population, with a median age of 52, which is 12 years above the national figure.
What is the median house price in Ouyen?
The median house price is $240,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024. This represents a 220% increase from $75,000 in 2013, a CAGR of 8.7% over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $734 and weekly rent is $165.
What schools are in Ouyen?
No schools are recorded within the Ouyen suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the region access educational facilities across the broader Mallee area. Locally, 17.9% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.2 points below the national average, consistent with a workforce concentrated in agriculture, healthcare, and trades.
Is Ouyen safe?
Ouyen recorded 67 total crimes, giving a rate of 57.3 per 1,000 residents. The top categories are justice procedure offences (21 incidents), property and deception offences (20) and crimes against the person (15). For context, the town's 1,170 residents and remote location mean small absolute numbers move the per-1,000 rate significantly.
Is Ouyen good for property investment?
Ouyen's 8.7% CAGR over 14 years and a 220% price gain from $75,000 to $240,000 are strong capital growth credentials for a remote market. However, the 15.5% vacancy rate is high, weekly rent of $165 implies a gross yield near 3.6%, and only 21.7% of households rent, limiting tenant pool depth. It suits long-hold investors tolerant of low liquidity.
How is Ouyen's population changing?
Ouyen has 1,170 residents across 1,533 km2, giving a density of 0.8 people per km2. The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national figure, and 86% of residents stayed at the same address in the prior year, indicating very low population churn. The aging profile and limited overseas migration (6.7% born overseas, 14.9 points below national) suggest gradual natural population decline rather than growth.
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.
Explore Ouyen on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map