Pakenham Upper
At 32 square kilometres with only 1,196 residents, Pakenham Upper carries a density of just 37.4 people per km2, far below the typical outer-Melbourne suburb. What makes this figure striking is that household income sits at the 93.6th percentile nationally, combining genuine rural spread with high-income residents. The mortgage-to-income ratio is just 21.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, and 44.1% of dwellings are owned outright. Every dwelling recorded here is a separate house, with 58.2% having four or more bedrooms, which points to large acreage families rather than subdivision-era housing.
Population
1,196
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,593/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median house price data is not available for Pakenham Upper due to the small transaction volume typical of a 1,196-person rural enclave. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 21.4%, compared to the 30% stress benchmark, which means buyers here carry far less financial strain than most VIC suburbs. All dwellings are separate houses, and 58.2% have four or more bedrooms, so the product is consistently large. Outright ownership at 44.1% exceeds the national average, suggesting long-tenure landholders rather than recent purchasers dominate the ownership base. Acreage buyers seeking low density will find less than 4 residents per hectare on average.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not available for Pakenham Upper due to the small transaction volume typical of a 1,196-person rural enclave. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 21.4%, compared to the 30% stress benchmark, which means buyers here carry far less financial strain than most VIC suburbs. All dwellings are separate houses, and 58.2% have four or more bedrooms, so the product is consistently large. Outright ownership at 44.1% exceeds the national average, suggesting long-tenure landholders rather than recent purchasers dominate the ownership base. Acreage buyers seeking low density will find less than 4 residents per hectare on average.
For Investors
Rental demand in Pakenham Upper is thin, with only 3.5% of dwellings tenanted, which is well below the state average, and the vacancy rate stands at 5.0%, indicating limited rental market depth. Weekly rent averages $255, modest given household incomes at the 93.6th national percentile, reflecting the absence of a transient renter population. Development activity is minimal at 2 planning permits lodged in the past 12 months, confirming this is a low-churn market. The investment case rests almost entirely on land value appreciation and long hold periods rather than yield, as the gross yield implied by $255 weekly rent is low against typical acreage prices in this corridor.
Development Activity
Total DAs
7
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age is 44, which is 4 years above the national figure, reflecting a settled, family-oriented population with few younger renters. Overseas-born residents account for 15.2%, which is 6.4 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (483), Irish (152) and Scottish (144). University qualifications reach 28.9%, which is 1.2 percentage points below national, a modest gap given the high income profile. Average household size is 3.0, which is 0.5 above the national figure, consistent with the large-dwelling, families-with-children profile: couples with children make up 456 of 1,052 families. The volunteering rate of 17.2% is comparatively high.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every single dwelling in Pakenham Upper is a separate house, 100% detached, a figure that stands above virtually all suburban benchmarks. The bedroom profile reinforces the acreage character: 58.2% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 35.4% have three bedrooms, with only 5.6% having two bedrooms. Tenure is dominated by outright owners at 44.1%, with mortgage holders at 52.4% and renters at just 3.5%, well below state norms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400 against a household weekly income of $2,593, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, below the stress threshold of 30%. Rent-to-income sits at 9.8%, notably affordable compared to metropolitan benchmarks.
Mortgage / mo
$2,400
Rent / wk
$255
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$880
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
20
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
9.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.0%
Couples, no children
1,052
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is the dominant industry at 20.2% of employed residents (88 workers), higher than most VIC suburbs, which aligns with the semi-rural character where tradespeople and owner-builders concentrate. Healthcare follows at 15.4% (67 workers) and Education at 11.0% (48 workers). By occupation, Professionals (129) and Managers (122) are the top two categories, indicating a high-skilled workforce despite the rural setting. The unemployment rate of 1.8% is low compared to the national average, and the full-time employment rate of 58.1% is healthy. Participation rate is 67.1%, and only 12 residents are recorded as unemployed from a working-age population, confirming that employment is not a pressure point here.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.1%
Part-time
40.1%
Participation
67.1%
Employed
651
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.9%
Postgraduate
5.3%
Born Overseas
15.2%
Dwellings
383
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total, with 92.8% of residents commuting by car, which is expected for a low-density area 32 km2 in size with no recorded public transport usage. Walking and cycling account for 1.4% of commutes. Crime recorded 91 incidents in the reporting period, giving a rate of 76.1 per 1,000 residents, driven primarily by property and deception offences (51 incidents). No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Pakenham and surrounding areas. Housing stress is low: both rent-to-income at 9.8% and mortgage-to-income at 21.4% sit below the 30% national stress reference. Only 4.1% of residents need daily assistance, lower than the national average.
Drive
92.8%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
91
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
76.1
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 Pakenham Upper compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pakenham Upper a good suburb to live in?
Pakenham Upper suits those seeking low-density acreage living with strong financial foundations. Household income sits at the 93.6th national percentile, and mortgage-to-income of 21.4% is well below the 30% stress threshold. The trade-offs are no recorded public transport and no schools within the suburb boundary, requiring car travel for most daily needs.
What is the median house price in Pakenham Upper?
Median house price data is not available for Pakenham Upper due to low transaction volumes in this 1,196-person suburb. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400, and weekly rent averages $255. All dwellings are separate houses, with 58.2% having four or more bedrooms, reflecting the acreage character of the area.
What schools are in Pakenham Upper?
No schools are recorded within the Pakenham Upper suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in the neighbouring Pakenham area. University qualifications among residents reach 28.9%, slightly below the national figure, and the suburb has a median age of 44, reflecting a settled family and semi-retiree population.
Is Pakenham Upper safe?
Pakenham Upper recorded 91 total crimes in the reporting period, a rate of 76.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for the largest share at 51 incidents, followed by justice procedures offences (20) and crimes against the person (13). Low population density and a 86.4% residential stability rate are contextual factors.
Is Pakenham Upper good for property investment?
The investment case is limited for yield-focused buyers. Only 3.5% of dwellings are rented, well below state norms, and weekly rent averages $255 with a vacancy rate of 5.0%. Development activity is minimal at 2 permits in 12 months. Long-term land value appreciation in the outer Melbourne acreage corridor is the more credible investment thesis than rental income.
How is Pakenham Upper's population changing?
Population forecast data is not available for this 1,196-person suburb, but residential stability is high: 86.4% of residents stayed at the same address in the 5 years prior to the Census, compared to much higher turnover rates in metropolitan suburbs. Low density of 37.4 residents per km2 and minimal planning permit activity suggest slow, gradual change rather than rapid 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.
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