Porepunkah
At a median age of 46, Porepunkah skews 6 years older than the national average, making it one of the more mature communities in the Alpine Valley region. House prices sit at $820,000 as of mid-2024, down 20.8% from the 2022 peak of $1,035,000, yet still 136.3% above the $347,000 recorded in 2013. Separate houses account for 94.6% of all dwellings, the stock is almost entirely detached, and 45% of residents own outright without a mortgage. The vacancy rate of 12.2% is notably high compared to most regional Victorian suburbs, signalling a meaningful proportion of holiday or investment properties in the mix.
Population
1,024
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,576/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$820K
Apr-Jun 2024
The current median house price of $820,000 sits well below the 2022 peak of $1,035,000, a correction of 20.8% that narrows the gap for buyers priced out at the top of the cycle. Long-term appreciation remains strong, with a 6.3% compound annual growth rate over 14 years from $347,000 in 2013. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,633, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.9% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments manageable relative to local incomes at the 51.5th household income percentile nationally. The stock is overwhelmingly detached: 94.6% separate houses, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 50.8% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 36.6%.
For Buyers
The current median house price of $820,000 sits well below the 2022 peak of $1,035,000, a correction of 20.8% that narrows the gap for buyers priced out at the top of the cycle. Long-term appreciation remains strong, with a 6.3% compound annual growth rate over 14 years from $347,000 in 2013. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,633, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.9% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments manageable relative to local incomes at the 51.5th household income percentile nationally. The stock is overwhelmingly detached: 94.6% separate houses, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 50.8% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 36.6%.
For Investors
The rental market is relatively thin, with just 19.2% of residents renting and weekly rent at $383, modest compared to many regional VIC benchmarks. Vacancy at 12.2% is high, likely reflecting the holiday and lifestyle property segment that inflates short-term supply during off-peak periods. Only 5 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, all subdivision-related with no new dwelling count recorded, confirming this is a slow-supply environment. The price-to-income configuration favours long-hold capital growth over yield: the 6.3% CAGR over 14 years is the strongest investment signal, while gross yield at current prices and rents remains low.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+400.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Porepunkah iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Porepunkah Primary School
Prep-6 · 103 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6 years higher than the national average, reflecting the semi-retirement and lifestyle-migration profile common to Alpine Valley communities. Just 11.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 10.1 percentage points below the national figure, producing an Anglo-leaning community: English (445), Irish (142) and Scottish (113) are the leading ancestries. University qualifications at 27.2% run 2.9 points below national, and average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure exactly. Couples with children represent 41% of families (328 out of 800 total families), and 34.5% are couples without children, suggesting a mix of established families and empty-nesters.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
3.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusually ownership-heavy: 45% of residents own outright, 35.8% carry a mortgage and only 19.2% rent. Outright ownership at 45% is high by national standards and consistent with the older median age of 46, where long-time holders have paid down debt. Separate houses dominate at 94.6%, semi-detached at 3.8%, and apartments are negligible. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.8% of stock and 4-plus bedrooms for 36.6%, so larger family homes are the norm. The price-to-rent ratio is elevated: an $820,000 median against $383 weekly rent implies ownership is far more expensive than renting on a pure cost basis, though buyers are predominantly acquiring lifestyle assets rather than yield-driven assets.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,633
Rent / wk
$383
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$787
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.2%
Unoccupied
52
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.5%
Couples, no children
800
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads the local industry mix at 15.4% (59 workers), followed by Healthcare at 13.0% (50) and Hospitality at 11.2% (43), with Education at 8.9% and Public Administration at 7.8%. This distribution reflects the Alpine tourism economy, where trade and service jobs support a resident base partly dependent on visitor spending. By occupation, Managers (99) and Professionals (86) top the count, consistent with the lifestyle-migration of semi-retired and remotely employed professionals. The unemployment rate is low at 2.2%, with a participation rate of 59.6%, and the full-time employment rate is 57.4%. Volunteering runs at 24.4%, high compared to urban norms, which is typical of smaller regional communities where civic engagement is stronger.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.4%
Part-time
40.4%
Participation
59.6%
Employed
493
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.2%
Postgraduate
5.5%
Born Overseas
11.5%
Dwellings
373
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total in Porepunkah: 85.6% of workers drive, 6.8% walk or cycle, and only 0.8% use public transport, which is well below the national average and expected given the rural Alpine Valley setting. Total recorded crime is 20 incidents, producing a rate of 19.5 per 1,000 residents, with crimes against the person accounting for 9 and property offences 6. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring towns such as Bright. Mortgage stress is absent at a 23.9% mortgage-to-income ratio, and rent-to-income at 24.3% keeps tenants below the 30% stress threshold as well. The 3.9% of residents requiring daily assistance is low relative to the older median age of 46.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
6.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
20
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
19.5
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 Porepunkah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Porepunkah a good suburb to live in?
Porepunkah suits lifestyle and semi-retirement buyers. Mortgage repayments average $1,633 per month with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.9%, below the stress threshold. Car ownership is essential as 85.6% of residents drive to work, and the nearest schools are in neighbouring towns. Crime is low at 19.5 incidents per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Porepunkah?
The median house price is $820,000 as of April to June 2024, down 20.8% from the 2022 peak of $1,035,000. Prices have grown at a 6.3% compound annual rate over 14 years from a $347,000 base. Weekly rent averages $383 and monthly mortgage repayments are around $1,633.
What schools are in Porepunkah?
No schools are recorded inside the Porepunkah boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,024 across 68.49 square kilometres, families rely on schools in nearby Bright and surrounding Alpine Valley towns. University qualifications among residents sit at 27.2%, slightly below the national average.
Is Porepunkah safe?
Porepunkah recorded 20 total crimes in the latest period, a rate of 19.5 per 1,000 residents. The leading category was crimes against the person with 9 incidents, followed by property and deception offences with 6. These figures are low in absolute terms given the population of 1,024, consistent with a low-crime rural community.
Is Porepunkah good for property investment?
Long-run capital growth is the investment case: a 6.3% compound annual growth rate over 14 years from $347,000 to $820,000. However, only 19.2% of residents rent, weekly rent is $383, and the vacancy rate is a high 12.2%, reflecting the holiday property element. Gross yield at current prices is low, so returns depend on capital appreciation rather than rental income.
How is Porepunkah's population changing?
The current population is 1,024 across 68.49 square kilometres, giving a low density of 15 residents per square kilometre. Residential stability is high: 76.8% of residents stayed at the same address in the 5 years before Census. The suburb has an older profile with a median age of 46, which is 6 years above the national average, indicating aging in place rather than significant demographic turnover.
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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