Ravenhall
Ravenhall's census profile is shaped by an unusual demographic reality: of 2,295 recorded residents, 2,288 are classified as not in the labour force, the participation rate sits at 0.3%, and the male share reaches 83.5%. These figures reflect the presence of a large correctional facility within the 13.65 km2 boundary, which dominates the count and skews standard metrics far from typical residential suburb patterns. Despite this, SEIFA scores place the area in decile 9 nationally across all four indexes, an anomaly driven by the facility's non-residential character. Development activity is modest at 4 applications in 12 months, and population has declined 10% over the past decade.
Population
2,295
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$966/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median house price data is unavailable for Ravenhall due to thin transaction volumes, though comparable Brimbank-fringe suburbs typically trade well below Melbourne medians. The housing stock is 100% separate houses with no apartments or semi-detached dwellings recorded. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,492, lower than the state median, reflecting the area's position in Melbourne's outer-west. Weekly rent is recorded at $1,500, though this figure should be treated cautiously given the institutional population. The mortgage-to-income ratio at 59.6% is well above the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income at 155.3% is far higher than any typical residential suburb, both explained by the facility's distorted income data rather than standard homebuyer conditions.
For Buyers
Median house price data is unavailable for Ravenhall due to thin transaction volumes, though comparable Brimbank-fringe suburbs typically trade well below Melbourne medians. The housing stock is 100% separate houses with no apartments or semi-detached dwellings recorded. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,492, lower than the state median, reflecting the area's position in Melbourne's outer-west. Weekly rent is recorded at $1,500, though this figure should be treated cautiously given the institutional population. The mortgage-to-income ratio at 59.6% is well above the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income at 155.3% is far higher than any typical residential suburb, both explained by the facility's distorted income data rather than standard homebuyer conditions.
For Investors
Ravenhall presents limited conventional investment signals. No median price history is available to calculate capital growth, and the rent and income data are distorted by institutional residents rather than private tenants. Development activity is very low at 4 planning permit applications in the past 12 months, including one 10-lot subdivision lodged in January 2026, suggesting some residential expansion is underway on the suburb's fringe. Net internal migration averages minus 2 persons per year and overseas migration is nil, with natural increase as the only positive driver. Population is forecast to decline from 291 in 2025 to around 269 by 2031, a further contraction of roughly 7.5%, which limits the demand outlook for any residential stock in the area.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, making Ravenhall's recorded population notably younger than average. The male-to-female split of 83.5% to 16.5% is the most extreme demographic skew in the dataset, directly linked to the correctional centre population. University qualifications at 4.3% are 25.8 percentage points below the national average, while overseas-born residents at 23.1% run 1.5 points above national. Ancestry data shows 2,282 of 2,295 residents coded as Ancestry NS, with only tiny numbers identifying as English (5) or Greek (3), a pattern consistent with census collection inside a correctional facility where ancestry self-reporting is limited.
Age Distribution
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
All recorded dwellings in Ravenhall are separate houses, with 100% outright ownership and no mortgage holders or renters captured in the census data. This is consistent with institutional or purpose-built accommodation counted as dwellings within the facility boundary rather than a private housing market. The bedroom split shows 55.6% with 0 to 1 bedrooms and 44.4% with 3 bedrooms, with no 2-bedroom or 4-plus-bedroom stock recorded. Average household size of 1.2 persons is 1.3 below the national average. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,492 and weekly rent of $1,500 are derived from the small subset of genuine residential properties adjacent to the facility, which number very few. A 10-lot subdivision permit lodged in January 2026 indicates some new residential stock may enter the area.
Mortgage / mo
$2,492
Rent / wk
$1,500
HH Size
1.2
Personal Income / wk
$849
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
0.0%
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
155.3% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
59.6% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Economy & Employment
Ravenhall's economic profile reflects the dominance of its correctional centre population. The unemployment rate stands at 50% based on 3 unemployed against 3 employed part-time, from a labour force of only 6 people out of 2,295 residents. The remaining 2,288 are classified as not in the labour force. Household income sits in the 11.5th percentile nationally, very low compared to the decile 9 SEIFA scores. This divergence occurs because SEIFA indexes draw on a mix of area-level indicators including education qualifications at address level and relative advantage, whereas income percentile reflects the census individual income data dominated by nil-income institutional residents. The only occupations recorded are 4 in sales and 3 as managers, from the tiny residential fringe population.
Unemployment
1.3%
Labour Force
156
Unemployed
2
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Occupations
University
4.3%
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
23.1%
Dwellings
7
Transport to Work
Transport behaviour shows 66.7% commuting by car and 33.3% walking or cycling, with no recorded public transport use. This reflects the captive population pattern rather than residential commuter behaviour. The crime rate at 223.5 incidents per 1,000 residents is very high compared to the state average, though this figure is distorted by the correctional facility: property and deception offences account for 356 of 513 total incidents, followed by 101 justice procedures offences. Interpreting this as a true neighbourhood safety indicator overstates risk for any private residents living on the suburb's fringe. The suburb holds decile 9 on IRSAD nationally, placing it in the top tier of relative advantage by the index methodology, though this reflects area-level inputs rather than lived experience. No schools are recorded within the boundary.
Drive
66.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
33.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-1.03%/yr
(-3 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation has fallen 10% over the past decade and the current trend shows annual decline of 1.03% or roughly 3 persons per year. The recorded residential population, which is distinct from the institutional count, was 298 in 2023, 300 in 2024 and 291 in 2025. Medium-scenario forecasts project continued gradual contraction to approximately 269 by 2031. Net internal migration averages minus 2 persons annually and overseas migration is zero, leaving natural increase as the sole driver. Rent has grown 76.1% over the period, and real income has fallen 6.6%, worsening affordability from 22.0% in 2011 to 33.8% in 2021. The gentrification score is 0 and the suburb is classified as not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Natural Increase
Net Overseas / yr
0
Net Internal / yr
-2
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
513
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
223.5
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 Ravenhall compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ravenhall a good suburb to live in?
Ravenhall's census data is dominated by a correctional facility, which skews most indicators. The residential fringe is in Melbourne's outer west, postcode 3023, with 100% separate houses and monthly mortgage repayments averaging $2,492. For private residents, the suburb scores decile 9 on SEIFA nationally, but the recorded crime rate of 223.5 per 1,000 reflects facility activity rather than street-level risk.
What is the median house price in Ravenhall?
No median house price is recorded for Ravenhall due to extremely thin transaction volumes, with the suburb spanning 13.65 km2 but carrying only a small private residential population. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,492 and weekly rent is recorded at $1,500, though both figures are drawn from a very small sample of non-institutional households.
What schools are in Ravenhall?
No schools are recorded inside Ravenhall's boundary in this dataset. The suburb spans 13.65 km2 in Melbourne's outer west, postcode 3023, and families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents are 4.3%, which is 25.8 percentage points below the national average.
Is Ravenhall safe?
The recorded crime rate of 223.5 incidents per 1,000 residents is high compared to state averages, with 356 property and deception offences and 101 justice procedures offences among 513 total incidents. However, these figures are inflated by the correctional facility within the boundary and do not accurately represent conditions for the small private residential population on the suburb's fringe.
Is Ravenhall good for property investment?
Investment signals are limited. No median price history exists for capital growth calculations, and transaction volumes are very thin. Development activity totals just 4 applications in 12 months, including a 10-lot subdivision permit lodged January 2026. Population is forecast to fall from 291 in 2025 to around 269 by 2031, a decline of roughly 7.5%, which constrains demand for new residential stock.
How is Ravenhall's population changing?
Population has declined 10% over the past decade and the annual trend is minus 1.03%, or approximately 3 fewer persons per year. The residential count was 300 in 2024 and 291 in 2025. Medium-scenario forecasts project the population reaching around 269 by 2031. Net internal migration averages minus 2 per year and overseas migration is zero, with natural increase the only positive driver.
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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