Ripponlea
At 0.29 square kilometres, Ripponlea packs 5,360 residents per square kilometre, making it one of Melbourne's densest suburbs. The median age is 34, which is 6 years below the national figure, and 60.1% of residents hold university qualifications, a rate 30 points above national. Household income sits at the 75.7th percentile nationally. The suburb is overwhelmingly apartment-driven, with 64.6% of dwellings in multi-storey buildings and 49.2% of residents renting, framing a profile that is young, highly educated, and predominantly tenant-occupied.
Population
1,532
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,023/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Ripponlea's house price history shows a long-run CAGR of 4.0% over 10 years, with the median moving from $985,000 in 2013 to $1,457,500 in 2023. The peak reached $2,001,000 in 2020, and the 2023 figure sits 27.2% below that peak, indicating meaningful post-peak correction. Buyers entering now pay roughly $472,500 less than peak buyers. Separate houses account for only 20.7% of stock, so supply of detached homes is tightly constrained compared to the broader market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 23.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold relative to household incomes at the 75.7th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Ripponlea's house price history shows a long-run CAGR of 4.0% over 10 years, with the median moving from $985,000 in 2013 to $1,457,500 in 2023. The peak reached $2,001,000 in 2020, and the 2023 figure sits 27.2% below that peak, indicating meaningful post-peak correction. Buyers entering now pay roughly $472,500 less than peak buyers. Separate houses account for only 20.7% of stock, so supply of detached homes is tightly constrained compared to the broader market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 23.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold relative to household incomes at the 75.7th percentile nationally.
For Investors
With 49.2% of residents renting and weekly rent of $391, the tenant base is substantial. However, the 14.5% vacancy rate is elevated compared to a healthy market benchmark of around 3%, which compresses effective yield and signals oversupply in the apartment segment, which accounts for 64.6% of dwellings. The rent-to-income ratio is 19.3%, indicating tenants are not under financial pressure and turnover risk is moderate. Development activity is low at only 2 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term pressure. For investors, the core trade-off is high vacancy against a deep renter pool and a 10-year CAGR of 4.0%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
2
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 34 is 6 years below the national average, anchored by a large 20s-30s renting cohort. University qualifications reach 60.1%, which is 30 points above the national figure, one of the highest education concentrations across Melbourne. Overseas-born residents make up 31.2%, which is 9.6 points above the national rate. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with English (500 residents), Irish (236) and Scottish (142) the top groups, alongside Italian (74). Judaism is a notable faith community with 193 adherents, placing Ripponlea in line with the historically significant Jewish presence across Caulfield and St Kilda. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the couples-and-singles profile in apartment-dense suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
20.7%
Houses
14.7%
Townhouse
64.6%
Apartment
Tenure
The stock is apartment-dominant: 64.6% of dwellings are apartments or units, 14.7% semi-detached, and only 20.7% separate houses, which is below the Melbourne metropolitan average. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 50.6% of all homes, and 0-1 bedroom dwellings are 18.5%, reflecting the singles and couples orientation of the suburb. Tenure splits into 49.2% renting, 30.1% mortgaged and 20.7% owned outright. The low outright-ownership share compared to established Melbourne suburbs reflects the younger, more transient demographic. Price history spans $985,000 in 2013 to a peak of $2,001,000 in 2020, falling back to $1,457,500 in 2023, a 48.0% cumulative gain over the decade despite the recent correction.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,085
Rent / wk
$391
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,190
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.5%
Unoccupied
114
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.8%
Couples, no children
1,037
Total families
Economy & Employment
The top employing sectors are Professional/Tech at 17.7% (125 workers), with Education and Healthcare each at 14.4% (102 workers each), and Retail at 7.5%. By occupation, Professionals (371 residents) and Managers (152) dominate, consistent with the 60.1% university qualification rate, which is 30 points above national. The full-time employment rate is 64.1% and unemployment is 5.5%. Personal weekly income averages $1,190 and household weekly income $2,023, placing household income at the 75.7th percentile nationally. The concentration in knowledge and health industries reflects the suburb's broader fit within the St Kilda corridor, which draws white-collar workers to inner-south Melbourne.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.1%
Part-time
30.4%
Participation
71.6%
Employed
856
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.1%
Postgraduate
16.4%
Born Overseas
31.2%
Dwellings
673
Transport to Work
Public transport use is 16.7% and 10.2% of residents walk or cycle, above average for Melbourne suburbs and consistent with proximity to Ripponlea train station on the Sandringham line. Car dependence at 65.5% is lower than many Melbourne outer suburbs. No schools are recorded inside the 0.29 km2 boundary, so families depend on institutions in neighbouring Elsternwick and Caulfield. The crime rate is 70.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (63 incidents) accounting for the majority, a pattern typical of high-density inner suburbs. Rent-to-income at 19.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.8% are both below stress thresholds, indicating that housing cost burden is manageable compared to many inner-Melbourne suburbs.
Drive
65.5%
Public Transport
16.7%
Walk / Cycle
10.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
108
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
70.5
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 Ripponlea compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ripponlea a good suburb to live in?
Ripponlea suits young professionals and renters well. The median age is 34, which is 6 years below the national figure, and 60.1% of residents hold university qualifications, 30 points above national. Household income sits at the 75.7th percentile nationally. Trade-offs include a 14.5% vacancy rate and limited school options inside the 0.29 km2 suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Ripponlea?
The most recent recorded median is $1,457,500 from 2023, down from a peak of $2,001,000 in 2020, a 27.2% correction. Over the 10-year period from 2013 ($985,000), the compound annual growth rate is 4.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.8%.
What schools are in Ripponlea?
No schools are recorded inside the Ripponlea suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in neighbouring Elsternwick and Caulfield. The suburb itself has very high educational attainment, with 60.1% of residents holding university qualifications, which is 30 points above the national figure.
Is Ripponlea safe?
The recorded crime rate is 70.5 incidents per 1,000 residents based on 108 total offences. Property and deception offences account for 63 of these, which is the most common category in high-density inner-Melbourne suburbs. Crimes against the person total 24 incidents. Rent-to-income is 19.3% and mortgage-to-income is 23.8%, both below financial-stress thresholds.
Is Ripponlea good for property investment?
The 49.2% renter share and weekly rent of $391 provide a broad tenant base, but the 14.5% vacancy rate is elevated compared to a healthy market benchmark, signalling apartment oversupply. The 10-year CAGR is 4.0%, from $985,000 in 2013 to $1,457,500 in 2023. Development activity is low at only 2 applications in 12 months, limiting near-term new supply pressure.
How is Ripponlea's population changing?
Ripponlea has a population of 1,532 across just 0.29 km2, giving a density of 5,360 per km2. The suburb turnover rate is 34.0%, meaning roughly one-third of residents moved in the preceding 5 years, pointing to a transient young demographic rather than long-term settlement. No population growth forecast is available at the suburb level.
What languages are spoken in Ripponlea?
About 31.2% of residents were born overseas, which is 9.6 points above the national rate. Greek (21 speakers), Nepali (15) and Russian (14) are the most common non-English languages recorded. The suburb has a historically notable Jewish community, with 193 residents identifying with Judaism, linked to the broader Caulfield and St Kilda East corridor.
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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