Rowville
The suburb is older than the national profile by 1.0 year, while its overseas-born share is 14.2 percentage points above national and university participation is 12.4 points higher. Compared with nearby Scoresby and Wantirna, Rowville is more clearly defined by detached family housing and established ownership, with 36.5% owning outright and 45.6% holding a mortgage. That combination explains its affluent but mortgage-dependent character, with household income at the 83.8th percentile.
Population
33,571
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,205/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
60
Median House
$1.2M
October to December 2025
Rowville suits buyers seeking established family housing rather than an apartment-led market. Separate houses account for 91.9% of dwellings, while 53.1% have 4 or more bedrooms and another 39.2% have 3 bedrooms, giving families more choice in the dominant housing format. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,055 represent 21.5% of household income, so borrowing capacity remains important even though mortgage stress is not flagged.
For Buyers
Rowville suits buyers seeking established family housing rather than an apartment-led market. Separate houses account for 91.9% of dwellings, while 53.1% have 4 or more bedrooms and another 39.2% have 3 bedrooms, giving families more choice in the dominant housing format. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,055 represent 21.5% of household income, so borrowing capacity remains important even though mortgage stress is not flagged.
For Investors
Rowville presents a lower-rental, owner-occupier investment profile. Only 15.3% of households rent, below the 36.5% who own outright and the 45.6% paying a mortgage, so the tenant pool is smaller than in many higher-renter suburbs. Weekly rent is $441 and vacancy is 4.0%, providing a reasonable leasing base but not a clear sign of extreme scarcity. The area recorded 53 development applications in 12 months, which may create competition from upgraded or newly adapted stock. The forecast rent-growth signal is 28.2%, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver.
Development Activity
Total DAs
100
Last 12 Months
60
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+252.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Rowville
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Heany Park Primary School
Karoo Primary School
Park Ridge Primary School
Rowville Primary School
St Simon's School
Demographics
Rowville has a median age of 41, which is 1.0 year above the national figure, and its 2.9-person average household is 0.4 higher than the national average. Couples with children make up 54.1% of families, helping explain the suburb's strong demand for 3 and 4 or more bedroom homes. The overseas-born share is 35.8%, or 14.2 percentage points above national, while 42.5% hold university qualifications, 12.4 points higher than national. English, Chinese, Irish and Italian ancestry are prominent, with Chinese ancestry recorded for 4,500 residents. Mandarin is the most common listed non-English language at 1,037 speakers. An 86.0% stay rate indicates a relatively settled population compared with a high-turnover area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.9%
Houses
7.2%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Rowville's housing market is dominated by large detached homes and long-term owner occupation. Separate houses account for 91.9% of dwellings, compared with 0.9% apartments and 7.2% semi-detached homes. The latest price is higher than every earlier point in the supplied history and matches the peak. Tenure is weighted toward owners, with 36.5% owning outright and 45.6% holding a mortgage, while only 15.3% rent. This structure supports housing stability because many households have a direct stake in maintaining the established family-home market.
Mortgage / mo
$2,055
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $441.
$650
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $600 · units $530
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$839
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
471
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
54.1%
Couples with children
32.8%
Couples, no children
12.1%
Single parent
9,779
Total families
Economy & Employment
Rowville's economy is supported by healthcare at 16.2% of employment, followed by education at 11.2%, construction at 10.6%, professional and technical services at 10.1%, and manufacturing at 9.5%. The occupational mix includes 4,212 professionals, 2,777 clerical and administrative workers, 2,598 managers and 2,539 trades workers, creating a broader base than a single-industry suburb. Labour-force participation is 68.0%, full-time work is 61.9% and unemployment is 4.4%, indicating a substantial working population of 19,000. Household income ranks above the national midpoint at the 83.8th percentile. SEIFA results are also high but uneven: IER reaches decile 10 and IRSD decile 9, above IEO decile 7 and IRSAD decile 8, suggesting strong resources with some variation in education and occupation measures.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
19,000
Unemployed
833
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.9%
Part-time
32.6%
Participation
68.0%
Employed
18,167
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.5%
Postgraduate
11.0%
Born Overseas
35.8%
Dwellings
11,392
Transport to Work
Rowville's daily life is structured around driving, larger homes and local services. Car driving accounts for 64.7% of journeys, much higher than public transport at 1.1% and walking or cycling at 0.6%, while 29.5% work from home. Six local schools provide a published mix of 5 government schools and 1 Catholic school, covering 5 primary schools and 1 secondary college. Check enrolment zones against the exact address because catchments can cross local streets. Recorded crime totals 1,766 offences, or 52.6 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 1,102. Socioeconomic conditions rank above the midpoint, with IRSAD at decile 8 and IRSD at decile 9. The 21.77 square kilometre area and density of 1,542.4 people per square kilometre reinforce its established suburban layout.
Drive
64.7%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
29.5%
Population Forecast
+0.03%/yr
(+2 people/yr)
EstablishedRowville has an established, slow-growth outlook rather than a renewal-led trajectory. The annual trend is 0.03%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while the wider area's 10-year population change is lower than a flat baseline at -2.1%. The shift profile is labelled Aging: the senior share has increased by 6.6 percentage points, the young share has fallen by 6.6 points and the working share has declined by 0.6 points. This matters because established detached housing is more likely to be retained by older households than rapidly recycled into new supply. Gentrification is not active, with a score of 0 and a stage of Not gentrifying. At the same time, 53 development applications in 12 months show ongoing property activity without evidence of a major demographic reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+89
Net Internal / yr
-148
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -148/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,766
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
52.6
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 Rowville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rowville a good suburb to live in?
Rowville can suit households wanting established detached housing, with 91.9% of dwellings separate houses and 53.1% containing 4 or more bedrooms. The trade-off is car dependence: 64.7% drive to work compared with 1.1% using public transport.
What schools are in Rowville?
Rowville has 6 local schools, including Rowville Secondary College, Rowville Primary School, Heany Park Primary School and St Simon's School. The mix is 5 government schools and 1 Catholic school, with 5 primary schools and 1 secondary college.
Is Rowville safe?
Recorded crime was 52.6 offences per 1,000 residents, with 1,766 offences overall. Property and deception offences accounted for 1,102 incidents, followed by 263 crimes against the person, so address-level conditions and personal priorities should still be considered.
How is Rowville's population changing?
Rowville has a slow-growth and aging outlook. The annual trend is 0.03%, while population change across the wider area is -2.1% over 10 years. The senior share rose 6.6 percentage points and the young share fell 6.6 points, with overseas migration the primary driver.
What languages are spoken in Rowville?
Rowville has an overseas-born share of 35.8%, which is 14.2 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common listed non-English language at 1,037 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 461 and Sinhalese at 364.
Is Rowville experiencing much development?
Rowville recorded 53 development applications in 12 months, including planning activity linked to building works and a factory upgrade. This indicates ongoing property and business activity, although the suburb's forecast gentrification score is 0 and its stage is Not gentrifying.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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