Stawell
Age is the standout signal in Stawell: the median is 47, or 7 years above the national figure, while 6,220 residents occupy 93.14 sq km at 66.8 people per sq km. That combination points to an established, low-density market where affordability attracts practical buyers, but slow growth and an aging base temper upside.
Population
6,220
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,127/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$386K
October to December 2025
Buyers are choosing a strongly detached-house market because 90.2% of dwellings are separate houses, while 53.5% have 3 bedrooms and 24.8% have 4 or more. The $973 monthly mortgage estimate and 19.9% mortgage-to-income measure indicate manageable holding costs compared with many higher-priced markets. Apartments account for only 5.3%, so buyers seeking low-maintenance stock will face less choice than families seeking established houses.
For Buyers
Buyers are choosing a strongly detached-house market because 90.2% of dwellings are separate houses, while 53.5% have 3 bedrooms and 24.8% have 4 or more. The $973 monthly mortgage estimate and 19.9% mortgage-to-income measure indicate manageable holding costs compared with many higher-priced markets. Apartments account for only 5.3%, so buyers seeking low-maintenance stock will face less choice than families seeking established houses.
For Investors
Stawell's investment case combines a $210 weekly median rent with a 25.4% renting share, but the 10.6% vacancy rate is a significant caution because tenant demand can be uneven in a smaller regional market. Rents have risen 42.7% across the longer housing shift, while only 7 development applications were recorded in the latest 12-month period, limiting evidence of a major new supply wave. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, although the aging trajectory means investor demand may remain more dependent on healthcare, local services and workforce movement than on rapid population growth. Vacancy is a bigger risk than the low purchase price alone suggests.
Development Activity
Total DAs
22
Last 12 Months
7
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+75.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Stawell
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Patrick's School
Stawell Primary School
Stawell West Primary School
Stawell Secondary College
Skene Street School Stawell
Demographics
Stawell has an older population profile than the national average: its median age is 47, 7 years above the national figure. University attainment is 18.1%, or 12 percentage points below national levels, and overseas-born residents represent 12.1%, 9.5 points below the national comparison. Average household size is 2.2 people, 0.3 below the national figure, consistent with 49.7% of families being couples without children. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts are 2,484, 672 and 631, while no religion and Christianity account for 2,820 and 2,564 responses. With 85.1% staying at the same address and turnover at 14.9%, the population is more settled than highly mobile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.2%
Houses
3.8%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The latest figure is also the recorded peak, with peak-to-latest movement at 0.0%. Ownership is more prominent than renting: 45.2% own outright, 27.7% have a mortgage and 25.4% rent. The stock is more detached than apartment-based, with 90.2% separate houses and 5.3% apartments. Stable affordability, moving from 32.2% in 2011 to 31.7% in 2021, supports demand, while the 53.5% share of 3-bedroom homes suits established households.
Mortgage / mo
$973
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$210
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$658
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.6%
Unoccupied
305
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.1%
Couples with children
49.7%
Couples, no children
16.1%
Single parent
1,605
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Stawell's largest industry at 26.2%, or 395 workers, followed by manufacturing at 13.1% and 197, public administration at 10.3% and 155, education at 8.5% and 128, and construction at 6.8% and 103. Labourers, community and personal service workers, professionals, trades workers and managers number 529, 441, 321, 320 and 295 respectively. Unemployment is 4.3%, participation is 52.1% and the full-time employment rate is 56.3%. Household income sits at the 21.0 percentile, which helps explain why SEIFA deciles are below average: IEO is 2, IER is 3, IRSD is 3 and IRSAD is 2. The contrast between moderate unemployment and low socioeconomic rankings points to modest incomes and participation, not joblessness alone.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
2,741
Unemployed
118
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.3%
Part-time
35.8%
Participation
52.1%
Employed
2,623
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.1%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
12.1%
Dwellings
2,584
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car dependent because 76.4% drive to work, compared with just 0.2% using public transport; 7.0% walk or cycle and 8.6% work from home. Families have access to 5 nearby schools across 3 primary, 1 secondary and 1 special setting, with 4 government schools and 1 Catholic school. Check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb streets. Safety warrants attention: 609 offences equate to 97.9 per 1,000 residents, led by property and deception offences at 229, crimes against the person at 149 and justice procedures offences at 148. IRSAD decile 2 is below average and may reflect service-access and socioeconomic pressures, so household needs matter more than the low-density setting alone.
Drive
76.4%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
7.0%
Work from Home
8.6%
Population Forecast
0.0%/yr
EstablishedStawell's forecast annual growth trend is 0.0%, so expansion is expected to remain slower than in higher-growth regional markets. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the wider area records only 2.8% population change over 10 years. The trajectory is labelled Aging, supported by a 6.2% rise in the senior share, a 2.4% fall in the young share and a 2.1% decline in the working share. Rent growth of 42.7% may support investor interest, although current gentrification is scored at 0 and labelled Not gentrifying. A separate shift measure records a score of 31 and Early signs, suggesting limited change rather than a broad-based transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+42
Net Internal / yr
-39
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
609
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
97.9
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 Stawell compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Stawell?
Stawell has 5 local schools covering 3 primary settings, 1 secondary college and 1 special school. The sector mix is 4 government schools and 1 Catholic school, giving families more choice than a town with only one primary campus. Enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address before buying or renting.
Is Stawell safe?
Stawell recorded 609 offences, equal to a crime rate of 97.9 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences led with 229 incidents, followed by 149 crimes against the person and 148 justice procedures offences. The rate is a more useful comparison than the raw total, so buyers should review the exact street and recent local conditions.
How is Stawell's population changing?
Stawell has 6,220 residents today, but the annual growth trend is 0.0% and population change across the wider area is 2.8% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 6.2%, the young share is down 2.4% and the working share is down 2.1%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, although the profile is older than national averages.
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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