Tecoma
With 95% of dwellings being separate houses and household income sitting at the 75.6th percentile nationally, Tecoma reads as a solidly middle-to-upper detached housing suburb in the Dandenong Ranges. At 2,064 residents across just 1.81 sq km, the density of 1,138 per sq km is moderate for an outer-Melbourne hillside location. The SEIFA IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 8 place it well above the national average on both disadvantage and advantage indexes. The median age of 42 runs 2 years above the national figure, and the population trajectory is aging with internal net outflow of 131 per year, which is the key dynamic shaping demand here.
Population
2,064
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,022/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$815K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price of $815,000 (Apr-Jun 2024) is below the Apr-Jun 2024 Melbourne metro median but reflects a 96.4% gain from $415,000 in 2013, a CAGR of 4.9% over 14 years. Prices peaked at $935,900 in Jul-Sep 2023 and have since pulled back 12.9% to $815,000, creating a potential re-entry window for buyers who missed the peak. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning the suburb is relatively affordable to service compared to inner Melbourne. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 95%, with 35.1% having 4 or more bedrooms and 43.9% three bedrooms, suiting families seeking space rather than apartment buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $815,000 (Apr-Jun 2024) is below the Apr-Jun 2024 Melbourne metro median but reflects a 96.4% gain from $415,000 in 2013, a CAGR of 4.9% over 14 years. Prices peaked at $935,900 in Jul-Sep 2023 and have since pulled back 12.9% to $815,000, creating a potential re-entry window for buyers who missed the peak. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning the suburb is relatively affordable to service compared to inner Melbourne. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 95%, with 35.1% having 4 or more bedrooms and 43.9% three bedrooms, suiting families seeking space rather than apartment buyers.
For Investors
At 15.4% renter share, Tecoma skews heavily toward owner-occupiers, which narrows the rental market and can compress vacancy. The vacancy rate sits at 4.7%, slightly elevated, pointing to moderate rather than tight rental demand. Weekly rent of $348 against an $815,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.2%, low by investment standards. Net internal migration runs at minus 131 per year while overseas migration adds only 66, producing a slow population decline of 0.21% annually. Rent grew 34.4% over the decade, well ahead of the 15.5% real income growth, which signals that rents have been rising faster than affordability. Development activity recorded zero applications in the past 12 months, so supply pressure is minimal.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
Schools in Tecoma iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Tecoma Primary School
Prep-6 · 361 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, and the aging trajectory is confirmed by a 6.6-point rise in senior share over the decade while young adult share fell 0.8 points. University qualifications reach 34.9%, which is 4.8 percentage points above the national average, reflecting a white-collar professional base. Overseas-born residents are at 17.5%, some 4.1 percentage points below the national figure, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (944), Irish (332) and Scottish (315). Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national, and 40.5% of families are couples with children, consistent with the suburb's family-oriented housing stock. Volunteering at 18.3% signals an engaged local community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.0%
Houses
5.0%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tells a clear story: 31.5% own outright, 53.1% are paying a mortgage and only 15.4% rent. The high mortgage share relative to outright owners indicates a population still in the accumulation phase rather than a wealth-settled demographic, contrasting with more affluent suburbs where outright ownership leads. Separate houses dominate at 95%, with just 5% semi-detached and no meaningful apartment stock, making this a single-product market. Bedroom distribution skews large, with 3-bedroom homes at 43.9% and 4-plus at 35.1%, which explains why families are the core buyer. Prices have risen 96.4% since 2013 at a 4.9% CAGR, but the 12.9% correction from the 2023 peak to the current $815,000 median suggests values are still finding a new floor post-rate-rise.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$348
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$876
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
39
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.4%
Couples, no children
1,705
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education leads local employment at 18.3% of workers (148 people), followed by Healthcare at 13.6% (110) and Construction at 9.8% (79), making this a services-and-trades suburb rather than a finance or tech hub. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 291 workers, followed by Managers at 155, which aligns with the above-national university qualification rate of 34.9%. Full-time employment runs at 60.8% and the unemployment rate is 4.6%, close to the national average. Real income grew 15.5% over the decade. SEIFA places Tecoma at IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 8, above national median on both relative disadvantage and advantage, consistent with a comfortable but not wealthy suburb. Mortgage stress is absent at 19.8% mortgage-to-income.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
5,938
Unemployed
183
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.8%
Part-time
34.6%
Participation
65.7%
Employed
1,076
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.9%
Postgraduate
9.6%
Born Overseas
17.5%
Dwellings
776
Transport to Work
Transport is overwhelmingly car-dependent: 88.9% drive to work, while just 4.5% use public transport and 2.3% walk or cycle, above-average car reliance compared to inner suburbs but typical for a hillside outer-Melbourne location. The IRSAD decile 8 and IRSD decile 9 confirm Tecoma sits in the upper tier nationally on both advantage and disadvantage measures. Crime totalled 84 incidents, giving a rate of 40.7 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences accounted for 53 of those, the dominant category. Rent-to-income at 17.2% keeps renters well below the 30% stress threshold. No schools were recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in adjacent Dandenong Ranges suburbs. Mortgage stress is absent at 19.8% of income.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
4.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.21%/yr
(-21 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is in slow decline, falling at 0.21% per year (21 persons annually) and the medium forecast projects the broader SA2 population slipping from 9,867 in 2025 to 9,672 by 2031. The trajectory is classified as aging, with net internal outflow of 131 per year, partly offset by 66 net overseas arrivals. Over the past decade, the 10-year population change is just minus 0.1%, so the decline is gradual rather than structural collapse. Gentrification score is 19, classified as not gentrifying, reflecting stable demographics rather than displacement pressure. Affordability improved from 43.9% in 2011 to 41.6% in 2021, a positive signal that incomes kept pace with prices better than national trends.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+66
Net Internal / yr
-131
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -131/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
84
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
40.7
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 Tecoma compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tecoma a good suburb to live in?
Tecoma scores IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 8, placing it in the upper tier nationally on both disadvantage and advantage indexes. Household income sits at the 75.6th percentile nationally. The main practical trade-off is heavy car dependence: 88.9% drive to work, and public transport use is just 4.5% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Tecoma?
The median house price is $815,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024. Prices peaked at $935,900 in Jul-Sep 2023 and have since corrected 12.9%. Since 2013 the suburb has delivered a 96.4% gain at a 4.9% CAGR. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733.
What schools are in Tecoma?
No schools are recorded inside the Tecoma suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically use schools in neighbouring Dandenong Ranges suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach 34.9%, which is 4.8 percentage points above the national average.
Is Tecoma safe?
Tecoma recorded 84 total crimes in the reference period, a rate of 40.7 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 53 incidents, crimes against the person for 19. The IRSD decile 9 score places the suburb in the low-disadvantage tier nationally, which is associated with lower crime on average.
Is Tecoma good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $348 against an $815,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.2%, low by investment standards. The 4.7% vacancy rate is slightly elevated. Rent grew 34.4% over the decade, ahead of the 15.5% real income growth. Population is declining at 0.21% per year, with net internal outflow of 131 annually, which moderates demand outlook.
How is Tecoma's population changing?
Population is declining slowly at 0.21% per year, approximately 21 fewer residents annually. The medium forecast projects the broader SA2 population falling from 9,867 in 2025 to 9,672 by 2031. Net internal outflow averages minus 131 per year, partly offset by 66 net overseas arrivals annually. The demographic trajectory is classified as aging.
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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