Templestowe Lower
A median age of 45, which is 5 years older than the national benchmark, gives Templestowe Lower a settled family and downsizer profile rather than a transient inner-city one. Beside Doncaster and Bulleen, it reads as a lower-density pocket because 80.8% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are only 1.0%. Household income sits at the 71.9 percentile, while 41.0% of residents were born overseas, so the suburb combines established wealth with a strongly migrant household base.
Population
14,098
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,920/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
61
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for land, stability and school access: the median house price is $1,385,000 for Apr-Jun 2024, 4.2% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,445,000. The built form is larger than an apartment-led suburb, with 80.8% separate houses, 18.1% semi-detached homes and only 1.0% apartments. Mortgage pressure is real because repayments equal 30.1% of income, while 45.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 46.7% have 4 or more.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for land, stability and school access: the median house price is $1,385,000 for Apr-Jun 2024, 4.2% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,445,000. The built form is larger than an apartment-led suburb, with 80.8% separate houses, 18.1% semi-detached homes and only 1.0% apartments. Mortgage pressure is real because repayments equal 30.1% of income, while 45.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 46.7% have 4 or more.
For Investors
The rental pool is narrower than ownership demand because only 18.0% of homes are rented, compared with 48.6% owned outright and 33.4% mortgaged. Median rent is $475 a week and rent stress is not flagged at 24.7% of income, but a 6.8% vacancy rate points to higher leasing risk. The counterweight is activity: 47 development applications in 12 months and forecast overseas migration of 188 people a year support selective tenant demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
61
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+662.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Templestowe Lower iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Templestowe Heights Primary School
Prep-6 · 544 students
Templestowe College
7-12 · 1227 students
St Kevin's School
Prep-6 · 132 students
Demographics
Templestowe Lower is older than the national profile, with a median age of 45, 5 years above the benchmark. It is also more educated and more migrant than average: 51.5% hold a university qualification, 21.4 percentage points above national, and 41.0% were born overseas, 19.4 points above national. Chinese ancestry leads at 2,979 people, followed by English at 2,628, Italian at 1,707 and Greek at 1,655, which helps explain the Mandarin 686 and Greek 554 language counts.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.8%
Houses
18.1%
Townhouse
1.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing values have moved well above their 2013 base: the median house price rose from $750,000 to $1,385,000, an 84.7% gain over 14 years and a 4.5% CAGR. The latest figure is still 4.2% below the $1,445,000 peak, so buyers have slightly more leverage than at the top of the cycle. Ownership is deep, with 48.6% owned outright and 33.4% mortgaged, because the stock is dominated by family-scale homes: 46.7% have 4 or more bedrooms and 45.6% have 3.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$475
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$758
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
370
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
12,020
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce ranks in a higher socio-economic band, with IEO decile 8, IER decile 8, IRSD decile 8 and IRSAD decile 8. Healthcare is the largest industry at 17.2% and 823 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 13.9%, Education at 11.6%, Retail at 8.5% and Construction at 8.1%. Professionals number 2,018 and managers 1,091, supporting the 71.9 household income percentile. Participation is 54.3% because the older resident base leaves 4,572 people outside the labour force.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
9,104
Unemployed
374
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
33.0%
Participation
54.3%
Employed
6,029
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.5%
Postgraduate
14.4%
Born Overseas
41.0%
Dwellings
5,035
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households that drive, value schools and want a lower-crime setting. Car use is much higher than active travel: 86.9% commute as drivers, compared with 5.0% by public transport and 1.4% walking or cycling. There are 3 local schools with ICSEA values from 1096 to 1132; Templestowe Heights Primary leads at 1132 with 544 enrolments, while Templestowe College adds a government secondary path at 1099 and 1,227 enrolments. Crime is 29.2 per 1,000 and IRSAD decile 8 supports the area’s amenity profile.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
5.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.33%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is forecast to be steady rather than high-growth: the trend rate is 0.33% a year, equal to 49 people annually, which is slower than the 7.9% population change recorded over the past 10 years. The medium scenario reaches 14,922 residents by 2031. Migration is led by overseas inflows, averaging 188 net people a year, while internal migration is negative at -8. The shift trajectory is Stable and the gentrification score is 0, stage Not gentrifying, so change is more incremental than disruptive.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+188
Net Internal / yr
-8
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
411
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
29.2
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 Templestowe Lower compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Templestowe Lower a good suburb to live in?
Yes. It suits households wanting established houses, schools and a settled pace: 80.8% of dwellings are separate houses, the median age is 45, and IRSAD is decile 8. The trade-off is higher car reliance, with 86.9% commuting as drivers.
What is the median house price in Templestowe Lower?
The median house price is $1,385,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 4.2% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,445,000, but still 84.7% higher than the 2013 level of $750,000.
What schools are in Templestowe Lower?
There are 3 local schools. Templestowe Heights Primary has ICSEA 1132 and 544 enrolments, Templestowe College has ICSEA 1099 and 1,227 enrolments, and St Kevin's School has ICSEA 1096 and 132 enrolments.
Is Templestowe Lower safe?
Crime is recorded at 29.2 offences per 1,000 residents, with 411 total offences. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 243, followed by 97 crimes against the person, so usual home security still matters.
Is Templestowe Lower good for property investment?
It can suit selective investors more than high-turnover rental strategies. Rent is $475 a week and only 18.0% of homes are rented, while vacancy is 6.8%. Support comes from 47 development applications and 188 net overseas migrants a year.
How is Templestowe Lower's population changing?
Population growth is slow and stable. The forecast trend is 0.33% a year, or 49 extra people annually, with the medium scenario reaching 14,922 residents by 2031. Overseas migration adds 188 people a year, compared with -8 internal migration.
What languages are spoken in Templestowe Lower?
The suburb has a strong multilingual base, with 41.0% of residents born overseas, 19.4 percentage points above national. Common non-English languages include Mandarin with 686 speakers, Greek with 554, Canton with 390 and Italian with 259.
Is there much development in Templestowe Lower?
Yes, development activity is above a quiet established-suburb setting, with 47 applications in 12 months. Recent examples include construction of 2 two-storey dwellings and a 3 lot subdivision, pointing to incremental infill rather than broad redevelopment.
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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