The Patch
Only 6.8% of The Patch households rent, one of the lowest renter shares in metropolitan Victoria, and that single figure explains much of what follows. With 40.8% of dwellings owned outright and 52.4% under mortgage, residents are deeply committed to the area, backed by household income in the 79.2nd percentile nationally. Median age sits at 46, which is 6 years above the national figure, reflecting a settled, long-established community of 1,046 people across 3.98 square kilometres. Every dwelling recorded in the 2021 Census is a separate house, a level of detached-housing purity that is rare anywhere in Australia.
Population
1,046
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,092/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
The Patch median house price reached $872,000 in 2024, up from $830,000 in 2023. The long-run story is stronger: from $393,500 in 2013, prices have risen 121.6% over 12 years at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%. The peak of $882,500 was recorded in 2021, and the market is now only 1.2% below that peak. With 100% of dwellings being separate houses, buyers face no apartment or semi-detached alternatives, so demand concentrates on a single product type. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which is more manageable than many comparable tree-change suburbs.
For Buyers
The Patch median house price reached $872,000 in 2024, up from $830,000 in 2023. The long-run story is stronger: from $393,500 in 2013, prices have risen 121.6% over 12 years at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%. The peak of $882,500 was recorded in 2021, and the market is now only 1.2% below that peak. With 100% of dwellings being separate houses, buyers face no apartment or semi-detached alternatives, so demand concentrates on a single product type. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which is more manageable than many comparable tree-change suburbs.
For Investors
The investment case is complicated by a very low 6.8% renter share, meaning landlords compete for a thin tenant pool. Weekly rent averages $415 and the vacancy rate is 4.3%, above the 3% threshold that signals a balanced market. Against an $872,000 median, the $415 weekly rent implies a gross yield around 2.5%, below typical investor targets. The suburb recorded zero development applications in the past 12 months, so no new supply is entering the market. Owner-occupier dominance means that when properties do trade, they are driven by personal decisions rather than investor cycles, which can support price stability but limits liquidity for sellers.
Schools in The Patch iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
The Patch Primary School
Prep-6 · 286 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national average, placing The Patch firmly in an aging-resident profile. University qualifications reach 39.8% of residents, which is 9.7 percentage points above the national figure, a gap that reflects the professional and managerial workforce living here. Overseas-born residents account for 18.4%, which is 3.2 points below the national rate. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (477), Scottish (180) and Irish (141). Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, and 43.0% of families are couples with children, consistent with the large 4-plus bedroom homes that make up 44.6% of dwellings.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The Patch is unusual in that 100% of its 916 dwellings recorded in the Census are separate houses. No apartments or semi-detached dwellings appear in the data, which concentrates both demand and value into a single housing type. The bedroom profile skews large: 44.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 43.8% have 3, leaving fewer than 12% with 2 or fewer bedrooms. Ownership is entrenched, with 40.8% owned outright and 52.4% under mortgage, totalling 93.2% owner-occupier rate, far higher than state and national averages. The median price trajectory shows a 121.6% gain from 2013 to 2024, with prices at $872,000 sitting just 1.2% below the 2021 peak of $882,500.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,085
Rent / wk
$415
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$874
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
17
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.0%
Couples, no children
916
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 19.4% of workers (75 people), followed closely by Education at 17.9% (69 people) and Construction at 12.2% (47 people). Professional/Technical services add a further 11.1% (43 people). By occupation, Professionals form the largest group at 169 workers, followed by Managers at 89. The unemployment rate of 3.7% sits below national levels, and full-time employment runs at 53.3%. Household income sits in the 79.2nd percentile nationally, above the majority of Australian suburbs. The participation rate of 61.6% is moderate, partly explained by the older median age of 46, with 270 residents not in the labour force.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.3%
Part-time
43.0%
Participation
61.6%
Employed
501
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.8%
Postgraduate
11.1%
Born Overseas
18.4%
Dwellings
373
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 91.1% of residents drive to work, compared to national averages well below 80%, reflecting the suburb's rural-fringe location with limited public transport. Walking or cycling accounts for 4.3% of commuters. Crime is very low at 13.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, with only 14 recorded offences in the most recent period, mostly property and deception (10 incidents) and crimes against the person (4 incidents). The volunteering rate of 23.4% is high, consistent with a stable, long-term community. Mortgage-to-income sits at 23.0% and rent-to-income at 19.8%, meaning neither owners nor renters face housing stress relative to their income.
Drive
91.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
14
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
13.4
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 The Patch compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Patch a good suburb to live in?
The Patch offers a low-crime environment with just 13.4 incidents per 1,000 residents and housing stress well below typical benchmarks, with mortgage-to-income at 23.0%. Household income sits in the 79.2nd percentile nationally. The trade-offs are near-total car dependence (91.1% drive) and limited rental stock, as 93.2% of dwellings are owner-occupied.
What is the median house price in The Patch?
The median house price in The Patch was $872,000 in 2024, up from $830,000 in 2023. Prices have risen 121.6% since 2013 when the median was $393,500. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,085 and weekly rent averages $415.
What schools are in The Patch?
No schools are recorded inside the The Patch suburb boundary in this dataset. The suburb has a population of around 1,046 residents, and families typically use schools in neighbouring Yarra Ranges localities. University qualifications are held by 39.8% of residents, which is 9.7 points above the national average.
Is The Patch safe?
The Patch has very low crime at 13.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, with only 14 total offences recorded. Of those, 10 were property and deception offences and 4 were crimes against the person. By comparison, most suburban areas record rates well above 20 per 1,000, making this one of the safer localities in Victoria.
Is The Patch good for property investment?
The long-run growth rate of 6.9% CAGR over 12 years (from $393,500 in 2013 to $872,000 in 2024) is a strong capital growth signal. However, the 6.8% renter share and 4.3% vacancy rate mean rental demand is thin, and the gross yield around 2.5% is below typical investor targets. The suburb suits buy-and-hold capital growth strategies more than income-focused investors.
How is The Patch's population changing?
The Patch has a small population of 1,046 across 3.98 square kilometres. The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national average, indicating an aging resident base. The turnover rate is very low at 14.1%, with 85.9% of residents staying at the same address, suggesting population change is gradual rather than driven by new arrivals.
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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