Torquay
Torquay's coastal profile combines 18,534 residents with a median age of 39, one year below the national figure, and household income at the 87.9th percentile. Housing is strongly detached: 90.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.5% have 4 or more bedrooms. Compared with nearby Jan Juc, Torquay's housing mix points to a more family-sized search, supported by 4 local schools. Work patterns are flexible, with 33.3% working from home, while forecast growth reaches 2.98% annually. The ageing trajectory matters because the senior share has risen 5.3 percentage points, even as population change across the wider area reaches 63.6% over 10 years.
Population
18,534
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,295/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$1.2M
October to December 2025
The 90.8% separate-house share and 51.5% 4-plus-bedroom share suit households seeking space, while apartments account for only 0.6%. A $2,167 monthly mortgage and 21.8% mortgage-to-income ratio are paired with no mortgage-stress flag, because the typical repayment burden remains contained. Compared with smaller dwelling formats, Torquay's family-home bias narrows the cheaper end of the search.
For Buyers
The 90.8% separate-house share and 51.5% 4-plus-bedroom share suit households seeking space, while apartments account for only 0.6%. A $2,167 monthly mortgage and 21.8% mortgage-to-income ratio are paired with no mortgage-stress flag, because the typical repayment burden remains contained. Compared with smaller dwelling formats, Torquay's family-home bias narrows the cheaper end of the search.
For Investors
Torquay's rental profile is shaped by a $500 weekly median rent, 21.5% renting households and a 20.9% vacancy rate. Renting is lower than mortgage tenure at 43.1%, pointing to an ownership-heavy market rather than a tenant-dominated one. The vacancy rate is higher than in a tightly supplied market, which can give renters more choice and moderate rapid rent escalation, so investors should test holding costs carefully. There were 13 development applications in the latest 12 months, making new supply a factor to monitor rather than the sole investment thesis. Forecast migration is labelled Balanced and annual growth is 2.98%, supporting a steadier case than a purely speculative strategy. The 90.8% detached-house share also means maintenance and land exposure matter more than apartment-body-corporate costs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+18.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Torquay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Therese School
Torquay Coast Primary School
Torquay P-6 College
Surf Coast Secondary College
Demographics
Torquay has a median age of 39, one year below the national figure, but its trajectory is ageing as the senior share has increased 5.3 percentage points and the young share has fallen 1.4 points. University qualification is 42.0%, 11.9 percentage points above the national comparison, while overseas-born residents account for 13.9%, 7.7 points below the national figure. English ancestry is recorded for 7,998 residents, followed by Irish at 2,957 and Scottish at 2,465. No religion is recorded for 9,714 residents, compared with 7,423 identifying with Christianity. Household size averages 2.7, 0.2 above the national comparison, and 74.2% stayed at the same address while turnover was 25.8%. This combination supports a settled population, although the ageing shift is becoming more pronounced than the current age gap suggests.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.8%
Houses
8.4%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Torquay's price cycle has been strong over the long term but softer after the 2022 peak. Tenure is weighted to mortgages at 43.1% and outright ownership at 33.3%, compared with 21.5% renting. Separate houses account for 90.8%, and 4-plus-bedroom homes 51.5%, so the stock is more family-sized than apartment-led. That mix supports space but limits low-cost choice because 2-bedroom homes are only 8.1% and apartments 0.6%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $500.
$685
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $650 · units $500
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,018
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
20.9%
Unoccupied
1,687
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.7%
Couples with children
38.9%
Couples, no children
10.6%
Single parent
5,013
Total families
Economy & Employment
Torquay's household income is $2,295 per week, placing it at the 87.9th percentile nationally. Employment is spread across healthcare at 17.0%, education at 14.4%, construction at 13.0%, professional and technical work at 9.4% and public administration at 8.7%. Occupations are led by 2,740 professionals and 1,613 managers, followed by 1,225 trades workers, 1,119 community and personal workers and 1,025 clerical and admin workers. Unemployment is 3.2%, participation is 67.4% and full-time employment is 56.8%, supporting household stability. SEIFA is consistently high, with IEO, IER and IRSAD in decile 9 and IRSD in decile 10, all above the national midpoint because disadvantage is not concentrated in one index.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
9,696
Unemployed
307
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.8%
Part-time
35.6%
Participation
67.4%
Employed
9,389
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.0%
Postgraduate
9.5%
Born Overseas
13.9%
Dwellings
6,360
Transport to Work
Torquay suits residents who drive or work remotely: 59.6% travelled as car drivers, 33.3% worked from home, 3.3% walked or cycled and only 0.4% used public transport. Four local schools cover 3 primary settings and 1 secondary college, with 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school. Families can compare both sectors, but exact enrolment zones should be checked for each address. Crime totalled 662 incidents at 35.7 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences accounted for 426, compared with 87 crimes against the person. Socioeconomic scores are strong, with IRSAD decile 9, IRSD decile 10, IEO decile 9 and IER decile 9, all above the national midpoint. Livability is therefore more practical for car-based households than for residents relying on buses, because public transport use is only 0.4% and the car-driver share is 59.6%.
Drive
59.6%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
33.3%
Population Forecast
+2.98%/yr
(+792 people/yr)
EstablishedTorquay is classified as an established area, yet the forecast trend is 2.98% annual growth and migration is labelled Balanced. The wider area records 63.6% population change over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 5.3 percentage points, the working share is down 3.0 points and the young share is down 1.4. Gentrification is at the Early signs stage with a score of 38, higher than the shift score of 29, alongside an accelerating signal from 23% to 39%. This combination suggests growth because established coastal demand is still expanding, but the age mix is changing faster than a simple family-growth narrative implies. Real income growth of 21.3% and rent growth of 47.1% are notable alongside an affordability trend labelled Stable, moving from 50.7% in 2011 to 50.0% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+170
Net Internal / yr
+186
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +186/yr, Accelerating: 23% → 39%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
662
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.7
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 Torquay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Torquay a good suburb to live in?
Torquay can suit households wanting coastal living, detached homes and flexible work. It has 18,534 residents, 90.8% separate houses and 33.3% working from home. Its IRSAD decile of 9 is above the national midpoint, although public transport use at 0.4% is lower than car dependence.
What schools are in Torquay?
Torquay has 4 local schools: St Therese School, Surf Coast Secondary College, Torquay Coast Primary School and Torquay P-6 College. The mix is 3 primary settings and 1 secondary college, with 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school, giving families more sector choice than a single-school catchment.
Is Torquay safe?
Torquay recorded 662 offences at a rate of 35.7 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 426 incidents, compared with 87 crimes against the person. Those categories matter more than the total alone, so buyers and renters should compare the exact street and recent local conditions before deciding.
Is Torquay good for property investment?
Torquay has a $500 weekly median rent, 21.5% renting households and a 20.9% vacancy rate. Renting is lower than mortgage tenure at 43.1%, while forecast annual growth is 2.98% and migration is Balanced. The vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, so the investment case depends on purchase price, holding costs and tenant demand.
How is Torquay's population changing?
Torquay has 18,534 residents today, while population change across the wider area is forecast at 63.6% over 10 years. Annual growth is 2.98%, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 5.3 percentage points and the young share is down 1.4. Growth is therefore stronger than a static-suburb pattern, with a changing age mix.
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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