Upwey
With 6,818 residents, a median age of 41 and 98.6% of dwellings detached houses, Upwey reads as an established foothills market rather than a high-turnover apartment precinct. Household income sits at the 82.8th percentile nationally, while 38.0% of adults hold a university qualification, 7.9 percentage points above the national comparison. The profile is settled, with 87.1% of residents staying at the same address, and ageing is the clearest direction of travel: the senior share has risen 6.6 percentage points. Compared with nearby Belgrave and Tecoma, buyers are likely to focus on land, privacy and school access while accepting slower growth and limited rental stock because the detached housing base leaves little apartment supply.
Population
6,818
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,171/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$905K
October to December 2025
That price buys into a strongly detached market because 98.6% of dwellings are separate houses; 44.8% have 3 bedrooms and 43.6% have 4 or more. Mortgage commitments equal 20.7% of household income, while 35.5% own outright and 54.1% carry a mortgage. Prices are still 112.9% above 2013, so buyers should compare renovation, slope and transport costs rather than treating the latest median as the whole entry point.
For Buyers
That price buys into a strongly detached market because 98.6% of dwellings are separate houses; 44.8% have 3 bedrooms and 43.6% have 4 or more. Mortgage commitments equal 20.7% of household income, while 35.5% own outright and 54.1% carry a mortgage. Prices are still 112.9% above 2013, so buyers should compare renovation, slope and transport costs rather than treating the latest median as the whole entry point.
For Investors
Upwey presents a low-rental-supply investment case, with only 9.7% of dwellings rented and a vacancy rate of 4.6%. Rent growth of 34.4% supports longer-term holding, but annual growth is -0.21%, making near-term capital gains less certain. Development activity is modest at 2 planning permits in 12 months, limiting competing stock but also offering fewer new-build options. Compared with more rental-heavy suburbs, Upwey's tenant pool may be narrower because 98.6% of homes are detached. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Upwey
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Upwey Primary School
Upwey South Primary School
Upwey High School
Demographics
Upwey's demographic profile leans older and more settled than the national pattern: median age is 41, one year above the national comparison, and average household size is 2.7, 0.2 higher than the national figure. Couples with children account for 49.7% of families, while couples without children make up 34.5% and one-parent families 15.0%. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading ancestries, with counts of 3,136, 990 and 819. Overseas-born residents account for 17.4%, 4.2 percentage points below the national comparison. No religion is recorded for 4,200 residents, compared with 2,010 identifying with Christianity. The 87.1% same-address rate fits the established housing base because larger detached homes support longer tenure, although the Aging trajectory and 6.6-point rise in the senior share indicate that the age mix will continue to shift.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.6%
Houses
0.4%
Townhouse
1.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing defines Upwey: 98.6% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 1.0% apartments and 0.4% semi-detached homes. The bedroom profile is similarly family-oriented, with 44.8% three-bedroom and 43.6% four-plus-bedroom dwellings, while 10.2% have two bedrooms. Tenure is weighted toward leveraged ownership: 54.1% of households have a mortgage, 35.5% own outright and 9.7% rent. Compared with nearby Belgrave and Tecoma, purchasers should assess slope, access and renovation requirements alongside the headline median because the stock leaves limited apartment choice.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$390
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$895
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
115
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.7%
Couples with children
34.5%
Couples, no children
15.0%
Single parent
1,984
Total families
Economy & Employment
Upwey combines above-average household resources with a practical employment base. Median household income is $2,171 a week, at the 82.8th percentile nationally; unemployment is 3.8% and participation is 70.4%. Employment is concentrated in healthcare (16.7%), education (15.1%), construction (12.0%), professional/technical work (9.6%) and manufacturing (7.6%). The leading occupations are professionals (1,017), trades (567), managers (488), clerical/admin (447) and community/personal services (410). SEIFA is above the national midpoint: IEO decile 8, IER decile 9, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 8. The decile spread still indicates broad advantage because work spans care, education, building and professional services. A 33.6% work-from-home rate is lower than the 59.9% who drive.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
3,872
Unemployed
148
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.9%
Part-time
36.7%
Participation
70.4%
Employed
3,724
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.0%
Postgraduate
9.4%
Born Overseas
17.4%
Dwellings
2,407
Transport to Work
Upwey suits households wanting a foothills setting with local schools and established services. Three nearby government schools cover two primary campuses and one secondary campus, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross local streets. Transport is more car-dependent than active or public modes: 59.9% drive, compared with 1.8% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling, while 33.6% work from home. Safety is a relative strength, with 196 recorded offences and a rate of 28.7 per 1,000; property and deception offences account for 117, compared with 44 crimes against the person. SEIFA scores reinforce the setting, with IRSAD decile 8 and IRSD decile 9, both above the national midpoint. The trade-off is less convenience for car-free households than in denser centres, because detached homes dominate at 98.6%.
Drive
59.9%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
33.6%
Population Forecast
-0.21%/yr
(-21 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth looks measured rather than expansionary. The annual trend is -0.21%, and population change across the wider area is -0.1% over 10 years, pointing to a stable-to-soft trajectory rather than rapid gain. The primary migration driver is overseas migration, but the shift label is Aging: the senior share has increased 6.6 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 0.8 points and the working share 1.7 points. Affordability improved from 43.9 in 2011 to 41.6 in 2021, even as real income growth reached 15.5% and rents rose 34.4%. The gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying, so current change is lower-intensity than a redevelopment-led cycle. Compared with faster-growth corridors, Upwey's appeal rests on established amenity and housing scarcity, not a large construction pipeline, with only 2 permits in 12 months.
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
196
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
28.7
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 Upwey compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Upwey a good suburb to live in?
Upwey suits households seeking detached housing, established schools and a settled foothills environment. Its median age is 41, 98.6% of homes are separate houses and 87.1% of residents stayed at the same address, although car dependence is high at 59.9%.
What schools are in Upwey?
Upwey has 3 nearby government schools: Upwey High School, Upwey Primary School and Upwey South Primary School. The mix covers 1 secondary campus and 2 primary campuses, giving families more than one school type; check the enrolment zone for the exact address.
Is Upwey safe?
Upwey records 196 offences at a rate of 28.7 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 117 incidents, compared with 44 crimes against the person, so buyers should still assess the specific street and property security rather than relying only on the suburb-wide rate.
Is Upwey good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term investor seeking detached housing, but the income case is modest. Rent is $390 a week, vacancy is 4.6% and only 9.7% of dwellings are rented. Annual growth is -0.21%, so cash flow and slower capital growth should be stress-tested.
How is Upwey's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at -0.1% over 10 years, with an annual trend of -0.21%, below zero. The trajectory is Aging, reflected in a 6.6 percentage-point rise in the senior share, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver.
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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