Wandana Heights
With household income at the 92.8th percentile nationally and 48% of residents holding university qualifications (17.9 points above the national average), Wandana Heights punches well above its modest size of 2,195 people. Nearly all dwellings (96.8%) are separate houses, and 43.7% are owned outright, meaning most residents arrived here with wealth already accumulated. The suburb's 2.6 km2 footprint at Geelong's south-west edge houses a settled, professional population with an unemployment rate of just 2.7%, considerably below the national benchmark.
Population
2,195
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,549/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$930K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price reached $930,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter, having peaked at $1,135,000 in 2022 before falling 18.1% to its current level. That correction puts buyers in a more favourable position than the recent peak suggested. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is almost entirely detached houses (96.8%), and 64.1% of those have four or more bedrooms, making this a suburb suited to families rather than downsizers. Price history shows a 72.2% gain from $540,000 in 2013 to $930,000 today, a compound annual growth rate of 4.0% over 14 years.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $930,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter, having peaked at $1,135,000 in 2022 before falling 18.1% to its current level. That correction puts buyers in a more favourable position than the recent peak suggested. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is almost entirely detached houses (96.8%), and 64.1% of those have four or more bedrooms, making this a suburb suited to families rather than downsizers. Price history shows a 72.2% gain from $540,000 in 2013 to $930,000 today, a compound annual growth rate of 4.0% over 14 years.
For Investors
Renters account for just 10.5% of households, well below the national average, narrowing the tenant pool. Weekly rent of $410 against a $930,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, low compared to higher-renter suburbs. Vacancy runs at 4.8%, slightly elevated. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so supply pressure is minimal. The 92.8th-percentile household income and mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1% support price stability, but yield-focused investors will find limited returns without capital growth.
Demographics
The median age is 41, one year above the national figure. University qualification rates reach 48.0%, which is 17.9 percentage points higher than national, consistent with a workforce dominated by professionals and managers. Overseas-born residents comprise 17.2% of the population, 4.4 points below the national average, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (935), Scottish (315) and Irish (286) residents. Average household size is 2.9, above the national average of 2.5, reflecting the strong couples-with-children profile: 42% of families are couples with children and 25.3% are couples without.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.8%
Houses
3.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The ownership split tells the story of a suburb that has largely paid off its debt: 43.7% own outright, 45.8% carry a mortgage, and only 10.5% rent. That renter share is considerably lower than the national figure, indicating a deeply owner-occupied community. Separate houses make up 96.8% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 3.2% and no notable apartment stock. Four-or-more-bedroom homes dominate at 64.1%, three-bedroom at 30.0%, reflecting the family orientation. The median fell from a 2022 peak of $1,135,000 to $930,000 by mid-2024, a peak-to-latest decline of 18.1%, offering buyers more entry points than the peak cycle allowed.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$954
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
38
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.3%
Couples, no children
1,957
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the leading industry at 22.4% of employed residents (195 workers), followed by Education at 15.4% (134) and Construction at 11.1% (97). Professional and Technical services add another 9.6% (84 workers). By occupation, Professionals (375) and Managers (203) represent the dominant categories, accounting for the majority of the workforce. The unemployment rate sits at 2.7%, below the national average, with a full-time employment rate of 56.6% and participation rate of 65.5%. Rent-to-income at 16.1% and mortgage-to-income at 18.1% both indicate that housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes, which are at the 92.8th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.6%
Part-time
40.7%
Participation
65.5%
Employed
1,147
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.0%
Postgraduate
10.8%
Born Overseas
17.2%
Dwellings
749
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 91.5% drive to work, compared to 1.5% using public transport, well below national public-transport usage rates. Crime totals 41.9 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, with property offences (45) and justice procedures (29) dominating; crimes against the person numbered only 11. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary. The volunteering rate is 18.0% and only 3.9% of the 2,195 residents (84 people) need daily assistance, both indicators of low disadvantage relative to state averages.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
92
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
41.9
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 Wandana Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wandana Heights a good suburb to live in?
Wandana Heights suits established families well. Household income sits at the 92.8th percentile nationally, unemployment is 2.7%, and 48% of residents hold university qualifications. The trade-offs are high car dependence (91.5% drive to work) and no recorded schools within the suburb boundary, so residents rely on neighbouring areas for education and public transport.
What is the median house price in Wandana Heights?
The median house price was $930,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter. This is down 18.1% from the 2022 peak of $1,135,000. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and prices have grown 72.2% from $540,000 in 2013, a compound rate of 4.0% per year over 14 years.
What schools are in Wandana Heights?
No schools are recorded within the Wandana Heights suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, 48% of residents hold university qualifications, 17.9 percentage points above the national average, reflecting a highly educated adult population despite the absence of in-suburb schooling.
Is Wandana Heights safe?
Crime totals 92 incidents per year at a rate of 41.9 per 1,000 residents. The largest category is property and deception offences at 45 incidents, followed by justice procedures offences at 29. Crimes against the person numbered just 11, and drug offences were 5, making serious crime relatively uncommon in this suburb of 2,195 people.
Is Wandana Heights good for property investment?
The investment case is moderate. Weekly rent of $410 against a $930,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, lower than higher-renter markets. Renters are only 10.5% of households, vacancy sits at 4.8%, and zero development applications were lodged in the past 12 months. The 4.0% compound annual price growth over 14 years favours long-term capital holders over yield seekers.
How is Wandana Heights's population changing?
The current population is 2,195 across a 2.6 km2 area, giving a density of 843 people per km2. Residential turnover is low, with 75% of residents remaining at the same address for five or more years. The suburb's detached housing stock (96.8%) and mature ownership profile (43.7% owned outright) suggest stable, slow-change demographics rather than rapid growth.
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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