Wangaratta
A 44-year median age makes Wangaratta 4 years older than the national figure, while its 19,214 residents live across 48.8 square kilometres at 393.7 people per square kilometre. Compared with nearby Wangaratta West, Wangaratta reads as the more central service hub. A 121.0 per 1,000 crime rate is a material consideration, while 76.9% of commuters drive because public transport use is only 0.2%.
Population
19,214
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,218/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
37
Median House
$540K
October to December 2025
That pattern gives buyers long-run uplift but limited recent discounting. Separate houses account for 85.3% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes make up 51.1%, supporting households seeking practical space. The typical mortgage payment is $1,300 per month and mortgage costs equal 24.6% of income. With 38.2% owning outright and 31.1% paying a mortgage, owner-occupier demand is stronger than renting at 29.6%.
For Buyers
That pattern gives buyers long-run uplift but limited recent discounting. Separate houses account for 85.3% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes make up 51.1%, supporting households seeking practical space. The typical mortgage payment is $1,300 per month and mortgage costs equal 24.6% of income. With 38.2% owning outright and 31.1% paying a mortgage, owner-occupier demand is stronger than renting at 29.6%.
For Investors
Investor conditions are shaped by a $260 weekly median rent, 29.6% renter occupancy and a 7.1% vacancy rate. Renting is below outright ownership at 38.2%, signalling an owner-led market, although the rental base remains substantial for regional workers and smaller households. Compared with a tightly supplied rental market, the 7.1% vacancy rate gives tenants more choice and may moderate short-term rent competition. Thirty-seven development applications in 12 months point to active planning and potential future competition between existing and new stock. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, linking investor demand to service-sector employment and regional population renewal.
Development Activity
Total DAs
76
Last 12 Months
37
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+85.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wangaratta
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Cathedral College Wangaratta
Appin Park Primary School
Our Lady's School
St Bernard's School
St Patrick's School
Demographics
Wangaratta has a median age of 44, 4 years higher than the national comparison, and its 2.2-person average household is 0.3 lower. That smaller household structure aligns with 42.9% of families being couples without children, while couples with children account for 35.5% and one-parent families 20.5%. University attainment is 23.5%, or 6.6 percentage points below the national level, and 10.4% were born overseas, 11.2 points below nationally. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading ancestries at 8,197, 2,723 and 2,200 people, with Italian ancestry at 1,326. Christianity counts 9,349 people versus 7,919 reporting no religion. An 80.9% stay rate is higher than the 19.1% turnover rate, reinforcing a settled, older profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.3%
Houses
14.2%
Townhouse
0.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is predominantly detached and owner occupied: 85.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 38.2% are owned outright and 31.1% carry a mortgage. Three-bedroom homes represent 51.1% of stock, compared with 27.7% for four or more bedrooms and 17.4% for two-bedroom dwellings, so the market is more family-house oriented than apartment-led.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$260
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$700
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
606
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.5%
Couples with children
42.9%
Couples, no children
20.5%
Single parent
4,994
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates Wangaratta's employment base at 28.8% and 1,582 workers, followed by education at 11.4% and 628, construction at 9.1% and 498, manufacturing at 8.7% and 476, and public administration at 7.3% and 404. This mix supports essential services, education and trades, but is more concentrated than a diversified metropolitan labour market. The leading occupations are professionals at 1,617, community and personal service at 1,278, trades at 1,193, labourers at 1,106 and clerical or administration at 902. Unemployment is 3.6% with 55.8% participation. Household income sits at the 26.2nd percentile, below the midpoint, while SEIFA places education and occupation at decile 4 and economic resources, disadvantage and advantage at decile 3. That lower socioeconomic position is weaker than in higher-decile areas despite relatively low unemployment.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
8,876
Unemployed
317
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.8%
Part-time
37.3%
Participation
55.8%
Employed
8,559
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.5%
Postgraduate
4.7%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
7,911
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 76.9% travel as car drivers, compared with 0.2% using public transport, while 6.5% walk or cycle and 9.4% work from home. Wangaratta has 10 nearby schools across government and Catholic sectors, including primary, secondary and specialist settings, giving families more sector and age-stage choice than a small single-school township; exact enrolment zones still need checking at the address. Safety needs active attention: the recorded crime rate is 121.0 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 904, justice procedures at 603 and crimes against the person at 391. Property offences are higher than person offences, so secure parking and home security matter. The IRSAD decile is 3, below higher-decile locations, while a 16.9% volunteering rate supports local participation.
Drive
76.9%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
6.5%
Work from Home
9.4%
Population Forecast
+0.69%/yr
(+139 people/yr)
EstablishedWangaratta's trajectory is gradual rather than explosive: the annual trend is 0.69%, above zero, and population change across the wider area is forecast at 12.4% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the shift is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 4.1% and the young share down 2.0%. Rents have risen 44.4%, while affordability is marked Stable at 36.7% in both 2011 and 2021. Gentrification signals are mixed: the gentrification score is 4 and stage Not gentrifying, while the shift measure is 41 and Early signs. These figures point to service-led, older-population growth rather than rapid reinvention, with 37 development applications in 12 months adding activity.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+73
Net Internal / yr
+16
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +11% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,325
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
121.0
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 Wangaratta compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wangaratta a good suburb to live in?
That depends on priorities. Wangaratta suits buyers wanting detached housing, regional services and a 44-year median age, with 85.3% separate houses and 76.9% car commuting. The trade-off is a 121.0 per 1,000 crime rate and only 0.2% public transport use, so inspect the exact area and transport needs.
What schools are in Wangaratta?
Wangaratta has 10 schools across government and Catholic sectors. The mix includes primary schools such as Appin Park, Wangaratta Primary and Wangaratta West, secondary schools including Wangaratta High and Galen Catholic College, plus 2 specialist settings. Check the exact enrolment zone for each address.
Is Wangaratta safe?
Safety varies by street and household routine. Wangaratta recorded 2,325 offences, equal to 121.0 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 904, followed by justice procedures at 603, so buyers should review recent incidents and consider lighting, parking and home security.
How is Wangaratta's population changing?
The wider area's population change is forecast at 12.4% over 10 years, with annual growth of 0.69%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 4.1% while the young share has fallen 2.0%. That points to steady rather than rapid growth.
What development is occurring in Wangaratta?
There were 37 development applications in the previous 12 months, including planning permit matters. The available examples do not specify dwelling numbers or project costs, so buyers should check each application's status, proposed use and timing with the relevant council before relying on future supply.
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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