Warburton
A median age of 50, a full 10 years above the national figure, is the single most telling fact about Warburton. This Yarra Valley township of 2,020 residents spreads across 132.5 square kilometres at a density of just 15.2 people per km2, making it one of Victoria's most sparsely settled communities. Household income sits at the 21.6th percentile nationally, well below state and national averages, yet 41.3% of residents own their home outright, reflecting long-tenure ownership rather than recent mortgage-fuelled entry. The vacancy rate of 21.9% is high compared to metropolitan benchmarks and points to a significant holiday and part-time occupancy component in the housing stock.
Local council: Yarra Ranges
Population
2,020
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,147/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$750K
October to December 2025
The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.6% separate houses and only 2.3% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.5% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 20.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.2%, just below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is relative, given household income at the 21.6th percentile nationally, so buyers should stress-test against income stability rather than headline ratios.
For Buyers
The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.6% separate houses and only 2.3% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.5% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 20.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.2%, just below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is relative, given household income at the 21.6th percentile nationally, so buyers should stress-test against income stability rather than headline ratios.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 21.9% is high compared to metropolitan VIC norms and signals a market where holiday and short-term letting competes with long-term residential supply. Only 17.4% of dwellings are rented, a low renter share that limits the tenant pool. Development activity is minimal, with just 3 applications in the past 12 months, meaning no meaningful new supply pressure.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Warburton
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Warburton Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 50 places Warburton 10 years older than the national figure, the strongest single identity signal for the suburb. The overseas-born share is 21.5%, only 0.1 percentage point below the national average. Ancestry is Anglo-Celtic led by English (888 residents), Irish (255) and Scottish (235). University qualifications reach 26.3%, which is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a blue-collar and trade-oriented workforce. The average household size of 2.1 is 0.4 below national, reflecting the prevalence of couples without children: 32.8% of families fall into this category. Volunteering is relatively high at 22.1%, suggesting community engagement despite the ageing profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
0.4%
Townhouse
2.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Warburton's housing market is defined by long-tenure ownership. Some 41.3% of dwellings are owned outright and another 41.3% are owner-occupied with a mortgage, leaving only 17.4% as rentals. The outright-ownership rate is notably high compared to metropolitan VIC suburbs and reflects decades of settled, lower-turnover ownership. The annual turnover rate is 12.8%, meaning 87.2% of residents stayed in place year-on-year. Separate houses make up 94.6% of stock, with semi-detached at just 0.4% and apartments at 2.3%, so buyers will find almost no alternative dwelling types.
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$290
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$599
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.9%
Unoccupied
229
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.9%
Couples with children
45.0%
Couples, no children
22.9%
Single parent
489
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 21.6% of the local workforce (113 workers), followed by Education at 17.2% (90 workers). Construction at 8.6% and Professional/Tech at 7.5% round out the upper tier. By occupation, Professionals (172) and Community/Personal workers (137) lead, with Managers (107) and Labourers (87) also significant. The unemployment rate is 6.2%, above the national baseline, and the participation rate is just 44.3% because 673 residents are not in the labour force, a consequence of the older age profile. Personal weekly income of $599 and household weekly income of $1,147 place Warburton in the 21.6th percentile nationally, reflecting the concentration of part-time, community-sector and lower-income employment.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
846
Unemployed
48
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.0%
Part-time
41.4%
Participation
48.8%
Employed
798
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.3%
Postgraduate
8.3%
Born Overseas
21.5%
Dwellings
810
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total in Warburton: 91.1% of residents drive to work, while only 0.8% use public transport and 4.2% walk or cycle. This is higher than the national car-dependence rate and reflects the rural setting, where public transport options are sparse. Crime totalled 115 incidents over the period, with a rate of 56.9 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 46 of those, while crimes against the person number 33. No schools are recorded inside Warburton in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring townships. Rent-to-income at 25.3% and mortgage-to-income at 28.2% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to incomes. The need-assistance rate of 7.7% (137 residents) is above the national baseline, consistent with the older demographic.
Drive
65.2%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
28.4%
Growth Outlook
No population forecast data is available in the brief, but the combination of a median age 10 years above national, a participation rate of just 44.3%, and household income at the 21.6th percentile nationally suggests a community where organic population growth is limited. Development activity of only 3 applications in 12 months confirms that new supply is not a factor in the near term, which supports price stability but also limits growth catalysts.
Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area
Warburton sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Warburton's.
Residents 2025
160,906
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
115
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.9
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 Warburton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Warburton a good suburb to live in?
Warburton suits buyers seeking a low-density rural lifestyle: 94.6% of homes are separate houses, the housing cost-to-income ratios are below stress thresholds (mortgage-to-income 28.2%), and 87.2% of residents stayed in place year-on-year. The trade-offs are limited public transport (only 0.8% use it), no recorded schools within the suburb, and household income at the 21.6th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Warburton?
No schools are recorded inside Warburton in this dataset. Families typically access schools in the broader Yarra Valley area. University qualifications are held by 26.3% of residents, which is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting the local workforce mix.
Is Warburton safe?
Warburton recorded 115 crimes over the measured period, a rate of 56.9 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the most common at 46 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 33. As a small township of 2,020 people spread over 132.5 km2, per-capita rates can be sensitive to individual incidents.
How is Warburton's population changing?
Warburton's population of 2,020 is characterised by low mobility, with 87.2% of residents remaining year-on-year and a turnover rate of only 12.8%. The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, and the labour force participation rate of 44.3% is low, both indicating a predominantly older, settled community with limited natural population growth drivers.
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).
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