Warranwood
Detached houses make up 98.4% of dwellings in Warranwood, one of the most uniformly house-based profiles you will find this close to Melbourne, and 63.5% of those homes carry four or more bedrooms. The $1,380,000 median house price has climbed 127.9% from $605,500 in 2013, a 6.1% annual compound rate. Household income sits in the 96.4th percentile nationally, yet only 9.6% of residents rent, well below the national norm. University qualifications reach 42.2%, which is 12.1 points above the national figure, and the median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above national, pointing to settled, established families rather than transient renters.
Population
4,820
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,852/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
Buyers in Warranwood are almost always shopping for a large family house: 98.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 63.5% have four or more bedrooms, with another 31.7% offering three. That stock concentration is why the $1,380,000 median, up 127.9% from $605,500 in 2013, prices out smaller buyers entirely. The trade-off is affordability comfort for those who qualify, because average monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 17.5%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most premium Melbourne suburbs. Mortgage holders (52.4%) outnumber outright owners (37.9%), a sign of working families paying down homes rather than retirees holding debt-free, consistent with the average household size of 3.1, which is 0.6 above national.
For Buyers
Buyers in Warranwood are almost always shopping for a large family house: 98.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 63.5% have four or more bedrooms, with another 31.7% offering three. That stock concentration is why the $1,380,000 median, up 127.9% from $605,500 in 2013, prices out smaller buyers entirely. The trade-off is affordability comfort for those who qualify, because average monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 17.5%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most premium Melbourne suburbs. Mortgage holders (52.4%) outnumber outright owners (37.9%), a sign of working families paying down homes rather than retirees holding debt-free, consistent with the average household size of 3.1, which is 0.6 above national.
For Investors
The investment case in Warranwood is thin by design. Only 9.6% of residents rent, one of the lowest renter shares in metropolitan Melbourne, so the tenant pool is shallow. Weekly rent of $423 against the $1,380,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, low even by Melbourne standards, which is why the suburb suits owner-occupiers more than landlords. The 2.5% vacancy rate is tight and rent grew 30.6% over the decade, but demand drivers are mixed: net overseas migration adds 137 residents a year while internal migration removes 155, leaving slightly negative natural growth. Development is minimal at four applications in 12 months, mostly small two-lot subdivisions rather than new rental supply, so returns rest on long-run capital growth more than yield or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
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 Warranwood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School
Prep-12 · 470 students
Warranwood Primary School
Prep-6 · 375 students
Demographics
Warranwood skews older and settled. The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above national, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.4 points over the decade while the young share fell 2.6 points. Only 18.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 3.6 points below the national figure, an unusually Anglo profile for outer Melbourne: ancestry is led by English (1,842), Scottish (557) and Irish (549). University qualifications at 42.2% run 12.1 points above national, supporting professional household incomes. The average household size of 3.1 sits 0.6 above national and reflects the family base, with 1,871 couples raising children against 792 couples without. Turnover is low at 11.1%, so 88.9% of residents stayed put, reinforcing the stable, established character.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.4%
Houses
1.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged families: 52.4% carry a mortgage, 37.9% own outright and just 9.6% rent. That mortgage-heavy split, combined with an average household size of 3.1, marks Warranwood as a working family base rather than a retiree or investor enclave. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 98.4% separate houses, with four-plus bedroom homes at 63.5% and three-bedroom at 31.7%, leaving two-bedroom dwellings at only 3.0%. The median house price rose from $605,500 in 2013 to $1,380,000 by mid-2024, a 127.9% gain at 6.1% compound annual growth across 15 quarters of data. Despite that climb, mortgage-to-income stays at 17.5% and rent-to-income at 14.8%, both well below the 30% stress line, because household incomes reach the 96.4th percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$423
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$954
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.5%
Unoccupied
40
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.0%
Couples, no children
4,410
Total families
Economy & Employment
Warranwood's workforce leans toward public-facing and skilled trades sectors: Education leads at 15.9% (301 workers), Healthcare follows at 15.6% (295) and Construction at 12.1% (228), with Professional/Tech at 10.2% and Retail at 7.5%. By occupation, Professionals (688) and Managers (484) dominate, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation and university qualifications 12.1 points above national. Unemployment is low at 3.7% and the full-time employment rate is 61.3%, with participation at 68.1%. The suburb scores decile 10 on the IER index of economic resources, the top tier, higher than its decile 9 IRSAD and IRSD scores, because the 52.4% mortgage and 37.9% outright-owner base lifts aggregate household wealth measures even where occupational mix is broader.
Unemployment
2.3%
Labour Force
10,965
Unemployed
247
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.3%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
68.1%
Employed
2,568
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.2%
Postgraduate
10.1%
Born Overseas
18.0%
Dwellings
1,528
Transport to Work
Warranwood is built around the car: 91.4% of commuters drive, far above the national average, while only 1.5% take public transport and 2.1% walk or cycle, reflecting an outer location with limited rail access. Safety is a clear strength, with 61 recorded offences and a crime rate of 12.7 per 1,000 residents, low for metropolitan Melbourne, led by property and deception offences (26) rather than crimes against the person. The suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSAD advantage index and decile 9 on IRSD relative disadvantage, both near the top tier, so very few residents face deprivation and only 3.3% need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 3.0 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the low-density, leafy setting at 1,608 residents per km2.
Drive
91.4%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.03%/yr
(-6 people/yr)
EstablishedWarranwood is effectively static. Annual population growth registers minus 0.03%, about six fewer residents a year, and the 10-year change is just 0.2%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. Medium forecasts hold the area near flat through 2031 with no expansion expected, consistent with a fully built-out detached-housing footprint. Net overseas migration of 137 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 155, which leaves growth slightly negative. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 17, fitting a suburb already at decile 9 advantage with little room to climb. Affordability improved modestly from 50.6% in 2011 to 47.2% in 2021 even as rents rose 30.6%, because real incomes grew 13.8% over the same period.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+137
Net Internal / yr
-155
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -155/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
61
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
12.7
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 Warranwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Warranwood a good suburb to live in?
Warranwood scores decile 9 on the IRSAD advantage index and decile 10 on economic resources, near the top tier nationally, with household income in the 96.4th percentile. University qualifications reach 42.2%, 12.1 points above national, and crime is low at 12.7 per 1,000. The main trade-off is a $1,380,000 median house price.
What is the median house price in Warranwood?
The median house price is $1,380,000 as of mid-2024, up 127.9% from $605,500 in 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 6.1%. Weekly rent averages $423 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Warranwood?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.0 km2 Warranwood boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 42.2%, which is 12.1 points above the national figure.
Is Warranwood safe?
Warranwood recorded 61 offences in the period, a crime rate of 12.7 per 1,000 residents, low for metropolitan Melbourne. The most common category is property and deception offences (26), ahead of crimes against the person (14). The suburb also scores decile 9 on the IRSD disadvantage index, near the top tier.
Is Warranwood good for property investment?
Rent of $423 a week against a $1,380,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.6%, low even for Melbourne, and only 9.6% of residents rent. The 2.5% vacancy rate is tight, but with population growth at minus 0.03% a year, returns depend on long-run capital growth rather than yield or tenant volume.
How is Warranwood's population changing?
Population growth is minus 0.03% annually, about six fewer residents a year, with a 10-year change of just 0.2%. The profile is aging: the senior share rose 5.4 points and the young share fell 2.6 points over the decade. Net overseas migration of 137 a year is offset by internal outflow of 155.
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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