Werribee
The suburb houses 50,027 people, with a median age of 35, five years below the national comparison, and 36.8% born overseas, 15.2 percentage points above the national figure. Its 85.0% separate-house share supports a family-oriented suburban form, while a 4.14% annual growth trend points to continuing demand. Compared with neighbouring Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit, Werribee's defining profile is its combination of scale, detached housing and multicultural growth.
Population
50,027
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,645/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
97
Median House
$680K
October to December 2025
Separate houses account for 85.0% of homes, while 50.9% have 3 bedrooms and 35.5% have 4 or more, giving families more detached stock than apartment choice. Mortgage repayments equal 24.3% of household income, higher than the 20.1% rent-to-income ratio, because ownership costs include principal as well as interest.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 85.0% of homes, while 50.9% have 3 bedrooms and 35.5% have 4 or more, giving families more detached stock than apartment choice. Mortgage repayments equal 24.3% of household income, higher than the 20.1% rent-to-income ratio, because ownership costs include principal as well as interest.
For Investors
Rental conditions are accessible for a high-growth suburb: weekly rent is $330, vacancy is 7.4%, and 33.8% of households rent. Rent takes 20.1% of household income, below the 24.3% mortgage ratio, which can support tenant affordability but leaves investors exposed if new supply arrives quickly. Development activity reached 97 applications in 12 months, and the 4.14% annual growth trend is driven primarily by internal migration. A 24.5% turnover rate signals regular household movement, so investors should stress-test leasing costs, maintenance and vacancy rather than assume the median rent will rise indefinitely. Rent growth across the shift is 44.0%, adding momentum but not guaranteeing future returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
174
Last 12 Months
97
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+185.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$3.3M
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Werribee
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Heathdale Christian College
Corpus Christi School
Lollypop Creek Primary School
Manorvale Primary School
Riverwalk Primary School
Demographics
Werribee has a younger profile than the national comparison: median age is 35, five years lower, while 36.8% of residents were born overseas, 15.2 percentage points above the national figure. University attainment is 32.3%, 2.2 points above the national comparison, and average household size is 2.7 people, 0.2 above the national measure. English, Italian and Indian ancestry counts are 12,736, 3,740 and 3,527, with Punjabi, Italian and Hindi among the most common non-English languages at 849, 459 and 441 people. The 75.5% stay rate and 24.5% turnover suggest a settled base with regular movement, because family households and new arrivals are both significant.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.0%
Houses
13.8%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and family-sized. Three-bedroom homes make up 50.9% and 4-plus-bedroom homes 35.5%, compared with only 1.1% apartments and 13.8% semi-detached dwellings. Tenure is split between 25.6% owning outright, 39.2% paying a mortgage and 33.8% renting; the mortgage share is higher than outright ownership because many households have entered ownership with finance rather than already owning. The $330 weekly rent, $1,733 monthly mortgage estimate and 7.4% vacancy rate help compare the cost and supply of each tenure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $330.
$490
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $460 · units $405
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$760
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.4%
Unoccupied
1,401
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.6%
Couples with children
32.0%
Couples, no children
19.2%
Single parent
13,202
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Werribee's industries at 15.9% and 2,364 workers, followed by Education at 11.1% and 1,652, Construction at 10.8% and 1,603, Professional/Tech at 7.9% and 1,171, and Retail at 7.6% and 1,139. Occupations are led by Professionals at 4,015, Trades at 3,268 and Clerical/Admin at 3,236. Participation is 62.0%, unemployment is 6.9% and full-time employment is 61.2%. Household income is at the 56.9th percentile, above the midpoint. SEIFA deciles are 4 for education and occupation, 5 for economic resources and 4 for disadvantage; the one-decile lift in resources may reflect stronger household cash flow than skill measures alone.
Unemployment
6.9%
Labour Force
24,680
Unemployed
1,698
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.2%
Part-time
32.1%
Participation
62.0%
Employed
22,982
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.3%
Postgraduate
9.4%
Born Overseas
36.8%
Dwellings
17,605
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 65.6% drive to work, compared with 3.4% using public transport, while 24.6% work from home. That makes road access more important than transit frequency for many routines. Ten local schools include 7 primary, 2 secondary and 1 special campus, with 6 government and 4 Catholic schools. Check enrolment zones against the exact address. The crime rate is 109.2 per 1,000 people, with 5,463 offences, including 2,851 property and deception offences and 965 crimes against the person. An IRSAD decile of 4 is below the midpoint decile 5, so inspect the exact pocket and service access.
Drive
65.6%
Public Transport
3.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
24.6%
Population Forecast
+4.14%/yr
(+1,365 people/yr)
High GrowthGrowth pressure is strong: the annual trend is 4.14%, with internal migration named as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change over 10 years is 105.7%, while the shift trajectory is Mixed rather than a single demographic direction. Compared with 2011, affordability is labelled Stable and moved from 41.7% to 40.5% in 2021, so demand has expanded without a matching affordability improvement. The gentrification score is 0; its stages are New development and Not gentrifying, indicating that development activity matters more than a premium-rebranding cycle. The 2.8% rise in young share and 1.6% rise in working share help explain why internal migration can sustain demand.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+224
Net Internal / yr
+1,816
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
5,463
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
109.2
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 Werribee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Werribee a good suburb to live in?
Werribee suits households seeking detached housing and access to a large local population of 50,027. Its median age is 35 and 85.0% of homes are separate houses, but car use is 65.6% and the crime rate is 109.2 per 1,000, so inspect transport needs and the exact street before deciding.
What schools are in Werribee?
Werribee has 10 local schools across 7 primary, 2 secondary and 1 special campuses. Six are government and 4 Catholic, including Suzanne Cory High School, MacKillop Catholic Regional College and Riverwalk Primary School. Check the address-specific enrolment zone before buying or renting.
Is Werribee safe?
Safety varies by pocket rather than being uniform. The crime rate is 109.2 offences per 1,000 people, with 5,463 total offences; property and deception offences account for 2,851 and crimes against the person for 965. Visit the exact area at different times and review current local advice before committing.
Is Werribee good for property investment?
Werribee has an investment case built around a $330 weekly median rent, 33.8% renting households and a 7.4% vacancy rate. Development activity reached 97 applications in 12 months, while the annual growth trend is 4.14% and internal migration is the primary driver. Test insurance, maintenance and management costs.
How is Werribee's population changing?
Werribee's current population is 50,027, and the wider-area forecast records 105.7% population change over 10 years. Growth runs at 4.14% annually and is driven primarily by internal migration, while the trajectory is Mixed. The 2.8% increase in young share and 1.6% increase in working share point to ongoing household demand.
What languages are spoken in Werribee?
Werribee has an overseas-born share of 36.8%. Punjabi is recorded for 849 people, followed by Italian at 459, Hindi at 441, Mandarin at 300 and Arabic at 276. The ancestry profile also includes 3,740 people reporting Italian ancestry and 3,527 reporting Indian ancestry.
Is Werribee experiencing much development?
Development activity is substantial, with 97 applications recorded across 12 months. The growth trend is 4.14% annually and the forecast classifies the area as high growth, with New development as the gentrification stage and a score of 0. Buyers should check each project's timing, scale and likely effect on local traffic and services.
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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