Werribee
Once a satellite town between Melbourne and Geelong, Werribee has doubled in size over the last decade, with population climbing 105.7% to 50,027 residents at a median age of 35. The suburb runs on detached housing (85.0% separate dwellings, 35.5% with four or more bedrooms) priced at $625,000, well below the wider Melbourne median, and the inflow is driven by internal migration (+1,816/yr) rather than overseas arrivals. That mix of cheap land, family-scale homes, and a 36.8% overseas-born share, headlined by a Punjabi-speaking Indian community, defines what the suburb has become.
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
78
Median House
$625K
Apr-Jun 2024
Detached houses dominate the market at 85.0% of dwellings, with three-bed (50.9%) and four-plus-bed (35.5%) homes making up the bulk of stock. The current median house price of $625,000 is the highest on record (Apr-Jun 2024), up from $309,000 in 2013, a 102.3% gain that compounds to 5.2% per year. The latest quarter is also the peak, so buyers are entering at the top of the cycle rather than below it. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 absorb 24.3% of household income, comfortably under the 30% stress line and notably lower than mortgage-stressed inner suburbs. Household income of $1,645 a week sits in the 56.9th percentile nationally, and the affordability ratio of about 7.3x income explains why families priced out of inner Melbourne keep arriving.
For Buyers
Detached houses dominate the market at 85.0% of dwellings, with three-bed (50.9%) and four-plus-bed (35.5%) homes making up the bulk of stock. The current median house price of $625,000 is the highest on record (Apr-Jun 2024), up from $309,000 in 2013, a 102.3% gain that compounds to 5.2% per year. The latest quarter is also the peak, so buyers are entering at the top of the cycle rather than below it. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 absorb 24.3% of household income, comfortably under the 30% stress line and notably lower than mortgage-stressed inner suburbs. Household income of $1,645 a week sits in the 56.9th percentile nationally, and the affordability ratio of about 7.3x income explains why families priced out of inner Melbourne keep arriving.
For Investors
The rental share is 34.3% of households, modest compared with student suburbs but supported by 50,027 residents and a 4.14% annual population growth rate. Median rent of $330 per week is well below Melbourne's mid-tier suburbs, putting rent-to-income at 20.1%, far healthier than the 30% stress threshold. The vacancy rate of 7.4% is the main caution, materially higher than the inner-east, suggesting supply is keeping pace with demand. Council recorded 54 development applications in the past 12 months, including multiple two-or-more-dwelling permits and a display-home centre, signalling continued greenfield and infill build-out. Internal migration of +1,816 a year is the dominant tenant pipeline, more than 8 times the +224 from overseas, so this market behaves more like an Australian-family rental story than an international-student play.
Development Activity
Total DAs
139
Last 12 Months
78
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+290.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$3.8M
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Werribee iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Suzanne Cory High School
9-12 · 922 students
Heathdale Christian College
Prep-12 · 2367 students
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 402 students
MacKillop Catholic Regional College
7-12 · 1749 students
Riverwalk Primary School
Prep-6 · 917 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 sits 5 years below the national figure of 40, and the 25-34 cohort alone holds 4,646 residents, more than double the 55-64 group at 1,996. University attainment of 32.3% is 2.2 percentage points above the national baseline, modest given Werribee's growth profile. The defining demographic feature is the 36.8% overseas-born share, 15.2 points above the national rate, anchored by an Indian-origin community of 3,527 plus 1,479 Filipino residents. Punjabi (849 speakers) leads the non-English languages, followed by Italian (459) and Hindi (441), and 2,904 Hindu and 2,655 Muslim residents reshape the religious mix beyond the 22,322 Christian count. Couples with children (17,767 families) outnumber couples without (8,628) by more than 2 to 1, the household-formation pattern of a family-oriented growth suburb rather than a CBD-adjacent one.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.0%
Houses
13.8%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits evenly across thirds: 26.0% own outright, 39.8% are mortgaged, and 34.3% rent, a profile typical of a relatively young, mortgage-belt suburb rather than an established old-money area. Three-bedroom homes lead at 50.9%, with four-plus-beds at 35.5% and only 12.3% two-bed and 1.2% one-or-zero-bed dwellings, so single occupants and downsizers face thin choice compared with apartment-rich suburbs. The price arc tells the story: $309,000 median in 2013, $510,000 by 2018, $617,000 in 2023, and $625,000 by Apr-Jun 2024, a 102.3% lift over 14 years compounding at 5.2% per year. The current quarter is the peak, so the market has not corrected. Affordability based on household income of $1,645/wk works out to around 7.3 times annual earnings, lower than Melbourne's inner ring and one reason buyer flow keeps rotating in from more expensive postcodes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$330
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
21.5%
Couples, no children
40,065
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads industry employment at 15.9% (2,364 workers), followed by Education at 11.1% (1,652), Construction at 10.8% (1,603), and Retail at 7.6%, an economic mix more blue-collar than the professional-services concentration of Melbourne's east. Professionals are the largest occupational group at 4,015 workers, but they are closely trailed by Clerical/Admin (3,236), Community/Personal Service (2,795), Machinery Operators/Drivers (2,518), and Labourers (2,468), which together outnumber Professionals 2.5 to 1. Full-time employment runs at 65.6% of workers, the participation rate is 58.1%, and unemployment sits at 7.3%, higher than the metro average. SEIFA tells a balanced story: IRSD decile 5, IRSAD decile 6, IEO decile 6, IER decile 5, all clustered near the national midpoint rather than skewing advantaged or disadvantaged.
Unemployment
5.9%
Labour Force
10,556
Unemployed
624
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
27.1%
Participation
58.1%
Employed
21,434
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.3%
Postgraduate
9.4%
Born Overseas
36.8%
Dwellings
17,605
Transport to Work
Car dependence is 87.0%, with public transport at 4.5% and walking or cycling at 1.7%, the typical pattern for an outer-west growth suburb sitting along the Werribee rail line and the Princes Freeway. Schools span the full quality range: Suzanne Cory High (ICSEA 1165, government, 922 students) is a selective-entry standout well above the national ICSEA mean of 1000, Heathdale Christian College (ICSEA 1139, 2,367 students) is the largest, and Werribee Secondary College (ICSEA 1048, 1,637 students) anchors the government secondary network. Recorded crime is 5,463 offences, a rate of 109.2 per 1,000 residents that runs higher than middle-Melbourne medians, with property and deception offences (2,851 incidents) the dominant category. SEIFA scores cluster near the national midpoint (IRSD 1,005, IRSAD 1,001), so the suburb scans as broadly average on socio-economic measures rather than disadvantaged, even with elevated crime counts.
Drive
87.0%
Public Transport
4.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.14%/yr
(+1,365 people/yr)
High GrowthPopulation is expanding at +4.14% per year (+1,365 people annually), classified as high growth and one of the steepest trajectories in greater Melbourne. The 10-year change of +105.7% effectively doubled the suburb, and the medium-scenario forecast lifts the local forecast geography from 32,943 in 2025 to 37,613 by 2031. Internal migration of +1,816/yr is the dominant driver, more than 8 times the +224 net overseas migration, which is unusual: most high-growth Australian suburbs lean on overseas inflow, while Werribee is fed primarily by domestic relocation. The gentrification score is 0 (stage: New development), so existing residents are not being priced out by a demographic upgrade; rather, new dwellings on the urban fringe are being absorbed by families relocating from elsewhere in Australia. Real income growth of 20.7% over the last decade and rent growth of 44% confirm the suburb is filling out, not transforming.
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 families chasing detached housing on a sub-Melbourne-median budget. The median house price is $625,000, 85.0% of dwellings are separate houses, and 35.5% have four or more bedrooms. The trade-offs are an 87.0% car-dependent commute, a recorded crime rate of 109.2 per 1,000 residents, and a 7.4% vacancy rate that signals plentiful supply rather than scarcity.
What is the median house price in Werribee?
The median house price in Werribee is $625,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024 (Victorian Valuer-General), the highest on record. Prices have climbed from $309,000 in 2013, a 102.3% gain compounding at 5.2% per year. Median weekly rent is $330 and the median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,733, both lower than inner-Melbourne medians.
What schools are in Werribee?
Werribee has more than 10 mainstream schools across government, Catholic and independent sectors. Standouts include Suzanne Cory High School (ICSEA 1165, selective government secondary, 922 students), Heathdale Christian College (ICSEA 1139, 2,367 students) and Werribee Secondary College (ICSEA 1048, 1,637 students). All sit above the national ICSEA average of 1000.
Is Werribee safe?
Werribee recorded 5,463 offences in the latest year, a rate of 109.2 per 1,000 residents that is higher than middle-Melbourne medians. Property and deception offences (2,851 incidents) dominate, while crimes against the person are 965, around 17.7% of the total. SEIFA disadvantage decile is 5, sitting at the national midpoint rather than below it.
Is Werribee good for property investment?
Werribee offers a 34.3% rental share, $330/wk median rent, and 4.14% annual population growth. The 7.4% vacancy rate is the main risk, well above tighter inner suburbs, and 54 DAs in the last 12 months show new supply is steady. Internal migration of +1,816/yr drives tenant demand more than overseas inflow.
How is Werribee's population changing?
Werribee's population reached 50,027 and is growing at +4.14% per year, a 105.7% increase over 10 years. Internal migration of +1,816 a year is the dominant driver, more than 8 times the +224 net overseas migration, which is unusual for a high-growth Australian suburb. The medium-scenario forecast reaches 37,613 in the local forecast geography by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Werribee?
36.8% of Werribee residents were born overseas, 15.2 percentage points above the national rate. Punjabi leads non-English languages with 849 speakers, followed by Italian (459), Hindi (441), Mandarin (300), Arabic (276), Bengali (252) and Urdu (243). The Indian-origin community of 3,527 and 1,479 Filipino residents shape the multilingual mix.
What development is happening in Werribee?
Werribee recorded 54 development applications in the past 12 months, with multiple permits to construct two or more dwellings on a lot, plus a display-home centre activation. Cost-disclosed projects include a $750,000 multi-dwelling permit and a $475,000 display-home centre. Activity reflects an outer-growth suburb still building out, not retrofitting, with a gentrification score of 0.
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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