Wheelers Hill
At 48, Wheelers Hill skews older than the national profile and wealthier than many middle-ring peers, with household income in the 65.6 percentile and SEIFA IRSAD in decile 9. It is more settled than nearby Glen Waverley or Mulgrave because 52.3% of homes are owned outright and 84.9% are separate houses. The $1,390,500 median house price sits below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak by 13.1%, but still 87.9% above the 2013 level. Population growth is modest at 0.15% a year, so the suburb reads as an established, family-sized market rather than a rapid renewal story.
Population
20,652
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,818/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
47
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for land, space and tenure security: 84.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.9% have 4 or more bedrooms, both higher than apartment-led suburbs closer to the rail spine. The $1,390,500 median house price is 13.1% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak, which gives buyers more leverage than during the 2023 high. Affordability remains tight because the typical mortgage is $2,500 a month and mortgage costs absorb 31.8% of income, above the usual stress line. Long-term owners dominate, so listings can be thin.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for land, space and tenure security: 84.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.9% have 4 or more bedrooms, both higher than apartment-led suburbs closer to the rail spine. The $1,390,500 median house price is 13.1% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak, which gives buyers more leverage than during the 2023 high. Affordability remains tight because the typical mortgage is $2,500 a month and mortgage costs absorb 31.8% of income, above the usual stress line. Long-term owners dominate, so listings can be thin.
For Investors
Investors face a stable but low-turnover rental pool. Only 14.5% of households rent, below many Melbourne middle-ring markets, while the median rent is $481 a week and rent takes 26.5% of income. The 6.1% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market, so pricing power may be uneven despite rent growth of 29.6% in the broader shift indicators. Development pressure is contained, with 17 applications in 12 months, because large detached lots and high outright ownership reduce churn. Overseas migration at +357 people a year supports demand, but internal migration averages -83.
Development Activity
Total DAs
57
Last 12 Months
47
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1466.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wheelers Hill iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Wheelers Hill Primary School
Prep-6 · 699 students
Good Shepherd School
Prep-6 · 474 students
Jells Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 536 students
Brandon Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 561 students
St Justin's School
Prep-6 · 325 students
Demographics
Wheelers Hill is older, highly educated and internationally shaped. The median age is 48, which is 8.0 years above the national benchmark, and 51.3% of residents hold a university qualification, 21.2 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 48.3%, with Chinese ancestry the largest group at 5,122 people and Mandarin spoken by 1,524 residents. Compared with more student-heavy Glen Waverley, the 2.7 average household size and 7.6% needing assistance point to established families and ageing households because many owners have remained long term.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.9%
Houses
5.8%
Townhouse
9.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is strongly detached, with 84.9% separate houses compared with 9.4% apartments and 5.8% semi-detached dwellings. Ownership is unusually settled: 52.3% own outright, 33.2% have a mortgage and 14.5% rent. Prices have risen from $740,000 in 2013 to $1,390,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, an 87.9% gain or 4.6% CAGR over 14 years, but the latest median is 13.1% below the $1,600,000 peak. This is a land-led market because 58.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, keeping entry costs higher than smaller-unit areas.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$481
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$720
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
473
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.8% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.7%
Couples, no children
17,400
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans white-collar and care-economy heavy. Healthcare employs 1,054 residents or 16.1%, followed by Professional/Tech at 845 or 12.9%, Education at 785 or 12.0%, Construction at 513 and Manufacturing at 501. Professionals number 2,790 and Managers 1,465, consistent with IRSAD decile 9 and IEO decile 8, above average socio-economic advantage. Participation is lower at 50.7% because 7,412 people are not in the labour force, aligning with the older age profile; unemployment is 5.0%.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
10,794
Unemployed
214
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.7%
Part-time
34.3%
Participation
50.7%
Employed
8,490
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.3%
Postgraduate
15.9%
Born Overseas
48.3%
Dwellings
7,276
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households prioritising schools, parks and car access over rail commuting. Government and Catholic options dominate the 7-school mix, with ICSEA scores from 1037 to 1151; Wheelers Hill Primary and Good Shepherd School both score 1151, while Jells Park Primary scores 1128, above average. The trade-off is transport: 89.0% drive to work, compared with just 2.8% using public transport and 1.6% walking or cycling. Safety is relatively supportive, with 778 recorded offences and a crime rate of 37.7 per 1,000 people, while IRSAD decile 9 points to high local amenity.
Drive
89.0%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.15%/yr
(+32 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to be slow rather than redevelopment-led. The trend rate is just 0.15% a year, or about 32 people annually, with the medium path moving from 21,146 in 2026 to 21,305 by 2031. Migration is split: overseas migration averages +357 people a year, but internal migration averages -83, so local households are gradually ageing rather than being replaced at scale. The forward trajectory is Aging, while gentrification is scored 10 and classed as Not gentrifying, below the level that would signal rapid value-led displacement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+357
Net Internal / yr
-83
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Strong overseas inflow +357/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
778
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
37.7
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 Wheelers Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wheelers Hill a good suburb to live in?
Yes for households wanting established homes, schools and lower churn. It has 7 schools, IRSAD decile 9 and a crime rate of 37.7 per 1,000, but the 89.0% car-driver commute share means it suits drivers more than train-dependent buyers.
What is the median house price in Wheelers Hill?
The median house price in Wheelers Hill is $1,390,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 13.1% below the $1,600,000 peak in Oct-Dec 2023, but still 87.9% above the 2013 median of $740,000.
What schools are in Wheelers Hill?
Wheelers Hill has 7 local schools. The highest ICSEA scores are Wheelers Hill Primary School and Good Shepherd School at 1151, followed by Jells Park Primary School at 1128; Wheelers Hill Secondary College enrols 711 students.
Is Wheelers Hill safe?
Wheelers Hill records 778 offences, equal to 37.7 per 1,000 people. Most recorded incidents are property and deception offences at 504, with crimes against the person at 120, so buyers should still compare street-level context.
Is Wheelers Hill good for property investment?
It can suit patient investors more than high-yield buyers. Renters are only 14.5% of households, median rent is $481 a week and vacancy is 6.1%, while overseas migration adds +357 people a year.
How is Wheelers Hill's population changing?
Population growth is modest. The trend adds about 32 people a year, or 0.15%, and the medium path reaches 21,305 by 2031. Overseas migration averages +357 annually, offset by -83 internal migration.
What languages are spoken in Wheelers Hill?
English is joined by a sizable multilingual base because 48.3% of residents were born overseas. Mandarin is spoken by 1,524 residents, Canton by 455, Greek by 433, Italian by 244 and Sinhal by 239.
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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