Whittlesea
Spread across 106.24 km2 at just 57.6 residents per km2, Whittlesea reads more like a rural township than a typical Melbourne suburb, yet its population has climbed 43.8% over the past decade. The $750,000 median house price sits below most metropolitan markets, and 87.0% of dwellings are separate houses with 45.8% carrying four or more bedrooms. Household income lands in the 56.4th percentile nationally, modestly above the midpoint, while university qualifications at 18.8% run 11.3 points below the national figure. The median age of 41 is only 1.0 year above national, and 45.2% of households carry a mortgage, marking this as a land-rich, family-oriented growth front on Melbourne's northern edge.
Population
6,117
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,628/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$750K
Apr-Jun 2024
At a $750,000 median, Whittlesea offers detached-house living well below inner Melbourne pricing, and the entry point reflects its rural fringe position. Prices have actually softened, sitting 3.7% below the $778,500 peak recorded in Jul-Sep 2023, so buyers are not chasing a hot market. Over the longer run the median doubled from $375,000 in 2013, a 5.1% compound annual growth rate across 14 years. The stock strongly favours families: 87.0% are separate houses, just 1.6% apartments, and 45.8% have four or more bedrooms versus only 11.1% with two. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,842 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because land here is cheaper than in established suburbs closer to the city.
For Buyers
At a $750,000 median, Whittlesea offers detached-house living well below inner Melbourne pricing, and the entry point reflects its rural fringe position. Prices have actually softened, sitting 3.7% below the $778,500 peak recorded in Jul-Sep 2023, so buyers are not chasing a hot market. Over the longer run the median doubled from $375,000 in 2013, a 5.1% compound annual growth rate across 14 years. The stock strongly favours families: 87.0% are separate houses, just 1.6% apartments, and 45.8% have four or more bedrooms versus only 11.1% with two. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,842 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because land here is cheaper than in established suburbs closer to the city.
For Investors
Whittlesea suits growth-oriented rather than yield-oriented investors. Weekly rent of $347 against the $750,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.4%, low because purchase prices reflect large detached blocks rather than rentable density. Only 18.7% of residents rent, well below the levels seen in inner suburbs, so the tenant pool is thin and dominated by owner-occupiers, with 36.1% owning outright and 45.2% on a mortgage. The vacancy rate of 5.9% is elevated, signalling soft rental demand. The genuine case rests on growth: internal migration adds an average 1,602 residents a year, rent has risen 43.7% over the measured period, and the area is flagged as early-stage gentrification, so the upside is capital appreciation tied to population inflow rather than rental cash flow.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Whittlesea iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's School
Prep-6 · 262 students
Whittlesea Primary School
Prep-6 · 395 students
Whittlesea Secondary College
7-12 · 723 students
Demographics
Whittlesea's population skews family-heavy and Anglo-leaning. The median age of 41 sits 1.0 year above national, and average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the 2,068 couples with children that outnumber the 1,082 couples without. Only 11.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 10.1 points below the national figure, and ancestry is led by English (2,480), Irish (704), Scottish (629) and Italian (561). Italian (47 speakers), Macedonian (17) and Greek (14) are the most common languages other than English, reflecting a small post-war European layer. University qualification at 18.8% runs 11.3 points below national, because the local economy leans toward trades and services rather than knowledge work, a pattern typical of an outer growth corridor.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.0%
Houses
11.4%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 45.2% carry a mortgage, 36.1% own outright and only 18.7% rent, the profile of a buying-and-building family suburb rather than a renter market. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 87.0%, with apartments a negligible 1.6% and semi-detached 11.4%, and 45.8% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms against just 11.1% with two. The median house price rose from $375,000 in 2013 to $750,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 100.0% gain, though it now sits 3.7% below the $778,500 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 26.1% and rent-to-income at 21.3% both stay under the 30% stress mark, because land at the rural fringe keeps prices lower relative to household incomes in the 56.4th percentile than they would be closer to the city.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wk
$347
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$719
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.9%
Unoccupied
132
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.1%
Couples, no children
4,891
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in hands-on sectors: Construction leads at 20.6% (368 workers), Healthcare follows at 17.9% (320) and Education at 12.1% (217), with Public Admin at 7.3% and Manufacturing at 6.4%. By occupation, Clerical/Admin (383), Professionals (375) and Community/Personal (372) are the largest groups, a spread that explains why university qualifications sit 11.3 points below the national figure while incomes still reach the 56.4th percentile. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time rate is 63.5%, though participation of 54.9% is held down by 1,757 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA scores are middling to comfortable: IRSD and IRSAD both at decile 6 and IEO at decile 5, but IER at decile 8 stands higher, because detached home ownership lifts the economic-resources measure above the education and occupation indexes.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
8,411
Unemployed
482
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.5%
Part-time
32.5%
Participation
54.9%
Employed
2,614
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.8%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
11.5%
Dwellings
2,123
Transport to Work
Whittlesea trades urban amenity for space. At 57.6 residents per km2 across 106.24 km2 the setting is genuinely rural, which is why 90.2% drive to work while only 1.5% use public transport and 2.8% walk or cycle, far above the national reliance on cars. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring townships, a practical trade-off for the low-density layout. The crime rate of 58.0 per 1,000 reflects 355 recorded offences, led by property and deception (126) and justice procedures (91). SEIFA places the suburb at decile 6 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, mid-range nationally, and 8.8% of residents (506 people) need daily assistance, slightly above what the median age of 41 alone would predict.
Drive
90.2%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.42%/yr
(+622 people/yr)
EstablishedWhittlesea is a high-growth front, not an established suburb. Population is expanding at 3.42% a year, adding roughly 622 residents annually, and the 10-year change reads 43.8%, far above the flat trajectories of inner suburbs. Internal migration is the engine, contributing an average net 1,602 residents a year against just 67 from overseas, so demand is driven by Melburnians moving outward for affordable land. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 39, and rent has climbed 43.7% over the period, both pointing to a market in transition. Affordability has worsened, slipping from 44.8% in 2011 to 48.1% in 2021, because price growth has outpaced the 8.8% real income gain over the same window.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+67
Net Internal / yr
+1,602
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
355
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
58.0
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 Whittlesea compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Whittlesea a good suburb to live in?
Whittlesea suits families wanting space and affordable detached housing, with 87.0% separate houses and a $750,000 median, below most Melbourne markets. SEIFA sits at decile 6 for IRSD, mid-range nationally. The trade-off is rural isolation: 90.2% drive to work and no schools sit inside the boundary.
What is the median house price in Whittlesea?
The median house price is $750,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, sitting 3.7% below the $778,500 peak of Jul-Sep 2023. The median doubled from $375,000 in 2013, a 5.1% compound annual growth rate. Weekly rent averages $347 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,842.
What schools are in Whittlesea?
No schools are recorded inside the 106.24 km2 Whittlesea boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring townships. The resident base leans practical, with university qualifications at 18.8%, which is 11.3 points below the national figure.
Is Whittlesea safe?
Whittlesea recorded 355 offences for a crime rate of 58.0 per 1,000 residents. The most common category is property and deception offences at 126, followed by justice procedures at 91 and crimes against the person at 87. SEIFA places the suburb at decile 6 for relative disadvantage, mid-range nationally.
Is Whittlesea good for property investment?
Rent of $347 a week against the $750,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.4%, low, and the 5.9% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand. Only 18.7% of residents rent. The case rests on growth, with internal migration adding 1,602 residents a year and 43.8% population growth over the decade.
How is Whittlesea's population changing?
Whittlesea is growing fast, expanding 3.42% a year and adding about 622 residents annually, a 43.8% rise over 10 years. Internal migration drives it, contributing a net 1,602 residents a year versus just 67 from overseas, as Melburnians move outward for affordable detached land.
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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