Woodend
Despite a $937,500 median house price, Woodend leans heavily on detached stock, with 90.8% separate houses and just 0.2% apartments across a sprawling 69.51 km2 with a density of only 96.9 people per km2. Household income sits in the 79.6th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 9 on both IRSD and IER, the upper advantage tier on those SEIFA indexes. The resident base is aging, with a median age of 45, five years above the national figure, and university qualifications reach 44.5%, which is 14.4 points above national. The current population of 6,732 has grown 24.0% over the past decade, well above flat established markets.
Population
6,732
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,104/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$938K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $937,500 median sits below Melbourne's premium inner suburbs, and the buy-in has eased: prices are down 14.8% from the $1,100,000 peak in Jul-Sep 2023. Stock strongly favours families, with 90.8% separate houses, only 8.9% semi-detached and a negligible 0.2% apartments, so buyers competing for land have few smaller alternatives. Three-bedroom homes lead at 46.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes follow at 39.5%, meaning roughly 86% of dwellings carry three bedrooms or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners (41.9%) edge out mortgage holders (42.1% rounding aside), a balance that points to established, lower-debt households rather than a churn of recent first-time buyers.
For Buyers
The $937,500 median sits below Melbourne's premium inner suburbs, and the buy-in has eased: prices are down 14.8% from the $1,100,000 peak in Jul-Sep 2023. Stock strongly favours families, with 90.8% separate houses, only 8.9% semi-detached and a negligible 0.2% apartments, so buyers competing for land have few smaller alternatives. Three-bedroom homes lead at 46.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes follow at 39.5%, meaning roughly 86% of dwellings carry three bedrooms or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners (41.9%) edge out mortgage holders (42.1% rounding aside), a balance that points to established, lower-debt households rather than a churn of recent first-time buyers.
For Investors
Renters make up only 15.9% of households, a thin tenant pool that is roughly half the proportion seen in many metro markets, and weekly rent averages $400. Against the $937,500 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 2.2%, modest, and the case is complicated by a high 8.6% vacancy rate that signals soft rental demand relative to supply. Development is light at 3 applications over 12 months, all small subdivisions of 2 to 4 lots rather than new dwelling supply, so stock turnover is slow. Migration is balanced, adding about 34 overseas and 16 net internal residents a year. With rent up 56.8% over the decade but a renter share well below most suburbs, the investment angle leans on capital growth and the 5.1% long-run price CAGR more than yield or tenant depth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
14
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Woodend iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Braemar College
5-12 · 1094 students
St Ambrose's School
Prep-6 · 225 students
Woodend Primary School
Prep-6 · 378 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 8.1 points while the working-age share fell 5.1 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents sit at 16.8%, which is 4.8 points below national, marking a more Anglo-leaning profile than metro Melbourne. Ancestry confirms this, led by English (2,953), Irish (1,197) and Scottish (997), with the largest non-English languages being German (21) and French (11), both small in absolute terms. University qualifications at 44.5% run 14.4 points above national, well above typical regional towns. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and 27.2% of families are couples with no children, consistent with the older resident base. Christianity (2,541) is the dominant religion by a wide margin.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.8%
Houses
8.9%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits almost evenly between outright owners at 41.9% and mortgage holders at 42.1%, with only 15.9% renting, so the great majority of homes are owner-occupied. Outright owners nearly matching mortgage holders reflects long-held, lower-debt wealth rather than rapid new-buyer churn. The stock is 90.8% separate houses and just 8.9% semi-detached, leaving apartments at a trivial 0.2%, which keeps house prices anchored to land scarcity. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 46.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes 39.5%, while one and two-bedroom stock together is under 14%. The median rose from $470,000 in 2013 to $937,500 by Apr-Jun 2024, a 99.5% gain at a 5.1% CAGR over 14 years, though it remains 14.8% below the $1,100,000 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 22.0% and rent-to-income at 19.0% both stay comfortably below the 30% stress line.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$857
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
231
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.2%
Couples, no children
5,536
Total families
Economy & Employment
The resident workforce concentrates in services: Healthcare leads at 17.2% (404 workers), Education follows at 13.9% (326) and Professional/Tech at 13.6% (319), with Public Admin at 10.4% and Construction at 8.8%. By occupation, Professionals (981) and Managers (540) dominate, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.9% and the full-time employment rate is 59.9%, while participation reads 56.1%, held down because the aging profile leaves 1,908 residents out of the labour force. Real incomes grew 14.1% over the decade. SEIFA reads consistently advantaged, with IRSD at decile 9, IER at decile 9, and IRSAD and IEO both at decile 8, so the town ranks in the upper tier nationally across all four indexes with no significant anomaly between them.
Unemployment
1.5%
Labour Force
4,056
Unemployed
62
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.9%
Part-time
36.2%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
2,924
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.5%
Postgraduate
13.5%
Born Overseas
16.8%
Dwellings
2,447
Transport to Work
Car reliance is heavy, with 84.9% driving to work against just 3.6% on public transport and 5.0% walking or cycling, a reflection of the 69.51 km2 footprint and low density of 96.9 people per km2. The town scores decile 9 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 8 on IRSAD, the upper advantage tiers nationally, so few residents face deprivation. Recorded crime totals 252 incidents at a rate of 37.4 per 1,000 residents, led by property and deception offences (106) ahead of justice procedures (63) and crimes against the person (62). Volunteering runs at 23.1%, above many metro suburbs, and only 6.4% of residents (414 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 45, both pointing to an engaged, low-stress community.
Drive
84.9%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
5.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.32%/yr
(+107 people/yr)
EstablishedWoodend is an established suburb still expanding modestly: the trend points to 1.32% annual population growth, about 107 people a year, on top of a 24.0% rise over the past decade, well above flat metro markets. Medium forecasts lift the population from 8,274 in 2026 to 8,811 by 2031 on the SA2 trend basis. Migration is balanced rather than dominated by one source, adding roughly 34 overseas and 16 net internal residents a year. The gentrification stage reads early signs at a score of 23, with population up 23% since 2011 and the renter base accelerating from 7% to 15%. Affordability has worsened, with the burden rising from 40.3% in 2011 to 45.1% in 2021, a shift driven by 56.8% rent growth outpacing the 14.1% real income gain.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+34
Net Internal / yr
+16
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +23% since 2011, Accelerating: 7% → 15%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
252
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
37.4
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 Woodend compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woodend a good suburb to live in?
Woodend scores decile 9 on the IRSD index and decile 8 on IRSAD, the upper advantage tiers nationally, with household income in the 79.6th percentile. University qualifications reach 44.5%, 14.4 points above national. The trade-offs are heavy car reliance at 84.9% and a median age of 45, five years above national.
What is the median house price in Woodend?
The median house price is $937,500 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 14.8% from the $1,100,000 peak in 2023. Over 14 years prices rose 99.5% from $470,000 at a 5.1% CAGR. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, a 22.0% mortgage-to-income ratio.
What schools are in Woodend?
No schools are recorded inside the Woodend boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 44.5%, which is 14.4 points above the national figure and well above typical regional towns.
Is Woodend safe?
Woodend recorded 252 crime incidents, a rate of 37.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences led at 106, ahead of justice procedures (63) and crimes against the person (62). The suburb also scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the upper tier nationally.
Is Woodend good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against a $937,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.2%, modest, and the 8.6% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand. Only 15.9% of households rent, a thin tenant pool, so returns lean on capital growth and the 5.1% long-run CAGR rather than yield.
How is Woodend's population changing?
Population growth runs at 1.32% annually, about 107 people a year, on top of a 24.0% rise over the past decade. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 8.1 points and the working-age share down 5.1 points. Medium forecasts reach 8,811 by 2031 on the SA2 trend basis.
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.
Explore Woodend on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map