Yarra Junction
With 90% of residents driving to work and just 0.4% using public transport, Yarra Junction is one of Victoria's most car-dependent townships, sitting 55 km east of Melbourne in the Yarra Ranges. Construction employs 20.3% of the local workforce, well above state averages, and 84.4% of residents stayed in the same address over the prior year, pointing to a settled, low-turnover community of 2,875 people across 17.52 km2.
Local council: Yarra Ranges
Population
2,875
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,302/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$770K
October to December 2025
Separate houses dominate at 79.9% of dwellings, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 44.5% and four-plus bedroom homes a notable 30.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,800, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.9% exceeds the 30% stress threshold because household incomes sit in the 31st percentile nationally. Outright owners at 38.4% outnumber mortgage holders at 42.9%, suggesting a mix of long-established families and newer buyers.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 79.9% of dwellings, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 44.5% and four-plus bedroom homes a notable 30.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,800, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.9% exceeds the 30% stress threshold because household incomes sit in the 31st percentile nationally. Outright owners at 38.4% outnumber mortgage holders at 42.9%, suggesting a mix of long-established families and newer buyers.
For Investors
The rental market is thin, with only 18.7% of dwellings rented and weekly rent at $300. The vacancy rate of 5.0% is elevated and signals limited rental demand relative to supply. Development activity is minimal at 4 applications in 12 months, with recent activity focused on subdivisions rather than new dwelling construction.
Development Activity
Total DAs
11
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 Yarra Junction
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Little Yarra Steiner School
St Joseph's School
Yarra Junction Primary School
Upper Yarra Secondary College
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, consistent with an older, settled community profile. University qualifications reach 16.9%, which is 13.2 percentage points below the national average, while overseas-born residents at 13.4% are 8.2 points below national. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,238 residents), Irish (323) and Scottish (284). Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure exactly. Couples with children make up 901 families, the largest household type, and 555 couples have no children. Volunteering at 14.8% is a meaningful indicator of community participation, and only 9.8% of residents need daily assistance.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.9%
Houses
11.6%
Townhouse
3.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers dominate the housing market: 38.4% own their home outright and 42.9% carry a mortgage, leaving just 18.7% as renters, well below national rental averages. Separate houses account for 79.9% of stock, with semi-detached at 11.6% and apartments at just 3.5%, making this a detached-house market with little unit supply. Three-bedroom homes are the mode at 44.5%, followed by four-plus bedroom at 30.0%. Mortgage stress is a practical reality: the 31.9% mortgage-to-income ratio exceeds the 30% threshold, while rent-to-income at 23.0% stays below the rental stress threshold of 30%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,800
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$613
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
55
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.8%
Couples with children
38.1%
Couples, no children
17.7%
Single parent
729
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is the dominant industry at 20.3% of employed residents (153 workers), reflecting the Yarra Ranges' active residential development scene. Healthcare follows at 13.7% (103 workers) and Education at 13.3% (100 workers), together making up over a quarter of local employment. Community and Personal services lead occupations at 165 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin at 155 and Managers at 151. Unemployment sits at 4.1% with 48 jobseekers, and the full-time employment rate of 60.0% indicates a mostly stable workforce. The participation rate of 49.8% is low, partly because 885 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age of 43. Weekly household income of $1,302 places the suburb in the 31st percentile nationally.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
1,272
Unemployed
48
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.5%
Part-time
36.3%
Participation
54.6%
Employed
1,224
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.9%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
13.4%
Dwellings
1,043
Transport to Work
Car dependency defines daily life in Yarra Junction: 90.0% of residents drive to work and only 0.4% use public transport, which is among the lowest public transport rates in Victoria. Walking and cycling account for 4.7% of commutes. Crime was recorded at 147 incidents, a rate of 51.1 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 70 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 48. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in surrounding Yarra Ranges townships. The vacancy rate of 5.0% suggests modest housing availability. Mortgage stress at 31.9% of income is a practical constraint for homeowners, though rent-to-income of 23.0% keeps renters below the stress threshold.
Drive
72.3%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
19.7%
Growth Outlook
The suburb's turnover rate of 15.6% means most of the 2,875 residents, 84.4%, stayed in the same address over the prior year, indicating stability rather than churn. Development activity of only 4 applications in 12 months, mostly subdivisions, suggests constrained new supply. With household income in the 31st percentile nationally and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.9%, price growth above 4.1% annually would increase affordability pressure for the local income base. The construction industry's 20.3% employment share signals broader development activity in the wider Yarra Ranges area.
Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area
Yarra Junction sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Yarra Junction's.
Residents 2025
160,906
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
147
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
51.1
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 Yarra Junction compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yarra Junction a good suburb to live in?
The community is settled, with 84.4% of residents staying in the same address year to year and a low unemployment rate of 4.1%. The main trade-offs are heavy car dependence (90.0% drive to work), no recorded public transport use, and household incomes in the 31st percentile nationally.
What schools are in Yarra Junction?
No schools are recorded within the Yarra Junction suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in nearby Yarra Ranges townships. Locally, 16.9% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 13.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the area's trade and services employment base.
Is Yarra Junction safe?
Yarra Junction recorded 147 criminal incidents, a rate of 51.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 70 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 48. For context, the suburb's low turnover rate of 15.6% and stable employment (4.1% unemployment) are indirect indicators of community stability.
Is Yarra Junction good for property investment?
The vacancy rate of 5.0% is elevated, and only 18.7% of dwellings are rented.
How is Yarra Junction's population changing?
Yarra Junction has a population of 2,875 across 17.52 km2, with a density of 164.1 residents per km2. The suburb has a stable, low-turnover profile: 84.4% of residents stayed in the same address over the prior year and the turnover rate of 15.6% is low. The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, suggesting a gradually aging community.
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).
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