Yarragon
With 97.9% of dwellings being separate houses across a 67.98 sq km area, Yarragon ranks among Victoria's most detached-dominant small towns rather than a conventional suburban community. At 1,893 residents, the population is compact, and household income falls in the 35.3rd percentile nationally, lower than state and national medians, yet mortgage-to-income at 25.4% stays below the 30% stress threshold.
Local council: Baw Baw
Population
1,893
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,363/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$650K
October to December 2025
Separate houses account for 97.9% of stock, so buyers face almost no competition from apartments or semi-detached alternatives. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 50.8% and four-plus bedroom properties represent 35.9%, reflecting the family-rural character. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 25.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many comparable regional Victorian towns.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 97.9% of stock, so buyers face almost no competition from apartments or semi-detached alternatives. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 50.8% and four-plus bedroom properties represent 35.9%, reflecting the family-rural character. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 25.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many comparable regional Victorian towns.
For Investors
Yarragon's rental market is thin: only 15.2% of residents rent, far below the national average, and weekly rents are $320. The vacancy rate of 6.7% is elevated, signalling softer rental demand, likely because the ownership culture is strong, with 44.3% owning outright. Development activity in the past 12 months recorded 6 applications, mostly subdivision works including a 9-lot and 5-lot plan, suggesting incremental land release rather than large-scale new supply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
10
Last 12 Months
3
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-40.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Yarragon
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Yarragon Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, consistent with the aging-rural profile common in Gippsland. University qualifications reach only 20.9%, which is 9.2 percentage points below the national average, and overseas-born residents account for 12.7% of the population, 8.9 percentage points below the national figure. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (856), Scottish (222) and Irish (207). Average household size of 2.4 is marginally below the national figure. Volunteering runs at 18.9%, and couples with children (589) outnumber couples without children (561) in a community of 1,893, pointing to a family-settled rather than retiree-dominant profile despite the above-national median age.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.9%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership rates are notably high compared to national benchmarks: 44.3% own outright and 40.4% carry a mortgage, leaving only 15.2% renting. This ownership concentration is characteristic of long-established rural towns where families have held land for generations. The stock is almost exclusively separate houses at 97.9%, with semi-detached at just 2.1% and no recorded apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.8% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom homes for 35.9%, which is notably high and likely reflects farmhouse-scale lots. Rent-to-income at 23.5% keeps renters below the 30% stress threshold.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$320
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$712
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
54
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.1%
Couples with children
50.5%
Couples, no children
12.5%
Single parent
550
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 20.8% (119 workers), followed by Construction at 11.6% (66), Education at 10.3% (59) and Agriculture at 9.5% (54). Agriculture's presence at nearly 10% reflects the Gippsland farming hinterland and is higher than the national industry share. By occupation, Community/Personal (133), Managers (128) and Professionals (127) lead, with Labourers (106) also significant, reflecting the dual white-collar service and blue-collar agricultural economy. The unemployment rate is low at 3.3% with a full-time employment rate of 60.2%. The participation rate of 54.2% is lower than national averages, partly because the above-average median age of 43 means more residents are outside the labour force (567 people).
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
909
Unemployed
28
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.4%
Part-time
36.7%
Participation
58.8%
Employed
881
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.9%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
12.7%
Dwellings
752
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total in Yarragon: 91.2% of workers drive, and only 0.8% use public transport, compared to the national average where public transport share is substantially higher. Walking and cycling account for 4.1% of commutes, modest but notable for a 67.98 sq km rural area. Safety data shows 169 total offences recorded, a rate of 89.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences make up the largest share at 76 incidents, followed by justice procedures (47) and crimes against the person (34). No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families would rely on nearby Gippsland centres. At 6.3% of residents needing assistance with daily activities, Yarragon sits within a typical rural range rather than below average.
Drive
73.6%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
19.3%
Growth Outlook
Subdivision development activity, including a 9-lot plan lodged in January 2026, indicates ongoing land release suited to the township's incremental growth pattern. Residential turnover is low at 19.6%, meaning 80.4% of residents stayed in place over the measured period, a stability signal that limits speculative volatility but also constrains market liquidity compared to faster-moving metro suburbs.
Population trend: Baw Baw council area
Yarragon sits in the Baw Baw council area. These are the council area's residents, not Yarragon's.
Residents 2025
62,784
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
169
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
89.3
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 Yarragon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yarragon a good suburb to live in?
Yarragon suits buyers who value space and ownership stability. Some 44.3% of households own outright, well above national averages, and 97.9% of homes are separate houses on a 67.98 sq km footprint. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4% stays below the 30% stress threshold. Trade-offs include near-total car dependence (91.2% of commuters drive) and household incomes in the 35.3rd percentile nationally.
What schools are in Yarragon?
No schools are recorded within the Yarragon suburb boundary in this dataset. Families would rely on schools in nearby Gippsland towns. The suburb has 1,893 residents and university qualifications reach 20.9%, which is 9.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the regional rather than university-town character.
Is Yarragon safe?
Yarragon recorded 169 total offences, a rate of 89.3 incidents per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the most common at 76 incidents, followed by justice procedures at 47 and crimes against the person at 34. Public order offences were low at 8 incidents, suggesting the area is broadly stable for a regional town.
How is Yarragon's population changing?
Yarragon has 1,893 residents across 67.98 sq km, a density of 27.8 people per sq km. The residential turnover rate is low at 19.6%, meaning 80.4% of residents stayed in place, a sign of stable community tenure. The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, suggesting a gradual aging trend typical of Gippsland towns.
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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