Yarrawonga
At 52, Yarrawonga's median age is 12 years above the national benchmark, with 8,661 residents spread across 94.7 square kilometres. Housing is detached-heavy, as 84.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 46.9% are owned outright, supporting stable long-term occupancy. For buyers comparing Yarrawonga with nearby Cobram or Numurkah, its older age profile and strong outright-ownership base are useful distinctions to test against price and services.
Population
8,661
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,149/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
Median House
$668K
October to December 2025
Ownership is established: 46.9% own outright and 28.1% hold a mortgage, while 84.3% of homes are separate houses and 51.5% have three bedrooms. Mortgage payments equal 28.7% of household income and no mortgage stress flag is recorded, because the outright-owner share reduces repayment exposure. Buyers should compare streets and property condition carefully, as semi-detached homes account for 13.6% and apartments only 0.4%.
For Buyers
Ownership is established: 46.9% own outright and 28.1% hold a mortgage, while 84.3% of homes are separate houses and 51.5% have three bedrooms. Mortgage payments equal 28.7% of household income and no mortgage stress flag is recorded, because the outright-owner share reduces repayment exposure. Buyers should compare streets and property condition carefully, as semi-detached homes account for 13.6% and apartments only 0.4%.
For Investors
Yarrawonga has a low-rent, high-vacancy profile that needs careful underwriting. Median rent is $290 a week and 23.6% of households rent, while the 17.1% vacancy rate is far higher than conditions in a tightly supplied rental market. That level can lengthen letting periods and weaken near-term pricing power, so investors should stress-test turnover rather than assume scarcity-driven gains. Nineteen development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing activity. Internal migration is the primary forecast driver, which may support demand more than an aging-only market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
60
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+63.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Yarrawonga
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Yarrawonga College P-12
Sacred Heart Primary School
Sacred Heart College
Demographics
Yarrawonga's demographic shape is older and less university-oriented than Australia overall. Median age is 52, or 12 years above the national figure, while 18.2% hold a university qualification, 11.9 percentage points below the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 9.2%, also 12.4 points below national, and average household size is 2.3, or 0.2 below the national level. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 3,820, 1,235 and 1,044 respectively, while Christianity is recorded for 4,711 people and no religion for 3,151. The pattern fits a settled resident base because 79.0% stayed at the same address over the reference period; it also helps explain demand for smaller, accessible homes as couples without children comprise 54.4% of families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.3%
Houses
13.6%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing dominates Yarrawonga, with separate houses accounting for 84.3% of dwellings compared with 13.6% semi-detached homes and 0.4% apartments. The three-bedroom share is 51.5%, followed by 30.2% with four or more bedrooms, so the stock suits established households more than apartment-led downsizer demand. Tenure is ownership-weighted, with 46.9% owned outright, 28.1% mortgaged and 23.6% rented; that mix helps explain why rent stress is not flagged and rent equals 25.2% of household income. For buyers comparing Yarrawonga with Cobram or Numurkah, test whether detached stock and tenure patterns justify the price difference.
Mortgage / mo
$1,430
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$290
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$625
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.1%
Unoccupied
713
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.8%
Couples with children
54.4%
Couples, no children
14.2%
Single parent
2,409
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 18.3% and 381 workers, followed by construction at 13.7% and 285, education at 11.9% and 247, manufacturing at 11.0% and 228, and hospitality at 9.0% and 188. This spread gives Yarrawonga several local service and trade pillars, although the 47.7% participation rate is below what a younger labour market would usually produce because 3,338 people are outside the labour force. Unemployment is 2.8% among a labour force of 3,486, while full-time work accounts for 54.4% of employment. Trades lead occupations at 589, ahead of professionals at 518 and managers at 429. Socioeconomic measures sit below the middle: IEO decile 3, IER 4, IRSD 4 and IRSAD 3. The lower IRSAD and IEO positions align with household income at the 21.7th percentile, while healthcare demand may be reinforced by 9.4% needing assistance.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
3,486
Unemployed
97
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.4%
Part-time
37.0%
Participation
47.7%
Employed
3,389
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.2%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
9.2%
Dwellings
3,461
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-dependent: 79.3% travel as car drivers, compared with just 0.1% using public transport and 5.3% walking or cycling; 9.4% work from home. Families have access to three local schools spanning government and Catholic provision, with primary, secondary and P-12 options. Check enrolment zones against the exact address because they can cut across suburb boundaries. The recorded crime rate is 72.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, including 206 property and deception offences and 191 crimes against the person, so street-level checks and normal security precautions matter. Socioeconomic advantage is below the national midpoint, with IRSAD decile 3, while volunteering reaches 17.4%, which can support local connection. A median household size of 2.3 and 46.9% outright ownership add to the settled character, but limited public transport makes proximity to daily services more important than in better-connected suburbs.
Drive
79.3%
Public Transport
0.1%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
9.4%
Population Forecast
+1.47%/yr
(+132 people/yr)
EstablishedYarrawonga's forecast trend is 1.47% annual growth, with internal migration named as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 22.7% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is explicitly Aging: the senior share rose 5.6 percentage points, the young share fell 2.1 points and the working share fell 2.7 points. This means demand may expand because incoming households add momentum, but the age mix will shape which housing and services perform best. Gentrification remains at Early signs, with a score of 23, and affordability is labelled Stable, moving from 46.1 in 2011 to 46.4 in 2021. Compared with a fast-changing growth corridor, the 1.47% pace and Early signs status point to measured rather than speculative change, while 45.0% rent growth warrants close monitoring.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+18
Net Internal / yr
+112
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +26% since 2011, Net internal migration +112/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
627
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
72.4
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 Yarrawonga compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yarrawonga a good suburb to live in?
Yes, particularly for buyers who value detached housing and a settled setting. The median age is 52, 84.3% of homes are separate houses and 46.9% are owned outright. Car dependence is high at 79.3%, so it suits households that can drive better than those needing frequent public transport.
What schools are in Yarrawonga?
Yarrawonga has three local schools: Sacred Heart College for secondary students, Sacred Heart Primary School, and Yarrawonga College P-12 in the government sector. The mix is two Catholic schools and one government school, so families should compare sector, year level and enrolment zones rather than assume every address has the same options.
Is Yarrawonga safe?
Safety should be assessed street by street. The recorded rate is 72.4 offences per 1,000 residents, including 206 property and deception offences and 191 crimes against the person. That rate is a reason to check recent local conditions, lighting and property security rather than rely on a suburb label alone.
How is Yarrawonga's population changing?
Yarrawonga is ageing while still growing. The forecast trend is 1.47% a year, driven primarily by internal migration, and population change across the wider area is 22.7% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging: senior share rose 5.6 points while young share fell 2.1 points, so future demand may lean more toward services and accessible housing than in younger areas.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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