Yinnar
Only 1,021 people live across 26.6 square kilometres of Gippsland hillside, giving Yinnar a density of 38.4 persons per square kilometre, far below the national urban average. Every dwelling here is a separate house, an unusual distinction, and 40.4% are owned outright with no mortgage at all. The median house price of $445,000 sits well below the Victorian median, making this one of the more affordable detached-house markets in the state. Household income tracks the 56.4th national percentile, a modest but stable position, and mortgage-to-income at 19.4% sits comfortably below stress thresholds. Healthcare and education employ 35% of the local workforce combined, anchoring the economy in public-sector services.
Population
1,021
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,629/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$445K
Apr-Jun 2024
At $445,000 the median house price is lower than the broader VIC median, and every sale is a detached house since apartments and semi-detached dwellings do not register in the local stock. Bedrooms lean large: 34.8% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 54.8% have three, meaning buyers can expect genuine family-sized homes rather than compact product. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,365, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.4% is well below the 30% stress threshold, giving buyers meaningful repayment headroom compared to metro markets. The price peaked at $580,000 in Apr-Jun 2023 and has since pulled back 23.3% to the current level, which may represent an entry window for buyers who missed the pandemic-era run. Outright ownership at 40.4% is high, suggesting many long-term residents have fully paid down debt.
For Buyers
At $445,000 the median house price is lower than the broader VIC median, and every sale is a detached house since apartments and semi-detached dwellings do not register in the local stock. Bedrooms lean large: 34.8% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 54.8% have three, meaning buyers can expect genuine family-sized homes rather than compact product. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,365, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.4% is well below the 30% stress threshold, giving buyers meaningful repayment headroom compared to metro markets. The price peaked at $580,000 in Apr-Jun 2023 and has since pulled back 23.3% to the current level, which may represent an entry window for buyers who missed the pandemic-era run. Outright ownership at 40.4% is high, suggesting many long-term residents have fully paid down debt.
For Investors
The 15.9% renter share is modest, but weekly rent of $245 against a $445,000 median implies a gross yield of roughly 2.9%, which is low by regional standards. The 7.3% vacancy rate is elevated compared to tight regional markets, indicating limited rental competition and some risk of extended vacancy between tenants. Development activity shows zero applications in the past 12 months, so no supply shock is imminent, though the absence of new builds also signals constrained population-driven demand. The 78.4% resident stability rate means most people who live here stay, which supports long-term owner-occupier demand more than investment turnover. Investors seeking yield above 4% will find the numbers challenging here without capital growth, which averaged 5.2% annually over the past 14 years since 2013.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
Schools in Yinnar iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Yinnar Primary School
Prep-6 · 230 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, so the local age profile is representative rather than skewed. Born-overseas residents make up 10.0%, which is 11.6 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born population with English, Scottish and Irish ancestry as the top three groups. University qualifications reach 20.7%, sitting 9.4 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a trade and services workforce rather than a professional-class concentration. Average household size is 2.4 compared to the national 2.5, a minor difference. Couples with children account for 346 families while 253 are couples without children, and there are no single-parent families recorded. Volunteering is notably high at 24.6%, above national averages, suggesting a cooperative community culture.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The 100% separate-house rate is the defining feature of Yinnar's housing stock, a rarity among suburbs with formal price data. Tenure splits into 40.4% owned outright, 43.7% on a mortgage and 15.9% renting, meaning more than four in five households are owner-occupiers. The price history covers 14 years: from $220,000 in 2013 to a peak of $580,000 in Apr-Jun 2023 before retreating 23.3% to $445,000, a cumulative gain of 102.3% or 5.2% CAGR. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,365, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.4%, well below the 30% stress benchmark. Rent-to-income at 15.0% is similarly comfortable for tenants paying $245 per week. The trough price was $182,500 in 2015, and the market has more than doubled from that low.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,365
Rent / wk
$245
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$749
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
31
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.9%
Couples, no children
818
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 17.6% of workers, followed closely by Education at 17.3%, together accounting for more than a third of all jobs, a share higher than most rural VIC towns of similar size. Utilities employs 11.0%, a notable concentration likely tied to Gippsland energy infrastructure. Construction (8.8%) and Public Admin (7.4%) round out the top five. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers number 76, with Professionals (75) and Clerical/Admin (60) close behind. The unemployment rate is 5.0% and the full-time employment rate of 65.6% is solid. Labour participation at 57.7% is below the national rate, partly because 256 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a mix of retirees and part-time workers in a smaller community. SEIFA scores are not available for this suburb.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
57.7%
Employed
456
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.7%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
10.0%
Dwellings
391
Transport to Work
Car reliance is near total at 92.2%, with just 2.1% walking or cycling and no recorded public transport usage, so a household without a vehicle would face real access constraints. Yinnar sits in a rural Gippsland setting 26.6 km2 in area, and the distance to Morwell and other service centres means car ownership is a practical necessity rather than a preference. The crime rate of 39.2 incidents per 1,000 residents is based on 40 recorded offences, with property and deception offences the largest category at 21 incidents. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on nearby towns for education. Housing stress is low: mortgage-to-income of 19.4% and rent-to-income of 15.0% are both well below national stress thresholds, which is a meaningful livability advantage compared to metro areas.
Drive
92.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
40
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
39.2
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 Yinnar compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yinnar a good suburb to live in?
Yinnar suits households who value space and affordability over urban amenity. The $445,000 median house price is lower than the broader VIC median, every dwelling is a detached house, and mortgage stress at 19.4% of income is well below the 30% threshold. The trade-off is near-total car dependence with 92.2% of workers driving, and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Yinnar?
The median house price is $445,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024. The market peaked at $580,000 in Apr-Jun 2023 and has since pulled back 23.3%. Since 2013 the price has grown 102.3% from $220,000, a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,365.
What schools are in Yinnar?
No schools are recorded within the Yinnar suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby towns such as Morwell and Churchill. About 20.7% of Yinnar residents hold university qualifications, which is 9.4 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Yinnar safe?
Yinnar recorded 40 total offences giving a rate of 39.2 per 1,000 residents. The largest category was property and deception offences at 21 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 10 and justice procedures offences at 5. The small population of 1,021 means individual incidents have an outsized effect on per-1,000 rates.
Is Yinnar good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $245 against a $445,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.9%, below what most investors target. The 7.3% vacancy rate is elevated relative to tight regional markets. However, prices have grown at 5.2% CAGR over 14 years and the 15.9% renter share keeps some rental demand. Investors should weigh low yield against the long-run capital growth track record.
How is Yinnar's population changing?
The current population is 1,021 across 26.6 square kilometres. The suburb has a high resident stability rate of 78.4%, meaning most people who lived here five years ago still do. No forward population forecast data is available, but stable employment in healthcare and education at 35% of jobs combined supports continuity rather than decline.
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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