Rowville VIC 3178
Rowville is a suburb in Victoria, 32 km from Melbourne CBD, around 34 minutes by car. Population is 33,571; the median age is 41 and the median household income is $114,660 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $441 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,055. Rowville is characterised by high flood risk. Of 7 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Rowville a good suburb?
Rowville scores a B (63/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community.
Above the state average
7 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 19% in VIC
Very walkable
Walkability 87/100 · 31.7 km · 34 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $1.11M · Pricier than 77% of VIC
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 53/100 · Crime 52/100 · Flood 69/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 41 · 33,571 residents
Liveability Rating
63 / 100 · Ranked #240 in VICEach bar is Rowville's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Rowville?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
63 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataRowville's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.11 million, about 5% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,115,000
20% above its 9 neighbours (median $933,000)
Based on 523 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 350 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 9 sales $632K
- 3 bed 195 sales $960K
- 4 bed 250 sales $1.21M
- 5 bed 60 sales $1.35M
- 6 bed 5 sales $1.58M
Units
$645,000
6% below its 6 neighbours (median $685,000)
Based on 52 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 33 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 7 sales $420K
- 2 bed 22 sales $480K
- 3 bed 15 sales $830K
- 4 bed 5 sales $1.01M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Rowville are currently listed at around $1.05 million on average. Based on 247 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.05M
247 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$472K
9 units listed in the last 6 months.
256 of the suburb's 11,398 dwellings (2.2%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Rowville rent for around $720 a week on average, based on 95 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$720/wk
9% above its 7 neighbours (median $660/wk)
95 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$685/wk
6 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
101 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,789 rented homes (5.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025102 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3178.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$720/week ($37,000 a year) on a $1.05 million median
$685/week ($36,000 a year) on a $472,000 median
Based on a small sample (6 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
18 active Airbnb listings: 4 whole homes and 14 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.0% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Rowville safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Rowville sits in the moderate band, with 1,295 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 2% on the prior year.
1,295 offences
1.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202597 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 4 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Seven schools serve Rowville, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Karoo Primary School and Park Ridge Primary School lead the pack.
- • 3,955 students across 6 schools (avg 659)
- • Sectors: 6 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1028-1090, median 1076 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Rowville Secondary College (1,887 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
3.2% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Rowville is very walkable on foot — at 87/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 5 supermarkets, 22 parks and 18 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Rowville.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 372.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 281.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 172.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.5 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Rowville.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 40%
- Premises covered
- 13,198
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Knox: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 82 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Rowville is home to about 33,600 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $115,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
33,571
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$114,660/yr
Census Median Rent
$441/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,055/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$43,628/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
4.1%
Total Dwellings
11,398
Owner-Occupier Rate
84.3%
Houses
91.8%
Rental Stress
20.0%
Mortgage Stress
21.5%
Work From Home
29.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
88 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 14 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,722 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 62.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 65.9%
- Employment Rate
- 65%
- Completed Year 12
- 53.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,061 residents (3.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 31,977 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
10% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,729 of 18,168).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 11,558 people work here; 18,168 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.6 jobs per working resident. At least 36% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,732 a year through Knox based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 52%
- Other and special use 16%
- Infrastructure and transport 15%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Industrial 4%
- Commercial 3%
- Rural and farming 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Knox
In the year to August 2026, 577 new dwellings were approved across Knox. That mix is 344 houses and 233 units. Approvals are down 13.5% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 830 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 812 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 18 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 20.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.98 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Dandenong monitoring station, 7.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Dandenong, 6.0 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 86 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 16.8 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 1.2% of addresses
- 170 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 781 mm
- 105 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
9 facilities within 5 km- 2.0 kmMilk and Cream ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.1 km
- 2.5 kmGravel and Sand QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 2.5 kmGravel and Sand QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 2.6 kmConfectionery ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3178, 422 of 27,157 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (829 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3178, 5,571 rooftop-solar systems totalling 33.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,863 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 422 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
7 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3178 in 2025-26, rank 108 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 346, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
34 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $1,115,000 this is $365,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Mary Doyle Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mary Doyle | 53.4% | 46.6% | +6.0 |
| 2022 | Alan Tudge | 47.2% | 52.8% | -7.3 |
| 2019 | Alan Tudge | 39.9% | 60.1% | +2.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Kim Wells Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kim Wells LP | 53.7% | 46.3% | 53.7% |
| 2018 | Kim Wells LP | 50.4% | 44.3% | 55.7% |
| 2014 | Kim Wells LP | 53.8% | 41.6% | 58.4% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Rowville?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 33,571 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Ferntree Gully VIC 3156
Endeavour Hills VIC 3802
Dandenong North VIC 3175
Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Mulgrave VIC 3170
Knoxfield VIC 3180
Compare Rowville to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Rowville
Is Rowville a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Rowville is moderate (52/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Rowville?
Rowville has a moderate recorded bushfire history (53/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (69/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Rowville a good place to live?
Rowville has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (63/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Rowville?
Rowville, VIC had a population of 33,571 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Rowville, VIC?
The postcode for Rowville, VIC is 3178.
How far is Rowville from Melbourne?
Rowville is 32 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 34 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Rowville?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Rowville was $114,660 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Rowville?
The median advertised rent in Rowville is $720 a week for houses (95 listings) and $685 a week for units (6 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Rowville?
The median age of residents in Rowville was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Rowville at risk of bushfire?
Rowville has a moderate recorded bushfire history (53/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Rowville?
There are 7 schools inside the Rowville boundary: 3 above and 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Rowville walkable?
Rowville scores 87/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Rowville?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Rowville (Dandenong) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.8 µg/m³. That puts Rowville below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Rowville?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Rowville, Dandenong (6 km away), 781 mm of rain a year over 105 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Rowville?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Rowville belong to?
Rowville sits within the Knox local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Rowville?
The average residential rates bill through Knox is $1,732 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Rowville?
Across Knox, 577 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 13.5% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Rowville in?
Rowville sits within the federal Division of Aston, currently held by Mary Doyle (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.