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Suburb profile ·Baw Baw LGA · VIC ·3818

Drouin VIC 3818

Drouin is in Baw Baw LGA, VIC, postcode 3818, with population 15,287.

The read

Affordability-first

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$615K
+1.7% YoY
2014 → 2025 · 12 periods
ABS + state medians
$622K
$311K
2014 2025
Why it fits

Entry price sits in the lower-cost range for a first-pass screen. Population scale is large enough to avoid reading this as a tiny locality only. School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal.

Median house
$615K
House median, latest period
1.7%YoY D3 vs AU
Median rent
$525/wk
Income-stretched rent market
D10 vs AU
Gross yield
4.4%
Moderate yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
15,287
15K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
5
Matched school context
D10 vs AU
Drive to city
82 min
96.9 km to Melbourne CBD · free-flow
Solar
3,353
244 added 12mo · 21MW

Price history

Rental vacancy rate

Rental vacancy rate · Regional Victoria
1.9%
Tight (landlord) market

Official vacancy is published at the Regional Victoria level, not per suburb. Shaded band marks a balanced market (2.5–3.5%).

Source: Homes Victoria Rental Report (DFFH) · Latest: Sep 2025

Trend & investor depth

Indicative cashflow-$212/wk (-$11,013/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Value vs advantage+1% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 4)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Cgrade · 58/100 · top 42% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 58% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth44
Rental yield47
Stability96
Volatility-7.5ppCycle+2.0Affordability-1.5

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Drouin

Owner-occupied 78%Rented 22%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared4.9%
521 of 1,024 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,286/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,024
Reported capital gains724
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

76% of homes here are owner-occupied and 21% rented, with 5% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

76% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

49%
of household income to service a new loan
11.0 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $3,013/mo vs median rent $2,275/mo (+32% · +$170/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $2,406/mo (-607) · at 6.2% (current): $3,013/mo · at 8.2%: $3,679/mo (+666)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
8.3x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
37%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,647/mo, while renters pay about $2,275/mo — renting runs $628/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$615K
Household income · yr
$74K
Median rent · wk
$525
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,647
Gross yield
4.4%

Household income

$74K household · yr-9.5% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$36K
Family
$92K
Household
$74K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)26% could service the median house
Under $300
209
$300-649
823
$650-999
877
$1,000-1,499
878
$1,500-1,999
727
$2,000-2,999
1,073
$3,000-3,999
440
$4,000+
298

Serviceability line: a household needs about $2,318/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 59% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,750/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$45K → $55K

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (5,730 households)1.4% social housing
Owned outright
36%
Owned with mortgage
40%
Rented
21%
Dwelling structure6.1% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
90%
Townhouse / semi
5%
Flat / apartment
4%

Getting to work: 79% drive, 1% public transport, 2% walk or cycle, 16% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total5
Avg ICSEA1021
Students5,531
Catholic1
Government2
Independent2
  • Drouin Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 972Zoned
  • Drouin Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 975
  • St Ita's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1011
  • Chairo Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1055
  • St Paul's Anglican Grammar SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1092

1 of 5 schools here operate published enrolment zones (catchments). Zone boundaries set eligibility — check the official source for the exact catchment. Not enrolment advice.

Livability

90/ 100 livability index

Top 10% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 90% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access88
Public transport (52 stops)85
Schools & hospitals88

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime Year ending Mar 2026
5,066
7,909 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k7,909
Total incidents5,066· Year ending Mar 2026
  • Assault52247%
  • Sexual Offences18717%
  • Robbery151%
  • Break And Enter38034%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

small second home screening context Medium broad constraint context

Policy position

Official source access limited

The official state policy page could not be reliably re-verified automatically in the latest review. Treat this screen as preliminary and confirm the current planning and building requirements with the state source and local council.

Rental use: Review against the official Planning Victoria guidance and local building requirements before use.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

84.3%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

Near the state median

State median 80.5% · 693 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

0.0%

Broad suburb sampling only; the property zoning and overlays can differ.

Near the state median

State median 0.0% · 690 valid suburbs

Rental households

21.4%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

Near the state median

State median 22.2% · 693 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

bushfire high

The staged suburb layer indicates a broad-area constraint that needs address-level checking. The staged suburb layer shows no mapped exposure; this is not a property-level clearance.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Verify current source

    State policy position

    The current small second home position needs direct confirmation before relying on this screen.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Confirm zoning, lot controls, overlays, setbacks, site coverage and whether planning approval is required.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: Drouin unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Drouin, VIC 3818 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone designation

Severe broad-area context

About 86.5% of the suburb is within Victoria's mapped Bushfire Prone Area.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Flood and moisture context

No mapped flood exposure

About 0.0% of the suburb intersects VIC LSIO.

May affect: Floor levels and drainage · Water-resistant assemblies · Material durability

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire-prone area

Partly designated ~86.5%
~86.5% of the suburb is within Victoria's designated Bushfire Prone Area

Share of the suburb within Victoria's gazetted Bushfire Prone Area (Vicmap, CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. A Bushfire Prone Area is a planning designation that triggers the building code's bushfire construction provisions — it is not a graduated hazard rating or a property-level Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Flood exposure

No mapped exposure ~0.0%
~0.0% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood-hazard area

Estimated exposure to the official flood-hazard layer (VIC LSIO), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within mapped flood-planning areas — it is not a property-level flood certificate. Areas without a completed flood study may be unmapped. Check the local council's flood maps for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Farming (FZ)
Rural / Green wedge 44% Residential 44% Public / Open space 11% Industrial 1%
Residential density: Growth · 15% growth-zoned (RGZ/UGZ)

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against Vicmap Planning scheme-zone polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Growth outlook · Baw Baw LGA

Dwellings
+40%
24,520 → 34,340
+9,820 dwellings
Population
+37.4%
57,580 → 79,130
Households
+41.9%
23,090 → 32,760

LGA-level official projection (Victoria in Future 2023, DTP). Indicative of the wider council area, not a suburb-level forecast.

Population outlook

20,531 people · 202228,005 by 2032 (+36.4%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Drouin SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Drouin VIC — Property Data and Demographics

Drouin is an established suburb in Victoria within the Baw Baw local government area (postcode 3818). With a population of 15,287, the suburb has an established demographic with a median age of 39. Households earn a median income of $74K per year, with an average household size of 2.5 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.6% year-on-year at the LGA level. VIC employment has moved +0.8% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. VIC also had 41 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 18 underway, and 24 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and construction. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.

Median house prices in Drouin stand at $615,000, having ticked up by 1.7% over the last twelve months. Units have a median price of $433,000 (-3.9% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $525. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,647.

Drouin is served by 5 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary, 2 combined. The average ICSEA score is 1021, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 4 rail stations, 48 bus stops. The crime rate in the Baw Baw LGA is moderate at 7,909 incidents per 100,000 population.

Looking at the investment signals, Drouin shows a gross rental yield of approximately 4.4%, rated as moderate yield. Property prices are near the state median ($615K/$850K). The price-to-income ratio of 8.3x is considered moderate. House prices have moved +1.7% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.6% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield4.4%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$615K/$850K· Near Median
Affordability8.3x· Moderate
Price Momentum+1.7%· Stable
Pop. Growth+1.6%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$1,647
Rent · wk(Census)$330
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$525
Gross yield2.8%
Price / income8.3x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)99
Population growth · Baw Baw LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)62,784
5-year growth+2.4% CAGR
YoY change+1.6%
20012025
Development · Baw Baw LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)502
Houses 97%Units 3%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Baw Baw LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)2.8%
YoY change-0.4pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3818ATO
Negatively geared4.9%
521 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,286/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,024
Reported capital gains724
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population15,287
Median age39
Household size2.5
HH income · wk$1,432
Personal income · wk$694
Persons / bedroom0.7
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$54,579
Mean income$61,945
Earners12,730
YoY change+9%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)4/10
Education (IEO)3/10
Economic (IER)5/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)3/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,155 → $1,432
Change+24%
vs VIC median+0.5 pp
Median rent+22.2%
stablevs VIC 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets2
Pharmacies2
GP / clinics4
Fuel stations2
Cafes & dining14
coles1
woolworths1
TransportGTFS
Rail stations4
Bus stops48
Drouin Station
Drouin Station/Princes Way
Hospitals · Baw Baw LGAAIHW
Public1
Private1
West Gippsland Healthcare Group [Warragul]public
Neerim District Health Serviceprivate
Aged care · Baw Baw LGAGEN
Facilities7
Residential places626
WARRAGUL COMMUNITY AGED CARE144 places
Baptcare Abbey Gardens Community123 places
Lyrebird Village98 places · in suburb
Baptcare Amberlea Community91 places · in suburb
Fairview Inc68 places
Andrews House51 places
+1 more in Baw Baw LGA
Childcare · Baw Baw LGAACECQA
Services56
Approved places3,101
Exceeding NQS8
Little Saints Early Learning Centre - Drouin Princes Way149 places · in suburb
Journey Early Learning Centre Yarragon120 places
Little Saints Early Learning Centre Drouin120 places · in suburb
Little Saints Early Learning Centre - Warragul116 places
Thrive Early Learning Centre Warragul116 places
Sparrow Early Learning Grant Street115 places · in suburb
+50 more in Baw Baw LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

There is enough direct local evidence on Drouin for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Manual release files still matter here.

DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
VIC Property Sales Report · 2025-Q4 · DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.
medium stability · mixed acquisition · every update · quarterly
Available
Market rent
Homes Victoria · Sep 2025 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
VIC Crime Statistics Agency · Year ending Mar 2026 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 5 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 52 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Drouin FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Drouin in?

    Drouin is in the Baw Baw Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3818. Council-level context for Baw Baw LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Drouin?

    The current median house price in Drouin, VIC is $615K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Drouin?

    The median weekly rent in Drouin is $525/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Drouin?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 50% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Drouin a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Drouin show: Moderate Yield, Near Median, Moderate. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Drouin?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Drouin data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.