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Suburb profile ·Mount Alexander LGA · VIC ·3451

McKenzie Hill VIC 3451

McKenzie Hill is in Mount Alexander LGA, VIC, postcode 3451, with population 775.

The read

Livability-led

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.

$835K
+0.2% YoY
2016 → 2024 · 9 periods
ABS + state medians
$835K
$472K
2016 2024
Why it fits

Higher SEIFA context supports a stronger local-quality read.

What to check

Gross yield looks low for an income-first use case. Small local population makes the signal set more fragile.

Median house
$835K
House median, latest period
0.2%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$495/wk
Rent context available
D10 vs AU
Gross yield
3.1%
Low yield band
D9 vs AU
Population
775
775 local footprint
D8 vs AU
Schools
No matched school data
Drive to city
Not in commute dataset
Solar
1,532
99 added 12mo · 9MW

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-$451/wk (-$23,447/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Value vs advantage-18% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 8)

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 · 45/100 · top 55% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 45% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth43
Rental yield38
Stability75
Volatility-8.8ppCycle-2.0

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 McKenzie Hill

Owner-occupied 89%Rented 11%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared5%
169 of 441 landlords
Avg rental loss$5,893/yr
Landlords (rental income)441
Reported capital gains318
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

86% of homes here are owner-occupied and 11% rented, with 5% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

86% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

What to check

Gross yield 3.1% is thin — returns here lean on capital growth, not cash flow.

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

Mortgage affordability

64%
of household income to service a new loan
14.5 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $4,091/mo vs median rent $2,145/mo (+91% · +$449/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $3,267/mo (-825) · at 6.2% (current): $4,091/mo · at 8.2%: $4,995/mo (+904)

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
10.9x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
34%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,600/mo, while renters pay about $2,145/mo — renting runs $545/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$835K
Household income · yr
$77K
Median rent · wk
$495
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,600
Gross yield
3.1%

Household income

$77K household · yr-6.7% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$37K
Family
$95K
Household
$77K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)11% could service the median house
Under $300
7
$300-649
42
$650-999
49
$1,000-1,499
52
$1,500-1,999
40
$2,000-2,999
68
$3,000-3,999
17
$4,000+
19

Serviceability line: a household needs about $3,147/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 55% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,650/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (320 households)
Owned outright
45%
Owned with mortgage
41%
Rented
11%
Dwelling structure5.4% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
100%
Townhouse / semi
0%
Flat / apartment
0%

Getting to work: 74% drive, 1% public transport, 3% walk or cycle, 19% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Livability

1/ 100 livability index

Top 99% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 1% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access0
Public transport (1 stops)12
Schools & hospitals0

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
1,477
6,967 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k6,967
Total incidents1,477· Year ending Mar 2026
  • Assault11327%
  • Sexual Offences21953%
  • Robbery72%
  • Break And Enter7418%

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 100.0% 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

Designated ~100.0%
~100.0% 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 General Residential (GRZ)
Residential 87% Public / Open space 9% Industrial 5%
Residential density: Low

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 · Mount Alexander LGA

Dwellings
+20.5%
10,140 → 12,220
+2,080 dwellings
Population
+13.3%
20,100 → 22,780
Households
+18.3%
9,000 → 10,650

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

Population outlook

11,344 people · 202212,704 by 2032 (+12.0%)

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

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

McKenzie Hill is a close-knit residential community in Victoria within the Mount Alexander local government area (postcode 3451). With a population of 775, the suburb has a mature demographic with a median age of 47. Households earn a median income of $77K per year, with an average household size of 2.3 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.1% 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 professionals, managers, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and construction. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.

Median house prices in McKenzie Hill sit at $835,000, little changed on a year ago. The current median weekly rent is $495. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,600.

Public transport access includes 1 bus stop. The crime rate in the Mount Alexander LGA is moderate at 6,967 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 3.1% (moderate yield). Property prices are near the state median ($835K/$850K). The price-to-income ratio of 10.9x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +0.2% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.1% 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 Yield3.1%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$835K/$850K· Near Median
Affordability10.9x Stretched
Price Momentum+0.2%· Stable
Pop. Growth+1.1%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$1,600
Rent · wk(Census)$409
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$495
Gross yield2.5%
Price / income10.9x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)3
Population growth · Mount Alexander LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)20,939
5-year growth+1% CAGR
YoY change+1.1%
20012025
Development · Mount Alexander LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)92
Houses92
YoY change+0%
Employment · Mount Alexander LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.2%
YoY change+0.1pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3451ATO
Negatively geared5%
169 of filers
Avg rental loss$5,893/yr
Landlords (rental income)441
Reported capital gains318
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population775
Median age47
Household size2.3
HH income · wk$1,477
Personal income · wk$705
Persons / bedroom0.6
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)8/10
Education (IEO)7/10
Economic (IER)7/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)7/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,278 → $1,477
Change+15.6%
vs VIC median-7.9 pp
Median rent+39.1%
softeningvs VIC 2016–21
Area & amenity
TransportGTFS
Bus stops1
Hospitals · Mount Alexander LGAAIHW
Public2
Private0
Castlemaine Healthpublic
Maldon Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Mount Alexander LGAGEN
Facilities3
Residential places274
Castlemaine Health153 places
Arcare Castlemaine93 places · in suburb
Maldon Hospital - Mountview Nursing Home28 places
Childcare · Mount Alexander LGAACECQA
Services18
Approved places764
Exceeding NQS5
Busy Bees at Castlemaine80 places
Ray Street Children's Centre70 places
Castlemaine Child Care Centre68 places
Harcourt Pre-School66 places
South Castlemaine Kindergarten62 places
Castlemaine Kindergarten58 places
+12 more in Mount Alexander LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

There is enough direct local evidence on McKenzie Hill 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 · No local school matches exposed
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Missing
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 1 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.

McKenzie Hill FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is McKenzie Hill in?

    McKenzie Hill is in the Mount Alexander Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3451. Council-level context for Mount Alexander LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in McKenzie Hill?

    The current median house price in McKenzie Hill, VIC is $835K, 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 McKenzie Hill?

    The median weekly rent in McKenzie Hill is $495/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent context available.

  4. What does the rent signal say about McKenzie Hill?

    Rent context available: McKenzie Hill has usable rent context. 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 McKenzie Hill a good investment?

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

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for McKenzie Hill?

    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 McKenzie Hill 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.