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Suburb profile ·Surf Coast LGA · VIC ·3228

Torquay VIC 3228

Torquay is in Surf Coast LGA, VIC, postcode 3228, with population 18,534.

The read

Livability-led

There are enough stretched or weaker signals here that you should assume trade-offs rather than a clean story. Use compare mode to see whether the downside is price, local quality, or weaker momentum before treating it as a target suburb.

$685/wk
Rising
+5.4% YoY
Dec 2020 → Sep 2025 · 20 periods
Homes Victoria · Sep 2025
$685
$510
Dec 2020Sep 2025
Why it fits

Population scale is large enough to avoid reading this as a tiny locality only. School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

What to check

Gross yield looks low for an income-first use case.

Median house
$1.3M
House median, latest period
4.6%YoY D8 vs AU
Median rent
$685/wk
Income-stretched rent market
5.4%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
2.8%
Low yield band
D9 vs AU
Population
18,534
19K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
5
Matched school context
D10 vs AU
Drive to city
83 min
100.3 km to Melbourne CBD · free-flow
Solar
4,187
267 added 12mo · 28MW

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-$722/wk (-$37,541/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±4.4% around trend
Value vs advantage-6% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 10)

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

Dgrade · 38/100 · top 62% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 38% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth49
Rental yield49
Stability17
Volatility-21.1ppCycle+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 Torquay

Owner-occupied 78%Rented 22%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared9.2%
1,427 of 2,795 landlords
Avg rental loss$10,453/yr
Landlords (rental income)2,795
Reported capital gains2,095
Investor exposure index(moderate vs national)73.7/100
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

76% of homes here are owner-occupied and 21% rented, with 9% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

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

What to check

Gross yield 2.8% 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

62%
of household income to service a new loan
14.0 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $6,149/mo vs median rent $2,968/mo (+107% · +$734/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $4,910/mo (-1,239) · at 6.2% (current): $6,149/mo · at 8.2%: $7,507/mo (+1,358)

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

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
10.5x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
30%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Manageable

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $2,167/mo, while renters pay about $2,968/mo — renting runs $801/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$1.25M
Household income · yr
$119K
Median rent · wk
$685
Owner mortgage · mo
$2,167
Gross yield
2.8%

Household income

$119K household · yr+45% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$53K
Family
$137K
Household
$119K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)fewer than 19% could service the median house
Under $300
177
$300-649
496
$650-999
517
$1,000-1,499
760
$1,500-1,999
616
$2,000-2,999
1,279
$3,000-3,999
962
$4,000+
1,158

Serviceability line: a household needs about $4,730/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 50% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,283/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$53K → $62K

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (6,374 households)
Owned outright
33%
Owned with mortgage
43%
Rented
21%
Dwelling structure20.9% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
91%
Townhouse / semi
8%
Flat / apartment
1%

Getting to work: 62% drive, 0% public transport, 3% walk or cycle, 33% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total5
Avg ICSEA1095
Students2,839
Catholic2
Government3
  • Torquay P-6 CollegePrimary · Government · ICSEA 1092
  • St Therese SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1119
  • Surf Coast Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1060
  • Lisieux Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1106
  • Torquay Coast Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1099

Livability

95/ 100 livability index

Top 5% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 95% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access97
Public transport (71 stops)92
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
1,263
3,099 per 100k
D5 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k3,099
Total incidents1,263· Year ending Mar 2026
  • Assault11252%
  • Sexual Offences4119%
  • Robbery52%
  • Break And Enter5727%

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

71.6%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

8.9 pp below 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

21.3%

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: Torquay 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.

Torquay, VIC 3228 · 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 77.6% 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 0.5% 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 ~77.6%
~77.6% 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 ~0.5%
~0.5% 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.

Short-term rentals

728
active listings · ~39.3 per 1,000 residents
94%
entire homes (vs private rooms)
49%
run by multi-listing operators
Investment view Estimated
$360
median nightly (entire home)
13%
estimated occupancy
$15,105
estimated annual revenue (gross)

Estimated short-let income is 0.4× the $35,620/yr a long-term let would earn at the median rent — before management fees, cleaning, vacancy beyond the occupancy model, and short-stay regulation.

Active Airbnb listings point-mapped to this suburb from Inside Airbnb (CC BY 4.0). Occupancy and revenue are estimates from Inside Airbnb's San Francisco model (review-rate proxy, minimum-stay assumption, occupancy capped at 70%) — they are gross, indicative, and not a guarantee of returns. Short-stay letting is subject to state and local regulation.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Farming (FZ)
Rural / Green wedge 45% Residential 36% Public / Open space 13% Commercial / Mixed 4% Industrial 1%
Residential density: Standard · 4% 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 · Surf Coast LGA

Dwellings
+27.8%
20,680 → 26,430
+5,750 dwellings
Population
+27.6%
37,620 → 48,010
Households
+34%
14,650 → 19,630

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

Population outlook

25,451 people · 202231,288 by 2032 (+22.9%)

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

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

Located in Victoria within the Surf Coast local government area, Torquay is a well-established suburb (postcode 3228). With a population of 18,534, the suburb has an established family demographic with a median age of 39. Households earn a median income of $119K per year, with an average household size of 2.7 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.

Torquay has a median house price of $1.3 million, which has increased by 4.6% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $745,000 (-17.5% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $685. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,167.

Torquay is served by 5 schools, including 4 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 1095, which is above the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 71 bus stops. The crime rate in the Surf Coast LGA is below average at 3,099 incidents per 100,000 population.

Looking at the investment signals, The gross rental yield works out to roughly 2.8%, which reads as low yield. Property prices are above the state median ($1.3M/$850K), placing it in the premium segment. The price-to-income ratio of 10.5x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +4.6% 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 Yield2.8% Low Yield
Price vs State$1.3M/$850K Above Median
Affordability10.5x Stretched
Price Momentum+4.6%· Stable
Pop. Growth+1.1%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$2,167
Rent · wk(Census)$500
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$685
Gross yield2.1%
Price / income10.5x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)85
Population growth · Surf Coast LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)40,265
5-year growth+2.4% CAGR
YoY change+1.1%
20012025
Development · Surf Coast LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)254
Houses 89%Units 11%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Surf Coast LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)1.7%
YoY change+0.1pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3228ATO
Negatively geared9.2%
1,427 of filers
Avg rental loss$10,453/yr
Landlords (rental income)2,795
Reported capital gains2,095
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population18,534
Median age39
Household size2.7
HH income · wk$2,295
Personal income · wk$1,018
Persons / bedroom0.8
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$62,082
Mean income$84,396
Earners17,052
YoY change+4.1%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)10/10
Education (IEO)10/10
Economic (IER)9/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)10/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,757 → $2,295
Change+30.6%
vs VIC median+7.1 pp
Median rent+22%
stablevs VIC 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets5
Pharmacies3
GP / clinics6
Fuel stations5
Cafes & dining43
aldi1
coles1
iga1
woolworths2
TransportGTFS
Bus stops71
Hospitals · Surf Coast LGAAIHW
Public2
Private0
Hesse Rural Health Service [Winchelsea]public
Lorne Community Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Surf Coast LGAGEN
Facilities6
Residential places429
Ocean Mist Aged Care120 places
Villa Maria Catholic Homes Star of the Sea Aged Care Residence96 places · in suburb
Calvary Elouera75 places · in suburb
Calvary Cordelia Grove60 places
Hesse Rural Health Service Nursing Home56 places
Lorne Nursing Home22 places
Childcare · Surf Coast LGAACECQA
Services28
Approved places2,084
Exceeding NQS7
Torquay College Outside School Hours Care150 places · in suburb
Childs Play Torquay141 places · in suburb
Torquay Early Learning Centre134 places · in suburb
Only About Children Torquay130 places · in suburb
YMCA Torquay Coast Primary School OSHC120 places · in suburb
Busy Bees at Torquay114 places · in suburb
+22 more in Surf Coast LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Torquay has enough direct local evidence 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 · 71 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.

Torquay FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Torquay in?

    Torquay is in the Surf Coast Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3228. Council-level context for Surf Coast LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Torquay?

    The current median house price in Torquay, VIC is $1.3M, 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 Torquay?

    The median weekly rent in Torquay is $685/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 Torquay?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 57% 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 Torquay a good investment?

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

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Torquay?

    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 Torquay 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.