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Suburb Insights · VIC 3870

Boolarra, VIC 3870 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Boolarra is a regional centre in Victoria, Australia, with a population of approximately 1,023, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 131 km from the Melbourne CBD, Boolarra is a regional area in Victoria. The median household income is $62,400 per year.

Investment Score

26 / 100 Weak

Boolarra's income profile suggests a value-oriented market with competitive purchase prices. As a regional location, growth prospects depend on local economic conditions and infrastructure investment.

Location

Melbourne
Boolarra
Victoria · 3870
131 km from Melbourne CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
3870

Official Australia Post postcode for Boolarra. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
1,023

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$218/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$62,400/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
131 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
1

Estimated 1 school within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
1

Estimated 1 park and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$1,083/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
86% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Investment Insight

Boolarra is a smaller community of 1,023 — about 14% of the Victoria suburb median (7,416) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. Boolarra's median household income of $62,400/year is 34% below the Victoria suburb median ($95,160) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. Rent of $218/week (87% coverage of the $1,083/month median mortgage) leaves a gap of roughly $138/month that a typical investor bridges with negative gearing, depreciation and capital growth. Boolarra is 131 km from Melbourne, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Boolarra vs Victoria Median

How Boolarra stacks up against the median of all Victoria suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Boolarra sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricBoolarraVIC medianΔ vs state
Population1,0237,416-86%
Median household income$62,400/yr$95,160/yr-34%
Median rent (weekly)$218$380-43%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,083$1,950-44%
Distance to CBD131 km32 km+309%
Separate houses86%78%+8pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Boolarra — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: a small population of 1,023 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider Victoria market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $218/week (~$945/month) covers 87% of the $1,083/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $138/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 86% houses in a 1,023-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Boolarra property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for Boolarra

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Boolarra are modest for 2026 — incomes 34% below the VIC median of $95,160 and a population of 1,023 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~87% of the typical mortgage ($945/month rent vs $1,083/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 26/100 places Boolarra in the lower tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boolarra a good suburb for investment?

Boolarra scores 26/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 1,023, median household income of $62,400/year and median weekly rent of $218. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Boolarra?

The main demand drivers in Boolarra are a median household income of $62,400/year, a dwelling mix that is 86% separate houses, roughly 1 schools and 1 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Boolarra?

Boolarra has a usual resident population of approximately 1,023, compared with a Victoria suburb median of 7,416 — placing it in the lower half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Boolarra from the Melbourne CBD?

Boolarra sits 131 km straight-line from the Melbourne CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Boolarra?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $218 in Boolarra, equating to approximately $11,336/year in gross rental income (state median $380/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Boolarra?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Boolarra is $1,083, or approximately $12,996/year (vs $1,950/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Boolarra cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $218 works out to $945/month, covering 87% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,083/month. That leaves a $138/month shortfall (around $1,656/year before tax benefits), so a typical owner-occupier-priced property here is negatively geared. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Boolarra?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (1,023 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,083 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($62,400 vs $95,160 state median), the broader Victoria market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Boolarra profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

Nearby Suburbs

Victoria Property Resources