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Suburb Insights · VIC 3888

Marlo, VIC 3888 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Marlo is a regional centre in Victoria, Australia, with a population of approximately 602, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 327 km from the Melbourne CBD, Marlo is a regional area in Victoria. The median household income is $71,916 per year.

Investment Score

31 / 100 Weak

Lower income levels in Marlo typically translate to more affordable entry points for investors. As a regional location, growth prospects depend on local economic conditions and infrastructure investment.

Location

Melbourne
Marlo
Victoria · 3888
327 km from Melbourne CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
3888

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

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Population
602

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$250/wk

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

Median household income
$71,916/yr

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

Distance to CBD
327 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
$1,517/mo

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

Home type
62% houses

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

Investment Insight

Marlo is a smaller community of 602 — about 8% of the Victoria suburb median (7,416) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. Marlo's median household income of $71,916/year is 24% 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 $250/week (71% coverage of the $1,517/month median mortgage) leaves a gap of roughly $434/month that a typical investor bridges with negative gearing, depreciation and capital growth. Marlo is 327 km from Melbourne, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand. Only 62% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 78% state median), so this is a unit-heavy market where body-corporate decisions and strata supply meaningfully shape investor returns.

Marlo vs Victoria Median

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

MetricMarloVIC medianΔ vs state
Population6027,416-92%
Median household income$71,916/yr$95,160/yr-24%
Median rent (weekly)$250$380-34%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,517$1,950-22%
Distance to CBD327 km32 km+922%
Separate houses62%78%-16pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Marlo — 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 602 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider Victoria market over full cycles.

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Rental Yield

Moderate rental coverage: rent of $250/week covers 71% of a $1,517/month mortgage, leaving a $434/month gap that an investor bridges with equity, depreciation and tax benefits.

Renovation / Flip

Only 62% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 78% VIC median) — this is a unit and townhouse market, where cosmetic flips struggle against body-corporate restrictions, thinner after-reno uplift and competing new supply.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Marlo property

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30-year projections for Marlo

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Marlo are modest for 2026 — incomes 24% below the VIC median of $95,160 and a population of 602 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~71% of the typical mortgage ($1,083/month rent vs $1,517/month repayment), leaving a manageable top-up for most investors. The EquitySight investment score of 31/100 places Marlo 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 Marlo a good suburb for investment?

Marlo scores 31/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 602, median household income of $71,916/year and median weekly rent of $250. 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 Marlo?

The main demand drivers in Marlo are a median household income of $71,916/year, a dwelling mix that is 62% 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 Marlo?

Marlo has a usual resident population of approximately 602, 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 Marlo from the Melbourne CBD?

Marlo sits 327 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 Marlo?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $250 in Marlo, equating to approximately $13,000/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 Marlo?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Marlo is $1,517, or approximately $18,204/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 Marlo cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $250 works out to $1,083/month, covering 71% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,517/month. That leaves a $434/month shortfall (around $5,208/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 Marlo?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (602 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,517 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($71,916 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 Marlo 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.

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