Mount Martha
VICMount Martha is a stable suburb in VIC with 19,846 residents.
- SAL code
- 21803
- SA2
- 214021382
- Population
- 19,846
- LGA
- Mornington Peninsula
Mount Martha, VIC had 19,846 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area roughly steady over the last five years. The predominant age group is 45-54 years, and the median age sits at 46. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,167 a month. Around 84.2% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 42.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 84.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 29 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Mount Martha, VIC at a glance
Mount Martha is a coastal Mornington Peninsula suburb ~50 km south-east of Melbourne CBD in Mornington Peninsula Shire. Owner-occupier dominant with a long-stay village character, strong school presence, and Port Phillip beach frontage anchored by the Balcombe Creek boardwalk. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Mount Martha reads as a settled coastal village rather than a commuter suburb. Most stock is detached houses on generous lots, with a meaningful lift in beach-house and architecturally rebuilt holiday homes along the south end. Mount Martha Beach and the 5 km Balcombe Creek boardwalk to The Briars Historic Park anchor outdoor life, and Benton Square Shopping Centre handles weekly needs while Mornington Main Street is ~10 minutes north. Schools are a draw: Mount Martha Primary, Osborne Primary, and Balcombe Grammar (P-12, founded 2007 on the former Balcombe military camp) all sit inside the suburb. There's no train station — Frankston is ~19 minutes by car (~19 km) for the Frankston line, and Peninsula Link / M11 puts the Melbourne CBD inside ~70 minutes off-peak. In short: a coastal-village lifestyle with strong schools and beach access, weighed against a car-dependent commute.
For investors
Mount Martha is a high-price, low-yield holding market. Median house $1,400,000 against $840/week rent gives a ~3.06% gross yield; units median $635/week at ~4.19% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth -1.48%; 318 house and 88 unit sales in the year to January 2026 (htag). Days-on-market 38 (houses) / 36 (units) — slower turnover than metro Melbourne, consistent with the discretionary coastal-buyer pool.
Strengths
- Deep, liquid market for a coastal suburb — 318 house sales in the past 12 months (htag, Jan 2026).
- Strong school catchment (Balcombe Grammar P-12, Mount Martha + Osborne primaries) supports stable family-tenant demand.
- Owner-occupier dominant (~12.5% rental share) underpins streetscape quality and long-hold capital base.
- Beach + Balcombe Creek boardwalk + The Briars give a lifestyle premium that out-of-region buyers will pay for.
Trade-offs
- Yield is thin (~3.06% houses) — this is a capital-preservation market, not a cashflow one.
- 12-month house growth -1.48% (Your Investment Property May 2026) — current cycle is flat-to-soft.
- Days-on-market 38 (houses) signals slower exits than inner-Melbourne; discretionary buyer pool is sensitive to rates and consumer mood.
- No train station — buyer pool narrows to households comfortable with a car-first commute via Peninsula Link.
What's coming
Mornington Peninsula Shire's $2.2m Mount Martha Village parking and footpath upgrade has been redesigned after community consultation (MPNEWS, Feb 2026); carpark construction is bid for the 2026/27 budget, with central island and pedestrian works the year after. Other in-flight Mount Martha works include the North Amenity Upgrade (~$0.4m) and the Briars Class A Recycled Water Project.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a coastal-village lifestyle with strong schools, if you can wear the car-first commute. For investors: a low-yield, capital-preservation hold sensitive to the discretionary coastal cycle.
Population
?19,846
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+0.4%
3yr: +1.0% · 10yr: +5.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,097/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
46
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?1.6%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
3
3 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?12
4 long day, 4 OSHC
Parks & green space
?29
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?56
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?56
Mornington Peninsula · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Mount Martha (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Mount Martha suburb alone is ~19,846 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 12,493 to 20,161 over 24 years, averaging 2.0% per year.
Schools
3 in suburbSector
2 public · 1 private
Type
2 primary · 1 K-12
Total enrolment
2,146
Avg per school
715
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.2%Almost entirely detached houses (84.3%), owner-occupied (84.2%), built for families (44% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: Vicmap Planning — Bushfire Prone Area + Vicmap flood overlays.
Planning zones
13 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 36.6% | 11.06 km² |
| GWZ3 | Green Wedge Zone Schedule 3Rural | 30.1% | 9.10 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 10.5% | 3.18 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 6.9% | 2.08 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 5.3% | 1.61 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 4.3% | 1.30 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 4.0% | 1.21 km² |
| SUZ2 | Special Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.2% | 0.36 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.3% | 0.08 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.3% | 0.08 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.2% | 0.05 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.1% | 0.04 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.1% | 0.03 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.