Pakenham
VICPakenham is a stable suburb in VIC with 54,118 residents.
- SAL code
- 22027
- SA2
- 212011552
- Population
- 54,118
Pakenham, VIC had 54,118 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.9% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 33. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,733 a month. Around 65.0% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 46.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 86.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 127 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
Pakenham, VIC at a glance
Pakenham is a deep, high-volume outer-south-east growth-corridor suburb ~55 km from Melbourne CBD in Cardinia Shire, at the eastern terminus of the Pakenham line. Stock ranges from established 1990s-2000s housing on the older side to new estates rolling out east of the highway. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Pakenham works for buyers who want a detached house and yard at a Melbourne-fringe price point and are happy trading commute time for it. Housing is dominated by 3- and 4-bedroom homes — wide tree-lined streets on the northern side, newer estates pushing east toward the Pakenham East PSP. Pakenham Central Marketplace and Lakeside Boulevard cover most day-to-day shopping and dining; the Cardinia Life Centre anchors recreation with pools, a 24/7 gym and a basketball stadium. Schools include Pakenham Secondary College, St Patrick's Primary and Beaconhills College's Pakenham campus on Toomuc Valley Road. Pakenham and East Pakenham stations sit at the end of the Pakenham line — from 1 February 2026 those services through-route via the Metro Tunnel to Sunbury (Victoria's Big Build), shortening trips to the inner city. Drive time to Melbourne CBD is about 50-60 minutes off-peak via the Monash. In short: an affordable detached-house option with the rail line and new town-centre upgrades on the doorstep, if you can wear the distance.
For investors
Pakenham is a volume market with moderate yields. Median house ~$700,000 at 6.06% annual growth and $560/wk rent → ~4.08% gross yield; median unit ~$547,500 with $500/wk rent → ~5.00% gross yield (HtAG / Your Investment Property May 2026). Roughly 1,039 house sales and 169 unit sales in the past 12 months — one of the deepest transaction pools in metropolitan Victoria. Days-on-market sits around 15-32 days depending on source; vacancy ~1.9% (HtAG May 2026).
Strengths
- Very deep transaction market (~1,200 combined sales/yr) — easy entry, easy exit.
- Unit yields ~5.0% (HtAG May 2026) provide a workable cashflow option in a Melbourne suburb.
- Pakenham + East Pakenham stations now grade-separated and through-routed via Metro Tunnel from Feb 2026 — a structural commute upgrade.
- $415.7M Pakenham Roads Upgrade (Major Road Projects Victoria) lifts arterial capacity into the suburb.
Trade-offs
- House yields ~4.08% (HtAG May 2026) are modest given the holding cost and distance.
- Significant future supply: Pakenham East PSP is approved for ~7,000 homes on 630 ha (VPA, gazetted Jan 2021) — meaningful pipeline pressure on capital growth into the late 2020s.
- 55 km from CBD via the Monash — peak commute is the trade for the price point.
- Vacancy ~1.9% is balanced rather than tight — limited near-term rent-rise pressure.
What's coming
Cardinia Shire's $74.2M 2025/26 Capital Works program funds the Pakenham Revitalisation: Stage 1 Main Street Gateway is targeting completion by mid-2026, with Drake Place and John Street stages out to tender. The new Pakenham Community Hospital and upgraded station precinct sit alongside it. The Pakenham East PSP continues to release lots, and Pakenham South Employment PSP (Amendment C265) underpins the local jobs story.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an affordable detached-house corridor with material infrastructure upside arriving in 2026. For investors: a deep, moderate-yield market where the Pakenham East PSP supply pipeline is the variable to watch.
Population
?54,118
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+2.9%
3yr: +2.8% · 10yr: +21.5%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,664/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
33
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?4/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?5.1%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
11
9 primary, 4 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?39
20 long day, 14 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?127
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?160
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
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 — Pakenham - South West (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Pakenham suburb alone is ~54,118 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 3,776 to 28,194 over 24 years, averaging 8.7% per year.
Schools
11 in suburbSector
8 public · 3 private
Type
7 primary · 2 secondary · 2 K-12
Total enrolment
9,661
Avg per school
878
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 1.0%Almost entirely detached houses (86.7%), mixed tenure (65.0% own or mortgage), built for families (45% 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
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
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.
Planning zones
27 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GWZ1 | Green Wedge Zone Schedule 1Rural | 44.2% | 37.94 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 14.7% | 12.63 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 5.2% | 4.50 km² |
| UGZ1 | UGZ1Other | 3.9% | 3.35 km² |
| RCZ2 | Rural Conservation Zone Schedule 2Rural | 3.4% | 2.94 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 3.4% | 2.89 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 2.7% | 2.35 km² |
| UGZ5 | UGZ5Other | 2.7% | 2.33 km² |
| CDZ1 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 1Business | 2.6% | 2.19 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 2.3% | 1.95 km² |
| UGZ | UGZOther | 2.2% | 1.91 km² |
| UGZ6 | UGZ6Other | 2.1% | 1.84 km² |
| LDRZ2 | Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 2.0% | 1.69 km² |
| SUZ5 | Special Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 1.4% | 1.22 km² |
| SUZ7 | Special Use Zone Schedule 7Special use | 1.4% | 1.19 km² |
| UGZ2 | UGZ2Other | 1.0% | 0.88 km² |
| GWAZ2 | Green Wedge A Zone Schedule 2Rural | 1.0% | 0.84 km² |
| ACZ1 | Activity Centre Zone Schedule 1Business | 0.8% | 0.68 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 0.7% | 0.60 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.5% | 0.43 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.5% | 0.40 km² |
| CDZ2 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 2Business | 0.3% | 0.28 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.3% | 0.21 km² |
| CDZ3 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 3Business | 0.2% | 0.18 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.1% | 0.13 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.1% | 0.11 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.1% | 0.10 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.