Reservoir (Vic.)
VICReservoir (Vic.) is a growing suburb in VIC with 51,096 residents.
- SAL code
- 22161
- SA2
- 209021526
- Population
- 51,096
Reservoir (Vic.), VIC had 51,096 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 3.7% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,986 a month. Around 59.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 36.4%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 63.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 77 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
Reservoir (Vic.), VIC at a glance
Reservoir is a large established middle-ring suburb ~12 km north of Melbourne CBD in the City of Darebin. Stock is mostly mid-century weatherboard and brick on generous lots, with steady infill of townhouses and modern builds along the Edwardes Street and Broadway strips. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Reservoir is one of the larger Melbourne suburbs by area (~51,000 residents at the 2021 Census) and one of the few inside ~12 km of the CBD where a freestanding house on a decent block is still an option. The character is mid-century single-storey weatherboard and brick, with townhouses and modern builds appearing block by block. Edwardes Lake Park anchors recreation — bowling and tennis clubs, a yacht club, and walking circuits around the lake. Reservoir Village on Edwardes Street and the Broadway strip carry the cafes, grocers and the Italian-Vietnamese-Greek food mix the suburb is known for. Reservoir Station (Mernda line, rebuilt 2019) puts you ~25 minutes from Flinders Street; trams run along Plenty Road. Reservoir High School has been recognised as a 'School that Excels' for NAPLAN and VCE outcomes (vic.gov.au). In short: an established, food-rich middle-ring suburb where you can still find a house on land within 12 km of the CBD.
For investors
Reservoir is a deep, transactional middle-ring market with growth-over-yield characteristics. Median house ~$907,500 / unit ~$610,000; median rent $565/wk (houses) and $520/wk (units) → ~3.24% / ~4.34% gross yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). House rents up ~11.3% YoY and units up ~13.6% YoY (htag.com.au May 2026). Roughly 539 house and 475 unit sales over the past 12 months, with vacancy ~1.41% and ~37 days on market (htag.com.au May 2026).
Strengths
- Deep transaction market — ~1,000+ combined sales over 12 months gives easy entry and exit (htag.com.au May 2026).
- Strong recent rental growth: houses +11.3% YoY, units +13.6% YoY (htag.com.au May 2026).
- Balanced vacancy at ~1.41% with ~37 days on market keeps leasing risk contained (htag.com.au May 2026).
- Mernda line + Plenty Road tram corridor and proximity to La Trobe University underpin long-run tenant demand.
Trade-offs
- Yields are sub-4% on houses (~3.24%) — this is a growth-tilted hold, not a cashflow play (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Stretched affordability: median house ~$907,500 against Melbourne wage base means high entry capital (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Continuing townhouse and unit infill across the Edwardes Street / Broadway corridors adds future stratified supply that can compress unit yields.
- Reservoir Leisure Centre full redevelopment is deferred — the upgraded facility is years away per the March 2025 council scoping (City of Darebin).
What's coming
Darebin's Reservoir Structure Plan continues to drive a 'Central Heart' precinct around Edwardes Street, prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public-transport access (City of Darebin). The 2025/26 Capital Works program funds Reservoir Leisure Centre upgrades ($200K/yr 2025/26-2027/28 then $500K in 2028/29) plus gym and group-exercise equipment renewals, drainage renewal between Glasgow and Massey Avenues to Edgars Creek, and sportsground works at D.R. Atkinson, C.H. Sullivan and J.C. Donath Reserves.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a middle-ring suburb with a house-on-land option, strong food strips and a 25-minute train into the city. For investors: a deep, growth-leaning hold with rising rents and tight vacancy, but sub-4% house yields.
Population
?51,096
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+3.7%
3yr: +7.8% · 10yr: +5.9%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,541/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?5/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?4.7%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
11
7 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?27
13 long day, 8 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?77
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?178
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 — Reservoir - South West (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Reservoir (Vic.) suburb alone is ~51,096 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 12,153 to 15,350 over 24 years, averaging 1.0% per year.
Schools
14 in suburbSector
8 public · 6 private
Type
10 primary · 2 secondary · 2 special
Total enrolment
4,305(13 of 14 reporting)
Avg per school
331
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 4.7%Predominantly detached houses (63.5%), mixed tenure (59.9% own or mortgage), built for families (44% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire 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 bushfire 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.
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
21 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 36.3% | 6.91 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 29.2% | 5.56 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 8.5% | 1.62 km² |
| HCTZ2 | HCTZ2Other | 4.1% | 0.79 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 3.5% | 0.66 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 2.4% | 0.46 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 2.3% | 0.44 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.9% | 0.36 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 1.9% | 0.36 km² |
| RGZ3 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 3Residential | 1.6% | 0.30 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.4% | 0.26 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 1.4% | 0.26 km² |
| HCTZ1 | HCTZ1Other | 1.1% | 0.21 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.8% | 0.16 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.8% | 0.15 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.6% | 0.11 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 0.5% | 0.10 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.5% | 0.09 km² |
| RGZ2 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.5% | 0.09 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.4% | 0.07 km² |
| RGZ4 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 4Residential | 0.2% | 0.04 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.