South Morang
VICSouth Morang is a stable suburb in VIC with 24,989 residents.
- SAL code
- 22311
- SA2
- 209041436
- Population
- 24,989
- LGA
- Whittlesea
South Morang, VIC had 24,989 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.5% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 36. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,900 a month. Around 76.0% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 52.4%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 84.4% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 163 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
South Morang, VIC at a glance
South Morang sits on Melbourne's outer-northern growth front about 20 km north-east of the CBD, in the City of Whittlesea. Housing stock skews 2000s-onwards estate-built on standard lots, with the Mernda rail extension giving the suburb three stations and Westfield Plenty Valley anchoring retail. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market + lifestyle context.
For homebuyers
South Morang reads as a family-driven outer-Melbourne suburb where most homes are estate-era 3- and 4-bedroom houses on conventional lots. Plenty Gorge Park forms a substantial green spine on the western edge — bushland walks, kangaroos, picnic grounds — and the suburb runs three Mernda-line stations (South Morang, Middle Gorge, Hawkstowe), an unusual amount of rail for a growth-corridor address. Westfield Plenty Valley sits about 400 m from South Morang station for full-line shopping, cinemas and supermarkets. Schools include The Lakes South Morang P-9 and Marymede Catholic College (Prep-12), with several newer state primaries built around the estates. CBD commute is roughly 45-55 minutes by train; the Western Ring Road and M80 connect drivers to the northern industrial belt. In short: a settled outer-northern suburb where rail access and a major retail hub take the edge off the 20 km distance from town.
For investors
South Morang is a moderate-yield, moderate-growth growth-corridor market. Median house sale around $817,000 against ~$560/week rent works out to a ~3.8% gross house yield, with units near $525,000 renting around $520/week for a stronger ~5.0% yield (htag / Your Investment Property May 2026). House values up ~6.8% over 12 months while units are softer at -4.5%. ~305 house sales and ~76 unit sales in the past year; days-on-market sit around 26-35; vacancy around 3%.
Strengths
- Three-station rail catchment (South Morang, Middle Gorge, Hawkstowe) — rare for a 20 km outer-north suburb and supports tenant demand.
- Westfield Plenty Valley on the doorstep gives a fully-anchored retail hub at ~400 m from the station.
- Healthy 12-month house growth of ~6.8% (htag 2026) on a sub-$1m median keeps the suburb accessible to upgraders and first-home investors.
- Steady transactional depth — ~305 house sales in 12 months means liquid exit and benchmark comparables.
Trade-offs
- Vacancy near 3% (htag 2026) is at the upper edge of balanced — rent growth is unlikely to outrun supply in the short term.
- Unit market softer: -4.5% 12-month growth suggests apartment stock is competing with new estate releases further north.
- House yields ~3.8% are tight for the price point; cashflow investors will find better elsewhere in the corridor.
- Whittlesea LGA has substantial new-lot supply still releasing in adjacent suburbs (Mernda, Doreen, Wollert), which can cap medium-term growth.
What's coming
City of Whittlesea's 2025-26 capital works program flags the Findon Road / The Great Eastern Way intersection upgrade in South Morang, alongside continued community-centre, sporting-field and pathway investment across the LGA. Several South Morang Development Plans remain endorsed within the strategic-planning register, meaning further infill activity through the late 2020s.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a settled growth-corridor suburb where rail and a Westfield offset the distance. For investors: a moderate-yield, moderate-growth play with units running softer than houses.
Population
?24,989
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+1.5%
3yr: +5.4% · 10yr: +4.8%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,078/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
36
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?4.6%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
4
3 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?15
7 long day, 5 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?163
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?120
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?234
Whittlesea · Feb 2026
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — South Morang - South (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; South Morang suburb alone is ~24,989 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 4,815 to 13,054 over 24 years, averaging 4.2% per year.
Schools
4 in suburbSector
2 public · 2 private
Type
1 primary · 1 secondary · 2 K-12
Total enrolment
3,614
Avg per school
904
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 0.4%Almost entirely detached houses (84.4%), owner-occupied (76.0%), built for families (45% are 4 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
18 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 36.4% | 7.81 km² |
| RCZ1 | Rural Conservation Zone Schedule 1Rural | 20.4% | 4.37 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 17.6% | 3.78 km² |
| UGZ3 | UGZ3Other | 5.4% | 1.15 km² |
| GRZ5 | General Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 5.3% | 1.14 km² |
| ACZ2 | Activity Centre Zone Schedule 2Business | 2.9% | 0.62 km² |
| SUZ6 | Special Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 2.8% | 0.60 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 1.6% | 0.35 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 1.5% | 0.33 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.4% | 0.29 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 1.4% | 0.29 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.3% | 0.28 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 1.0% | 0.21 km² |
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.2% | 0.05 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.2% | 0.04 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.2% | 0.03 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.1% | 0.03 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 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.