Wantirna South
VICWantirna South is a declining suburb in VIC with 20,754 residents.
- SAL code
- 22686
- SA2
- 211011260
- Population
- 20,754
- LGA
- Knox
Wantirna South, VIC had 20,754 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 0.7% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 42. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,167 a month. Around 72.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 36.5%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 77.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 81 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
Wantirna South, VIC at a glance
Wantirna South sits ~26 km east of the Melbourne CBD in the City of Knox, anchored by Westfield Knox and a deep belt of parkland. Most homes are four- and five-bedroom brick veneers built in the 1980s on ~800m² lots, with newer infill (Mirvac's Harcrest Estate on Stud Road) gradually thickening the housing mix. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
Wantirna South suits families wanting space, schools and amenity within Melbourne's eastern belt. Big-lot brick homes dominate, parks cover ~17.5% of the suburb (47 reserves), and recreation anchors are unusually strong: the State Basketball Centre and Knox Regional Sports Centre both sit in the suburb. Westfield Knox is the closest shopping hub (200+ stores), with Stud Park nearby. There's no rail station in the suburb itself — Glen Waverley (~10 min drive) or Bayswater are the closest, with the 736 bus running to Glen Waverley in ~15 min and EastLink giving fast access to the M1. Schools include The Knox School, Waverley Christian College and St Andrews Christian College, and Swinburne's Wantirna campus covers tertiary. In short: a spacious, amenity-rich east-Melbourne family suburb with strong schools and parks, but rail access requires a short drive.
For investors
Wantirna South is a capital-growth-leaning house market with thin yields. Median house $1,275,000 against $675/week rent gives a 2.90% gross yield; units sit at $585,000 / $615/week for a 4.97% yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth +3.66%, quarterly +1.92%; unit prices fell 7.95% YoY but rebounded 10.38% last quarter. 234 house and 89 unit sales in 12 months. Days-on-market 25 (houses) / 49 (units).
Strengths
- Deep house transaction market (234 sales/yr) for a high-priced family suburb — easy entry and exit.
- Steady positive house growth (+3.66% YoY) underpinned by schools, parks (~17.5% of land area) and Westfield Knox amenity.
- Unit segment offers a yield workaround at 4.97% gross, with quarterly prices rebounding +10.38%.
- Knox Council 2025/26 budget commits ~$58m to capital works, including $1.5m of park upgrades touching Wantirna Reserve.
Trade-offs
- House yield 2.90% — negative-gearing territory; not a cashflow play.
- No train station in-suburb; Glen Waverley or Bayswater is a short drive, which weighs on commuter-tenant demand.
- Unit prices down 7.95% over 12 months (Your Investment Property May 2026) — the rebound is one quarter old.
- Days-on-market 25 (houses) / 49 (units) is slower than tighter Melbourne markets — budget for longer hold-to-lease windows.
What's coming
Knox City Council's 2025/26 capital works program (~$58m, adopted June 2025) directs $1.5m to upgrades at Wantirna Reserve, Carrington Park and Kings Park, with $1.4m for car-park upgrades including Wantirna Reserve and Knox City Tennis Club. A broader $9.2m sporting-pavilion program and $4.8m of footpath / cycle-path renewals continue through 2026.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a spacious, school-rich eastern family suburb with Westfield Knox on the doorstep. For investors: a capital-growth house play with thin yield, or a cheaper unit entry with a recent rebound but a softer 12-month track record.
Population
?20,754
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.7%
3yr: +2.8% · 10yr: +0.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,915/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
42
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.8%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
7
6 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?21
10 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?81
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?108
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?27
Knox · 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 — Wantirna South (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Wantirna South suburb alone is ~20,754 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 18,014 to 18,475 over 24 years, averaging 0.1% per year.
Schools
7 in suburbSector
2 public · 5 private
Type
3 primary · 3 K-12 · 1 special
Total enrolment
4,810
Avg per school
687
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 1.3%Almost entirely detached houses (77.7%), owner-occupied (72.1%).
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
22 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ4 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 38.6% | 5.47 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 25.5% | 3.61 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 6.9% | 0.97 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 6.8% | 0.96 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 3.2% | 0.45 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 3.0% | 0.42 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 2.8% | 0.40 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 1.9% | 0.27 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 1.7% | 0.24 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 1.6% | 0.23 km² |
| SUZ2 | Special Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.5% | 0.21 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.4% | 0.20 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.0% | 0.14 km² |
| GRZ7 | General Residential Zone Schedule 7Residential | 0.8% | 0.11 km² |
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 0.7% | 0.10 km² |
| RLZ | Rural Living ZoneRural | 0.5% | 0.07 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.5% | 0.07 km² |
| SUZ1 | Special Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.4% | 0.06 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 0.4% | 0.05 km² |
| MUZ3 | Mixed Use Zone Schedule 3Residential | 0.3% | 0.05 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.3% | 0.04 km² |
| MUZ2 | Mixed Use Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.2% | 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.