Warragul
VICWarragul is a growing suburb in VIC with 19,856 residents.
- SAL code
- 22698
- SA2
- 205011079
- Population
- 19,856
Warragul, VIC had 19,856 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 14.9% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 40. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,625 a month. Around 74.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 37.4%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 90.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 59 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
Warragul, VIC at a glance
Warragul is a regional Gippsland town ~102 km south-east of Melbourne in Baw Baw Shire, sitting between the Strzelecki Ranges and the Mount Baw Baw plateau. Heritage main-street character on Queen Street meets fast-growing greenfield estates on the edges; population jumped ~26% between 2016 and 2021. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Warragul reads as a country town that's grown into a commuter hub. The Queen Street strip carries the heritage feel — 19th-century facades, the Shire Hall, a strong cafe + bakery scene and weekly farmers' markets — while estates on the north and west edges deliver newer four-bedroom homes on standard lots. Full-line shopping is on the doorstep: Aldi, Woolworths, Coles, Kmart and Bunnings, plus West Gippsland Hospital and the Federation TAFE campus. Warragul Station puts Melbourne ~75-80 minutes by V/Line Gippsland service; the M1 freeway gets you door-to-door in just over an hour off-peak. Schools include Warragul Primary, Warragul Regional College, and the well-regarded independent St Paul's Anglican Grammar. In short: a working country town with full retail, rail to the city, and a slower pace than outer-east Melbourne for a similar price.
For investors
Warragul is a regional growth market in a slower phase. Median house $650,000 against $570/week rent gives ~4.25% gross yield; units median rent $410/week at ~5.10% (htag.com.au May 2026). 12-month house growth modest at ~2.36%. 518 house + 51 unit sales in the year to January 2026 — a deep, liquid market for a regional town. Days-on-market 44 (houses), and SQM vacancy ~1.97% indicates steady, not tight, leasing conditions.
Strengths
- Deep transaction market for a regional town (~569 sales/yr houses + units) — easy entry and exit.
- Long-run population growth (+26% 2016-2021; Baw Baw forecasting Warragul to lift from ~26K to ~39K by 2046) underpins demand.
- V/Line rail + M1 freeway link to Melbourne keeps the suburb in the commuter catchment, broadening the tenant pool.
- Yields ~4.25% (houses) / ~5.10% (units) — above most outer-east Melbourne metro suburbs at the same price point.
Trade-offs
- Capital growth has cooled to ~2.36% over 12 months (htag May 2026) — the heat of the 2020-22 regional boom is gone.
- Days-on-market 44 days for houses signals a buyer's-market feel — pricing matters.
- Active PSP build-out around Warragul + Drouin means meaningful future greenfield supply that could keep growth contained.
- Vacancy ~1.97% is healthy but not tight — limited rent-pricing power compared with sub-1% metro suburbs.
What's coming
Baw Baw Shire's 2025/26 Capital Works program includes $2.0M for Copelands Road upgrades in Warragul. The Warragul-Drouin Precinct Structure Plan (gazetted 2014) continues to guide greenfield expansion, and Council is currently reviewing the Warragul-Drouin Development Contributions Plans to recalibrate infrastructure funding against the forecast lift from ~26K to ~39K residents by 2046.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a full-service country town with rail to Melbourne and heritage character at outer-Melbourne prices. For investors: a deep, liquid regional market with decent yield but a cooler growth phase and steady greenfield supply ahead.
Population
?19,856
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+14.9%
3yr: +6.9% · 10yr: +37.5%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,563/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
40
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?5/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.7%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
9
5 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?18
6 long day, 8 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?59
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?81
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 — Warragul (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Warragul suburb alone is ~19,856 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 14,203 to 25,392 over 24 years, averaging 2.5% per year.
Schools
9 in suburbSector
4 public · 5 private
Type
4 primary · 2 secondary · 1 K-12 · 2 special
Total enrolment
5,602
Avg per school
622
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 2.6%Almost entirely detached houses (90.3%), owner-occupied (74.7%).
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
17 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGZ1 | UGZ1Other | 25.0% | 13.85 km² |
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 22.8% | 12.61 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 16.5% | 9.12 km² |
| RAZ | Rural Activity ZoneRural | 16.1% | 8.92 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 8.4% | 4.64 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 2.8% | 1.55 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 2.7% | 1.50 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 1.6% | 0.89 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.7% | 0.36 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.6% | 0.33 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.5% | 0.29 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 0.5% | 0.28 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.5% | 0.27 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.4% | 0.25 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.4% | 0.23 km² |
| PUZ3 | Public Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.1% | 0.07 km² |
| SUZ5 | Special Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.1% | 0.06 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.