Free market report · Data to July 2026

Yarra property market

Yarra is one of the 453 council areas we track on the Momentum Dial, our property clock. This page is the plain-numbers read: where it sits in the cycle, who lives there, what's being built, and the suburbs inside it.

Yarra is home to 101,356 people. On the Buyers First Momentum Dial its house market currently reads Rising, and units read the same. The number that matters most here: 10,014 more residents are in work than five years ago, +16.8%. Jobs lead prices. Here's the rest of the picture, in plain numbers.

Houses · cycle position

Rising

The Yarra house market is accelerating. Growth is building pace rather than fading, which is the phase most investors wish they had caught in hindsight.

-3% to +8%

Modelled 12-month price range

+3.1%

Modelled 12-month rent change

Units · cycle position

Rising

The unit market is accelerating. Growth is building pace rather than fading, which is the phase most investors wish they had caught in hindsight.

-2% to +8%

Modelled 12-month price range

+3.0%

Modelled 12-month rent change

At a glance · houses

$1,656,976

Typical house, August 2026

+3.9% a year since 2010

+1.4%

Growth a year, last 10 years

-0.5% a year over the last 5

$1,030

Rent a week

3.2% gross yield

5 of 15

Years prices fell since 2010

Worst: 2023, -3%

The clock measures growth momentum, not price. Peak means growing fastest, not about to fall. Cycle data and projections sourced from HtAG Analytics. See Yarra on the clock.

Free · One per person

Want all of this written up for Yarra?

The full report is this data as a written document, plus the current price, rent, yield and growth on one suburb inside Yarra, and the numbers that cut against the area. I write them by hand, so it comes from me rather than out of a system.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

The numbers, explained

Yarra in charts.

The typical house in Yarra went from $886,070 in 2010 to $1,656,976 in August 2026. That is +87% in total, +3.9% a year. It went backwards 4 years in a row at one point. Any market can have a bad year. The ones that stack them are the ones that hurt, and this is the number we weigh most.

Houses · price change each year · 2011 to 2026

Prices in Yarra fell in 5 of the last 15 years

Watch this
'11 '12 '13 12.9% '14 2015 '16 '17 -0.8% '18 '19 2020 '21 -0.9% '22 -2.7% '23 -0.8% '24 -2.1% 2025 1.8% '26 ytd

+87%

Since 2010

+1.4%

Per year, last 10 years

5 of 15

Years going backwards

-2.7%

Worst year (2023)

What this shows. How much the typical house price in Yarra went up or down each year. Teal bars are up years, red bars are down years, and the faded bar is this year so far.

Why it matters. The size of a good year matters less than how many bad years there were and whether they came in a row. Boring? Absolutely. But the length of the down stretch is what decides whether you get out the other side. Typical price at December each year, data from HtAG Analytics.

You don't need to know property to read this. Every chart below opens with the point in one line, then says what it shows and why we care. Teal is a good sign, amber is okay, red means watch it.

The scorecard · 7 things we check

Yarra scores 19 out of 35. Mixed.

Okay
Cycle 4Down years 2Supply 3People 3Jobs 2Affordability 1Rentals 4 5 = best
Where it is in the cycle

prices are rising and speeding up

Years prices fell since 2010

5 of 15 years

New homes being built

2.7 new homes approved per 100 that exist

People moving in

population growing 0.9% a year

Jobs

5.6% unemployed, Australia 4.2%

Can locals afford it

a house costs 11.8 years of a local household's income

Empty rentals

1.1% of rentals are empty, so about 1 in every 100

What this shows. Seven quick checks on Yarra, each scored out of five. Five is the reading we most want to see.

Why it matters. No single number tells you whether an area is a good buy. Together they show whether the pieces line up. These are bands, not rules: a council outside a band can still be the right buy for the right person, and one inside every band can still be wrong for you.

House prices since 2010 · Yarra vs the 5 most similar councils in VIC

Yarra has grown in step with similar councils over ten years

Okay
$574k $1.15m $1.72m $2.30m Yarra $1.63m 20102012201420162018202020222024
YarraSimilar councils (middle of 5)

-0.5% vs -0.1%

A year, last 5 years

+1.4% vs +1.9%

A year, last 10 years

+3.5% vs +3.2%

A year, last 15 years

What this shows. The typical house price in Yarra every year, in teal, next to the middle of the five councils in VIC closest to it in size and starting price: Hobsons Bay, Bayside, Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Stonnington. The small "vs" number in each tile is those councils.

Why it matters. Growth here is the regional story rather than a local one. Nothing wrong with that, it just means you are buying the region.

Momentum · the last 36 months

Prices in Yarra are moving at a steady pace

Okay
$1.57m $1.66m $1.75m 0 111 sold September '23March '24September '24March '25September '25March '26
Last 3 months' priceLast 12 months' priceHouses sold each month

$1,653,582

3-month price, August 2026

+0.8%

3-month price vs 12-month price

754 vs 866

Houses sold, last 12 months vs the 12 before

What this shows. Two versions of the same price. The dotted teal line averages the last three months, so it reacts fast. The grey line averages the last twelve, so it moves slowly. The bars are how many houses sold each month.

Why it matters. The three-month and twelve-month prices are moving together. No acceleration either way.

New homes · approvals as a share of all the homes here

New homes in Yarra are keeping pace with the people

Okay
balanced · 1.5% to 3% a year above this, a lot of building 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 0.9% FY24 · 446 approved 2.1% FY25 · 1047 approved 2.7% FY26 · 1392 approved · now

What this shows. For every 100 homes already in Yarra, how many new ones the council approved each year. The teal band is the range we call balanced.

Why it matters. New homes are arriving at about the pace the population absorbs them. Balanced. The home count is the population divided by the average household size, so treat the rate as a guide rather than a census.

Affordability · house price in years of local household income

A house in Yarra costs 11.8 years of a local family's income

Watch this
expensive · over 8 years stretched · 6 to 8 years affordable · under 6 years 14.8 2016 15.0 2017 14.3 2018 13.9 2019 14.4 2020 14.7 2021 14.1 2022 13.3 2023 12.7 2024 12.0 2025 11.8 2026 so far

What this shows. Take the typical house price and divide it by what a typical household here earns in a year. A bar of 7 means seven years of the whole household's income buys one house.

Why it matters. Expensive for the people who live here. Prices at this level need outside buyers to keep moving, and outside buyers are the first to leave when things wobble. Income is the 2021 Census figure carried forward at 3.5% a year, so it is an estimate, not a measurement.

Rents · typical weekly house rent, last 36 months · and how many rentals sit empty

Rent in Yarra is $1,030 a week, up 2.7% in a year

Okay
$802 $947 $1092 $1,030 a week now September '23March '24September '24March '25September '25March '26

$1,030

A week, August 2026

+2.7%

Change in the last year

1.1%

Rentals sitting empty (tight)

What this shows. What a typical house in Yarra rents for each week, month by month. The empty-rentals number is the share of rental homes with nobody in them: under 1.5% is tight, over 3% means tenants have plenty of choice.

Why it matters. Rents are moving with inflation. Steady rather than tight.

Rental yield · a year of rent as a share of the price, Yarra vs similar councils

Rent covers 3.2% of the price each year in Yarra

1.6% 2.7% 3.7% 202120232025
YarraSimilar councils

What this shows. Yield is simple: a whole year of rent divided by the house price. A $500,000 house renting for $500 a week earns $26,000 a year, which is a 5.2% yield.

Why it matters. Higher than similar councils, which are around 2.6%. The rent does more of the heavy lifting here, so holding costs less out of pocket. We don't buy on yield alone and we never set a yield cut-off; it is one piece of the picture, next to growth.

The people

Who lives in Yarra.

The population has grown a steady +0.9% a year over the last five years. Interesting mix underneath: locals have been leaving on net (-1,799 over three years) while overseas migration more than filled the gap (9,830). Worth understanding who is arriving and what housing they need. The median age is 34 and the median household brings in $2,270 a week (Census 2021). 53% of households rent, a deep tenant pool if you're buying to hold, and more investor competition when stock is tight.

Population · ABS estimates 2015 to 2025

Yarra is growing steadily: 101,356 people, up +0.9% a year

Okay
89,923 101,356 201520202025

101,356

People, 2025

+0.9% vs +0.6%

A year, last 5 years · typical VIC council

+1.2%

A year, last 10 years

Why it matters. Steady growth is enough to keep demand ahead of supply, as long as building stays sensible.

Where the growth came from · last 3 years

Overseas arrivals are doing the heavy lifting in Yarra: 9,830 in three years

Okay
Births minus deaths
+1,494
Moved from elsewhere in Australia
-1,799
Moved from overseas
+9,830

Net change: +9,525 people over three years.

What this shows. Three ways a place gains or loses people: babies born minus people who died, people who moved here from another part of Australia, and people who arrived from overseas. Bars to the right add people, bars to the left take them away.

Why it matters. Overseas arrivals usually rent first, so this kind of growth shows up in rents before it shows up in prices.

Age and households · Census 2021

Yarra is younger than the typical VIC council: median age 34 vs 42

Younger
Median age 34 vs 42
People per household 2.0 vs 2.4

Yarra Typical VIC council (middle of 78)

Why it matters. A younger area means first-home buyers, growing families and renters. Three-bedroom houses near schools and jobs are the bread and butter.

Income and who owns the homes · Census 2021

Yarra is a renters' market: 53% of homes are rented, vs 21% in the typical VIC council

Deep rental pool
Household income a week $2,270 +51% vs typical
Who lives in the homes 44% own · 53% rent

Own or paying off Renting Other

Why it matters. Lots of renters means a deep tenant pool if you are buying to hold, and more investor competition when stock is tight.

New supply

What's being approved to build.

1,392 dwellings were approved in FY26, 23 of them houses. Approvals are clearly trending up, so more supply is coming. Whether that's a problem depends on whether the population keeps outrunning it. On the non-residential side, $516 million of building was approved in FY26, $62 million of it public money. Governments build where they expect people. Within that, $242 million of education and health buildings have been approved across the last three financial years. Schools and hospitals are the most honest signal governments give about where they expect families.

Homes approved · ABS, by financial year

Building in Yarra is steady: 1,392 homes approved in FY26

Okay
FY24
446
FY25
1,047
FY26
1,392

Houses Units, townhouses and other

1,392

Homes approved, FY26

2%

Of them houses

2.7%

New homes per 100 that exist

What this shows. How many new homes the council approved each financial year, split into houses and everything else. Approved is not built, but it is the earliest warning of supply on the way.

Why it matters. Enough building to house the newcomers without flooding the market. Boring is good here.

Non-residential building approved · ABS

Government spending on buildings in Yarra is rising: $62m approved in FY26

Good sign
FY24
$692m
FY25
$950m
FY26
$516m

Government projects All non-residential

$516m

All sectors, FY26

$62m

Government, FY26

$242m

Schools and health, last 3 years

What this shows. The dollar value of shops, offices, schools, hospitals and other non-home buildings approved each year. The darker bar is the government's share.

Why it matters. Governments build where they expect people. Schools and hospitals are the most honest signal they give about where families are heading. For the named projects behind these numbers, ask for the full report.

Jobs

Who's working in Yarra.

Work here runs on professional services (19% of jobs), ahead of health care and social assistance and education and training. 10,014 more residents are in work than five years ago (+16.8%). That is strong jobs growth, and it usually shows up in housing demand with a lag. Unemployment is 5.6% against a national 4.2%, which is a real gap, not noise. On the ABS advantage index this council ranks in the top 10% of the country, which you'll notice in the price tags.

Jobs · SALM, March 2026

10,014 more people in Yarra have a job than five years ago

Good sign

69,683

Residents in work

5.6% vs 4.2%

Unemployed · Australia

+16.8%

Jobs change, 5 years

Unemployment rate 5.6% vs 3.7% typical VIC council

Yarra Australia

Why it matters. Strong jobs growth shows up in housing demand with a lag. People get the job first and buy the house a year or two later.

Who employs people here · Census 2021

Professional services is the biggest employer in Yarra, 19% of jobs

Advantage 10 of 10
Professional services
19%
Health care and social assistance
14%
Education and training
9%
Retail trade
8%
Public administration
7%

What this shows. The five industries that employ the most residents, as a share of all jobs. The pill is the ABS advantage score: Yarra sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally, where 10 is the most advantaged.

Why it matters. A spread of employers means no single closure can empty the town. That is the kind of job base that holds house prices through a downturn.

The outlook

Is Yarra worth buying into?

Put the drivers together and the case for Yarra is: a job base that has expanded, public building spend trending up. None of this guarantees anything. It tells you where to look harder, which is what a report like this is for.

Free · Written by hand · One per person

This page is the public data. The full report is that written up as a document, plus the current price, rent, yield and growth on one suburb inside Yarra. One per person.

Name, email and phone. I write these by hand, one per person, and the conversation afterwards is the only thing the report costs.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

Inside the LGA

The suburbs of Yarra.

We hold live snapshot data for one suburb in Yarra. Click through for the full numbers.

Suburb Typical price Rent/wk Gross yield 1yr growth Listings
Fitzroy $1,560,866 $1,130 3.8% +2% REA · Domain

Next step. See what's for sale in Fitzroy on realestate.com.au or Domain. Then send me the address before you make an offer. That is the part the data cannot do.

All 10 suburbs and localities in Yarra

Abbotsford · Burnley · Carlton North · Clifton Hill · Collingwood · Cremorne · Fitzroy · Fitzroy North · Princes Hill · Richmond

Written up suburb by suburb in Yarra: Fitzroy

Free · Written by hand · One per person

Want the full workup on Yarra?

This page is the public data. The full report is the written workup: current price, rent, gross yield and vacancy, growth over 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, days on market and demand, and the supply coming down the pipe, for Yarra or any suburb in it. Same data we run for clients. I pull it and email it through, usually within a business day. One per person, no charge, and no 14-part email sequence afterwards. All I ask is that if it lands, you take the fifteen minute call at the end of it.

Name, email and phone. I write these by hand, one per person, and the conversation afterwards is the only thing the report costs.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

Keep comparing

Markets of a similar size in VIC.

A council only makes sense in context. These are the VIC markets closest to Yarra in population, each with its own written report.

General information only, not financial or investment advice. Cycle positions and projections are modelled LGA-level figures to July 2026, sourced from HtAG Analytics. Population and approvals are ABS estimates; employment is SALM smoothed data; income, age and tenure are Census 2021. None of it can see street quality, flood maps, zoning or the contract, which is where deals are actually won and lost. Get advice on your own situation before acting.

Data finds the area. It doesn't buy the house.

We narrow 15,000 suburbs to the top 5 for each client, then find the street and the property. If Yarra is on your list, that's a conversation worth having early.

Book my free call Back to the clock
Send me the full report