Forest Hill
Below average on yield, growth or affordability
Beats 6% of VIC suburbs
#3,277 of 3,474 in VIC · #17,061 of 17,753 nationally
Liveability score
Vacancy rate is a modelled estimate. Price, rent and annual growth use real government data (see source labels on each card). This is not financial advice. See full disclaimer.
Median price
Real$1,272,000
VIC Gov · 2025
Rent yield
Real2.6%
computed from govt data
Annual growth
Real-0.4%
annualised from govt data
Vacancy rate
Est.2.2%
modelled estimate
🏢 Units / apartments: $845,000 median · VIC Gov · 2025 · postcode 3131 — the median above is for houses.
Investment checklist
The parameters investors screen on, checked against Forest Hill.
8 of 15
checks passed
1/4
1/4
2/2
1/1
3/4
15 parameters · 15 with data for Forest Hill · 11 of those from government sources
Annual rent as a share of price — the headline cash-flow measure, before costs.
2.58%
3.5% or higher
Under 2% is a landlord's market; above 3% means falling rents and letting-up periods.
2.2%
under 2%
New dwellings approved as a share of existing stock. The most reliable growth killer — lots of cranes caps prices.
1.2%
under 2% of stock
Gross yield minus rates, insurance, management and maintenance — typically 1.5–2 points lower.
2.63%
2.5% or higher
Composite of tenant competition — how quickly a vacancy is likely to fill.
53/100
60 or higher
Most long-run return comes from growth compounding on the whole asset, not your deposit.
-0.4%
4% or higher
Medium-run trend — less noisy than a single year.
2.6%
4% or higher
Whether the market has compounded through a full cycle, not just a boom.
4.7%
5% or higher
Demand growth — but it only lifts prices where supply can't easily respond.
2.3%
1% or higher
Owner-heavy streets hold up in downturns; investor-heavy ones see correlated selling.
68.5%
65% or higher
Tenant demand and owner-occupier appeal both track perceived safety.
61/100
60 or higher
Catchment strength is the most durable driver of family-buyer demand.
1099
1000 or higher
Commute access widens the tenant pool and supports rents.
66/100
40 or higher
Amenity within walking distance is consistently capitalised into price.
89/100
40 or higher
Local income security underwrites both rent payment and buyer depth.
4.2%
under 4%
12 more checks on Forest Hill
Every parameter with its value, the threshold it's judged against, and why it matters — on all 17,958 suburbs.
Unlock with PremiumVerify these yourself
No dataset covers everything. These matter to the decision and we don't hold them — here's where to look.
Days on market
How fast stock clears is a leading indicator — it moves before prices do. We have no free suburb-level source for it.
Count active listings on realestate.com.au or Domain and check their listing dates, or ask two local agents.
Auction clearance
Buyer competition at the margin. Only meaningful where auctions are actually common — in outer and regional suburbs most sales are private treaty, so a clearance rate says little.
Your state's Real Estate Institute publishes weekly clearance rates by region.
Flood risk
Drives insurance cost and, increasingly, insurability — which caps the resale pool. No free national dataset exists at suburb level; it is mapped council by council.
Search your council's flood overlay or planning portal for the specific address — risk varies street by street, so a suburb-wide rating would mislead even if we had one.
Bushfire risk
Same insurance exposure, plus rebuild-standard costs inside designated zones.
Check your state's designated bushfire-prone area mapping — NSW Planning Portal, VIC's BPA layer on VicPlan, Queensland Globe, or WA's Map Viewer Plus.
Strata and body corporate costs
For units this can swallow a third of gross rent, and a special levy can arrive without warning.
Ask for the strata report and the last two years of minutes before you offer.
What the street is actually like
Suburb medians average over streets that trade very differently — a main road, a flight path or a commission block will not show up in any of the figures above.
Walk it at night and on a weekday morning. Nothing on this page substitutes for that.
AI insights for Forest Hill
Investment analysis, risks & comparisons
Forest Hill shows strong investment fundamentals with above-average rental demand and a tightening supply pipeline. The gentrification index of 67/100 signals continued capital appreciation potential, particularly within 600m of the main retail and transit corridor.
Key risk: elevated auction clearance volatility over the past two quarters suggests shifting buyer sentiment. Net yield after typical holding costs sits at approximately 3.6%, below the state median of 4.1% — factor this into cash-flow modelling.
Suburbs near Forest Hill
Investor scores and median house prices for the closest suburbs to Forest Hill VIC 3131.
Compare Forest Hill side by side
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Median rent · houses
Real$630/wk
DFFH Moving Annual Rent · Sep 2025 · weekly
Median rent · units
Real$578/wk
DFFH Moving Annual Rent · Sep 2025 · weekly
Demand change
+3.6%
annual shift
Yield × growth index
1.1
combined signal
Net yield (est.)
2.63%
after mgmt, rates, insurance, maintenance
5-yr growth (CAGR)
+2.6%
est. compound, long-run avg
10-yr growth (CAGR)
+4.7%
est. compound, long-run avg
Rental demand
53 / 100
Moderate demand
Supply pipeline
Real1.2%
new dwellings approved / stock · ABS 2024-25
Low supply pressure
Dwellings built (VIC)
Real54,599
completed in year to Mar-2026 · ABS 8752.0 (state)
▼ 9.6% vs prior year · 55,261 started
Price & rent growth
How Forest Hill has moved — and whether rent has kept pace with price
2023 – 2025
Sep 24 – Sep 25 · all dwellings
Price from government sales (annual), rent from bond lodgements (monthly or quarterly, depending on the state). Periods with too few sales to form a median are excluded. Postcode 3131 figures cover every suburb sharing it.
Source: VIC Gov · 2025 · all sources
Market overview
Forest Hill is a metropolitan VIC suburb with moderate capital growth momentum and lower rental yield. Strong infrastructure, employment access, and lifestyle amenities support ongoing investment demand.
Highlights
- Metro VIC suburb with strong infrastructure and transport
- Rental yield 2.6% with stable tenant demand
- Access to national transport network and amenities
Risk factors
- High entry price may limit buyer pool
- Below-average growth — limited capital appreciation signal
- Subject to broader interest rate and economic conditions
Community profile
Source: ABS Census 2021 · ATO 2022–23Median household income
$1,806/wk
$80k taxable p.a.
Renters
27.3%
68.5% owner-occupier
Median age
40.0 yrs
Unemployment
4.2%
ABS SALM (SA2)
Population growth
+2.3% p.a.
Projected growth
+0.9% p.a.
state gov forecast
Socio-economic
8/10
SEIFA IRSAD decile · ABS
Investor-owned
18.0%
of all dwellings (ATO)
Houses
65%
23% apartments
Degree qualified
38.3%
bachelor's or higher (ABS)
Work from home
22.2%
of employed residents (ABS Census)
Median lot size
480 m²
Standard block
Household size
2.4 persons
avg per dwelling (ABS Census)
Short-term rental
7.1%
Some Airbnb activity
Market activity
Distance to CBD
18.6 km
Outer suburbs
Walkability
89 / 100
Walker's paradise
Coastal proximity
21.8 km
Coastal fringe
NBN technology
FTTCGood — fibre to curb
Population density
1,692/km²
Suburban
Schools in postcode 3131
🏫Primary (3)
Mount Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary School
Government · Yrs Prep-6 · Major Cities
Nunawading Christian College - Primary
Independent · Yrs Prep-6 · Major Cities
Government · Yrs Prep-6 · Major Cities
🎓Secondary (1)
Nunawading Christian College - Secondary
Independent · Yrs 7-12 · Major Cities
ICSEA measures the socio-educational background of each school's student community — not academic results or school quality. National average = 1000. Source: ACARA My School 2025.
Liveability & safety
Safety index
Moderate7.5 offences / 100 persons
Source: VIC Crime Statistics Agency · Dec 2025
School quality
Above average4 schools in postcode area
Source: ACARA My School 2025
Transit access
GoodSource: State GTFS feeds
Gentrification signal
27
/ 100
Early-stage signals only. Watch for rising rents, new café activity, and building application increases as leading indicators.
Composite: education premium · youth cohort · rental activity · price gap · transit quality
Live suburb intelligence
Fetching live data…Location
Properties in Forest Hill
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Common questions about Forest Hill
What is the median house price in Forest Hill?
The median house price in Forest Hill, VIC 3131 is $1,271,500 (2025), sourced from Victorian government data.
What is the average rent in Forest Hill?
The median rent in Forest Hill, VIC 3131 is $650 per week, from state bond-lodgement data. That works out to a gross rental yield of about 2.6%.
Is Forest Hill a good investment?
Forest Hill, VIC 3131 scores below average against our investment checklist, at 25 out of 100, with a gross yield of about 2.6%, estimated annual growth of -0.4%, a median around $1,271,500. Yield and growth figures are modelled estimates, so use them to compare suburbs rather than as a forecast. The full checklist on this page breaks the score into cash flow, growth, supply and risk.
Is Forest Hill a safe suburb?
Forest Hill scores 61 out of 100 for safety, which is around or above the national average. The score is built from state police offence data for this area, not resident sentiment.
What are the schools like in Forest Hill?
Forest Hill has 4 schools in or near the suburb, with an average ICSEA of 1099 — slightly above the Australian average of 1000. ICSEA is ACARA's index of educational advantage.
How far is Forest Hill from the city, and what is transport like?
Forest Hill is about 19 km from the CBD, with a public-transport score of 66 out of 100, calculated from actual train, tram and bus stops nearby, with a Walk Score of 89.
Answers are generated from the data on this page. Figures marked as estimates are modelled, not recorded transactions.
Resident reviews
What people who know Forest Hill say
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