Moving to Rowville VIC 3178
What the official numbers say about living in Rowville — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,055,000 for a median house or $690,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 71% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $441 a week, against a median household income of $2,205 a week.
Who you'll be living with
Rowville shrank 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (34,145 → 33,571 people).
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, Sri Lanka, India; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, Sinhalese.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Rowville sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 9 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (69% of workers), while 30% work from home.
Nearest train station: Ferntree Gully, 6 km north-east.
Nearest railway halt: Clydesdale, 3.3 km north-west.
Nearest bus interchange: Knox City Shopping Centre, 5.8 km north.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 14.6 km south-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 28 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 20 schools · 35 cafes & restaurants · 8 supermarkets · 34 parks — see them all on the Rowville profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: St Simon the Apostle Primary School 550 m · Rowville Primary School 900 m · Rowville Secondary College Western Campus 950 m · Park Ridge Primary School 1.4 km · Rowville Secondary College Eastern Campus 1.4 km · Heany Park Primary School 1.4 km · Karoo Primary School 2.1 km · Lysterfield Primary School 2.7 km
Groceries: ALDI 900 m · Ritchies 900 m · Coles 950 m · IGA 1.1 km · Woolworths 1.1 km · ALDI 2.6 km · Woolworths 2.9 km · IGA Knoxfield Plus Liquor 3 km
Parks and reserves: Eildon Park 450 m · Tamboon Drive Reserve 700 m · Taylors Lane Reserve 850 m · Centalla Green 850 m · Peregrine Reserve 1 km · Pine Hill Reserve 1 km · Hillside Park 1.1 km · Turramurra Drive Reserve 1.2 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Rowville, most often seen first: Little Raven · Australian Magpie · Noisy Miner · Rainbow Lorikeet · Pacific Black Duck · Magpie-lark.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Rowville, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowville here | 33,571 | $1,055,000 | 9/10 | 15% |
| Knoxfield | 7,645 | $931,000 | 8/10 | 13% |
| Lysterfield | 6,681 | $1,331,000 | 10/10 | 46% |
| Scoresby | 6,066 | $970,000 | 8/10 | 10% |
| Ferntree Gully | 27,398 | $888,500 | 7/10 | 19% |
| Wantirna South | 20,754 | — | 9/10 | 16% |
| Dandenong North | 22,550 | $756,000 | 3/10 | 8% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Knox — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Aston — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3178 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Rowville profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Rowville has a median sale price of $1,055,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $690,000. Renters pay a median $441 a week.
The population fell 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 34,145 people to 33,571. It sits about 28 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Ferntree Gully station is roughly 6 km away. Local government is Knox council, and the federal seat is Aston.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Rowville vs Ferntree Gully · Rowville vs Wantirna South.
Nearby guides: Knoxfield · Lysterfield · Scoresby · Ferntree Gully · Wantirna South · Dandenong North.
Keep an eye on Rowville
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