Rowville, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Rowville is a large suburb in Melbourne's south-east, within the City of Knox, taking its name from the Row family whose property, Stamford Park, was established in 1882. The Stamford Park homestead still stands and has been restored by the council in recent years. A post office opened in 1905, but the area remained largely agricultural until the post-war decades: in 1955 a pair of entrepreneurs bought the historic Stamford Park estate with plans for housing, shops and display homes around the corner of Stud and Wellington Roads. Rapid growth followed through the 1980s and 1990s. Among the suburb's distinctive developments is Rowville Lakes, proposed by the developer Hooker-Rex in 1975 and noted as an early Victorian example of a lakefront housing estate. The Stud Park Shopping Centre, opened in 1989, remains the commercial hub, anchoring a suburb now well supplied with parks, schools and sporting clubs.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Rowville is more socio-economically advantaged than about 85% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1056, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Is Rowville a good place to live?
There’s no single answer — it depends on what matters to you. So instead of one mystery number, we break it down: a transparent score on each part of life we can back with public data, and an honest “not yet” on the parts we can’t.
Strong on the data we score
A weighted blend of the 5 components we can score for Rowville from public data. It sits alongside — and reconciles with — the socio-economic Suburb Score above; it is a transparent read, not a complete verdict.
Socio-economic advantage
85/100Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs — the same ABS SEIFA-based Suburb Score (85/100) shown above. Income, education and occupation, as published by the ABS. · ABS SEIFA 2021
Housing affordability
11/100Among the more expensive suburbs
Median weekly rent was $441 at the 2021 Census — more affordable than about 11% of suburbs we can compare. Housing data only, no valuations. · ABS Census 2021
Amenities & access
80/100Plenty mapped nearby
About 149 everyday places (cafés, shops, services and more) mapped within ~1.2 km of the centre. · OpenStreetMap
Green space
66/100A good amount of green space nearby
About 9.7% of the area within ~1.2 km of the centre is mapped as green space — parks, reserves, sportsgrounds and the like. An area estimate from a radius around the centre, not the suburb boundary. · OpenStreetMap
Transport
66/100A good number of stops nearby
About 14 public-transport stops (bus, train, tram or ferry) mapped within ~1.2 km of the centre. Stop coverage, not timetable frequency. · OpenStreetMap
Not yet scored
We’d rather leave these open than publish a number we can’t stand behind. Here’s where each one stands.
- SchoolsNot scored yet — school performance (ACARA / ICSEA) needs a data-reuse licence cleared before we can publish it.
- SafetyNot scored yet — Australia has no single open crime dataset and safety data carries defamation and legal care, so it is gated pending a go/no-go and will be data-only when added.
- CommunityNot scored yet — we won't reduce community to a number from a proxy. We'd rather leave it open than publish an invented value judgement.
A transparent read on public data, not a verdict — and not a measure of any person or community. See our methodology for how each component is worked out and why some aren’t scored yet.
Rowville at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 33,571
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $2,205
- SEIFA score
- 1056
- Local government area
- Knox
- Coordinates
- -37.9259, 145.2364
Map of Rowville
© OpenStreetMap contributors · View larger map
Housing & property in Rowville
What it costs to live in Rowville and how residents hold their homes, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census.
- Median rent
- $441
- per week
- Median mortgage
- $2,055
- per month
- Owner-occupied
- 81%
- of dwellings
- Rented
- 15%
- of dwellings
The full tenure and dwelling-type breakdown is in the Rowville demographics section below.
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021. © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. See our methodology.
Rowville demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Rowville using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 30% and 36% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 5,622 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 4,574 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 7,958 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 10,136 | 30% |
| Seniors (65+) | 5,288 | 16% |
Share of the 33,578 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 4,110 | 36% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 5,133 | 45% |
| Rented | 1,722 | 15% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 10,469 | 92% |
| Townhouses & semis | 822 | 7% |
| Flats & apartments | 97 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 11,396 occupied private dwellings in Rowville.
- Average household size
- 2.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,410
- Median weekly personal income
- $839
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 11,763 (36%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 10,615 (32%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 145 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 17,723 (67%)
- Labour-force participation
- 68%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.4%
- Employed full-time
- 11,249
- Employed part-time
- 5,920
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Rowville
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Rowville is January (average daytime high around 26.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.8°C). The area receives roughly 898 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.6°C | 14.9°C | 64 mm |
| Feb | 25.3°C | 14.3°C | 44 mm |
| Mar | 23.5°C | 13.6°C | 58 mm |
| Apr | 19.7°C | 11.1°C | 72 mm |
| May | 15.9°C | 9.1°C | 81 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 7.1°C | 81 mm |
| Jul | 12.8°C | 6.7°C | 71 mm |
| Aug | 13.6°C | 6.8°C | 85 mm |
| Sep | 16.2°C | 7.9°C | 83 mm |
| Oct | 19.3°C | 9.3°C | 95 mm |
| Nov | 21.2°C | 11°C | 96 mm |
| Dec | 24.2°C | 12.7°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Places in and around Rowville
Amenities mapped within about 1.2km of the suburb centre, from OpenStreetMap. A guide to what's nearby — not a complete directory.
Eat & drink
21 nearbySubway · Big Al's Pizza · The Stonez Resturaunt · Quirky Bean Cafe · Corner Stonez Cafe · Donut King
Parks & recreation
97 nearbyJetts Fitness · Rowville Community Playground · Streeton Reserve · Zap Fitness · Paul Sadler Swimland · Streeton Reserve Playground
Shops & groceries
10 nearbyColes · Henry's Mercato · McKays Family Butchers · Bakers Delight · Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse · Stud Park Poultry
Healthcare
8 nearbyChemist Warehouse · First Health Medical · Angel Dental · Blooms The Chemist · Stud Park Medical and Dental Centre · Liberty Avenue Medical Centre
Schools & education
11 nearbyKingKids Early Learning Centre and kindergarten · St Simon the Apostle Primary School · Rowville Secondary College Western Campus · Rowville Primary School · Heany Park Primary School
Things to do
2 nearbyRowville Library · Peppertree Hill Community Centre
Eat & drink in and around Rowville
Cafés, restaurants, pubs and takeaway mapped within about 1.2km of the suburb centre. Listings are drawn from OpenStreetMap and shown as plain data — we don't rank or rate them.
Own a café, restaurant or pub around here?
Claim your listing to feature it at the top of this section. Placement is paid advertising, clearly labelled — never editorial opinion.
Claim this listing- Big Al's PizzaTakeaway1101 Stud Road, Rowvillebigalspizza.com.au
- Boost JuiceCafé
- China BarRestaurant
- Corner Stonez CafeCafé
- Donut KingTakeaway
- Hungry Jack'sTakeawayhungryjacks.com.au
- KFCTakeaway1086 Stud Road, Rowville
- La Porchetta RowvilleRestaurant1171 Stud Road
- McDonald'sTakeawayFulham Road, Rowville
- Mr. BiryaniRestaurant1087 Stud Road, Rowville
- Peking LandTakeaway1089 Stud Road, Rowville
- Pizza IndustryRestaurant1221 Stud Road, Rowville
- Quirky Bean CafeCafé
- Red RoosterTakeaway
- Stamford InnPub1200 Stud Roadthestamford.com.au
- Stud Park Fish and ChipsTakeaway
- SubwayTakeaway
- Sushi SushiRestaurant
- The Stonez ResturauntRestaurant1091 Stud Road, Rowville
- Walrus JapaneseRestaurant
- YOMGTakeaway1101 Stud Road, Rowvilleyomg.com.au
Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Own a venue here? Suggest a correction.
Share your local knowledge of Rowville
Lived here or spent time in Rowville? Add a review or a quick tip. Reviews and tips are moderated before they appear.
Common questions about Rowville
Is Rowville a good place to live?
There's no single answer, so we score what the public data can back. On socio-economic advantage, housing affordability, amenities, green space and transport, Rowville rates 66/100 overall (Strong on the data we score). Schools and safety aren't scored yet — see our methodology for why.
What is the median rent in Rowville?
At the 2021 Census, the median weekly rent in Rowville was $441, and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,055. These are official ABS Census figures — StreetScout publishes housing data only, with no property valuations or agent referrals.
Where is Rowville?
Rowville is a suburb of Victoria, Australia, in the Knox local government area.
What is the population of Rowville?
At the 2021 Census, Rowville had a population of about 33,571.
Is Rowville an advantaged area?
Rowville has an ABS SEIFA score of 1056, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 85 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 85% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Rowville?
Rowville has average daytime highs of about 19.3°C and overnight lows of about 10.4°C, with roughly 898 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Rowville?
Rowville is one of the most populous suburbs in Victoria — the 18th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 33,571 usual residents).
Where Rowville ranks
Rowville appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Victoria#18 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.