Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Dandenong

Dandenong is a major south-eastern regional centre with a busy civic and retail heart centred on the long-running Dandenong Market. A multicultural community supports a wide range of shops and eateries, and regular market and cultural events give the centre a lively, everyday feel. Dandenong Creek and nearby parks provide green space, while the Princes Highway, freeway links and the railway station on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines make the suburb a transport hub for surrounding neighbourhoods.

Home to 30,127 people with a median age of 33 and a median household income of $1,267 a week, Dandenong has a strong presence of families and a mix of housing: older single-fronted and post-war brick homes alongside growing medium-density apartments near the station. Homes are more often rented than owned. Several council and state projects are reshaping the centre, including new road and active-transport connections across the rail line, a planned hospital redevelopment, a draft market precinct plan, campus upgrades at Chisholm Institute and new social housing developments. Whether Dandenong suits you will come down to the mix of market activity, transport links and housing that you want.

On the figures, housing costs in Dandenong (3175) are substantial against local incomes at the last Census. A house rent of $563 a week is about 44.5% of the typical local weekly household income recorded at the last Census, and unit rent of $450 a week is about 35.5%, a large and a sizeable share of income respectively. The median house price of $741,000 works out to about 11.2 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, while the median unit price of $480,000 is about 7.3 times.

Whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Unit values were the standout movement in Dandenong over the past year, rising a strong 12.9%. House values also climbed, up a solid 7.9%. On the income side, house rents increased by a modest 2.4% while unit rents edged up a slight 1.1%.

Put simply, capital growth outpaced rental growth for both houses and units over the 12 months, with the biggest change coming from unit prices. Which of those movements matters to you will depend on whether you prioritise capital gains or rental income and on your own goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.