Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Mount Martha

Mount Martha is a seaside suburb on Port Phillip Bay with a compact village strip of cafes, shops and services clustered near a long sandy beach and the granite headland known as The Mount, which has walking tracks and elevated bay views. Recreation centres on swimming, sailing and coastal walks, and housing ranges from classic weatherboard cottages to modern coastal homes on tree-lined streets. The suburb has 19,846 residents, a median age of 46 and a median household income of $2,097 a week, and families make up the dominant household type with a high rate of owner-occupation.

Everyday convenience is supported by local shops and road links to other peninsula amenities, while council-led work focuses on coastal management, village parking and footpath improvements and community upgrades such as a completed tennis court redevelopment. That combination of beachside recreation, established housing and local services tends to suit families, retirees and people seeking a relaxed beachside pace; whether it fits you will depend on what you want from a suburb.

Buying in Mount Martha sits well above what local households earned at the last Census. A median house at $1,378,000 works out to about 12.6 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, while a median unit at $810,000 is about 7.4 times that same annual income.

Renting is less stretched than buying but still significant: a house rent of $860 a week would take about 41.0% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census (a large share), and a unit rent of $620 a week would take about 29.6% (a moderate share). On these figures, buying—especially a house—sits much further above local incomes than renting does; 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.

The clearest movement in Mount Martha over the past year is on the rental side: house rents rose 8.2%, a solid increase in the rent houses earn. Unit values fell by 2.5% over the year, a modest decline in what units are worth, while unit rents edged up 1.1%, a slight rise. Put simply, house rental income has been the stronger performer this year, whereas unit owners saw prices slip modestly even as rents barely moved; which of those facts matters to you will depend on whether you prioritise rental income or capital change.

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.