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

Officer sits in outer south-east Melbourne around a compact village precinct and its railway station. It mixes newer residential estates with established blocks and modern detached family homes, and has plentiful parks, sporting ovals, playgrounds and walking and cycling trails along local creek corridors. Everyday shops, community facilities and local schools are close by, and reliable commuter rail plus easy road access keep the suburb linked to the wider metropolitan area.

The community is about 18,503 people with a median age of 31 and is weighted towards families, with couple families with children the largest household type. Most homes are owner-occupied. Major town-centre planning and infrastructure work is under way, including a Level Crossing Removal Project at Station Street that will change station access, add pedestrian and cycling links and plant about 2,400 trees, and council planning to guide future town-centre development and a possible community centre and library. Whether Officer suits you comes down to whether you want a quieter suburban base with good metropolitan connections.

Buying a house in Officer sits well above what a typical local household earned at the last Census. The median house price of $752,500 is about 6.8 times a local household's annual income at the last Census (weekly household income $2,125, or $110,500 a year). By contrast, a house rent of about $595 a week would take roughly 28% of that typical weekly household income, so on these figures renting looks the more manageable option for most households locally.

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

House values in Officer climbed 4.8% over the past 12 months, a modest rise in the median price of houses. Over the same period, the rent houses fetched fell 0.8%, a slight decline, so for the year to date capital growth has been the stronger movement while rental income from houses has edged down; which of those outcomes matters to you depends on your investment goals.

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.