Question 1

Is Swan Hill a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Swan Hill is a Murray River town and regional service centre for surrounding irrigated farmland and vineyards. The riverfront precinct, with parks, a wharf and paddle steamers, and the Pioneer Settlement give the town a relaxed, outdoorsy character, while housing ranges from older cottages and brick family homes near the main streets to suburban estates and larger rural blocks on the outskirts. The town provides everyday services, schools, healthcare options and road links to other regional centres, and residents include farming families, tradespeople and retirees drawn to river-based recreation and a quieter pace of life.

Home to 11,186 people with a median age of 38, Swan Hill is weighted towards couple families and has a high owner-occupier share (67.1%), with about a third of homes rented. Recent health investment includes a redeveloped emergency department and a new multi-storey community mental health building nearing fit-out, and council and state proposals cover upgrades to sports precincts, the CBD, Riverside Park mooring facilities and local schools. Whether that mix suits you depends on what you want from a regional river town.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Swan Hill?

Accepted Answer

Buying a house in Swan Hill at the current median of $526,500 works out to about 7.3 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, which places buying well above what households locally earned then. For renters, a house rent of $500 a week would take roughly 36.0% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, a sizeable share, while a unit rent of $350 a week would take about 25.2%, a moderate share.

If you're renting rather than buying, the rent share is the most relevant number; if you're looking to buy, the price multiple is the key figure. Whether those ratios feel expensive for you 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.

Question 3

Is Swan Hill a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The most striking movement in Swan Hill over the past year is on the unit side: unit values climbed 50.0%, a strong increase in capital value, while unit rents rose 6.1%, a solid gain in rental income.

House values moved more modestly, up 2.0% over the year, while house rents increased 6.4%, a solid rise, so on the house side rental income grew faster than capital value. Which of these outcomes matters most depends on whether you are prioritising capital growth 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.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$527K	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	2.0%	50.0%
Sold Past 3 months	49	5
Median days on market Past 12 months	30	61
Average rent Past 12 months	$500	$350
Change in rent Past 12 months	6.4%	6.1%

Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Swan Hill

Swan Hill suburb profile

Swan Hill property market performance

5 year median price trend for houses and units

Swan Hill demographics

Suburbs near Swan Hill

How does Swan Hill compare to nearby suburbs?

Choose the right real estate agents in Swan Hill

Get a head start and compare top local agents in Swan Hill

Not quite ready to sell?

Suburb and property report

Digital estimate for your property

Navigate the market