Somerville house prices & rent trends — the risks to check before you buy
Somerville is an established suburb with an older, more settled population — median age 40, more socio-economically advantaged than most areas on the ABS's SEIFA index. Housing here is overwhelmingly standalone houses. The area is still light on cafés, shops and other everyday amenity. It's a longer run from the CBD, though train-connected. The median house price sits at $875,000. Worth weighing against who lives here and how the area is set up, before you look at the planning and risk checks below for a specific property in Somerville.
Ready to look at a specific property here? See the due diligence hub for what to verify before you sign.
Suburb boundary with planning overlays — toggle them top-right. Map © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO; overlays © Vicmap Planning.
Somerville by the numbers
Deciles 1–10 vs all Victorian areas — 10 = most advantaged — from the ABS SEIFA index. A demographic measure, not a house-price one. These three don’t always move together — a suburb with lots of renters or students, for example, can score high on education but lower on income and housing costs.
Mix of dwelling types across the suburb (Census 2021)
Who owns and rents here (Census 2021)
More detail on building height and bedroom mix (Census 2021)
Bedroom mix (share of all occupied dwellings):
- Studio or 1 bedroom: 2%
- 2 bedrooms: 12%
- 3 bedrooms: 46%
- 4 or more bedrooms: 38%
Not sure whether a house, townhouse or apartment suits you? Decide what to buy →
Land use across the suburb (planning zones)
Planning overlays that can affect building, renovating or removing vegetation somewhere in Somerville — confirm whether any apply to the specific address.
- Design & Development Overlay — height, setback or design rules on new building
- Vegetation Protection Overlay — a permit is needed to remove or lop protected trees
- Environmental Significance Overlay — environmental values that constrain development
Overlay colours reflect how much of the suburb an overlay covers — green under ~8%, amber ~8–20%, red above 20%. Public-acquisition, contamination (EAO) and floodway overlays are flagged (below) wherever they apply, because even a small area can include a specific property.
Recorded crime is a council-wide rate — every offence police logged over the latest year (theft, property damage, drug and traffic offences and the like, not only violent crime) divided by the council’s residents. A broad area signal, not a figure for this exact street.
All figures are suburb-level indicators, not property-specific — always confirm the exact address on the Section 32. Sources: ABS Census 2021, Valuer-General Victoria, DFFH Rental Report, Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Vicmap Planning, Victorian Government UDP, Victorian Department of Education (schools & zones, via data.vic, CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap. What do these terms mean?
How Somerville compares
Where Somerville ranks against other suburbs on the measures buyers ask about — a higher bar isn’t always “better”, it’s just where this suburb sits.
Prices & rents over time
How Somerville’s market has moved — up to 12 years of sale prices and 20+ years of rents.
| Year | Houses | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $812,500 | $622,500 |
| 2023 | $765,000 | $585,000 |
| 2022 | $812,000 | $596,000 |
| 2021 | $780,000 | $520,000 |
| 2020 | $640,000 | $490,000 |
| 2019 | $600,000 | $453,500 |
| 2018 | $615,000 | $475,000 |
| 2017 | $580,000 | $405,000 |
| 2016 | $465,000 | $350,000 |
| 2015 | $425,000 | $320,000 |
| 2014 | $395,000 | $329,000 |
| 2013 | $385,000 | $350,000 |
Planning changes in Somerville
Planning controls on land in Somerville have changed since 2017. Each row below is one gazetted amendment — a batch of parcels changed together in the same notice, not a single lot — the kind of thing that moves land value and that portals don’t show.
Source: Vicmap Planning Scheme History (2017–present); parcel-level zone & overlay changes grouped by suburb, zone transition and gazettal batch. A suburb-level record — confirm the specific parcel. See how Melbourne’s zoning changed over the decade →
Schools
Parts of Somerville fall within 6 primary and 1 secondary government school catchments. 4 schools are located within the suburb (3 government, 1 Catholic).
Government schools have address-based catchment zones; Catholic and independent schools set their own enrolment processes.
What to check before you buy in Somerville
Somerville has relatively light heritage-overlay coverage (about 1%), though it can still apply to individual parcels. Parts of the suburb (about 6%) sit under flood-related overlays. A Bushfire Management Overlay affects about 16% of the area. The specific things worth confirming here, plus the two every buyer should check.
Public Acquisition Overlay
Part of Somerville is reserved for a future public work (e.g. a road or rail project) under a Public Acquisition Overlay — land it covers can be compulsorily acquired by the authority. Check whether this specific property is affected before you commit.
Potentially contaminated land (EAO)
An Environmental Audit Overlay applies to part of Somerville — usually former industrial or commercial land. A satisfactory environmental audit can be required before it’s used for a home; confirm whether the property sits within it.
Check for a flood overlay
Parts of Somerville (~6%) sit under flood-related overlays. Confirm whether this address is affected.
Bushfire Management Overlay
A Bushfire Management Overlay affects ~16% of Somerville. If it applies, it drives bushfire construction requirements (BAL rating) and cost.
Easements & covenants
Check Section 3 for easements (e.g. drainage/sewer along a boundary — you usually can’t build over them) and restrictive covenants (single-dwelling, materials, height) that limit your plans.
Owners corporation (if applicable)
Apartments and many townhouses in Somerville are in an owners corporation. If so, the statement must include its certificate — review annual fees, any special levies, the maintenance fund and insurance.
Already under contract in Somerville?
Buyer questions about Somerville
What should I check in a Section 32 for Somerville?
For Somerville, pay particular attention to heritage overlays (about 1% of the suburb is affected), any flood-related overlay (~6%), easements and restrictive covenants on the title, and — for apartments — the owners-corporation certificate with its fees and any special levies.
Does Somerville have heritage overlays?
Heritage overlays cover a small share of Somerville (about 1%) — not common, but still worth a quick check: confirm in the Section 32's planning section whether a Heritage Overlay applies to this specific parcel, since it restricts demolition and external changes.
Is a free Section 32 review legal advice?
No. Delora gives a fast, plain-English review to help you understand the statement and ask better questions. Always have a licensed conveyancer or solicitor review the contract before you sign.
Neighbouring suburbs
The 4 suburbs that border Somerville.
Learn how to use this page
The heritage, flood and bushfire figures above are suburb-wide — they tell you how common an overlay is here, not whether it applies to one specific address. Confirm via VicPlan and an in-person inspection before you rely on them.