Patterson Lakes, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Patterson Lakes VIC is 7,793 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Patterson Lakes is $871 per week ($45,292 per year). Median rent in Patterson Lakes is $430 per week ($1,863 per month). Patterson Lakes has a median age of 46 years, older than the national median of 38. Patterson Lakes has a population density of 1,826 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Patterson Lakes is England. The most common religion is No religion (41.5% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Patterson Lakes is $2,100.

There were 444 recorded offences in Patterson Lakes in 2025-25, a rate of 57 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (178 offences).

Population
7,793
Census 2021
Median income
$871/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$430/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
46years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Patterson Lakes vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Patterson Lakes is $871 a week, 14% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 322nd of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $430 a week, $114 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 22.3% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 46, 3 years older than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasurePatterson LakesTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$871/wk$767/wk +14%$766/wk
Household income$1,932/wk$1,687/wk +15%$1,637/wk
Rent$430/wk$316/wk +36%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,100/mo$1,723/mo +22%$1,733/mo
Median age4643 +3 yrs42
Rent share of household income22.3%19.1% +3.2 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Patterson Lakes, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Patterson Lakes Population

7,793 residents at the 2021 Census.

Patterson Lakes Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$871/wk
$45,292 per year
Ranked 2,491 of 14,663
Median Rent
$430/wk
$1,863 per month
Ranked 1,360 of 14,663
Median Age
46years
8 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,100/mo
Avg household size: 2.5 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Patterson Lakes Rent Prices & Affordability

22% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,932/wk
Median rent $430/wk
Rent to income 22.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Patterson Lakes against your income

About $8,372 a month
Median rent $430/wk
Left after rent $1,502/wk
Rent share 22.3%

Patterson Lakes Schools

11
schools nearby
9
government
1072
avg ICSEA score
4,725
total students
Cornish College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 664 students
1132
ICSEA
St Joseph's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 317 students
1084
ICSEA
Bonbeach Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 367 students
1077
ICSEA
Carrum Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 369 students
1075
ICSEA
Chelsea Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 360 students
1075
ICSEA
Seaford North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 444 students
1070
ICSEA
Patterson Lakes Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 521 students
1061
ICSEA
Chelsea Heights Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 415 students
1059
ICSEA
Patterson River Secondary College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,268 students
1015
ICSEA
Westall Secondary College-LEEP Chelsea Government
Secondary
Oakwood School-Oakwood School VCAL Campus Government
Secondary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Patterson Lakes, with a map

Patterson Lakes Map

Patterson Lakes, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Patterson Lakes, Victoria: 38.0675°S, 145.1441°E

Patterson Lakes Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (11)

People in Patterson Lakes

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.7% (3,791) Female 51.3% (3,999)

Population Density

1,826
people per km²
7,793 people · 4.3 km²

Households

2.5
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$2,389
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
4.9%
China
2.5%
New Zealand
1.7%
India
1.3%
South Africa
0.9%
Scotland
0.8%
Italy
0.8%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
2.8%
Greek
1.8%
Cantonese
1.1%
Italian
1.0%
Vietnamese
0.9%
Spanish
0.8%
Russian
0.8%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
36.9%
Australian
29.6%
Irish
10.9%
Scottish
8.8%
Italian
5.9%
Chinese
5.5%
German
3.9%
Greek
3.7%
Indian
2.2%
Dutch
1.7%
Maltese
1.3%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
41.5%
Catholic
24.9%
Anglican
10.3%
Eastern Orthodox
4.4%
Not stated
4.1%
Uniting Church
3.1%
Buddhism
1.9%
Christian (other)
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
51.3% 3,359
Separated
3.2% 209
Divorced
10.9% 712
Widowed
5.7% 373
Never married
29.0% 1,898

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
37.1%
Couple: no children
28.1%
Couple: no children under 15
21.4%
One parent: no children under 15
7.3%
One parent: children under 15
6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
26.2%
2 persons
33.8%
3 persons
16.1%
4 persons
17.3%
5 persons
5.0%
6+ persons
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Patterson Lakes

Housing Tenure

Of the 3,070 occupied private dwellings in Patterson Lakes at the 2021 Census, 15.1% were rented, 38.6% owned outright and 40.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
3.4% 105 dwellings
Owned outright
38.6% 1,184 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
40.9% 1,256 dwellings
Rented
15.1% 464 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
2.1% 64 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
70.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
21.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
8.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
2.0%
2 bedrooms
19.0%
3 bedrooms
40.3%
4 bedrooms
31.8%
5 bedrooms
6.0%
6+ bedrooms
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.5%
$300-$449/mo
1.3%
$450-$599/mo
2.1%
$600-$799/mo
3.5%
$800-$999/mo
3.4%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
11.6%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
15.5%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
15.8%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
17.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
4.6%
1 vehicle
30.8%
2 vehicles
42.9%
3 vehicles
13.8%
4+ vehicles
7.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Patterson Lakes

Employment

Employed full-time
39.6% 2,404 people
Employed part-time
23.5% 1,428 people
Unemployed
2.7% 162 people
Not in labour force
34.3% 2,082 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
27.9%
Managers
20.5%
Technicians & Trade Workers
15.6%
Clerical & Administrative
13.2%
Community & Personal Service
10.2%
Sales Workers
6.1%
Labourers
3.8%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.2%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
2.1%
$400-$499/wk
5.7%
$500-$649/wk
4.0%
$650-$799/wk
5.9%
$800-$999/wk
6.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.2%
$4,000+/wk
16.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.8%
$1-$149/wk
4.5%
$150-$299/wk
5.0%
$300-$399/wk
3.5%
$400-$499/wk
3.2%
$500-$649/wk
3.1%
$650-$799/wk
8.8%
$800-$999/wk
9.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.4%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.0%
$3,500+/wk
4.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
75.9%
Did not go to work
15.3%
Car (passenger)
4.2%
Walked only
1.2%
Train
1.1%
Bicycle
0.7%
Truck
0.6%
Other
0.5%
Bus
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
64.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
15.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
15.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.7%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
35.1%
Bachelor Degree
29.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
20.7%
Postgraduate Degree
8.5%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.0%
Certificate I/II
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
25.3%
Engineering
17.3%
Health
11.8%
Society & Culture
11.7%
Architecture & Building
9.0%
Education
8.6%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.2%
Information Technology
3.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.3%
Creative Arts
3.3%
Agriculture & Environment
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
26.7%
Secondary: Government
19.3%
Pre-school
12.5%
Vocational Education
11.2%
Secondary: Catholic
10.4%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
8.7%
Primary: Catholic
6.0%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
92.6%
Has need for assistance
4.6%
Need for assistance not stated
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
576
Asthma
283
Diabetes
222
Arthritis
209
Heart disease
208
Cancer
141
Lung condition
117
Kidney disease
85
Stroke
83
Dementia
11

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.9% 875
Did not provide
86.1% 5,437

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
11.5% 726
Not a volunteer
88.5% 5,613

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 6
Previously served
2.2% 137
Never served
97.7% 6,219

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
27.8%
1 child
15.2%
2 children
35.2%
3 children
15.6%
4 children
5.1%
5+ children
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
21
1951: 1960
145
1961: 1970
294
1971: 1980
272
1981: 1990
368
1991: 2000
271
2001: 2010
348
2011: 2015
167
2016
31
2017
32
2018
48
2019
32
2020
25
2021
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

10.2%
moved in the last year
32.4%
moved in the last 5 years
3.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
6,739
Moved from VIC
564
Moved: same area (SA2)
124
Moved from overseas
30
Moved from QLD
20
Moved from NSW
10
Moved from SA
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
22.6%
5: 14 hours
29.5%
15: 29 hours
12.4%
30+ hours
8.1%
Did not do domestic work
27.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
88.1%
Step family: no other children
8.9%
Blended family: no other children
2.1%
Step family: other children present
0.5%
Intact family: other children present
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Patterson Lakes Crime Statistics

444 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
178
Assault
64
Justice Procedures
51
Break & Enter
42
Property Damage
33
Fraud
33
Drug Offences
24
Public Order
12
Weapons
6
Robbery
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

St Helena
Income: $925/wk Rent: $163/wk $267/wk less rent
Wy Yung
Income: $723/wk Rent: $278/wk $152/wk less rent
Strathdale
Income: $791/wk Rent: $300/wk $130/wk less rent
Harcourt
Income: $751/wk Rent: $305/wk $125/wk less rent
St Andrews (Vic.)
Income: $816/wk Rent: $340/wk $90/wk less rent
Healesville
Income: $707/wk Rent: $350/wk $80/wk less rent
Bittern
Income: $725/wk Rent: $366/wk $64/wk less rent
Porepunkah
Income: $787/wk Rent: $383/wk $47/wk less rent

Suburbs near Patterson Lakes

The closest suburb to Patterson Lakes is Bonbeach, 1.5 km away.

Bonbeach
1.5 km away · income $975/wk · rent $391/wk
Carrum
1.8 km away · income $925/wk · rent $406/wk
Chelsea
2.8 km away · income $951/wk · rent $375/wk
Chelsea Heights
3.2 km away · income $805/wk · rent $412/wk
Edithvale
4.2 km away · income $1,021/wk · rent $429/wk
Carrum Downs
4.2 km away · income $817/wk · rent $370/wk

Compare Patterson Lakes

Frequently Asked Questions About Patterson Lakes

What is the population of Patterson Lakes VIC?

The population of Patterson Lakes VIC is 7,793 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,826 people per km². Patterson Lakes is ranked #922 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Patterson Lakes?

The median personal income in Patterson Lakes VIC is $871 per week, or $45,292 per year. The median household income is $1,932 per week. Family income is $2,389 per week. Patterson Lakes is ranked #2,491 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Patterson Lakes?

Median rent in Patterson Lakes VIC is $430 per week ($1,863 per month). Rent represents 22.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Patterson Lakes ranks #1,360 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Patterson Lakes?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Patterson Lakes VIC is $2,100. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Patterson Lakes?

The median age in Patterson Lakes VIC is 46 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Patterson Lakes a good suburb to live in?

Patterson Lakes is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 7,793. The median income is $871/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (22.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22047. All dollar figures in AUD.