Bayles (VIC 3981) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 98/100, 6.6% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: Established Family & Commuter Corridor · R-Score: 98/100 (National Rank #395 of 15,286) · Street Average: 50/100 across 25 streets.

Bayles (VIC 3981) represents a bread-and-butter Australian family housing market($1,180,000 median price, $780/wk rent, 6.6% gross yield) supported by +8.5% 3-year council population movement. Here, investment returns are determined almost entirely by micro-location: separating quiet, >65% owner-occupied pockets from main-road or high-public-housing blocks.

“The 6.6% gross yield looks respectable, but the -$604 weekly pre-tax cash flow at 80% LVR is the figure I would keep in front of me. With a 10% vacancy rate and 288 days on market, buyers need a meaningful cash buffer and patience, rather than relying on a quick exit.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Bayles (VIC) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Bayles street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Bayles (VIC 3981), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Cardinia (VIC), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 257 residential addresses.

1. Bayles (VIC) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

As of October 2026, Bayles records a settled median house price of $1,180,000. On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +14.7% over the past year to $780/wk, equating to a 6.6% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Bayles carried an R-Score of 100/100—its current composite R-Score of 98/100 represents a -2-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Bayles (VIC) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	98 / 100	Ranked #395 of 15,286 suburbs (was 100/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$1,180,000	12m change: +0%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$780/wk (6.6%)	12m rent change: +14.7%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	10% vacancy	Median selling time: 288 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	21 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	65 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	83 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Cardinia & VIC
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	58 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Bayles (VIC)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Bayles achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 257 addresses across 25 streets in Bayles through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 0 streets (0% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Bayles rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 13 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 0 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Bayles (VIC)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 25 streets in Bayles):

Top Street in Bayles	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Ballarto Road	50/100	39	82%	0%	$650/wk (2.7%)
#2 Koo Wee Rup-Longwarry Road	50/100	39	82%	0%	$650/wk (2.7%)
#3 School Road	50/100	24	82%	0%	$650/wk (2.7%)
#4 Number Four Drain Road	50/100	15	82%	0%	$650/wk (2.7%)
#5 Fincks Road	50/100	13	82%	0%	$650/wk (2.7%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Bayles Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Bayles:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Dineen Road	50/100	12	82%	0%	$650/wk
Main Drain Road	50/100	12	82%	0%	$650/wk
Boundary Drain Road	50/100	11	82%	0%	$650/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Cardinia Council (Victoria)

Bayles sits within the Cardinia Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 133,472 (+8.5% population movement over the past 3 years) and 35,102 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Bayles’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Cardinia are Construction (13%), Retail Trade (13%), Education and Training (11%), Health Care and Social Assistance (10%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Cardinia approved 3.1% new dwelling stock (~1,298.66 dwellings). Because new approvals exceed 1.8% of stock, investors in Bayles must avoid generic greenfield house-and-land pockets and stick to established, built-out streets.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Cardinia currently has $446 million in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 20th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Bayles (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Bayles at today’s median price of $1,180,000 and median rent of $780/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Bayles Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$1,180,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$292,640	$236,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$56,640 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$944,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$40,560/yr ($780/wk)	6.6% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$71,980/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($59,000/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($12,980/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$604/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Bayles—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

Solid 98/100 R-Score Backed by Cardinia Fundamentals. Based on our October 2026 data, Bayles is best suited to higher-income professionals, medical practitioners, and upgraders with strong cashflow buffers targeting scarce land in an owner-occupier dominated suburb.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Bayles, 0 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Bayles Street Score Hub and target the 0 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Ballarto Road, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.