Suburb Deep Dives · 24 October 2026 · 6 min read

Officer (VIC 3809) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 91/100, 4.1% Yield & Best Streets

Is Officer (VIC 3809) a good suburb to invest in 2026? Our September 2026 quantitative audit scores Officer at 91/100 (Ranked #1,388 of 15,286 suburbs), with a $765,000 median house price (+2.7% 12m), $605/wk rent (4.1% yield), and 329 top-tier streets scoring 75–100/100.

Officer VIC R-Score & Property Market Deep Dive

Market Classification: Established Family & Commuter Corridor · R-Score: 91/100 (National Rank #1,388 of 15,286) · Street Average: 69/100 across 561 streets.

Officer (VIC 3809) represents a bread-and-butter Australian family housing market($765,000 median price, $605/wk rent, 4.1% 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.

Anna Cooper, Co-Founder and COO of Ripehouse Advisory

“I’d treat Officer’s 4.1% gross yield as a starting point, not a comfort blanket. With vacancy at 10.7% and the median 80% LVR house running $292 a week negative before tax, I’d stress-test rent and choose the street carefully, even where the suburb-level score looks strong.”

Anna Cooper · Co-Founder & COO, Ripehouse Advisory · Former Managing Editor, Australian Property Investor Magazine

Below is our full September 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Officer (VIC 3809), 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 12,053 residential addresses.

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

Over the past 12 months, Officer’s median house price moved +2.7% (from $745,000 to $765,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to -7.6% (from $828,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +0.8% over the past year to $605/wk (+18.4% over 36 months), equating to a 4.1% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Officer carried an R-Score of 81/100—its current composite R-Score of 91/100 represents a +10-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score PillarOfficer (VIC) Current12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score91 / 100Ranked #1,388 of 15,286 suburbs (was 81/100 12m ago)
Median House Price$765,00012m change: +2.7% · 36m change: -7.6%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield$605/wk (4.1%)12m rent change: +0.8% · 36m rent change: +18.4%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market10.7% vacancyMedian selling time: 32 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand41 / 100Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership34 / 100Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum65 / 100Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Cardinia & VIC
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure41 / 100Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

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

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Officer achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 12,053 addresses across 561 streets in Officer through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

  • Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 329 streets (71% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Officer rent and yield benchmarks.
  • Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 19 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): 118 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 Officer (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 561 streets in Officer):

Top Street in OfficerStreet ScoreAddressesOwner-OccupiersPublic HousingSA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Hansel Avenue100/1007379%0%$600/wk (4.5%)
#2 Kallista Circuit100/1006579%0%$600/wk (4.5%)
#3 Charming Loop100/1005579%0%$600/wk (4.5%)
#4 Gaston Loop100/1005479%0%$600/wk (4.5%)
#5 Furze Road100/1005279%0%$600/wk (4.5%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Officer 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 Officer:

Caution Street SampleStreet ScoreAddressesOwner-OccupiersPublic HousingSA1 Median Rent
Rush Lily Drive25/1003764%1.3%$585/wk
Officedale Road25/1003564%1.3%$585/wk
Curran Drive25/1003164%1.3%$585/wk

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

Officer 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 Officer’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 Officer 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 Officer (September 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Officer at today’s median price of $765,000 and median rent of $605/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital ItemOfficer Worked FigureAssumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)$765,000Settled house median as of September 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs$189,720$153,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$36,720 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount$612,000Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income$31,460/yr ($605/wk)4.1% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs$46,665/yrAssumes 6.25% interest-only ($38,250/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($8,415/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position-$292/wk top-upBefore tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

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

Solid 91/100 R-Score Backed by Cardinia Fundamentals. Based on our September 2026 data, Officer is best suited to equity-backed homeowners and portfolio builders seeking a balanced entry price ($765,000) and 4.1% rental yield in VIC.

  1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Officer, 118 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Officer Street Score Hub and target the 329 streets scoring 75–100/100.
  2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Hansel Avenue, 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.

If there's a specific street you're weighing up right now, check its Street Score first — it's free, takes ten seconds, and tells you whether that street is pulling the suburb average up or riding on it.

Market data & R-Scores for locations in this article

Drill Down Into the Markets Mentioned Above

Inspect live monthly R-Scores, median prices, rental yields, and street-by-street scores for the cities and council areas referenced in this article:

LGAProperty Investment in Cardinia (VIC) →DirectoryAll 30 Cities, 540+ LGAs, Suburbs & Streets →

Frequently asked questions

Is Officer (VIC 3809) a good suburb for property investment in 2026?

As of September 2026, Officer (VIC 3809) scores 91/100 on the 27-indicator Ripehouse R-Score (ranked #1,388 of 15,286 Australian suburbs). It is classified as a Established Family & Commuter Corridor with a median house price of $765,000, median rent of $605/wk (4.1% gross yield), and vacancy rate of 10.7%.

How have house prices and rents performed in Officer over the past 1 to 3 years?

Over the past 12 months, Officer’s median house price moved +2.7% to $765,000, and -7.6% over the past 36 months. Median weekly asking rents moved +0.8% over the past year to $605/wk (4.1% gross yield).

What are the highest and lowest scoring streets in Officer, VIC?

Across 561 streets (12,053 addresses) in Officer, 329 streets score 75 to 100 on the Ripehouse Street Score, led by Hansel Avenue (100/100, 79% owner-occupied), Kallista Circuit (100/100, 79% owner-occupied), Charming Loop (100/100, 79% owner-occupied). Meanwhile, 118 streets score below 50 due to lower owner-occupation or public housing concentration above 5%.

How much deposit and weekly cashflow is needed to buy a median house in Officer?

At Officer’s median house price of $765,000, an 80% LVR purchase ($612,000 loan) requires approximately $189,720 in cash or usable home equity ($153,000 deposit plus around $36,720 for stamp duty and acquisition costs). At $605/wk rent and a 6.25% interest-only benchmark, estimated pre-tax cashflow is -$292/wk before tax deductions.

What is the housing supply pipeline and economic profile of Cardinia Council?

Officer is located in the Cardinia (VIC) Local Government Area (population around 133,472, +8.5% 3yr growth). Annual building approvals sit at 3.1% of existing dwelling stock. Tracked major infrastructure spend is $446M. Top employment sectors are Construction (13%), Retail Trade (13%), Education and Training (11%).

General information only. It does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account, and nothing here is legal, financial, taxation or investment advice specific to your circumstances.