Strathfieldsaye (VIC 3551) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 92/100, 3.6% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: Established Family & Commuter Corridor · R-Score: 92/100 (National Rank #1,320 of 15,286) · Street Average: 76/100 across 176 streets.

Strathfieldsaye (VIC 3551) represents a bread-and-butter Australian family housing market($871,000 median price, $605/wk rent, 3.6% gross yield) supported by +3.4% 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.

“I’d treat the 91% owner-occupier rate on the top streets as useful, but not transferable across every listing. With an 80% LVR cashflow estimate of negative $417 a week, buyers need to be selective on the street and conservative on rent rather than relying on the recent 21.8% price rise.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Strathfieldsaye (VIC) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Strathfieldsaye 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 Strathfieldsaye (VIC 3551), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Greater Bendigo (VIC), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 3,525 residential addresses.

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

Over the past 12 months, Strathfieldsaye’s median house price moved +21.8% (from $715,000 to $871,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to +12.8% (from $772,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved -4% over the past year to $605/wk (+18.9% over 36 months), equating to a 3.6% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Strathfieldsaye carried an R-Score of 100/100—its current composite R-Score of 92/100 represents a -8-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Strathfieldsaye (VIC) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	92 / 100	Ranked #1,320 of 15,286 suburbs (was 100/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$871,000	12m change: +21.8% · 36m change: +12.8%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$605/wk (3.6%)	12m rent change: -4% · 36m rent change: +18.9%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	3.5% vacancy	Median selling time: 33 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	37 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	61 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	79 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Greater Bendigo & VIC
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	49 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

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

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Strathfieldsaye achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 3,525 addresses across 176 streets in Strathfieldsaye through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 79 streets (61% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Strathfieldsaye rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 50 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 Strathfieldsaye (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 176 streets in Strathfieldsaye):

Top Street in Strathfieldsaye	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Cooper Grove	100/100	19	91%	0%	$65000/wk (361.5%)
#2 Courage Court	100/100	13	91%	0%	$65000/wk (361.5%)
#3 Morris Place	100/100	13	91%	0%	$65000/wk (361.5%)
#4 Thornton Court	100/100	12	91%	0%	$65000/wk (361.5%)
#5 Woodlea Close	100/100	11	91%	0%	$65000/wk (361.5%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Strathfieldsaye 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 Strathfieldsaye:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Sinclairs Road	50/100	74	92%	0%	$550/wk
Redwood Drive	50/100	48	85%	0%	—
Apsley Street	50/100	35	89%	0%	$460/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Greater Bendigo Council (Victoria)

Strathfieldsaye sits within the Greater Bendigo Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 126,568 (+3.4% population movement over the past 3 years) and 49,089 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Strathfieldsaye’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Greater Bendigo are Health Care and Social Assistance (18%), Retail Trade (12%), Education and Training (9%), Manufacturing (8%). 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, Greater Bendigo approved 1.7% new dwelling stock (~849.948 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• State Comparison: Compare Strathfieldsaye against the Top 25 Highest R-Score Suburbs in VIC.

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

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Strathfieldsaye at today’s median price of $871,000 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 Item	Strathfieldsaye Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$871,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$216,008	$174,200 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$41,808 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$696,800	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$31,460/yr ($605/wk)	3.6% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$53,131/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($43,550/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($9,581/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$417/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

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

Solid 92/100 R-Score Backed by Greater Bendigo Fundamentals. Based on our October 2026 data, Strathfieldsaye is best suited to equity-backed homeowners and portfolio builders seeking a balanced entry price ($871,000) and 3.6% rental yield in VIC.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Strathfieldsaye, 0 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Strathfieldsaye Street Score Hub and target the 79 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Cooper Grove, 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.