VIC 3040 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Aberfeldie

Its median age of 41 is 1 year above the national figure, while 51.1% of residents hold university qualifications, 21 percentage points above the national comparison. The suburb's 3,925 residents live at 2,529.8 people per sq km, but 40.7% work from home, supporting a settled residential pattern. Compared with nearby Essendon and Moonee Ponds, Aberfeldie presents a distinctly residential, family-house profile, with 41.4% of homes containing 4 or more bedrooms. Growth is positive but measured at 0.78% annually, and the 83.3% same-address retention rate reinforces its established character.

Aberfeldie urban fabric map

Population

3,925

Median Age

41.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,571/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

18

Median House

$1.8M

October to December 2025

1.55 km²· 2,529.8 people/km²· Family income $3,172/wk

That pullback may give buyers more room to negotiate than at the peak, while the long-run price remains 94.7% above the 2013 starting point. The stock suits households needing space because 66.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 41.4% have 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 39.7% with 3 bedrooms. A $2,600 monthly mortgage represents 23.4% of household income, below a conventional stress threshold, but the upfront price remains the main hurdle. Semi-detached and apartment options, at 18.4% and 14.0%, provide a lower land commitment than separate houses.

For Buyers

That pullback may give buyers more room to negotiate than at the peak, while the long-run price remains 94.7% above the 2013 starting point. The stock suits households needing space because 66.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 41.4% have 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 39.7% with 3 bedrooms. A $2,600 monthly mortgage represents 23.4% of household income, below a conventional stress threshold, but the upfront price remains the main hurdle. Semi-detached and apartment options, at 18.4% and 14.0%, provide a lower land commitment than separate houses.

For Investors

An investor would be buying into a low-rental-share market: 20.6% of households rent, compared with 39.7% owning outright and 38.2% paying a mortgage. The $440 weekly rent provides a clear income reference, while an 8.0% vacancy rate points to more available stock than a tightly constrained rental market. Rental growth of 19.4% supports recent income momentum, but the vacancy figure argues for conservative yield assumptions. Seventeen development applications in the last 12 months indicate ongoing small-scale change rather than a large pipeline, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver.

Development Activity

Total DAs

24

Last 12 Months

18

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+800.0%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

New Dwelling
8
Subdivision
6
Renovation / Extension
2
Tree Removal
2
Commercial / Industrial
1
Other
1

Schools in Aberfeldie

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Aberfeldie Primary School

Primary Government

Our Lady of the Nativity School

Primary Catholic

Ave Maria College

Secondary Catholic

Demographics

At 41, the median age is 1 year above the national figure, and the 2.8-person average household is 0.3 above the national comparison. Families are prominent because 55.9% of families are couples with children, while 29.7% are couples without children and 13.6% are one-parent families. The ancestry profile is led by English residents at 962, followed by Italian at 735, Irish at 478 and Scottish at 323. Overseas-born residents make up 19.0%, 2.6 percentage points below the national comparison, while Italian, Greek and Croatian are the leading listed languages at 74, 40 and 23 people. With 83.3% staying at the same address, compared with 16.7% turnover, households are more settled than mobile, which helps explain Aberfeldie's established owner-focused feel.

Age Distribution

0-14
16.2%
15-24
16.4%
25-44
20.9%
45-64
31.9%
65+
14.3%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
3.7%
2 bed
15.1%
3 bed
39.7%
4+ bed
41.4%

Dwelling Structure

66.9%

Houses

18.4%

Townhouse

14.0%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 39.7% Mortgage 38.2% Rent 20.6% Other 1.5%

Tenure is weighted toward ownership, with 39.7% owned outright and 38.2% mortgaged, versus 20.6% rented. Compared with a high-turnover rental suburb, this structure points to longer holding periods and family occupancy. Housing form is also more house-led than apartment-led: 66.9% separate houses, 18.4% semi-detached and 14.0% apartments. The 41.4% share of 4-plus-bedroom homes supports larger households, while 0 to 1-bedroom homes account for only 3.7%.

Mortgage / mo

$2,600

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$440

Census 2021

HH Size

2.8

Personal Income / wk

$1,053

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

8.0%

Unoccupied

119

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

17.1%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

23.4%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Italian
74
Greek
40
Croatian
23
Arabic
22
Mandarin
18
Canton
13

Ancestry

English
962
Italian
735
Irish
478
Other
458
Scottish
323
Greek
227

Household Composition

55.9%

Couples with children

29.7%

Couples, no children

13.6%

Single parent

1,074

Total families

Economy & Employment

Aberfeldie's economic profile is affluent and professional. Household income is $2,571 a week, at the 93.1st percentile, while personal income is $1,053 and family income is $3,172. The 70.1% participation rate and 4.4% unemployment rate indicate a comparatively engaged labour market, with 57.7% of employed residents working full time. Healthcare leads local employment at 14.3% or 218 workers, followed by Education at 13.1% or 200, Professional/Tech at 12.9% or 197, Construction at 11.6% or 177, and Public Admin at 7.9% or 120. Professionals at 650 and Managers at 432 outnumber Clerical/Admin workers at 342, consistent with the 51.1% university-educated share, 21 points above national. SEIFA deciles are 8 for education and occupation, 7 for economic resources, and 9 for both disadvantage and advantage, so the suburb ranks above the middle across all four measures, although economic resources are lower than its other deciles.

Unemployment

4.4%

Labour Force

2,303

Unemployed

101

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
9
Disadvantage
9
Economic resources
7
Education & occupation
8

Full-time

57.7%

Part-time

34.9%

Participation

70.1%

Employed

2,202

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 650
Managers 432
Clerical/Admin 342
Sales 205
Trades 194
Community/Personal 173
Labourers 108
Machinery/Drivers 54

Top Industries

Healthcare 14.3%
Education 13.1%
Professional/Tech 12.9%
Construction 11.6%
Public Admin 7.9%

University

51.1%

Postgraduate

13.4%

Born Overseas

19.0%

Dwellings

1,366

Transport to Work

Daily life is geared more to cars and home working than public transport: 50.6% travel as car drivers and 40.7% work from home, compared with 1.4% using public transport and 3.0% walking or cycling. Three nearby schools provide a practical local mix: 2 primary schools and 1 secondary, across 1 government and 2 Catholic providers. Check enrolment zones against the exact address, since they cut across suburb boundaries. Recorded crime was 139 offences, or 35.4 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 106, far higher than crimes against the person at 15. Social conditions are strong, with an IRSAD decile of 9 and only 4.2% needing assistance. The trade-off is density at 2,529.8 people per sq km and car reliance above active and public transport use, so the suburb suits households prioritising established homes and local services over rail-dependent commuting.

Drive

50.6%

Public Transport

1.4%

Walk / Cycle

3.0%

Work from Home

40.7%

Population Forecast

+0.78%/yr

(+133 people/yr)

Established

Growth is positive but measured: the annual trend is 0.78%, compared with a flat trajectory, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 13.1% over 10 years, while the shift label is "Declining young", with the young share down 2.2 percentage points and the senior share up 1.8 points. That pattern suggests established households are ageing faster than younger households are entering, which fits the median age of 41 and 83.3% same-address retention. Gentrification remains at the "Early signs" stage, with a score of 25, while a related shift score is 37. The suburb recovered from a 4.7% COVID dip with 5.7% recovery, so momentum is stronger than the downturn alone implies, but the annual rate remains below a rapid-growth profile.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+293

Net Internal / yr

-71

25

Gentrification Signal

Early signs

Population +16% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +293/yr, COVID recovered (-5% dip → full recovery)

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

139

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

35.4

Offence Categories

Property and deception offences
106
Crimes against the person
15
Justice procedures offences
13
Public order and security offences
3

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Aberfeldie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 14%
Household Income
Top 7%
Rent Level
Top 10%
Apartments
Top 6%
Renters
Top 36%
Uni Educated
Top 8%
Public Transport
Bottom 29%
Born Overseas
Top 33%
Density
Top 5%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aberfeldie a good suburb to live in?

Aberfeldie suits households seeking established homes, strong incomes and a settled environment. The median age is 41, 55.9% of families are couples with children, and 40.7% work from home. Its IRSAD decile of 9 is above the middle, while car use is much higher than public transport use at 50.6% versus 1.4%.

What schools are in Aberfeldie?

Aberfeldie has 3 listed local schools: 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school. The sector mix is 1 government provider and 2 Catholic providers. Families should check the exact enrolment zone for each address, as boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries and school access may be more limited than the total of 3 suggests.

Is Aberfeldie safe?

Aberfeldie recorded 139 offences at a rate of 35.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 106 incidents, compared with 15 crimes against the person and 13 justice procedures offences. The IRSAD decile is 9, above the middle, but buyers and renters should still assess individual streets and ordinary property security needs.

How is Aberfeldie's population changing?

Aberfeldie has 3,925 residents today, with population change across the wider area running at 13.1% over 10 years and annual growth forecast at 0.78%. The trajectory is labelled "Declining young": the young share fell 2.2 percentage points while the senior share rose 1.8 points. Overseas migration is the primary driver, so growth is positive but slower than a rapid-growth area.

How to read these comparisons

Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.

Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.

Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.

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