Alphington
A $2,070,000 median house price sits alongside household incomes in the 91.2nd percentile nationally, and the two reinforce each other in this 2.82 km2 inner-Melbourne pocket. SEIFA puts Alphington in decile 10 on IRSAD, IRSD and the education index IEO, the top advantage tier on three of four measures, while university qualifications reach 62.8%, fully 32.7 points above the national figure. The current price is actually 9.2% below the 2021 peak of $2,280,000, so buyers are paying premium money in a market that has cooled from its high. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.0 points over the decade, and detached houses make up only 52.1% of a stock that is increasingly townhouses and apartments.
Population
5,702
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,429/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$2.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $2,070,000 median places Alphington among Melbourne's dearest markets, yet it has eased 9.2% from the 2021 peak of $2,280,000, so today's buyer enters below the cyclical high rather than at it. Separate houses are just 52.1% of the stock, with semi-detached at 25.1% and apartments at 22.6%, which keeps competition for a standalone house intense. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 38.6% and four-plus homes reach 23.0%, a family-oriented mix. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,492, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because incomes here sit in the 91.2nd percentile. Outright owners (32.9%) marginally edge mortgage holders (32.8%), a sign of established, debt-light ownership rather than a churn of recent first buyers.
For Buyers
The $2,070,000 median places Alphington among Melbourne's dearest markets, yet it has eased 9.2% from the 2021 peak of $2,280,000, so today's buyer enters below the cyclical high rather than at it. Separate houses are just 52.1% of the stock, with semi-detached at 25.1% and apartments at 22.6%, which keeps competition for a standalone house intense. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 38.6% and four-plus homes reach 23.0%, a family-oriented mix. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,492, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because incomes here sit in the 91.2nd percentile. Outright owners (32.9%) marginally edge mortgage holders (32.8%), a sign of established, debt-light ownership rather than a churn of recent first buyers.
For Investors
A 34.4% renter share and weekly rent of $451 give landlords a working tenant pool, but the yield math is thin: against the $2,070,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.1%, low even by inner-Melbourne standards. The reported vacancy rate of 7.2% is higher than a tight rental market would show, pointing to softness in the apartment segment that forms 22.6% of dwellings. Demand support comes mainly from migration, with net overseas inflow averaging 202 a year against 95 from internal moves, so overseas arrivals are the primary driver. Development is active at 22 applications in 12 months, including an 11-townhouse project lodged in May 2026, which adds future supply. Rent grew 35.1% over the decade, so the case rests more on rent escalation and capital preservation than on current yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
39
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+118.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Alphington iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Alphington Primary School
Prep-6 · 365 students
Alphington Grammar School
Prep-12 · 679 students
St Anthony's School
Prep-6 · 92 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, yet the trajectory is clearly aging: the senior share rose 5.0 points while the working-age share fell 2.6 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 62.8%, which is 32.7 points above national, among the highest you will find. Overseas-born residents are 23.0%, only 1.4 points above national, so the population is more Anglo-leaning than most inner suburbs. Ancestry confirms this, led by English (1,886), Irish (848) and Scottish (712), with Italian (564) the main southern-European thread. The top non-English languages are Greek (89), Mandarin (74) and Italian (57), small numbers that reflect the limited overseas share. Christianity (1,916 residents) is the dominant religion, well ahead of Buddhism (99).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
52.1%
Houses
25.1%
Townhouse
22.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits almost evenly: 32.9% own outright, 32.8% carry a mortgage and 34.4% rent, an unusually balanced spread. The stock is 52.1% separate houses, 25.1% semi-detached and 22.6% apartments, so detached homes still lead but townhouses and units now hold nearly half the market. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 38.6% and four-plus homes 23.0%, while one-bedroom-or-studio stock is only 11.0%. The median house price rose from $1,080,000 in 2013 to $2,070,000 in the June 2024 quarter, a 91.7% gain at a 4.8% compound annual rate over 14 years, though it remains 9.2% below the 2021 peak of $2,280,000. Mortgage-to-income at 23.7% and rent-to-income at 18.6% both stay well below stress thresholds, a comfort that follows directly from 91.2nd-percentile household incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (Apr-Jun 2024)
Mortgage / mo
$2,492
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $451.
$550
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $850 · units $575
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,199
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
173
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.5%
Couples, no children
4,198
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in knowledge and care sectors: Healthcare leads at 18.8% (497 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 16.2% (429) and Education at 14.4% (381), with Public Admin at 9.3% and Finance at 6.3%. By occupation, Professionals (1,410) and Managers (620) dominate, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 64.1%. Participation reads 66.7%, held down partly by 1,207 residents not in the labour force as the population ages. The one SEIFA anomaly is the IER economic-resources score at decile 6 against decile 10 on the other three indexes, because the 34.4% renter base lowers aggregate household-wealth measures even in an otherwise advantaged suburb.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
6,326
Unemployed
294
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.1%
Part-time
31.9%
Participation
66.7%
Employed
3,088
Occupations
Top Industries
University
62.8%
Postgraduate
21.2%
Born Overseas
23.0%
Dwellings
2,243
Transport to Work
Car reliance is high at 75.1% of commuters driving, while 11.7% walk or cycle and 9.1% use public transport, below what the inner-Melbourne location might suggest. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so very few residents face deprivation. Crime runs at 69.4 offences per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (322 of 396 incidents) the overwhelming category and crimes against the person low at 23. Volunteering reaches 21.5% and only 4.2% (231 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 2.82 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in a compact, well-connected pocket.
Drive
75.1%
Public Transport
9.1%
Walk / Cycle
11.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.52%/yr
(+174 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is moderate and migration-led: the trend points to 1.52% annual population growth, about 174 persons a year, and medium projections lift the forecast catchment from 11,317 in 2026 to 12,188 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 202 net arrivals a year, more than double the 95 from internal moves. Affordability improved from 40.8% in 2011 to 37.3% in 2021, an improving trend that is rare in premium markets and helps sustain demand. Gentrification reads as active with a score of 48, supported by a 32% population rise since 2011 and an accelerating young-resident share moving from 11% to 19%. Real incomes grew 20.1% over the decade, so rising prices have been partly underwritten by genuine income gains rather than leverage alone.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+202
Net Internal / yr
+95
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +32% since 2011, Net internal migration +95/yr, Strong overseas inflow +202/yr, Accelerating: 11% → 19%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
396
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
69.4
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Alphington compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alphington a good suburb to live in?
Alphington ranks in decile 10 on IRSAD, IRSD and the education index IEO, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 91.2nd percentile. University qualifications reach 62.8%, 32.7 points above national. The main trade-off is a high $2,070,000 median house price and heavy car reliance at 75.1% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Alphington?
The median house price is $2,070,000 as of the June 2024 quarter, among Melbourne's highest. That is 9.2% below the 2021 peak of $2,280,000 but a 91.7% gain on the $1,080,000 median of 2013, a 4.8% compound annual rate over 14 years. Weekly rent averages $451.
What schools are in Alphington?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.82 km2 Alphington boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 62.8%, which is 32.7 points above the national figure.
Is Alphington safe?
Crime runs at 69.4 offences per 1,000 residents across 396 recorded incidents. Property and deception offences make up the bulk at 322, while crimes against the person are low at 23. The suburb also scores decile 10 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the highest tier, consistent with a low-deprivation area.
Is Alphington good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $451 against the $2,070,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.1%, low even for inner Melbourne, and the 7.2% vacancy rate signals apartment softness. Net overseas migration of 202 a year supports demand, but with rent up 35.1% over the decade returns lean on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Alphington's population changing?
The trend points to 1.52% annual population growth, about 174 people a year, driven mainly by net overseas migration of 202 versus 95 from internal moves. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.0 points and the working-age share down 2.6 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Alphington?
There were 22 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including an 11-townhouse project in May 2026 and a partial building demolition. The volume is notable for a 2.82 km2 suburb and reflects townhouse and apartment supply gradually rising as detached houses fall to 52.1% of stock.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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