Armadale
The $2,180,000 median sits 36.1% below the mid-2023 peak of $3,411,100, one of the sharpest corrections in this dataset, raising the question of whether the peak was an outlier or the current price represents fair value. University qualifications at 65.5% are 35.4 points above national, and IRSAD decile 10 confirms top-tier advantage. Yet 46.0% rent, driven by 57.5% apartment stock, and the 17.0% vacancy rate is among the highest in this batch. The 45.5% female majority is 4.5 points above the national male-to-female ratio, unusual for a metropolitan suburb. Judaism (636 adherents) is the second-largest religion after Christianity.
Population
9,368
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,193/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
171
Median House
$2.2M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $2,180,000 median makes Armadale a premium market, but buyers may find relative value: prices dropped 36.1% from the $3,411,100 peak in mid-2023, and the 14-year CAGR of 1.9% is modest given the premium positioning. Apartments at 57.5% dominate, with houses at 25.5% and semi-detached at 16.8%. Two-bedroom units at 41.7% are the most common, while four-plus bedrooms are just 12.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,458 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.9%, comfortable for the 83.4th-percentile household income. Walking/cycling at 9.7% and public transport at 11.0% are above the national average, supported by Armadale station.
For Buyers
The $2,180,000 median makes Armadale a premium market, but buyers may find relative value: prices dropped 36.1% from the $3,411,100 peak in mid-2023, and the 14-year CAGR of 1.9% is modest given the premium positioning. Apartments at 57.5% dominate, with houses at 25.5% and semi-detached at 16.8%. Two-bedroom units at 41.7% are the most common, while four-plus bedrooms are just 12.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,458 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.9%, comfortable for the 83.4th-percentile household income. Walking/cycling at 9.7% and public transport at 11.0% are above the national average, supported by Armadale station.
For Investors
Renters at 46.0% provide a substantial tenant pool, but the 17.0% vacancy rate is alarming and among the highest in this dataset, suggesting severe oversupply. Median weekly rent of $421 against a $2,180,000 median gives a gross yield of roughly 1.0%, extremely low even by premium suburb standards. With 157 DAs in 12 months, the development pipeline is highly active. Net overseas migration of 200 per year provides demand, but internal outflow of 86 per year partially offsets this. The 33.3% turnover rate is high. The 36.1% price correction from peak creates potential capital upside but also signals market fragility.
Development Activity
Total DAs
177
Last 12 Months
171
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5600.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Armadale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lauriston Girls' School
Prep-12 · 935 students
The King David School
Prep-12 · 592 students
Armadale Primary School
Prep-6 · 254 students
Demographics
English ancestry leads at 3,237, with Irish (1,224), Scottish (1,065) and Chinese (670) following. The 29.9% overseas-born rate is 8.3 points above national. University qualification at 65.5% is 35.4 points above the national average. The female share of 54.5% is notably higher than the national baseline, 4.5 points above the usual male majority. Median age of 38 is 2 years below national. Average household size of 2.0 is well below the national 2.5. Couples without children at 38.3% dominate, and Judaism (636) is the second-largest religion after Christianity (3,610), a distinctive feature of Melbourne's inner southeast.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
25.5%
Houses
16.8%
Townhouse
57.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership splits between 30.3% outright and 23.7% on mortgages, with renters at 46.0%. Apartments comprise 57.5%, houses 25.5% and semi-detached 16.8%. Two-bedroom stock at 41.7% and studios/one-bedrooms at 19.0% dominate, with four-plus bedrooms at just 12.8%. The median dropped from $3,411,100 in mid-2023 to $2,180,000 in mid-2024, a 36.1% decline. Since 2013, the CAGR is just 1.9% ($1,675,000 to $2,180,000 over 14 years). At household income of $2,193/week, the price-to-income ratio is approximately 19.1x annual income, far above affordability benchmarks even for this premium market segment.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,458
Rent / wk
$421
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,354
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.0%
Unoccupied
893
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.3%
Couples, no children
6,184
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional/technical services lead at 20.4% (896 workers), followed by healthcare at 15.9% (699), finance at 8.9% (389), education at 8.9% (388) and retail at 7.2% (316). Professionals (2,302) and managers (1,093) together account for over 65% of occupations, well above the national ratio. Full-time employment at 69.2% is above average, and unemployment at 4.1% sits below the national rate. The IEO decile 10 and IRSAD decile 10 confirm the highest levels of educational and socio-economic advantage. The IER decile 5 is moderate, reflecting the rental-heavy tenure structure diluting area-level wealth indicators.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
6,585
Unemployed
205
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.2%
Part-time
26.7%
Participation
65.3%
Employed
5,123
Occupations
Top Industries
University
65.5%
Postgraduate
19.8%
Born Overseas
29.9%
Dwellings
4,353
Transport to Work
Public transport at 11.0% and walking/cycling at 9.7% are both above the national average, with Armadale station on the Frankston/Pakenham line. Car driving at 75.3% still dominates. Armadale has 3 schools, all well above the national benchmark: Lauriston Girls' School (ICSEA 1,199, 935 students, independent), The King David School (ICSEA 1,165, 592 students, independent) and Armadale Primary School (ICSEA 1,156, 254 students, government). Crime rate of 64.2 per 1,000 is moderate, with property offences (487) dominating. The IRSAD decile 10 and IRSD decile 10 confirm top-level advantage. Rent-to-income at 19.2% is very comfortable.
Drive
75.3%
Public Transport
11.0%
Walk / Cycle
9.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.46%/yr
(+46 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth averages 0.46% per year (46 persons), slow for an inner-city suburb. The suburb dipped 6.1% during COVID (10,044 to 9,433) and has recovered to 10,032, marginally below the pre-COVID peak. Net overseas migration of 200 per year is the primary driver, offset by internal outflow of 86 per year. The 10-year change of 6.6% is below the national average. The senior share expanded 3.5 points while working-age contracted 2.0 points, indicating an aging trajectory. Medium projections reach 10,209 by 2031. Real income grew 15.9% over the decade, but the 36.1% price correction suggests asset values have not kept pace.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+200
Net Internal / yr
-86
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-6% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
601
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
64.2
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 Armadale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Armadale a good suburb to live in?
Armadale is a premium inner-southeast suburb with IRSAD decile 10 and 65.5% university-qualified residents. All 3 local schools exceed ICSEA 1,150, in the top tier nationally. The crime rate of 64.2 per 1,000 is moderate, with property offences dominating. Public transport access is good via Armadale station. Rent-to-income at 19.2% is comfortable. The 17.0% vacancy rate gives renters significant negotiating power.
What is the median house price in Armadale?
The median is $2,180,000 (Apr-Jun 2024), down 36.1% from the $3,411,100 peak in mid-2023. The 14-year CAGR from $1,675,000 in 2013 is just 1.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,458 and median weekly rent is $421. At household income of $2,193/week (83.4th percentile), the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.9%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Armadale?
Armadale has 3 schools, all in the top tier nationally. Lauriston Girls' School (ICSEA 1,199, 935 students, independent) is among Australia's highest-rated. The King David School (ICSEA 1,165, 592 students, independent) and Armadale Primary School (ICSEA 1,156, 254 students, government) also rank well above the 1,000 benchmark. Total capacity exceeds 1,780 students.
Is Armadale safe?
The crime rate of 64.2 per 1,000 is moderate for an inner Melbourne suburb. Property and deception offences at 487 account for 81.0% of the 601 total incidents. Crimes against the person at 56 and justice procedures at 23 are relatively low. The IRSD decile 10 and IRSAD decile 10 indicate very low disadvantage, correlating with lower crime compared to western and northern suburbs.
Is Armadale good for property investment?
Gross yield is roughly 1.0% ($421/week on $2,180,000), extremely low. The 17.0% vacancy rate is alarming, and the 36.1% price decline from the $3,411,100 peak signals market fragility. With 157 DAs in 12 months, supply pressure is intense. The 14-year CAGR of 1.9% is well below inflation-adjusted returns. This is a capital bet on recovery rather than a yield play.
How is Armadale's population changing?
Growth is slow at 0.46% per year (46 persons). The suburb dipped 6.1% during COVID (10,044 to 9,433) and has recovered to 10,032, slightly below peak. Net overseas migration of 200 per year is offset by internal outflow of 86 per year. The senior share expanded 3.5 points over the decade. Medium projections reach 10,209 by 2031 from 10,032 in 2025.
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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