Ascot Vale
Ascot Vale’s standout tension is price and vacancy: houses sit at $1,257,500 while vacancy is 10.5%, a higher availability signal than buyers usually expect this close to Melbourne. The suburb packs 15,197 people into 3.84 sq km, with household income in the 83.4 percentile and university attainment 25.1 percentage points above the national level. Compared with neighbouring Moonee Ponds and Flemington, its identity is mixed: 46.0% separate houses, 30.7% apartments, and 23.0% semi-detached homes, so demand is split across families, professionals, and renters rather than one dominant segment.
Population
15,197
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,192/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
43
Median House
$1.3M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for inner-north access and housing choice rather than a purely detached-house market. The median house price is $1,257,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, below the $1,375,000 peak from Jul-Sep 2023 by 8.5%, which creates more room than the 2023 high. Separate houses are 46.0% of stock, but 30.7% apartments and 23.0% semi-detached dwellings give downsizers and first-home buyers alternatives. Mortgage costs use 25.9% of income, below common stress thresholds, because household income is high at $2,192 a week.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for inner-north access and housing choice rather than a purely detached-house market. The median house price is $1,257,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, below the $1,375,000 peak from Jul-Sep 2023 by 8.5%, which creates more room than the 2023 high. Separate houses are 46.0% of stock, but 30.7% apartments and 23.0% semi-detached dwellings give downsizers and first-home buyers alternatives. Mortgage costs use 25.9% of income, below common stress thresholds, because household income is high at $2,192 a week.
For Investors
Investors get a renter base, but also a clear warning on supply. Renting accounts for 38.8% of households, above the owner-with-mortgage share of 33.5%, and weekly rent is $370. The 10.5% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market, so pricing power may be uneven until excess listings are absorbed. Development pressure is moderate with 17 planning applications in 12 months, below the level that would suggest a heavier construction pipeline. Overseas migration is the main population driver, adding 94 people annually on average.
Development Activity
Total DAs
49
Last 12 Months
43
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1333.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ascot Vale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's School
Prep-6 · 374 students
Ascot Vale Primary School
Prep-6 · 265 students
Ascot Vale West Primary School
Prep-6 · 278 students
Demographics
Ascot Vale skews educated, professional, and slightly younger than Australia overall. The median age is 37, which is 3.0 years below the national comparison, while university attainment is 55.2%, 25.1 percentage points above the national level. Overseas-born residents are 29.1%, 7.5 points above national, with English, Irish, Italian and Scottish ancestry prominent. Italian is the largest non-English language group at 215 speakers, followed by Greek at 153, which explains why the suburb feels more settled than transient despite its renter share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
46.0%
Houses
23.0%
Townhouse
30.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is balanced across tenure and dwelling type, which matters because prices are high but not all buyers need a full block. The median house price rose from $735,000 in 2013 to $1,257,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 71.1% lift and 3.9% CAGR over 14 years. It remains 8.5% below the $1,375,000 peak, giving buyers a discount to the cycle high. Tenure is split between 27.7% owned outright, 33.5% with a mortgage and 38.8% renting, while 37.3% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 37.1% have 2.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,458
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,080
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.5%
Unoccupied
702
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.2%
Couples, no children
11,213
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local economy is above average on education and occupation, but not uniformly advantaged. Healthcare employs 1,042 residents at 16.4%, Professional/Tech 993 at 15.7%, and Education 747 at 11.8%, aligning with 2,997 professionals and 1,476 managers. The IEO decile is 9 and IRSAD decile is 8, showing high education and advantage, while the IER decile is lower at 4 because economic resources are more mixed. Unemployment is 4.9% with 66.9% of employed residents full time, supporting spending power without removing affordability pressure.
Unemployment
8.6%
Labour Force
10,220
Unemployed
883
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.9%
Part-time
28.2%
Participation
64.6%
Employed
7,686
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.2%
Postgraduate
16.9%
Born Overseas
29.1%
Dwellings
5,963
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for primary-school households and professionals who can trade a short commute for higher density. Three local schools span ICSEA 1029 to 1144, led by St Mary's School at 1144 with 374 students and Ascot Vale Primary School at 1140 with 265 students; the top options sit higher than the local minimum. Travel is still car-led: 79.4% drive, compared with 7.0% using public transport and 8.7% walking or cycling. Safety is the main watch point, with 1,582 offences and a crime rate of 104.1 per 1,000 residents.
Drive
79.4%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
8.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.19%/yr
(+77 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, which suits an established 3.84 sq km suburb with limited large sites. The forecast trend is 1.19% a year, or 77 people annually, with the medium population path rising from 6,359 in 2026 to 6,745 in 2031. Migration is led by overseas arrivals, averaging 94 net people a year, compared with 34 net internal migrants. The shift profile is Aging: senior share is up 3.3 points, young share is down 0.5, and gentrification is at score 22, stage Early signs.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+94
Net Internal / yr
+34
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +20% since 2011, Accelerating: 0% → 19%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,582
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
104.1
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 Ascot Vale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ascot Vale a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for buyers wanting inner-north access, 3 local schools and a high-income community. Household income sits in the 83.4 percentile, but the 104.1 offences per 1,000 residents means safety should be checked street by street.
What is the median house price in Ascot Vale?
The median house price is $1,257,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 8.5% below the $1,375,000 peak from Jul-Sep 2023, but still 71.1% above the 2013 level of $735,000.
What schools are in Ascot Vale?
Ascot Vale has 3 local primary schools: St Mary's School with ICSEA 1144 and 374 students, Ascot Vale Primary School with ICSEA 1140 and 265 students, and Ascot Vale West Primary School with ICSEA 1029 and 278 students.
Is Ascot Vale safe?
Ascot Vale has a higher safety watch point, with 1,582 recorded offences and a crime rate of 104.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 1,047 incidents.
Is Ascot Vale good for property investment?
It has investor depth because 38.8% of households rent and overseas migration adds 94 net people a year on average. The caution is the 10.5% vacancy rate, which is higher than a tight rental setting.
How is Ascot Vale's population changing?
Population growth is moderate, with a forecast trend of 1.19% a year or 77 people annually. The medium path rises from 6,359 in 2026 to 6,745 in 2031, led by overseas migration.
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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