Attwood
Only 8.1% of Attwood residents rent, one of the lowest renter shares you will find in metropolitan Melbourne, and that number tells the suburb's story. With 97% separate houses, 59.9% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, and 91.1% of residents staying at the same address over a five-year period, this is a suburb defined by long-term owner-occupiers. Household income sits at the 84th percentile nationally, median age is 42, and the crime rate of 25.4 incidents per 1,000 residents is well below typical metropolitan figures. The Italian-heritage population is the single largest ancestry group at 734 residents, shaping a distinctly settled European character.
Population
3,309
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,209/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price reached $1,057,800 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, down marginally from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,077,500, a 1.8% pullback. Over 14 years from a 2013 base of $540,000, prices compounded at 4.9% annually, nearly doubling in nominal terms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes at the 84th percentile nationally. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97%, with 59.9% having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers are largely choosing between large family homes rather than a mixed product range. Only 50.5% carry a mortgage while 41.4% own outright, confirming that much of the suburb is held by long-established, debt-light households.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,057,800 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, down marginally from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,077,500, a 1.8% pullback. Over 14 years from a 2013 base of $540,000, prices compounded at 4.9% annually, nearly doubling in nominal terms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes at the 84th percentile nationally. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97%, with 59.9% having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers are largely choosing between large family homes rather than a mixed product range. Only 50.5% carry a mortgage while 41.4% own outright, confirming that much of the suburb is held by long-established, debt-light households.
For Investors
The investment case for Attwood is modest on yield but solid on stability. Weekly rents average $358 against a $1,057,800 median, implying a gross yield around 1.8%, low by most benchmarks. The vacancy rate is 2.6%, broadly in line with healthy market balance. Only 8.1% of households rent, which is far below the state average, so the tenant pool is thin and landlords compete for fewer available renters. Price growth has been consistent rather than speculative, with a 4.9% compound annual growth rate over 14 years and no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, meaning supply pressure is minimal. The stability signals are strong: 91.1% residential retention and a predominantly owner-occupier base keep stock turnover low.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Attwood has a median age of 42, two years above the national figure, and a household size of 2.9, which is 0.4 above national, pointing to a suburb of established families rather than young singles or retirees. Italian ancestry leads at 734 residents, ahead of English at 662, with Irish and Greek communities also present. The overseas-born share is 24.2%, which is 2.6 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting the Italian and other European migration patterns that settled this part of Melbourne. University qualifications reach 29.4%, sitting 0.7 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trade and service industries. The employment participation rate of 64.7% is broadly typical, with 63% of employed residents working full-time.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.0%
Houses
2.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Attwood is as close to a pure detached-house suburb as metropolitan Melbourne produces: 97% of dwellings are separate houses and 59.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. Only 2.5% are semi-detached and the apartment share is negligible. The tenure split strongly favours owners: 41.4% own outright and 50.5% carry a mortgage, compared to just 8.1% renting, well below the state average. The price history shows consistent appreciation from $540,000 in 2013 to $1,057,800 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 95.9% cumulative gain. The peak of $1,077,500 was reached in Oct-Dec 2023, with the latest reading 1.8% below that level. Mortgage stress is low, with repayments consuming 20.9% of household income, below the 30% threshold.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$358
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$824
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.6%
Unoccupied
30
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
16.7%
Couples, no children
2,997
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads industry employment at 13.5% of workers (151 residents), followed closely by Healthcare at 13.4% (150), then Education at 11.3% (126), Manufacturing at 8.3% and Professional/Tech at 7.9%. This trade-heavy profile differs from inner-city suburbs where professional services dominate. By occupation, Clerical/Admin workers (335) and Professionals (329) are the top two groups, followed by Managers (249) and Sales (196). The unemployment rate is 5.7%, somewhat higher than lower-disadvantage suburbs, and the participation rate of 64.7% is typical for a population with a median age of 42. Household income at the 84th percentile nationally sits above the state median, driven by the concentration of dual-income households in trades and healthcare.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.0%
Part-time
31.3%
Participation
64.7%
Employed
1,688
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.4%
Postgraduate
4.3%
Born Overseas
24.2%
Dwellings
1,113
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 91.9% driving to work, and public transport use is very low at 1.2%, consistent with a low-density detached-house suburb in Melbourne's northern fringe without rail access. The crime rate of 25.4 incidents per 1,000 residents is low, with 84 total recorded offences dominated by property and deception matters (44) and crimes against the person (20). The rent-to-income ratio of 16.2% and mortgage-to-income of 20.9% both sit below stress thresholds, making Attwood financially comfortable compared to many Melbourne suburbs. No schools are recorded within the Attwood boundary in this dataset, so families are dependent on schools in surrounding suburbs. The volunteering rate of 9.4% is modest, and 4.8% of residents need daily assistance, typical for the demographic profile.
Drive
91.9%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
84
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
25.4
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 Attwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Attwood a good suburb to live in?
Attwood suits established families and owner-occupiers well. Household income sits at the 84th percentile nationally, the crime rate is low at 25.4 per 1,000 residents, and 91.1% of residents stay over a five-year period, a strong indicator of community satisfaction. The trade-off is high car dependence, with 91.9% driving and only 1.2% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Attwood?
The median house price was $1,057,800 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, slightly below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,077,500. From a 2013 base of $540,000, prices have grown 95.9% over 14 years at a compound annual rate of 4.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000.
What schools are in Attwood?
No schools are recorded within the Attwood boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The suburb's population of 3,309 includes many family households with an average size of 2.9 people, so school catchment planning is an important consideration for buyers.
Is Attwood safe?
Attwood recorded 84 offences in the most recent year, giving a crime rate of 25.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 44 of those incidents, with 20 crimes against the person. This rate is lower than most metropolitan Melbourne suburbs, consistent with the suburb's low-disadvantage, owner-occupier profile.
Is Attwood good for property investment?
Attwood offers price stability rather than high yield. Weekly rent averages $358, implying a gross yield around 1.8% against the $1,057,800 median, below most investors' targets. The vacancy rate is 2.6% and only 8.1% of households rent, limiting the tenant pool. The 4.9% annual compound growth over 14 years supports long-term capital growth as the main investment rationale.
How is Attwood's population changing?
Attwood's population is stable and slow-moving. The 91.1% five-year retention rate means very few households turn over, and zero development applications in the past 12 months confirm no new supply is entering. The population of 3,309 skews older at a median age of 42, two years above the national figure, suggesting gradual aging rather than growth from new families.
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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