Avondale Heights
A median age of 45, 5.0 years above the national benchmark, is the headline in Avondale Heights. The suburb is mature, owner-heavy and house-dominant, with 77.0% separate houses and 49.3% owned outright. Compared with nearby Keilor East and Maribyrnong, it reads more like a settled family and downsizer pocket than a high-turnover renter market because only 20.7% of homes are rented. The $975,000 median house price sits just 1.5% below the 2022 peak, so buyers are paying for established land, low apartment exposure and a riverside north-west position rather than rapid reinvention.
Population
12,388
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,587/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
50
Median House
$975K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are mostly choosing land and conventional family layouts: 77.0% of dwellings are separate houses, 22.2% are semi-detached and only 0.5% are apartments. The $975,000 median house price is below the 2022 peak of $990,000 by 1.5%, but still 83.1% higher than the 2013 level of $532,500. That matters because the market has held most of its long-run gain while giving buyers slightly more room than at the peak. Mortgage pressure is real, with repayments at 31.5% of income, above a comfortable threshold for many households.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly choosing land and conventional family layouts: 77.0% of dwellings are separate houses, 22.2% are semi-detached and only 0.5% are apartments. The $975,000 median house price is below the 2022 peak of $990,000 by 1.5%, but still 83.1% higher than the 2013 level of $532,500. That matters because the market has held most of its long-run gain while giving buyers slightly more room than at the peak. Mortgage pressure is real, with repayments at 31.5% of income, above a comfortable threshold for many households.
For Investors
For investors, Avondale Heights is more defensive than speculative. Renting accounts for 20.7% of households, below what is typical in inner rental corridors, and the $400 weekly median rent implies a tenant base that is present but not dominant. Vacancy is 5.6%, higher than scarcity conditions, so pricing and property quality matter. The 29 development applications over 12 months, including 2-lot and 3-lot subdivisions, point to gradual site unlocking because large detached blocks can be split without changing the suburb's overall low-density character.
Development Activity
Total DAs
68
Last 12 Months
50
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+455.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Avondale Heights iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Avondale Primary School
Prep-6 · 433 students
St Martin de Porres School
Prep-6 · 279 students
Demographics
Avondale Heights has an older and more educated profile than the national baseline: the median age is 45, which is 5.0 years above national, and 42.5% hold a university qualification, 12.4 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 41.4%, 19.8 points above national, with Italian ancestry prominent at 2,958 people alongside English at 1,728, Chinese at 942 and Vietnamese at 904. Compared with younger renter areas closer to Footscray, the profile is more settled because outright ownership is high and household size is 2.6.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.0%
Houses
22.2%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the suburb's clearest identity marker. The median house price is $975,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, compared with $532,500 in 2013, a gain of 83.1% at a 4.4% CAGR over 14 years. Prices are only 1.5% below the $990,000 peak from 2022, which suggests resilience rather than a deep reset. Ownership is strong: 49.3% own outright, 30.1% have a mortgage and 20.7% rent. The bedroom mix supports families, with 54.6% having 3 bedrooms and 33.7% having 4 or more, while apartments are almost absent at 0.5%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$666
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
269
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.2%
Couples, no children
10,111
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans white-collar and service-based, with Healthcare at 15.7%, Education at 11.7%, Professional/Tech at 10.8%, Construction at 10.1% and Finance at 7.2%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,336 people, above clerical/admin at 845 and managers at 752. SEIFA is middling to comfortable rather than elite: IRSAD is decile 6, IEO decile 6, IER decile 6 and IRSD decile 5. That pattern fits a suburb with solid education and assets, but also an older population and a 50.5% participation rate because many residents are outside the labour force.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
6,399
Unemployed
161
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
50.5%
Employed
4,955
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.5%
Postgraduate
9.1%
Born Overseas
41.4%
Dwellings
4,482
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for car-based households who value quiet streets, primary schooling and established homes. Public transport commuting is low at 2.7%, well below car-driver commuting at 88.4%, so daily convenience depends heavily on road access. The local school set is compact, with 2 primary schools and an ICSEA range of 1074 to 1074 across Government and Catholic options. Crime sits at 447 offences, or 36.1 per 1,000 residents, led by 233 property and deception offences. IRSAD decile 6 adds a slightly above-average socio-economic base.
Drive
88.4%
Public Transport
2.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.52%/yr
(+67 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to stay modest compared with faster fringe corridors. The trend forecast is 0.52% per year, or about 67 people annually, taking the medium population path from 12,854 in 2026 to 13,191 in 2031. Migration is the main support because overseas migration averages 162 net people a year, compared with only 5 net internal migrants. The shift profile is Aging, with seniors up 3.1 points and working-age share down 3.1 points. The gentrification score is 4 and the stage is Not gentrifying, even though population has risen 12% since 2011.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+162
Net Internal / yr
+5
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
447
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
36.1
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 Avondale Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Avondale Heights a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers wanting a settled, house-dominant area with 77.0% separate houses and a median age of 45. It suits car-based households more than public transport users because 88.4% drive to work while only 2.7% use public transport.
What is the median house price in Avondale Heights?
The median house price is $975,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 83.1% higher than the 2013 level of $532,500, but still 1.5% below the 2022 peak of $990,000.
What schools are in Avondale Heights?
Avondale Heights has 2 local primary schools: Avondale Primary School and St Martin de Porres School. Both have an ICSEA of 1074, giving the suburb a compact school base compared with larger education hubs.
Is Avondale Heights safe?
Recorded crime totals 447 offences, equal to 36.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category with 233 incidents, higher than crimes against the person at 71.
Is Avondale Heights good for property investment?
It is better suited to steady land-backed investing than high-yield renting. Renters are 20.7% of households, median rent is $400 per week and vacancy is 5.6%, so tenant demand is less tight than in denser rental markets.
How is Avondale Heights's population changing?
Population growth is modest, with a forecast trend of 0.52% a year or 67 people annually. The medium path reaches 13,191 by 2031, while overseas migration averages 162 net people a year.
What languages are spoken in Avondale Heights?
Avondale Heights has a high overseas-born share at 41.4%, which is 19.8 percentage points above national. Common non-English languages include Italian with 616 speakers, Greek with 271 and Canton with 192.
Is there much development in Avondale Heights?
Development is active but mostly incremental, with 29 applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include 3-lot and 2-lot subdivisions, which is higher activity than a no-change established suburb.
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.
Explore Avondale Heights on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map