Avondale Heights
One of Avondale Heights' clearest signals is its mature household profile: the median age is 45, while 47.9% own their homes outright. It has 12,388 residents across 5.41 square kilometres, with density of 2,290.4 people per square kilometre. The overseas-born share is 41.4%, 19.8 points above the national comparison, and university attainment is 42.5%, 12.4 points higher than national. Compared with nearby Essendon and Keilor East, Avondale Heights is more detached-home oriented: 77.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 33.7% have 4 or more bedrooms.
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
70
Median House
$1.1M
October to December 2025
Homebuyers are choosing a largely detached market: 77.0% of dwellings are separate houses, 22.2% are semi-detached, and 54.6% have 3 bedrooms. That rise matters because the typical mortgage is $2,167 per month and mortgage costs equal 31.5% of income, flagged as stress. Rent-to-income is lower at 25.2%. Families should match the 3-bedroom majority against future space needs.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a largely detached market: 77.0% of dwellings are separate houses, 22.2% are semi-detached, and 54.6% have 3 bedrooms. That rise matters because the typical mortgage is $2,167 per month and mortgage costs equal 31.5% of income, flagged as stress. Rent-to-income is lower at 25.2%. Families should match the 3-bedroom majority against future space needs.
For Investors
Investor demand has a mixed profile. Renting accounts for 20.1% of occupied dwellings, weekly rent is $400 and vacancy is 5.6%, so the market is less tight than a low-vacancy benchmark. Development activity is notable at 63 applications in the past 12 months, including a two-lot subdivision and side-by-side double-storey dwellings. That pipeline may add tenant choice and newer stock, but it can also increase competition for older rentals. The forecast names overseas migration as the primary driver and puts annual growth at 0.52%, a slower trajectory than a high-growth corridor.
Development Activity
Total DAs
95
Last 12 Months
70
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+366.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Avondale Heights
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Avondale Primary School
St Martin de Porres School
Demographics
Avondale Heights has an older, settled population: median age is 45, which is 5 years above the national comparison, and 84.9% stayed at the same address while turnover was 15.1%. Overseas-born residents represent 41.4%, or 19.8 points above the national figure. Italian ancestry is largest at 2,958 people, followed by English at 1,728, Chinese at 942 and Vietnamese at 904. Common languages include Italian at 616, Greek at 271 and Canton at 192. Compared with nearby Essendon, the suburb presents a more mature family and owner-occupier pattern, with average household size of 2.6, 45.6% couples with children and 36.5% couples without children. Long-term ownership helps explain the low turnover and persistent local networks.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.0%
Houses
22.2%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Avondale Heights is overwhelmingly a house market, with 77.0% separate houses, 22.2% semi-detached dwellings and only 0.5% apartments. Tenure is settled: 47.9% own outright, 29.3% have a mortgage and 20.1% rent. Three-bedroom homes account for 54.6%, while 4-plus-bedroom homes make up 33.7%, so family-sized stock dominates more than compact housing. Mortgage costs equal 31.5% of income, above the 25.2% rent-to-income ratio, which explains why price growth can build equity while narrowing affordability. Compared with nearby Essendon, the housing mix remains more detached-home oriented.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $400.
$550
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $580 · units $520
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
45.6%
Couples with children
36.5%
Couples, no children
16.0%
Single parent
3,456
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 15.7%, education at 11.7%, professional and technical services at 10.8%, construction at 10.1% and finance at 7.2%. The occupation mix includes 1,336 professionals, 845 clerical and administrative workers, 752 managers, 630 trades workers and 490 sales workers. Unemployment is 5.3%, participation is 54.4% and full-time employment is 60.7%, while household income sits at the 52.1 percentile. This mix is resilient because professional, public-facing and trade roles coexist. SEIFA education and occupation, economic resources, and relative advantage sit at deciles 6, 6 and 6, while relative disadvantage is decile 5. Compared with higher-income inner suburbs, access is below top-decile levels and mortgage-to-income pressure is visible at 31.5%.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
5,668
Unemployed
303
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.7%
Part-time
31.7%
Participation
54.4%
Employed
5,365
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.5%
Postgraduate
9.1%
Born Overseas
41.4%
Dwellings
4,482
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households that value local schools, established housing and car access. Two nearby primary schools span government and Catholic sectors, so families should check the exact address against enrolment zones. Car commuting is dominant at 59.9%, while 32.0% work from home and 2.1% use public transport, making daily life more car-oriented than transit-led. The crime rate is 36.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 447 total offences, including 233 property and deception offences and 71 crimes against the person. SEIFA IRSAD is decile 6 and IRSD is decile 5, placing relative advantage above the middle disadvantage decile but below top-decile areas. Compared with inner suburbs, transport convenience is lower for households without a car, while the 5.41-square-kilometre footprint supports short local trips.
Drive
59.9%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
32.0%
Population Forecast
+0.52%/yr
(+67 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth looks measured rather than explosive. The annual trend is 0.52%, and population change across the wider area is 12.7% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the gentrification stage is Not gentrifying with a score of 4. The trajectory is Aging, with a 3.1% increase in senior share and a 3.1% decline in working share, pointing to established households staying as the age structure changes. Rent growth of 33.3% and real income growth of 23.3% show movement, while affordability measures are 68.3 in 2011 and 60.1 in 2021. Compared with a fast expansion corridor, Avondale Heights is more likely to change through infill and household replacement than wholesale redevelopment. The 63 applications in 12 months reinforce that gradual pattern.
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
What schools are in Avondale Heights?
Avondale Heights has 2 nearby primary schools: Avondale Primary School in the government sector and St Martin de Porres School in the Catholic sector. Check the exact address against enrolment zones, especially when comparing 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes.
Is Avondale Heights safe?
The recorded crime rate is 36.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 447 offences in total. Property and deception offences account for 233, while crimes against the person account for 71, so prospective residents should assess the exact street and current local conditions.
How is Avondale Heights's population changing?
The population outlook is gradual and aging rather than rapid: the annual trend is 0.52%, wider-area population change is 12.7% over 10 years, and the shift trajectory is Aging. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, while senior share rose 3.1%.
What languages are spoken in Avondale Heights?
Italian is the most common listed language at 616 speakers, followed by Greek at 271, Canton at 192, Arabic at 147 and Croatian at 144. The overseas-born share is 41.4%, which is 19.8 percentage points above the national comparison.
What development is occurring in Avondale Heights?
There were 63 development applications in the past 12 months. Examples include a two-lot subdivision and side-by-side double-storey dwellings, indicating gradual infill rather than a large apartment-led redevelopment program.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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