Bayswater
A 38-year median age, 36.4% overseas-born population and 27.7% working from home give Bayswater a mixed, connected profile. Its 12,262 residents live at a density of 1,547.1 people per square kilometre, while overseas migration sits 14.8 percentage points above the national comparison. Compared with nearby Boronia and Wantirna, Bayswater has a notably varied housing mix, with 61.7% separate houses and 27.3% semi-detached dwellings. The suburb is established but changing, with population growth across the wider area of 15.6% over 10 years and early gentrification signals. A crime rate of 91.4 offences per 1,000 residents means safety and street selection deserve closer attention.
Population
12,262
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,598/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
91
Median House
$958K
October to December 2025
Bayswater suits buyers seeking a middle-ring home with more dwelling choice than a purely detached market. A typical mortgage cost is listed at $1,820 per month, equal to 26.3% of household income, below common mortgage-stress thresholds. Three-bedroom homes make up 48.9% of the housing stock, while 4.2% has zero or one bedroom. The 61.7% separate-house share supports family demand, but 27.3% semi-detached housing creates options for buyers who value lower maintenance. Compared with nearby Wantirna, Bayswater can appeal to buyers prioritising a more varied dwelling format and established services.
For Buyers
Bayswater suits buyers seeking a middle-ring home with more dwelling choice than a purely detached market. A typical mortgage cost is listed at $1,820 per month, equal to 26.3% of household income, below common mortgage-stress thresholds. Three-bedroom homes make up 48.9% of the housing stock, while 4.2% has zero or one bedroom. The 61.7% separate-house share supports family demand, but 27.3% semi-detached housing creates options for buyers who value lower maintenance. Compared with nearby Wantirna, Bayswater can appeal to buyers prioritising a more varied dwelling format and established services.
For Investors
Bayswater has a substantial rental base, with 34.0% of occupied dwellings rented, higher than the 27.9% owned outright. Weekly rent is $375 and vacancy is 6.8%, so investors should assess achievable rent and tenant demand at the individual property level rather than rely on suburb averages. Rent growth of 16.7% supports the case for reviewing older leases, although vacancy above a tightly constrained market can create more letting competition. There were 87 development applications in 12 months, including a three-townhouse proposal, indicating an active supply pipeline. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, which may support rental demand because new arrivals often enter the private rental market before purchasing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
115
Last 12 Months
91
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+506.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bayswater
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Bayswater Primary School
Bayswater South Primary School
Bayswater West Primary School
Our Lady of Lourdes School
Bayswater Secondary College
Demographics
Bayswater is younger than the national comparison, with a median age of 38, or 2 years below it, and an average household size of 2.4 people, 0.1 below the national figure. The overseas-born share is 36.4%, 14.8 percentage points above national levels, with Chinese ancestry recorded for 1,579 residents. Mandarin is spoken by 379 people and Cantonese by 231. No religion is the largest reported affiliation at 5,309 people, followed by Christianity at 4,785 and Hinduism at 496. University attainment is 38.5%, 8.4 percentage points above the national comparison. Compared with nearby Boronia or Wantirna, households should assess local services and enrolment zones rather than assume the surrounding suburbs have identical cultural or family profiles.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
61.7%
Houses
27.3%
Townhouse
11.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mixed: 27.9% of homes are owned outright, 36.6% carry a mortgage and 34.0% are rented. Separate houses account for 61.7%, semi-detached homes 27.3% and apartments 11.0%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 48.9%, above the 22.6% share of four-bedroom or larger homes. Compared with nearby Wantirna, Bayswater provides a broader mix of attached and detached housing for different budgets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,820
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $375.
$550
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $590 · units $493
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$785
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
355
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.3%
Couples with children
37.5%
Couples, no children
19.4%
Single parent
3,381
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Bayswater's largest recorded industry at 19.4%, above construction at 10.4%, education at 10.1%, professional and technical services at 9.6%, and manufacturing at 8.4%. The occupational mix is similarly practical and varied, led by 1,398 professionals, 929 trades workers, 823 clerical and administrative workers, 771 community and personal service workers, and 642 managers. Labour-force participation is 63.0%, unemployment is 4.4% and full-time employment accounts for 61.0% of workers. SEIFA results are mixed: the education and occupation decile is 6, above the economic resources decile of 4, while disadvantage and advantage both sit at decile 5. That gap suggests educational and occupational capacity does not translate evenly into household resources.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
6,462
Unemployed
282
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
32.6%
Participation
63.0%
Employed
6,180
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.5%
Postgraduate
10.6%
Born Overseas
36.4%
Dwellings
4,847
Transport to Work
Bayswater has practical local access, with 5 nearby schools comprising 4 government schools and 1 Catholic school. The mix includes 4 primary schools and 1 secondary college, although exact enrolment zones should be checked against the address because they can cross suburb boundaries. Daily travel is car-led: 63.2% drive as a car occupant, compared with 3.2% using public transport, while 27.7% work from home. Safety requires attention, with 1,121 recorded offences and a rate of 91.4 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences account for 610, above crimes against the person at 158. An IRSAD decile of 5 is mid-range rather than top-tier, so amenity, transport convenience and street-level conditions should be weighed together.
Drive
63.2%
Public Transport
3.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
27.7%
Population Forecast
+1.24%/yr
(+337 people/yr)
EstablishedBayswater's forecast trend is positive at 1.24% annually, rather than flat, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is forecast at 15.6% over 10 years, while the trajectory is labelled Mixed. Gentrification remains at an Early signs stage, with a score of 32, so the suburb is changing without a clear transformation into a premium market. The combination of migration, active development with 87 applications in 12 months and moderate annual growth points to gradual change rather than a sudden population surge.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+398
Net Internal / yr
-46
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +21% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +398/yr, Accelerating: 6% → 14%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,121
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
91.4
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 Bayswater compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bayswater a good suburb to live in?
Bayswater can suit households wanting established services and varied housing, with 61.7% separate houses and 27.7% working from home. The 5-school local network is useful, but the crime rate of 91.4 per 1,000 means buyers should inspect individual streets carefully.
What schools are in Bayswater?
Bayswater has 5 listed local schools: 4 government primary or secondary schools and 1 Catholic primary school. The group includes Bayswater Primary School, Bayswater Secondary College and 3 other primary schools, with enrolment zones needing address-level confirmation.
Is Bayswater safe?
Bayswater recorded 1,121 offences at a rate of 91.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 610, compared with 158 crimes against the person, so local street conditions and property security should be part of any decision.
Is Bayswater good for property investment?
Bayswater has a 34.0% rental share, weekly rent of $375 and 6.8% vacancy. Rent growth of 16.7% and overseas migration as the primary growth driver are positive signals, while 87 development applications mean investors should assess future supply and dwelling quality.
How is Bayswater's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at 15.6% over 10 years, with annual growth of 1.24%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is Mixed and gentrification is at the Early signs stage with a score of 32.
What languages are spoken in Bayswater?
Bayswater has a sizeable overseas-born population of 36.4%. Mandarin is spoken by 379 residents, Cantonese by 231, German by 81, Sinhalese by 70 and Punjabi by 56, alongside English and other languages.
What development is happening in Bayswater?
There were 87 development applications in the past 12 months. Examples include a 3-townhouse proposal, community care accommodation and works to an existing loading area, indicating more construction activity than a dormant 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), 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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