Bedford Park
A student and health-campus profile shapes Bedford Park more than its modest 1,882 residents and 2.67 sq km footprint suggest. The median age is 28, university attainment is 51.4%, or 21.3 percentage points above national, and 49.0% were born overseas, 27.4 points above national. Compared with nearby Sturt and Clovelly Park, Bedford Park reads more as a campus and medical precinct, with healthcare accounting for 33.8% of employment.
Local council: Mitcham (81% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
1,882
Median Age
28.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,448/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$988K
First quarter 2026
Buyer demand here needs to be matched to a specialised housing market. Separate houses account for 69.4% of stock, but apartments and semi-detached homes contribute 14.1% and 16.6%, fitting the nearby campus and medical workforce. Three-bedroom homes are the largest group at 43.7%, followed by 2-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 26.5% each. A $1,600 monthly mortgage equals 25.5% of household income, while the 51.8% rental share signals a mobile market.
For Buyers
Buyer demand here needs to be matched to a specialised housing market. Separate houses account for 69.4% of stock, but apartments and semi-detached homes contribute 14.1% and 16.6%, fitting the nearby campus and medical workforce. Three-bedroom homes are the largest group at 43.7%, followed by 2-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 26.5% each. A $1,600 monthly mortgage equals 25.5% of household income, while the 51.8% rental share signals a mobile market.
For Investors
Bedford Park has a clear renter base: 51.8% of households rent, weekly rent is $290, and vacancy is 10.2%. That combination can support leasing interest around study and health employment, but the vacancy figure may indicate more tenant competition than in a tightly supplied market. Seventeen development applications were recorded in 12 months, including works linked to health and education facilities. Healthcare employs 33.8% of workers, giving the rental story a specialised rather than broad suburban base.
Development Activity
Total DAs
135
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-34.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bedford Park
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Australian Science and Mathematics School
Demographics
Bedford Park is younger and more internationally connected than Australia overall. Its median age is 28, 12 years below the national figure, while 51.4% have a university qualification, 21.3 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 49.0%, 27.4 points above national, with English, Other and Chinese the largest recorded ancestry responses at 423, 404 and 238 people. Mandarin is the most common listed non-English language at 52 speakers, followed by Nepali and Sinhal at 16 each. A 43.4% turnover rate and average household size of 2.5 fit a student and early-career population. No religion is the largest affiliation at 804, compared with 553 identifying with Christianity and 111 with Buddhism.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.4%
Houses
16.6%
Townhouse
14.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Bedford Park's housing mix is compact but not apartment-dominated. Separate houses represent 69.4%, compared with 14.1% apartments and 16.6% semi-detached dwellings. Tenure is the sharper differentiator: 51.8% rent, 27.2% own outright and 19.6% hold a mortgage, consistent with student and short-stay demand around the campus and hospital. Three-bedroom homes lead at 43.7%, while 2-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom properties each account for 26.5%. Mortgage repayments of $1,600 per month equal 25.5% of household income, and the mortgage-stress flag is false.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$290
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$470
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
55
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.5%
Couples with children
46.7%
Couples, no children
13.3%
Single parent
285
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates Bedford Park's employment base at 33.8% and 190 workers, well above hospitality at 9.8% and 55, education at 9.1% and 51, admin at 7.5% and 42, and retail at 5.9% and 33. The concentration reflects the medical and university precinct, making local work more specialised than a standard shopping and services suburb. Community and personal service occupations lead with 197 people, followed closely by professionals at 196; labourers number 103, trades 84 and sales 81. The labour force is 947, participation is 54.4%, unemployment is 10.6%, and 638 people are outside the labour force. Full-time employment is 38.1%, while 441 people work part-time and 323 full-time, creating a more mixed income base than the healthcare share alone implies.
Unemployment
10.6%
Labour Force
947
Unemployed
100
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
38.1%
Part-time
52.1%
Participation
54.4%
Employed
847
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.4%
Postgraduate
15.7%
Born Overseas
49.0%
Dwellings
483
Transport to Work
Daily life is shaped by the campus, hospital and car-oriented southern corridor. Driving is the main commute mode at 65.3%, compared with 11.6% using public transport and 9.2% walking or cycling; another 9.2% work from home. Bedford Park includes Australian Science and Mathematics School, a government secondary school, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address rather than assume every nearby campus serves local residents. The suburb has a density of 703.6 people per sq km across 2.67 sq km, supporting short trips within the precinct but not guaranteeing quiet streets. Reported crime totals 177 incidents, or 94.0 per 1,000 residents, a rate that warrants comparison with surrounding suburbs and inspection of the immediate street environment before renting or buying.
Drive
65.3%
Public Transport
11.6%
Walk / Cycle
9.2%
Work from Home
9.2%
Growth Outlook
Recent growth is most visible in prices and precinct activity. Seventeen development applications were recorded over 12 months, with examples including combustible-cladding replacement at a health science building and fire-door works at Flinders Medical Centre. These projects point to continued institutional investment because Bedford Park is anchored by health and education, although 17 applications do not indicate a large residential expansion. Population change is likely to be felt through demand for study, medical and support services before a major shift in the housing mix.
Population trend: Mitcham council area
About 81% of Bedford Park sits in Mitcham; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Bedford Park's.
Residents 2025
71,267
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
177
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
94.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bedford Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bedford Park a good suburb to live in?
Bedford Park suits people who value access to study, health services and a younger social mix. The median age is 28, university attainment is 51.4% and public transport use is 11.6%. Renters should also consider the 10.2% vacancy rate and 94.0 reported incidents per 1,000 residents when comparing streets and nearby suburbs.
What schools are in Bedford Park?
Bedford Park includes 1 listed school, Australian Science and Mathematics School, a government secondary education setting. Families should compare the exact address with enrolment zones and check whether primary or other secondary options meet their needs, particularly where campus boundaries cross nearby suburbs.
Is Bedford Park safe?
Safety should be assessed at street level. Bedford Park recorded 177 incidents, equal to 94.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, so that rate should be compared with nearby suburbs and checked against the exact block, lighting and travel patterns. The population is 1,882, meaning rates can move with relatively few incidents.
How is Bedford Park's population changing?
Bedford Park has 1,882 residents and a median age of 28. Its 43.4% turnover rate, 49.0% overseas-born share and 51.4% university attainment point to a mobile, student-linked population. Compared with the national age profile, the suburb is 12 years younger; 56.6% stayed at the same address, so change is substantial but not universal.
What languages are spoken in Bedford Park?
Mandarin is the most common listed language, with 52 speakers. Nepali and Sinhal each have 16 speakers, followed by Malayalam at 14 and Arabic at 12. The 49.0% overseas-born share is well above the national comparison, helping explain the suburb's wider mix of languages and cultural backgrounds.
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), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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