SA 5050 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Bellevue Heights

At 47, the median age is 7 years above national, while university attainment is 48.7%, or 18.6 percentage points above national. Separate houses make up 85.7% of homes and 81.5% stayed at the same address. Compared with nearby Blackwood and Eden Hills, Bellevue Heights reads as a low-turnover, detached-home pocket with strong health and professional links, rather than a high-rental precinct.

Local council: Mitcham

Bellevue Heights urban fabric map

Population

2,712

Median Age

47.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,662/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

25

Median House

$1.2M

First quarter 2026

2.53 km²· 1,070.2 people/km²· Family income $2,067/wk

Bellevue Heights suits buyers prioritising established streets, larger homes and ownership stability over entry-level pricing. Separate houses account for 85.7%, with 41.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 45.9% containing 3 bedrooms. Mortgage stress is not flagged at 24.3% of household income, while rent is $370 a week. Compared with renting, buying needs greater deposit and maintenance capacity, but 42.7% own outright and 38.3% have a mortgage. Check slope, renovation scope and school zones.

For Buyers

Bellevue Heights suits buyers prioritising established streets, larger homes and ownership stability over entry-level pricing. Separate houses account for 85.7%, with 41.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 45.9% containing 3 bedrooms. Mortgage stress is not flagged at 24.3% of household income, while rent is $370 a week. Compared with renting, buying needs greater deposit and maintenance capacity, but 42.7% own outright and 38.3% have a mortgage. Check slope, renovation scope and school zones.

For Investors

Investor appeal is selective rather than yield-led. Bellevue Heights has 11.6% renters, a $370 weekly median rent and a 5.1% vacancy rate, indicating a smaller rental pool than a high-turnover apartment market. There were 30 development applications in 12 months, including a second-storey addition, verandah and carport, rather than a clearly stated wave of new dwellings. Growth is forecast at 0.73% annually, driven by overseas migration. Compare land value, maintenance and achievable rent with cheaper options.

Development Activity

Total DAs

159

Last 12 Months

25

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

-26.5%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Deck / Pergola / Patio
15
Renovation / Extension
13
Garage / Carport / Shed
12
New Dwelling
7
Fencing
3
Swimming Pool / Spa
2
Commercial / Industrial
2
Landscaping / Retaining Wall
2

Schools in Bellevue Heights

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Bellevue Heights Primary School

Primary Education Government

Demographics

Bellevue Heights has an older, settled demographic: the median age is 47, 7 years above national, and 81.5% stayed at the same address while turnover was 18.5%. University qualifications reach 48.7%, 18.6 points above national, supporting the suburb's professional employment base. English ancestry counts 1,075 people, followed by Scottish 298, German 265 and Irish 248. No religion counts 1,335, compared with 1,096 for Christianity. Overseas-born residents are 27.2%, 5.6 points above national, and average household size is 2.5. Compared with Blackwood and Eden Hills, the profile is older and more settled.

Age Distribution

0-14
15.1%
15-24
10.2%
25-44
21.3%
45-64
22.1%
65+
31.5%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
1.7%
2 bed
11.4%
3 bed
45.9%
4+ bed
41.0%

Dwelling Structure

85.7%

Houses

14.3%

Townhouse

0.0%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 42.7% Mortgage 38.3% Rent 11.6% Other 7.4%

Bellevue Heights is a detached-home market with a high ownership base, but the latest price level is demanding. Separate houses account for 85.7% and semi-detached homes 14.3%; bedroom stock is family-sized, with 45.9% three-bedroom and 41.0% four-plus homes. Outright ownership is 42.7%, mortgage ownership 38.3% and renting 11.6%, so tenure is more secure than the rental share suggests. The purchase burden is material even though mortgage stress is not flagged at 24.3%. Compared with Blackwood and Eden Hills, the 85.7% house share and 28.7% lift signal a premium established market.

Mortgage / mo

$1,750

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$370

Census 2021

HH Size

2.5

Personal Income / wk

$764

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

5.1%

Unoccupied

55

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

22.3%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

24.3%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin
41
Arabic
15
Polish
14
German
13

Ancestry

English
1,075
Scottish
298
German
265
Other
264
Irish
248
Chinese
130

Household Composition

41.4%

Couples with children

47.1%

Couples, no children

11.2%

Single parent

769

Total families

Economy & Employment

Bellevue Heights has a service-led workforce anchored by healthcare and education. Healthcare employs 208 people, or 23.2%, and education 149, or 16.6%; professional and technical work contributes 89, public administration 88 and construction 55. This mix helps explain the strong qualification profile. Professionals number 401 and managers 172, ahead of clerical and administrative workers at 142, community and personal services at 139 and trades at 122. Participation is 54.3%, unemployment 4.9%, with 668 full-time and 451 part-time workers. SEIFA education and occupation sit at deciles 8 and 7, while IRSAD is decile 8, above the midpoint and consistent with a comparatively advantaged economy.

Unemployment

4.9%

Labour Force

1,250

Unemployed

61

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
8
Disadvantage
8
Economic resources
7
Education & occupation
8

Full-time

56.2%

Part-time

37.9%

Participation

54.3%

Employed

1,189

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 401
Managers 172
Clerical/Admin 142
Community/Personal 139
Trades 122
Sales 96
Labourers 72
Machinery/Drivers 38

Top Industries

Healthcare 23.2%
Education 16.6%
Professional/Tech 9.9%
Public Admin 9.8%
Construction 6.1%

University

48.7%

Postgraduate

14.9%

Born Overseas

27.2%

Dwellings

1,022

Transport to Work

Daily life in Bellevue Heights is car-oriented and suited to a quieter, established setting. Car drivers account for 72.2% of journeys, compared with 4.2% using public transport and 3.4% walking or cycling; 16.8% work from home. Private vehicle access therefore matters more than transit convenience. Bellevue Heights Primary School is the local government primary option; check enrolment zones against the exact address. Safety is a relative strength, with 30 incidents and 11.1 per 1,000 residents. An IRSAD decile of 8 and IEO decile of 8 sit above the midpoint, supporting established amenity across the 2.53 square kilometre suburb.

Drive

72.2%

Public Transport

4.2%

Walk / Cycle

3.4%

Work from Home

16.8%

Growth Outlook

Bellevue Heights has an established outlook, with forecast growth of 0.73% a year and overseas migration as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 4.8% over 10 years, positive and above zero but slower than a rapid-growth corridor. The trajectory is Mixed, with rent growth of 26.9%, real income growth of 9.3% and senior share up 2.8 points, consistent with an ageing base. Gentrification signals are nuanced: the score is 30 at the Early signs stage, while the shift assessment is Mixed with a Not gentrifying stage. Compared with a newly developing suburb, change is more likely to come through renovations and infill; 30 applications were lodged in 12 months.

Population trend: Mitcham council area

Bellevue Heights sits in the Mitcham council area. These are the council area's residents, not Bellevue Heights'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

30

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

11.1

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Bellevue Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 18%
Household Income
Top 42%
Rent Level
Top 22%
Apartments
Bottom 0%
Renters
Bottom 40%
Uni Educated
Top 10%
Public Transport
Top 32%
Born Overseas
Top 17%
Density
Top 15%

Frequently Asked Questions

What schools are in Bellevue Heights?

Bellevue Heights Primary School is the suburb's government primary school. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and current intake arrangements before buying, because school boundaries can be narrower than the suburb boundary. Bellevue Heights has 2,712 residents and a median age of 47, so household needs range from established families to older residents.

Is Bellevue Heights safe?

Bellevue Heights records 30 incidents and a crime rate of 11.1 per 1,000 residents. That is a relatively low-crime profile, consistent with its established, low-turnover character: 81.5% of residents stayed at the same address and the median age is 47. Buyers should still compare the exact street, property security and recent local reports before deciding.

How is Bellevue Heights's population changing?

The wider-area forecast points to measured change rather than a population surge. Annual growth is forecast at 0.73%, overseas migration is the primary driver and 10-year population change is 4.8%. The trajectory is Mixed, while the gentrification score is 30 at the Early signs stage. Bellevue Heights also has an older profile, with a median age of 47 and senior share up 2.8 percentage points.

What development is occurring in Bellevue Heights?

Development activity is noticeable but appears weighted toward small-scale residential works. There were 30 applications in the past 12 months, including a second-storey addition, verandah and carport. With 85.7% separate houses, additions and renovations may matter more than apartment-led redevelopment. Buyers should assess each proposal for its effect on parking, privacy, overshadowing and the future streetscape.

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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