Blackburn
A $1.45m median house price and 40.3% outright ownership put Blackburn in Melbourne's established-wealth band, with household income in the 77.7 percentile nationally. The suburb has 14,478 residents across 5.9 sq km, giving density of 2454.3 people per sq km without the apartment dominance seen closer to Box Hill. Education is a clear marker: 58.7% of adults hold a university qualification, 28.6 percentage points above the national level. Because 66.0% of dwellings are separate houses and only 12.7% are apartments, Blackburn feels more family-house led than nearby Box Hill while still carrying strong rail and school appeal.
Population
14,478
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,065/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for land, schools and stability: the median house price is $1.45m, below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak of $1.805m but still 68.5% above the 2013 level of $860,500. Separate houses make up 66.0% of stock, while 21.3% is semi-detached and 12.7% apartments, so downsizers have options but family homes remain the core market. Mortgage pressure looks contained, with mortgage costs at 24.7% of income and median monthly repayments of $2208. The 38.5% share of 3-bedroom homes and 32.4% share of 4-plus-bedroom homes suit families because larger formats are more common than small 0 to 1-bedroom dwellings at 7.1%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for land, schools and stability: the median house price is $1.45m, below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak of $1.805m but still 68.5% above the 2013 level of $860,500. Separate houses make up 66.0% of stock, while 21.3% is semi-detached and 12.7% apartments, so downsizers have options but family homes remain the core market. Mortgage pressure looks contained, with mortgage costs at 24.7% of income and median monthly repayments of $2208. The 38.5% share of 3-bedroom homes and 32.4% share of 4-plus-bedroom homes suit families because larger formats are more common than small 0 to 1-bedroom dwellings at 7.1%.
For Investors
Blackburn is more owner-occupier than rental-led: 26.5% of homes are rented, below the 40.3% owned outright share and 33.2% mortgaged share. Median rent is $411 per week, but the 8.4% vacancy rate is a caution because it gives tenants more choice than in a tight market. Demand support comes from overseas migration, averaging +414 people a year, and from a 23.5% rent growth shift signal. Development is measured rather than aggressive, with 12 applications in the past 12 months and recent samples mostly 2-lot subdivisions, so investors are buying into gradual infill rather than a high-supply apartment pipeline.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+114.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Blackburn iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Blackburn Lake Primary School
Prep-6 · 542 students
Laburnum Primary School
Prep-6 · 619 students
Blackburn Primary School
Prep-6 · 440 students
St Thomas the Apostle School
Prep-6 · 185 students
Blackburn High School
7-12 · 1289 students
Demographics
Blackburn skews educated, middle-aged and internationally connected. The median age is 41, 1.0 year above the national figure, while 58.7% university attainment is 28.6 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 33.4%, also 11.8 points above national, which helps explain the strong Chinese ancestry count of 2564 alongside English at 4536 and Irish at 1703. Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language at 658 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 221. Household size is 2.5, matching the national comparison, so the suburb is multicultural without shifting away from a standard family-household structure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
66.0%
Houses
21.3%
Townhouse
12.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing values have reset from the very recent top but remain far above the long-run base. The median moved from $860,500 in 2013 to $1.45m in Apr-Jun 2024, a 68.5% gain and 3.8% CAGR over 14 years, while the latest price is 19.7% below the $1.805m peak in Jan-Mar 2024. Ownership depth is a key stabiliser: 40.3% own outright, compared with 33.2% holding a mortgage and 26.5% renting. The mix is house-heavy, with 66.0% separate houses and 32.4% containing 4-plus bedrooms. Because median household income is $2065 weekly and mortgage-to-income is 24.7%, servicing pressure is lower than the headline price suggests.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,208
Rent / wk
$411
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$942
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.4%
Unoccupied
511
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.8%
Couples, no children
11,470
Total families
Economy & Employment
Blackburn's labour market is anchored by high-skill service work. Professional and tech roles account for 17.6% of employed residents, followed by healthcare at 16.9%, education at 12.6%, finance at 8.1% and public admin at 6.7%. Occupations reinforce that pattern, with 2802 professionals and 1182 managers, which helps explain household income sitting in the 77.7 percentile nationally. Unemployment is 4.8% and participation is 61.0%, with 4394 full-time and 2683 part-time workers. SEIFA is consistently high: IEO decile 9, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9, while the lower IER decile 8 suggests resources are strong but less uniformly elevated than education and occupation.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
13,930
Unemployed
605
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.1%
Part-time
33.1%
Participation
61.0%
Employed
7,077
Occupations
Top Industries
University
58.7%
Postgraduate
18.9%
Born Overseas
33.4%
Dwellings
5,556
Transport to Work
Blackburn's appeal is practical: schools, rail access and leafy housing, with car use still dominant. Five local schools span ICSEA 1094 to 1170, with Blackburn Lake Primary at 1170 and Laburnum Primary at 1159 leading the primary options, while Blackburn High adds a large government secondary enrolment of 1289. The sector mix is 4 Government and 1 Catholic, giving families choice without leaving the suburb. Commuting is still car-reliant, with 79.0% driving, compared with 9.9% using public transport and 5.0% walking or cycling. Safety is mixed rather than poor: crime is 63.3 per 1000 residents, led by 630 property and deception offences, while IRSAD decile 9 nationally indicates strong local advantage.
Drive
79.0%
Public Transport
9.9%
Walk / Cycle
5.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.78%/yr
(+186 people/yr)
EstablishedBlackburn's growth outlook is steady rather than explosive. The trend projection is 0.78% a year, equal to about 186 additional people annually, with the medium scenario rising from 23,731 in 2026 to 24,662 in 2031. Migration is the main driver: average net overseas migration is +414 a year, higher than the net internal loss of -98, so population growth depends on international inflow offsetting local moves out. The COVID period left a -2.5% dip but recovery is complete, with a 4.7% recovery gain. Gentrification is labelled Early signs with a score of 25, because prices, income growth of 17.6% and population change of 11.5% point to gradual renewal rather than wholesale transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+414
Net Internal / yr
-98
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +15% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +414/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
917
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
63.3
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 Blackburn compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blackburn a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Blackburn suits buyers seeking established homes, strong schools and high socio-economic indicators. It has 5 schools, IRSAD decile 9, and a median age of 41, with 66.0% separate houses supporting a family-oriented feel.
What is the median house price in Blackburn?
The median house price in Blackburn is $1.45m for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 19.7% below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak of $1.805m, but still 68.5% above the 2013 median of $860,500.
What schools are in Blackburn?
Blackburn has 5 listed schools: Blackburn Lake Primary, Laburnum Primary, Blackburn Primary, St Thomas the Apostle School and Blackburn High School. ICSEA scores range from 1094 to 1170, with enrolments from 185 to 1289.
Is Blackburn safe?
Blackburn recorded 917 offences, equal to 63.3 per 1000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 630, so buyers should assess street-level exposure, parking and home security.
Is Blackburn good for property investment?
Blackburn can work for investors seeking established-house scarcity and migration-backed demand. Rentals are 26.5% of dwellings, median rent is $411 per week, and vacancy is 8.4%, so income risk needs careful pricing.
How is Blackburn's population changing?
The population outlook is modest growth, with a forecast annual trend of 0.78% or 186 people. Overseas migration averages +414 a year, offsetting a -98 internal migration loss, and the medium scenario reaches 24,662 by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Blackburn?
Blackburn has a notable multilingual base, with 33.4% of residents born overseas. Mandarin is the largest listed language at 658 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 221, Punjabi at 96, Hindi at 92 and Greek at 68.
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.
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