Boronia
The median age is 39, one year below the national comparison, while 34.6% of residents have a university qualification, 4.5 percentage points above the national figure. Compared with nearby Bayswater and Ferntree Gully, Boronia should be assessed as a mixed dwelling market, because it combines a 3.53% annual growth trend with a 28.4% renting share.
Population
23,607
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,619/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
140
Median House
$926K
October to December 2025
Boronia suits buyers seeking a three-bedroom family format, with 51.1% of dwellings in that category and 71.7% separate houses. Mortgage-to-income is 26.7% and the mortgage stress flag is false, although the affordability index fell from 62.7 in 2011 to 48.6 in 2021. Compared with a detached-only market, the 24.8% semi-detached share gives buyers more choice, while affordability is lower than a decade earlier.
For Buyers
Boronia suits buyers seeking a three-bedroom family format, with 51.1% of dwellings in that category and 71.7% separate houses. Mortgage-to-income is 26.7% and the mortgage stress flag is false, although the affordability index fell from 62.7 in 2011 to 48.6 in 2021. Compared with a detached-only market, the 24.8% semi-detached share gives buyers more choice, while affordability is lower than a decade earlier.
For Investors
Boronia has a 28.4% renting share, a weekly rent of $376 and a 5.5% vacancy rate, giving investors a meaningful tenant market but also a need to test property-level competition. Rent growth of 12.5% supports the income case, while the 3.53% annual growth trend and internal migration point to continuing demand. Development activity is material, with 137 applications in 12 months, including a six-dwelling proposal, so new supply should be considered alongside tenant demand. Renting remains below the 40.2% mortgage-holder share and the 30.5% owned-outright share, showing that Boronia is still strongly owner-occupied.
Development Activity
Total DAs
177
Last 12 Months
140
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+723.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Boronia
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Boronia K-12 College
Boronia Heights Primary School
Dillbadin Primary School
Knox Central Primary School
St Joseph's Primary School
Demographics
Boronia's median age of 39 is 1 year below the national comparison, while 34.6% of residents hold a university qualification, 4.5 percentage points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 28.3%, 6.7 points higher than the national comparison, helping explain the presence of Mandarin speakers at 453, Canton speakers at 237 and Sinhalese speakers at 159. Households average 2.4 people, 0.1 below the national figure, and 41.7% of families are couples with children compared with 37.8% couples without children. English, Irish, Scottish and Chinese are the leading named ancestries, with counts of 8,320, 2,244, 2,160 and 1,934. The 79.5% stay rate indicates a more settled base than a highly mobile area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.7%
Houses
24.8%
Townhouse
3.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing profile is anchored by separate houses at 71.7%, but semi-detached dwellings are also significant at 24.8%, while apartments account for 3.4%. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.1% and four-plus-bedroom homes 23.6%, so the stock leans toward family formats rather than compact one-bedroom living at 2.3%. Tenure is split between 30.5% owned outright, 40.2% mortgaged and 28.4% rented. Compared with the 2013 trough, current prices are higher, while mortgage-to-income at 26.7% and rent-to-income at 23.2% have no recorded stress flags. Against nearby Bayswater and Ferntree Gully, compare land component, dwelling type and tenure rather than using the suburb median alone.
Mortgage / mo
$1,870
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $376.
$560
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $590 · units $500
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$800
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
547
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.7%
Couples with children
37.8%
Couples, no children
18.6%
Single parent
6,522
Total families
Economy & Employment
Boronia's employment base is led by healthcare at 17.9% with 1,454 workers, education at 12.3% with 998, construction at 11.3% with 919, professional and technical work at 9.7% with 787, and manufacturing at 8.1% with 658. That mix is broader than a single-industry local economy because care, education, trades and office occupations all have weight. Professionals number 2,621 and trades 1,947, followed by clerical and administrative workers at 1,668. The labour-force participation rate is 63.4%, unemployment is 4.3% and full-time work is 60.3%. Household income sits at the 53.1 percentile, slightly above the midpoint, while SEIFA deciles range from 5 to 6 across education, employment, disadvantage and advantage, indicating middle-ranking conditions rather than top-decile affluence.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
12,418
Unemployed
539
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
33.2%
Participation
63.4%
Employed
11,879
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.6%
Postgraduate
8.8%
Born Overseas
28.3%
Dwellings
9,325
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 63.3% of commuters drive, compared with 2.9% using public transport, while 28.5% work from home. Six nearby schools span government, Catholic and independent sectors, with primary, Pri/Sec and secondary options, giving families a broader sector mix than a single-provider catchment; exact enrolment zones should be checked by address. Safety needs practical due diligence because the recorded crime rate is 76.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, including 1,808 total offences, 802 property and deception offences and 262 crimes against the person. Socioeconomic measures sit around the middle, with IRSAD decile 5, IRSD decile 6, IEO decile 6 and IER decile 5, lower than top-decile areas. The 13.5% volunteering rate adds a local participation signal, but transport and street-level crime patterns should shape the final choice.
Drive
63.3%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
28.5%
Population Forecast
+3.53%/yr
(+957 people/yr)
High GrowthBoronia carries a high-growth outlook, with annual growth forecast at 3.53% and internal migration identified as the primary driver. The wider area's population change is 63.5% over 10 years, while the trajectory is labelled Stable, suggesting expansion without a sharp shift in direction. Rent growth of 12.5% is higher than the annual trend, which matters because tenant demand and housing supply can move at different speeds. Affordability is labelled Improving, but the index fell from 62.7 in 2011 to 48.6 in 2021, so purchasing power is lower than it was a decade earlier. A gentrification score of 37 is classified as Early signs, adding a gradual-change signal rather than a completed transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+155
Net Internal / yr
+1,427
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,808
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
76.6
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 Boronia compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boronia a good suburb to live in?
Boronia can suit households wanting family-sized housing and local school access. Its population is 23,607, the median age is 39 and 71.7% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with a compact apartment market, the 51.1% three-bedroom share supports a more conventional family setup, but car use at 63.3% is high.
What schools are in Boronia?
Six schools serve Boronia: 4 government schools, 1 Catholic primary school and 1 independent secondary school, with 4 primary schools, 1 Pri/Sec college and 1 secondary school. The mix spans 3 sectors, which is broader than a single-sector choice. Check the enrolment zone and year-level availability for each address.
Is Boronia safe?
Crime requires address-level checking rather than a simple yes or no. Boronia recorded 76.6 offences per 1,000 residents and 1,808 total offences, including 802 property and deception offences and 262 crimes against the person. Property and deception incidents were higher than crimes against the person, so security, lighting and the immediate street context deserve attention when comparing homes.
Is Boronia good for property investment?
Boronia may suit investors who can balance a 28.4% renting share, $376 weekly rent and a 5.5% vacancy rate against purchase cost. Rent growth is 12.5%, while the annual growth trend is 3.53% and internal migration is the stated driver. Renting is below the 40.2% mortgage-holder share, so dwelling selection and tenant appeal remain important.
How is Boronia's population changing?
Boronia has 23,607 residents today. The wider area's forecast population change is 63.5% over 10 years, with annual growth of 3.53% and internal migration as the primary driver. The trajectory is labelled Stable, while the young and senior shares each move by 0.4 percentage points. The 20.5% turnover rate and 79.5% stay rate point to a more settled base than a highly mobile suburb.
What development is happening in Boronia?
Development activity reached 137 applications in 12 months, including a proposal for 6 dwellings and applications for a single dwelling. This level of activity is relevant for buyers and investors because additional supply can change local competition, rental choice and streetscape conditions. Check each property's planning context before committing.
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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