Box Hill
Box Hill's headline is intensity: 14,353 residents fit into 3.52 sq km, with apartments at 53.2% of dwellings and renters at 60.7%. That makes it feel more like a metropolitan centre than nearby Surrey Hills or Mont Albert, because the station, hospital and retail core pull residents into compact housing. The population is younger than national norms, with median age 33, and 65.8% were born overseas, 44.2 percentage points above the national figure. A $1.68m house median sits beside household income in the 28.5th percentile, so amenity is strong but affordability is tight.
Population
14,353
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,267/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$1.7M
Apr-Jun 2024
For homebuyers, Box Hill rewards buyers who value access over land. The $1.68m median house price in Apr-Jun 2024 is 4.5% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak, but still 96.5% higher than the 2013 level, so the entry point remains premium. Separate houses are only 22.1% of stock, compared with 53.2% apartments and 24.8% semi-detached dwellings, which limits family-house choice. Mortgage costs absorb 35.5% of income, above the stress threshold, because household income sits at the 28.5th percentile despite expensive land values.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Box Hill rewards buyers who value access over land. The $1.68m median house price in Apr-Jun 2024 is 4.5% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak, but still 96.5% higher than the 2013 level, so the entry point remains premium. Separate houses are only 22.1% of stock, compared with 53.2% apartments and 24.8% semi-detached dwellings, which limits family-house choice. Mortgage costs absorb 35.5% of income, above the stress threshold, because household income sits at the 28.5th percentile despite expensive land values.
For Investors
Investors get deep tenant demand but should price vacancy risk carefully. Renting covers 60.7% of households, far higher than a typical owner-occupier suburb, and the median rent is $381 a week. The caution is the 18.4% vacancy rate, which is unusually high and likely reflects apartment turnover and short-stay or student-linked supply. Only 11 development applications were lodged over 12 months, below a construction-boom setting, while rent growth of 26.1% and overseas migration averaging 1,242 people a year support demand where stock is well located.
Development Activity
Total DAs
24
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+140.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Box Hill iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kingswood College
Prep-12 · 575 students
Box Hill High School
7-12 · 1547 students
Our Lady of Sion College
7-12 · 930 students
St Francis Xavier's School
Prep-6 · 257 students
Demographics
Demographically, Box Hill is young, highly educated and strongly international. Median age is 33, 7 years below the national benchmark, while 65.8% of residents were born overseas, 44.2 percentage points above national. University attainment is 54.1%, 24 points above national, which helps explain the large professional workforce despite lower household incomes. Chinese ancestry is the largest recorded group at 6,684 people, and Mandarin is the leading non-English language at 2,294 speakers; average household size is 2.2, 0.3 below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
22.1%
Houses
24.8%
Townhouse
53.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is split between expensive land and compact living. The house median reached $1.76m in Apr-Jun 2023 and eased to $1.68m in Apr-Jun 2024, a 4.5% fall from peak, but prices remain 96.5% higher than 2013 with a 4.9% annual growth rate over 14 years. Ownership is lower than family-suburb norms: 20.8% own outright, 18.5% have a mortgage and 60.7% rent. Bedrooms also skew smaller, with 51.7% being 2-bedroom homes and 17.8% having 0 or 1 bedroom, because apartments make up 53.2% of dwellings.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (Apr-Jun 2024)
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $381.
$610
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $650 · units $610
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$627
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.4%
Unoccupied
1,344
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
35.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.1%
Couples, no children
8,783
Total families
Economy & Employment
Box Hill's economy is anchored by health, education and knowledge work rather than local retail alone. Healthcare accounts for 18.7% of workers, followed by professional and tech at 13.0%, hospitality at 9.2%, education at 8.8% and retail at 8.7%. Professionals are the largest occupation group with 2,088 people, yet unemployment is 8.2% and participation is 54.5%, below what the education profile might imply. SEIFA is mixed: IEO ranks in decile 9, IRSAD decile 7, IRSD decile 4 and IER decile 2, because high qualifications sit beside low household resources and heavy renting.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
16,063
Unemployed
903
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.4%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
54.5%
Employed
6,485
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.1%
Postgraduate
18.7%
Born Overseas
65.8%
Dwellings
5,958
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for residents who want services within walking distance. Public transport mode share is 16.9% and walking or cycling is 15.6%, both meaningful compared with car driving at 61.2%, because the station and activity centre shorten daily trips. Schooling is a clear strength: 4 local schools span ICSEA 1105 to 1162, led by Kingswood College, Box Hill High School and Our Lady of Sion College across Independent, Government and Catholic sectors. Safety is the trade-off, with 2,000 recorded offences and a 139.3 per 1,000 rate, while IRSAD decile 7 is above average.
Drive
61.2%
Public Transport
16.9%
Walk / Cycle
15.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.06%/yr
(+560 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is still active for an established suburb. The trend adds 560 people a year, equal to 2.06% annually, taking the medium population path from 27,038 in 2026 to 29,837 in 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver, averaging +1,242 net people a year, while internal movement is -252, so Box Hill is gaining newcomers even as some residents leave for more space. The gentrification score is 41 and the stage is Active, higher than the earlier shift score of 38, with a declining young trajectory of -2.6 points but working-age share up 4.1 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+1,242
Net Internal / yr
-252
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +49% since 2011, Net internal outflow -252/yr, Strong overseas inflow +1242/yr, Accelerating: 14% → 31%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,000
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
139.3
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 Box Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Box Hill a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for residents who value transport, schools and services over larger blocks. Apartments make up 53.2% of homes, public transport use is 16.9%, and 4 local schools sit in a high ICSEA range, but the 139.3 per 1,000 crime rate needs consideration.
What is the median house price in Box Hill?
The median house price is $1.68m for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 4.5% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1.76m, but still 96.5% higher than the 2013 median of $855,000, so the market remains expensive despite the recent easing.
What schools are in Box Hill?
Box Hill has 4 local schools: Kingswood College, Box Hill High School, Our Lady of Sion College and St Francis Xavier's School. The ICSEA range is 1105 to 1162, with Government, Catholic and Independent options represented.
Is Box Hill safe?
Safety is mixed. There were 2,000 recorded offences and a crime rate of 139.3 per 1,000 residents, which is higher than many buyers may expect in a premium centre. Property and deception offences were the largest category, with 1,273 incidents.
Is Box Hill good for property investment?
It can be, but stock selection matters. Renting is very high at 60.7% of households and rent has grown 26.1%, supporting demand. The warning sign is the 18.4% vacancy rate, so well-located apartments may perform differently from weaker stock.
How is Box Hill's population changing?
Box Hill is still growing. The trend adds 560 people a year, or 2.06% annually, with the medium path reaching 29,837 residents by 2031. Growth is driven by overseas migration averaging +1,242 people a year, compared with internal outflow of -252.
What languages are commonly spoken in Box Hill?
Box Hill has a strong multilingual profile, with 65.8% of residents born overseas, 44.2 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the largest listed language with 2,294 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 585, Hindi at 99 and Korean at 94.
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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