Bunyip
Bunyip's most distinctive feature is its detached housing profile: 98.3% of homes are separate houses, while 47.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. The suburb has 3,131 residents, a median age of 38 that is 2 years below the national figure, and household income at the 72.1st percentile. This supports a family and commuter market because larger detached homes suit households needing space, while 20.6% work from home and 72.7% drive to work. Compared with nearby Garfield and Longwarry, Bunyip reads as a lower-density township, with density of 129.2 people per square kilometre and little pressure from apartment-style housing.
Population
3,131
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,927/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$815K
October to December 2025
The typical mortgage payment is $1,950 monthly, equal to 23.4% of household income, and mortgage stress is not flagged. Choice is concentrated in family stock: 47.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 39.6% have 3 bedrooms. This suits buyers seeking space because 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.7% are semi-detached. Compare land, flood exposure and station access carefully with nearby Garfield and Longwarry, where individual properties can differ.
For Buyers
The typical mortgage payment is $1,950 monthly, equal to 23.4% of household income, and mortgage stress is not flagged. Choice is concentrated in family stock: 47.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 39.6% have 3 bedrooms. This suits buyers seeking space because 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.7% are semi-detached. Compare land, flood exposure and station access carefully with nearby Garfield and Longwarry, where individual properties can differ.
For Investors
Investment conditions are shaped by a small rental pool: 11.7% of households rent, compared with 52.8% paying a mortgage and 33.5% owning outright. Weekly rent is $320 and vacancy is 6.2%, so tenant competition may be softer than in a tightly supplied market, even though rent growth of 38.2% points to stronger pricing over time. Eleven development applications in 12 months, including 6-lot and 4-lot subdivisions, could add choice. Balanced migration and a 1.44% annual growth trend support a measured strategy because resale depth matters in a small township.
Development Activity
Total DAs
28
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bunyip
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Bunyip Primary School
Columba Catholic School
Demographics
Bunyip has a median age of 38, 2 years below the national level, but its trajectory is older than the headline age suggests. Couples with children make up 48.9% of families, compared with 39.3% couples without children, and average household size is 2.8, or 0.3 above national. Overseas-born residents account for 9.1%, 12.5 points below the national share, while university attainment is 18.8%, 11.3 points below national. English ancestry counts 1,326, Irish 405 and Scottish 254; no religion is recorded for 1,474 residents and Christianity for 1,397. The pattern fits detached housing and local trades, health and education work, reinforced by 78.2% staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.3%
Houses
1.7%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Price movement has been strong over the long run but uneven recently. Tenure is mortgage-led: 52.8% of households have a mortgage, compared with 33.5% owning outright and 11.7% renting. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 98.3%, with 47.9% containing 4 or more bedrooms. That mix keeps land, maintenance and family demand central to price differences between Bunyip and nearby Garfield.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$320
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$779
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.2%
Unoccupied
67
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.9%
Couples with children
39.3%
Couples, no children
10.6%
Single parent
830
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is Bunyip's largest industry at 21.8% and 205 workers, followed by healthcare at 14.5% and 136, and education at 11.6% and 109. Professional/technical and public administration each account for 6.7% and 63 workers. Trades lead occupations at 323, ahead of professionals at 200 and clerical/admin at 199. This helps explain why the education and occupation index is decile 4 while economic resources reach decile 9: household means are higher than education credentials might imply, with university attainment at 18.8%. IRSD is decile 7 and IRSAD decile 6. Unemployment is 2.7% and participation 62.8%, supported by several employment engines rather than one dominant sector.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
1,521
Unemployed
41
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.6%
Part-time
34.3%
Participation
62.8%
Employed
1,480
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.8%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
9.1%
Dwellings
1,010
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 72.7% drive to work, compared with 1.1% using public transport, while 20.6% work from home and 1.5% walk or cycle. That pattern reflects a low-density setting of 129.2 people per square kilometre, so households should test commute times and services from the exact address. Bunyip has 2 local primary schools, one government and one Catholic, providing nearby options for primary-age families; enrolment zones should still be checked. Recorded crime is 39.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 122 total offences, including 47 justice-procedure, 45 property/deception and 29 person offences. The 47 count is higher than the 45 property/deception count. SEIFA places IRSD at decile 7 and IRSAD at decile 6, indicating social conditions above the IEO decile 4 on one measure but not uniformly high across every index.
Drive
72.7%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
20.6%
Population Forecast
+1.44%/yr
(+149 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is forecast at 1.44% a year, with migration labelled Balanced, so the outlook is positive but not dependent on one source of arrivals. Population change across the wider area is 20.9% over 10 years, higher than a no-growth outcome, while the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 4.0 percentage points and the young share has fallen 2.1 points. This matters because an older age structure can temper demand for entry-level family stock even as detached homes remain dominant. Gentrification is scored at 24 with an Early signs stage, while the shift assessment is 45 and Active, suggesting gradual change rather than a completed repositioning. Affordability is described as Stable, moving from 42.1 in 2011 to 40.5 in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+30
Net Internal / yr
+42
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +26% since 2011, Accelerating: 7% → 18%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
122
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
39.0
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 Bunyip compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bunyip a good suburb to live in?
Bunyip suits buyers who want detached housing and larger homes: 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. The trade-off is car dependence, with 72.7% driving to work. Two local primary schools and a 39.0 per 1,000 crime rate add useful context, but inspect the exact address and commute.
What schools are in Bunyip?
Bunyip has 2 local primary schools: Bunyip Primary School in the government sector and Columba Catholic School in the Catholic sector. Both are primary settings, so families seeking secondary education should check nearby options and enrolment zones. School access can vary by exact address, especially for properties near the suburb boundary.
Is Bunyip safe?
Bunyip recorded 122 offences, equal to a crime rate of 39.0 incidents per 1,000 residents. The largest categories were justice procedures with 47 incidents, property and deception with 45, and crimes against the person with 29. Review current police information and the specific street before making a decision, as suburb-wide figures can vary locally.
How is Bunyip's population changing?
Bunyip has 3,131 residents, and growth across the wider area is forecast at 1.44% annually. The 10-year population change measure is 20.9%, while the trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 4.0 percentage points and the young share down 2.1 points. Migration is classified as Balanced rather than driven by one dominant source.
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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