Burnside Heights
Half the residents here (49.9%) were born overseas, 28.3 points above the national figure, and the median age of 33 sits a full 7.0 years below national, a young migrant family base that explains nearly everything else. Average household size runs 3.6, which is 1.1 persons above national, because couples with children make up 3,652 of the 5,986 families. Housing matches that profile: 90.6% are separate houses and 60.5% carry four or more bedrooms. The population has grown 27.5% over the decade and is forecast to reach 8,173 by 2031, yet the median house price of $749,000 still sits 5.8% below the 2023 peak of $795,000.
Population
6,377
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,246/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$749K
Apr-Jun 2024
At $749,000 the median house price is well within reach for a household earning $2,246 a week, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% sits comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Buyers get space rather than scarcity: 90.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 60.5% have four or more bedrooms, with only 1.3% offering two, so this is a market built for larger families rather than downsizers. Pricing has cooled, down 5.8% from the 2023 peak of $795,000 to $749,000, which gives current buyers a softer entry point than the recent high. Over the longer run the median rose 75.4% from $427,000 in 2013, a 4.1% annual compound rate, so the dip reads as a pause in a steady climb rather than a structural decline.
For Buyers
At $749,000 the median house price is well within reach for a household earning $2,246 a week, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% sits comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Buyers get space rather than scarcity: 90.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 60.5% have four or more bedrooms, with only 1.3% offering two, so this is a market built for larger families rather than downsizers. Pricing has cooled, down 5.8% from the 2023 peak of $795,000 to $749,000, which gives current buyers a softer entry point than the recent high. Over the longer run the median rose 75.4% from $427,000 in 2013, a 4.1% annual compound rate, so the dip reads as a pause in a steady climb rather than a structural decline.
For Investors
Renters make up only 18.3% of households, a thin tenant pool compared with most metro markets, because 63.0% of residents hold mortgages and another 18.7% own outright. Weekly rent of $411 against the $749,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.9%, modest but supported by a low 2.5% vacancy rate that signals tight supply. Rent climbed 20.5% over the period, faster than the 5.8% decline in sale prices, so income returns have been improving relative to capital values. Demand drivers are mixed: overseas migration adds 108 residents a year while net internal migration removes 160, leaving population growth reliant on new arrivals. New supply is negligible, with just one planning application lodged in the past 12 months, which protects existing landlords from fresh competition.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
1
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 Burnside Heights iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kororoit Creek Primary School
Prep-6 · 1156 students
Demographics
The migrant share is the defining trait: 49.9% were born overseas, 28.3 points above national, and the top ancestries after Other (1,904) are Indian (784), Vietnamese (600) and Filipino (446). The most spoken non-English languages are Punjabi (166), Arabic (111) and Urdu (109), reflecting strong South Asian and Middle Eastern communities. University qualifications reach 48.5%, which is 18.4 points above the national figure, a highly educated base for an outer-suburban area. The median age of 33 runs 7.0 years below national and average household size of 3.6 sits 1.1 above it, both consistent with family formation. Christianity (2,998) leads on religion, followed by sizeable Islam (656) and Hinduism (638) populations.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.6%
Houses
9.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward mortgaged owners at 63.0%, far above the share owning outright (18.7%) or renting (18.3%), the signature of a recently built family suburb still paying down debt. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 90.6%, with semi-detached homes the only alternative at 9.4% and no apartment supply recorded. Four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 60.5% and three-bedroom at 38.2%, leaving smaller dwellings almost absent. The median house price of $749,000 is up 75.4% from $427,000 in 2013 but has eased 5.8% from the 2023 peak. With household income at the 84.8th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6% stays well below stress levels, which helps explain why so many residents are willing to carry a mortgage rather than rent.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$411
HH Size
3.6
Personal Income / wk
$803
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.5%
Unoccupied
44
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
9.7%
Couples, no children
5,986
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 16.6% (330 workers), ahead of Professional/Tech at 10.3% (204) and Education at 10.0% (199), with Transport (9.2%) and Construction (7.0%) rounding out the top five. By occupation, Professionals (644) and Clerical/Admin (428) lead, consistent with the 48.5% university qualification rate that runs 18.4 points above national. Labour market strength is uneven: the unemployment rate of 7.3% is elevated against the participation rate of 66.2%, and the full-time employment rate sits at 64.9%. SEIFA scores reflect this split, with the economic-resources index in decile 9 thanks to high mortgage-driven wealth, while the education-and-occupation index sits lower at decile 6 and overall advantage at decile 6.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
3,540
Unemployed
197
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.9%
Part-time
27.8%
Participation
66.2%
Employed
2,787
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.5%
Postgraduate
12.7%
Born Overseas
49.9%
Dwellings
1,727
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near total, with 89.0% driving to work against just 3.1% on public transport and 1.0% walking or cycling, a trade-off of the outer-suburban setting at 3,195.9 residents per km2. Safety reads moderate: the crime rate of 35.1 per 1,000 covers 224 offences, of which property and deception offences (115) are roughly half, while crimes against the person are lower at 33. The suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 6 on overall advantage, placing it mid-range nationally rather than affluent. No schools are recorded inside the 2.0 km2 boundary, so the area's many families (3,652 couples with children) rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical limit for a young household base.
Drive
89.0%
Public Transport
3.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.81%/yr
(+181 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is brisk for an established suburb, expanding 2.81% a year, or 181 residents, and up 27.5% over the decade. Medium forecasts push the population from the current base to 8,173 by 2031, a sustained climb driven by overseas migration of 108 a year that more than offsets net internal outflow of 160. The COVID dip of 4.5% has barely reversed, with recovery at just 0.3% against a pre-COVID peak of 6,741, so recent gains are about new arrivals rather than returning residents. The gentrification score reads 8, classed as not gentrifying, because affordability worsened from 48.3% in 2011 to 51.2% in 2021 and real incomes fell 7.5%, signs of population pressure rather than wealth inflow.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+108
Net Internal / yr
-160
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +24% since 2011, Net internal outflow -160/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
224
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.1
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 Burnside Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burnside Heights a good suburb to live in?
Burnside Heights suits young families, with a median age of 33 (7.0 years below national) and average household size of 3.6. It scores decile 6 on overall SEIFA advantage, mid-range nationally. The main drawbacks are heavy car dependence at 89.0% and no schools recorded inside the suburb.
What is the median house price in Burnside Heights?
The median house price is $749,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 5.8% from the 2023 peak of $795,000. It has risen 75.4% from $427,000 in 2013, a 4.1% annual compound rate. Weekly rent averages $411 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000.
What schools are in Burnside Heights?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.0 km2 Burnside Heights boundary in this dataset, so its 3,652 couples with children rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is well educated, with university qualifications at 48.5%, which is 18.4 points above the national figure.
Is Burnside Heights safe?
The crime rate is 35.1 per 1,000 residents, covering 224 recorded offences. Property and deception offences account for 115 of these, while crimes against the person are lower at 33. The suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD disadvantage index, placing it mid-range nationally.
Is Burnside Heights good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $411 against the $749,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.9%, supported by a tight 2.5% vacancy rate. Rent grew 20.5% over the period, but renters are only 18.3% of households, a thin tenant pool. Overseas migration of 108 a year underpins demand.
How is Burnside Heights's population changing?
The population is growing 2.81% a year, or 181 residents, and is up 27.5% over the decade. Forecasts project 8,173 residents by 2031. Growth is driven by overseas migration of 108 a year, which offsets net internal outflow of 160 residents annually.
What languages are spoken in Burnside Heights?
About 49.9% of residents were born overseas, 28.3 points above the national figure. The most common non-English languages are Punjabi (166 speakers), Arabic (111), Urdu (109) and Hindi (104), reflecting strong South Asian and Middle Eastern communities.
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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