Coburg
A crime rate of 90.7 offences per 1,000 residents is the sharpest caveat in an otherwise well-connected, educated inner-north market. Coburg supports 26,574 residents at a density of 3,841.3 people per square kilometre, while 55.3% of adults hold university qualifications, 25.2 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 30.7%, also 9.1 points above national levels. For buyers weighing Brunswick or Preston, Coburg provides a more established residential setting with 65.2% separate houses and 24.3% semi-detached homes.
Population
26,574
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,065/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
120
Median House
$1.3M
October to December 2025
Coburg suits buyers who value established housing and access to inner-north services, but the entry price is substantial. That affordability measure is lower than the 45.5 recorded in 2021, although the change does not make the suburb inexpensive. Housing choice is concentrated in 65.2% separate houses, 24.3% semi-detached homes and 10.4% apartments. Three-bedroom properties account for 43.4% of stock and four-bedroom-plus homes 19.1%, so families have more choice than apartment-led markets.
For Buyers
Coburg suits buyers who value established housing and access to inner-north services, but the entry price is substantial. That affordability measure is lower than the 45.5 recorded in 2021, although the change does not make the suburb inexpensive. Housing choice is concentrated in 65.2% separate houses, 24.3% semi-detached homes and 10.4% apartments. Three-bedroom properties account for 43.4% of stock and four-bedroom-plus homes 19.1%, so families have more choice than apartment-led markets.
For Investors
The rental case is supported by 33.6% of households renting, a weekly median rent of $430 and annual rent growth of 42.7%. However, the 8.3% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, which can give tenants more choice and require sharper property selection. Coburg recorded 109 development applications in 12 months, indicating an active pipeline of subdivisions, dwelling works and other planning activity that may add competition between properties. The wider growth trend is 1.4% annually and is driven primarily by overseas migration, supporting tenant demand because new arrivals often rent before purchasing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
163
Last 12 Months
120
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+445.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coburg
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Australian International Academy of Education
Coburg North Primary School
Coburg Primary School
Coburg West Primary School
Merri-bek Primary School
Demographics
Coburg's median age is 37, three years below the national comparison, and 55.3% of residents have university qualifications, 25.2 percentage points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents represent 30.7%, 9.1 points above national levels, contributing to a multilingual population that includes 788 Italian speakers, 681 Arabic speakers and 681 Greek speakers. English ancestry totals 6,732 and Italian ancestry 4,380, while no religion is recorded for 12,441 residents compared with 9,779 identifying with Christianity. Average household size is 2.5, the same as the national comparison. A 25.3% turnover rate and 74.7% staying rate indicate both mobility and continuity. Compared with Brunswick and Preston, Coburg's mix of professional households, established families and migrant communities gives it a distinct northside profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
65.2%
Houses
24.3%
Townhouse
10.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusually balanced: 32.6% of homes are owned outright, 32.5% are mortgaged and 33.6% are rented. The stock remains primarily separate houses at 65.2%, with 24.3% semi-detached homes and 10.4% apartments. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 43.4%, compared with 30.9% for two-bedroom homes. A $430 weekly rent and 8.3% vacancy rate show a market with both owner-occupier depth and meaningful rental supply. Compared with the 2013 base, price growth has been substantial even though the latest median sits below the peak.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $430.
$600
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $710 · units $550
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$894
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.3%
Unoccupied
921
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.9%
Couples with children
38.6%
Couples, no children
14.1%
Single parent
6,858
Total families
Economy & Employment
Coburg's employment base is led by healthcare at 17.0% of industry employment, education at 15.4%, professional and technical services at 13.9%, public administration at 9.4% and retail at 6.1%. The occupational mix is similarly skilled, with 5,266 professionals and 2,040 managers, followed by 1,746 clerical and administrative workers. Labour-force participation is 68.1%, unemployment is 5.0% and the full-time employment rate is 57.6%, supporting household purchasing power. Weekly household income is $2,065, placing Coburg at the 77.7th percentile, above the national comparison. SEIFA results show IEO decile 8 and IRSAD decile 8, while IER is decile 5 and IRSD decile 6. Compared with its stronger education and occupation ranking, the middle IER result suggests economic resources are less uniformly elevated, likely because renters and lower-income households share the same high-access location.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
15,337
Unemployed
771
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
35.6%
Participation
68.1%
Employed
14,566
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.3%
Postgraduate
18.1%
Born Overseas
30.7%
Dwellings
10,221
Transport to Work
Coburg provides access to 10 schools across government, Catholic and independent sectors, covering five primary schools, three secondary schools, one special school and one Pri/Sec campus. That mix gives families practical options, although enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address because boundaries can cross local streets. Transport patterns show 38.0% of residents driving a car, 7.0% using public transport and 6.2% walking or cycling, while 46.2% work from home. This combination supports flexible routines but also indicates that daily travel remains more car-oriented than active or public transport use. Safety needs explicit consideration: 2,411 offences were recorded, including 1,693 property and deception offences and 303 crimes against the person, with a rate of 90.7 per 1,000. Compared with Coburg's IRSAD decile 8, that crime rate is a notable livability counterpoint, so street-level conditions and travel patterns matter.
Drive
38.0%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
6.2%
Work from Home
46.2%
Population Forecast
+1.4%/yr
(+125 people/yr)
EstablishedCoburg's forecast trend is 1.4% annual growth, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 28.1% over 10 years, while the trajectory is classified as Mixed rather than uniformly accelerating. Rental growth of 42.7% is higher than the 1.4% annual population trend, showing that housing costs have moved faster than the broader growth measure. Gentrification signals also diverge: the shift measure records a score of 54 and an Active stage, while the separate gentrification measure records a score of 20 and Early signs. The higher shift score points to visible change, but the lower score indicates that transformation is not yet fully established across the area. Coburg also recovered from a COVID-related 2.1% dip, followed by 4.3% recovery, suggesting resilience because demand returned after the disruption.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+158
Net Internal / yr
-71
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +30% since 2011, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,411
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
90.7
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 Coburg compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Coburg?
Coburg has access to 10 schools spanning government, Catholic and independent providers. The mix includes 5 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 1 special school and 1 Pri/Sec campus. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone before purchasing, as boundaries can differ between nearby streets.
Is Coburg safe?
Safety requires a detailed street-level assessment. Coburg recorded 2,411 offences at a rate of 90.7 per 1,000 residents, including 1,693 property and deception offences and 303 crimes against the person. The contrast with an IRSAD decile of 8 means strong socioeconomic conditions do not remove the need to check lighting, parking and walking routes.
Is Coburg good for property investment?
Coburg has a mixed investment case. Renting households represent 33.6%, median rent is $430 per week and rent growth is 42.7%, while annual growth is forecast at 1.4% and overseas migration is the main driver. The 8.3% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, and 109 development applications may increase future competition.
How is Coburg's population changing?
Coburg has 26,574 residents today, with the wider area's population change recorded at 28.1% over 10 years. Growth is forecast at 1.4% annually and is driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Mixed, while the shift measure labels gentrification Active with a score of 54, indicating change alongside established housing and households.
What languages are spoken in Coburg?
Italian is spoken by 788 residents, while Arabic and Greek each account for 681 speakers. Nepali has 246 speakers and Mandarin 217. Overseas-born residents make up 30.7% of the population, 9.1 percentage points above the national comparison, helping explain the suburb's broad language mix.
What development is occurring in Coburg?
Coburg recorded 109 development applications over 12 months. Examples include a 2-lot subdivision and applications for dwelling construction or works affected by planning overlays. This level of activity is higher than a quiet established market and may gradually add housing choice, although application counts do not confirm that every proposal will be built.
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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