Coburg
Coburg's gentrification math is unusually fast for an inner-north Melbourne suburb: real household income climbed 54.9% over the past decade while housing affordability ratios moved from 60.7% to 45.5%, an improving trend rare in Melbourne's tram corridors. Population swelled 28.1% since 2011, university attainment sits at 55.3% (25.2 percentage points above the national average), and median house prices reached $1,160,100 in Apr-Jun 2024, up 83.3% from $633,000 in 2013. Density of 3,841 residents per sqkm runs above Melbourne's middle-ring norms but below Richmond's 6,452/sqkm, leaving Sydney Road denser than typical alongside a still-dominant 65.2% separate-house stock. Italian (4,380), English, and Irish ancestry dominate the older base, while overseas migration of 158 net arrivals per year refreshes the Arabic, Greek, and Nepali clusters. The friction: a crime rate of 90.7 per 1,000, lower than Preston's 161.5 but above quieter middle-ring benchmarks.
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
49
Median House
$1.2M
Apr-Jun 2024
Buyer maths in Coburg has softened from peak. The median house sits at $1,160,100 (Apr-Jun 2024), down 9.5% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,281,500, the first material correction in a 14-year run that compounded at 4.4% CAGR. Mortgage repayments average $2,167 per month against a household weekly income of $2,065 (77.7th percentile nationally), keeping mortgage-to-income at a manageable 24.2% versus Melbourne's stress threshold of 30%. Stock skews toward 3-bedroom homes (43.4%) with a meaningful 19.1% four-plus footprint, while only 10.4% of dwellings are apartments, lower than Richmond's 53.1% apartment share. Buyers competing here face a market where 33.1% of owners hold outright (no mortgage to refinance away from), a structural anchor to listings flow.
For Buyers
Buyer maths in Coburg has softened from peak. The median house sits at $1,160,100 (Apr-Jun 2024), down 9.5% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,281,500, the first material correction in a 14-year run that compounded at 4.4% CAGR. Mortgage repayments average $2,167 per month against a household weekly income of $2,065 (77.7th percentile nationally), keeping mortgage-to-income at a manageable 24.2% versus Melbourne's stress threshold of 30%. Stock skews toward 3-bedroom homes (43.4%) with a meaningful 19.1% four-plus footprint, while only 10.4% of dwellings are apartments, lower than Richmond's 53.1% apartment share. Buyers competing here face a market where 33.1% of owners hold outright (no mortgage to refinance away from), a structural anchor to listings flow.
For Investors
Coburg's rental ledger reads tighter than buyer pricing implies. Median rent of $430 per week against a vacancy rate of 8.3% suggests a workable but not blue-chip yield environment, and 34.0% of households rent compared with just 32.9% on a mortgage, a renter share above the national average. Rent growth of 42.7% over the decade, paired with overseas net migration averaging 158 per year and internal migration at -71, points to demand led by international arrivals rather than intrastate movers. The pipeline is moderate, with 32 development applications lodged in the past 12 months across Merri-bek planning, including subdivisions and apartment conversions on Sydney Road parcels. Pro investors should weigh a rent-to-income ratio of 20.8% (no rent stress flag) against the IER decile of 5, which signals economic resources running 3 deciles lower than the IEO decile of 8.
Development Activity
Total DAs
82
Last 12 Months
49
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+145.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coburg iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Coburg West Primary School
Prep-6 · 370 students
Coburg North Primary School
Prep-6 · 509 students
St Bernard's School
Prep-6 · 152 students
Coburg Primary School
Prep-6 · 346 students
Merri-bek Primary School
Prep-6 · 350 students
Demographics
The cultural overlay in Coburg sits at the centre of the gentrification story. 30.7% of residents were born overseas, 9.1 percentage points above the national average, and Italian ancestry (4,380) still ranks as the second-largest group behind English (6,732), a legacy of post-war Sydney Road migration. Language at home shows Italian (788), Arabic (681), and Greek (681) tied for the migrant top tier, with Nepali (246) and Mandarin (217) reflecting newer South-Asian and East-Asian arrivals. Median age of 37 sits 3 years below the national median, and university attainment of 55.3% runs 25.2 percentage points above the national figure. Religion data shows Christianity (9,779) as the dominant affiliation but Islam (1,690) and Hinduism (510) form a measurable minority, consistent with the migration shift toward overseas-led growth.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
65.2%
Houses
24.3%
Townhouse
10.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Coburg's tenure mix lands in unusually even thirds: 33.1% own outright, 32.9% hold a mortgage, and 34.0% rent, with no single bracket dominating the way it would in mortgage-belt outer suburbs. The dwelling stock is 65.2% separate house, 24.3% semi-detached, and 10.4% apartment, a denser footprint than middle-ring peers but less apartment-heavy than Richmond. Median price of $1,160,100 against household income of $107,380 per year produces a price-to-income ratio of 10.8x, above the Melbourne metro average of around 8x and well above the national 6-7x band. The 14-year price arc rose from $633,000 in 2013 to a peak of $1,281,500 in late 2023 (CAGR 4.4%) before correcting 9.5% to current levels. Bedrooms tilt to 3-bed (43.4%) with a meaningful 19.1% 4-plus segment.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$430
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
27.0%
Couples, no children
19,664
Total families
Economy & Employment
The Coburg economic profile is professionalising without losing its essential-services backbone. Healthcare (17.0%, 1,887 workers) and Education (15.4%, 1,712) lead the industry mix, with Professional/Tech (13.9%, 1,549) and Public Admin (9.4%, 1,044) anchoring the white-collar shift. Occupations confirm it: 5,266 Professionals (the largest single group) plus 2,040 Managers outnumber the combined Sales (1,126) and Community/Personal (1,482) cohorts. Unemployment sits at 5.4% with a 63.7% participation rate, both healthy versus the national benchmark. The SEIFA picture stays split: IEO decile 8 (top 20% nationally for education and occupation) yet IER decile 5, a 3-decile gap meaning economic resources lag prestige, a pattern typical of asset-rich pre-retirees and renters living alongside the new professional class. IRSAD decile 8 reflects the overall lift, narrower than Brunswick's full-gentri decile 10 but ahead of sister-suburb Preston's IEO decile 8 paired with IER decile 4.
Unemployment
8.1%
Labour Force
9,029
Unemployed
732
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.8%
Part-time
32.8%
Participation
63.7%
Employed
13,569
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.3%
Postgraduate
18.1%
Born Overseas
30.7%
Dwellings
10,221
Transport to Work
Coburg sits comfortably in Melbourne's livability mid-tier with selective strengths. The transport mix shows 75.9% of commuters drive (above the dense-corridor average), 6.6% catch public transport via the Upfield train and Sydney Road tram corridors, and 12.4% walk or cycle, a higher active share than middle-ring suburbs. Schools punch above weight: Coburg West Primary ICSEA 1147, Coburg North 1128, and Coburg High School (ICSEA 1099, enrolment 1,265) all sit above the 1,000 ICSEA national mean, alongside the 2,215-student Australian International Academy. The IRSAD decile of 8 places the suburb in the top 20% nationally for socio-economic advantage. The honest asterisk: crime rate of 90.7 per 1,000 residents (2,411 incidents, 1,693 of them property and deception offences) runs above quieter middle-ring suburbs, a genuine inner-Melbourne tax that buyers should price in.
Drive
75.9%
Public Transport
6.6%
Walk / Cycle
12.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.4%/yr
(+125 people/yr)
EstablishedCoburg's growth trajectory is steady-not-explosive, which is the point. Annual population growth of 1.4% (about 125 residents per year) takes the medium forecast from 9,184 in 2026 to 9,807 by 2031, a 6.8% lift over five years. The driver is decisively external: overseas net migration of 158 per year offsets internal net migration of -71, meaning Coburg loses residents to other Australian regions but more than replaces them with international arrivals. The gentrification scorecard sits at 54 (Active stage) with senior share down 3.1 percentage points and working-age share up 4.0pp, a generational rotation visible in the school enrolment surge. Real income growth of 54.9% over the decade and population growth of 28.1% since 2011 confirm the structural shift from working-class migrant base toward professional inner-urban, with COVID dip at -2.1% fully recovered.
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
Is Coburg a good suburb to live in?
Coburg fits buyers who want inner-north Melbourne walkability without Richmond's apartment density. The IRSAD decile of 8 places it in the top 20% nationally, university attainment of 55.3% runs 25.2 percentage points above the national average, and the median age of 37 sits 3 years below the national median. The compromise is a crime rate of 90.7 per 1,000 residents, lower than Preston's 161.5 but above quieter middle-ring suburbs.
What is the median house price in Coburg?
The median house price was $1,160,100 in Apr-Jun 2024, down 9.5% from the peak of $1,281,500 in Oct-Dec 2023. Over the 14 years from 2013 the price has risen from $633,000 (a CAGR of 4.4% and a total gain of 83.3%). Median weekly rent sits at $430 against a vacancy rate of 8.3%.
What schools are in Coburg?
Coburg has 10 schools tracked, led by 5 government primaries with ICSEA between 1,112 and 1,147 (Coburg West, Coburg North, Coburg, Merri-bek, plus Catholic St Bernard's at 1,121). The flagship secondary is Coburg High School (ICSEA 1,099, enrolment 1,265). The largest is the Australian International Academy of Education with 2,215 students across primary and secondary, all sitting above the national mean ICSEA of 1,000.
Is Coburg safe?
The crime rate is 90.7 per 1,000 residents (2,411 incidents in the latest year), lower than Preston's 161.5 per 1,000 but above quieter middle-ring Melbourne suburbs. Property and deception offences (1,693) make up about 70% of the total, a typical inner-corridor pattern. Crimes against the person sit at 303, justice procedures offences 251, and public order at 86, which puts Coburg in the moderate band for inner-north Melbourne.
Is Coburg good for property investment?
Coburg suits long-hold investors over yield seekers. Renters make up 34.0% of households (above national average), median rent is $430 per week, and rent growth has reached 42.7% over the decade. Vacancy of 8.3% and rent-to-income at 20.8% (no stress flag) keep cashflow workable. Capital growth of 4.4% CAGR over 14 years and 32 development approvals in the past 12 months point to ongoing demand led by overseas migration of 158 net arrivals per year.
How is Coburg's population changing?
Population grew 28.1% since 2011 and continues at 1.4% annually (about 125 new residents per year), forecast to reach 9,807 by 2031 from 9,184 in 2026. The growth is driven by overseas migration averaging 158 net arrivals per year, offsetting internal net migration of -71. The age mix is shifting: senior share dropped 3.1 percentage points and working-age share lifted 4.0pp, the gentrification stage is rated Active with a score of 54.
What languages are spoken in Coburg?
About 30.7% of residents were born overseas, 9.1 percentage points above the national average. The top languages spoken at home are Italian (788 speakers), Arabic (681), Greek (681), Nepali (246), and Mandarin (217), reflecting both the post-war Mediterranean migration legacy and newer South-Asian and East-Asian arrivals. Italian remains the largest non-English ancestry group at 4,380 residents, second only to English at 6,732.
How active is the development pipeline in Coburg?
Coburg recorded 32 development applications in the past 12 months across Merri-bek City Council, including planning permits and a 6-lot subdivision converting an existing shop and 5 apartments. The pipeline is moderate by inner-Melbourne standards, with most activity clustered along Sydney Road and the Upfield rail corridor. Combined with overseas migration of 158 net arrivals per year and a 1.4% annual population growth trend, supply continues to track demand without dramatic over-build.
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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