Collingwood
A crime rate of 252.9 per 1,000 residents makes Collingwood one of Melbourne's highest-offence suburbs, yet 63.6% of residents hold university qualifications (33.5 points above national), creating a paradoxical profile of highly educated people living in a high-crime, high-density zone. Renters at 65.9% dominate tenure, and 29.5% of dwellings are studios or one-bedrooms. The SEIFA split mirrors Darlinghurst: IEO decile 9 (highest education) against IER decile 1 (lowest economic resources), because the extreme renter share and small dwelling sizes suppress area-level wealth metrics despite strong personal incomes ($1,338/week). Median house price rose 78.1% over 14 years from $741,000 to $1,320,000, with a 4.2% CAGR.
Population
9,179
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,130/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
44
Median House
$1.3M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $1,320,000 median reflects Collingwood's inner-city premium, but detached houses account for just 5.8% of stock, meaning most transactions are apartments (68.2%) or townhouses (25.6%). Two-bedroom units dominate at 50.7%, with studios/one-bedrooms at 29.5% and three-bedrooms at 17.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 translate to a 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio, manageable given the 81.3rd household income percentile. Outright ownership at just 11.0% and mortgage holders at 23.1% mean only 34.1% of residents are buyers, making purchasing the minority tenure. The 42.8% residential turnover rate is extremely high, so buyers should expect transient neighbours. Collingwood College (ICSEA 1,022, 691 students, Government Combined) provides K-12 education above the national benchmark.
For Buyers
The $1,320,000 median reflects Collingwood's inner-city premium, but detached houses account for just 5.8% of stock, meaning most transactions are apartments (68.2%) or townhouses (25.6%). Two-bedroom units dominate at 50.7%, with studios/one-bedrooms at 29.5% and three-bedrooms at 17.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 translate to a 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio, manageable given the 81.3rd household income percentile. Outright ownership at just 11.0% and mortgage holders at 23.1% mean only 34.1% of residents are buyers, making purchasing the minority tenure. The 42.8% residential turnover rate is extremely high, so buyers should expect transient neighbours. Collingwood College (ICSEA 1,022, 691 students, Government Combined) provides K-12 education above the national benchmark.
For Investors
The 65.9% renter share is the second-highest in this cohort, providing one of Melbourne's deepest tenant pools. However, the 16.0% vacancy rate is alarmingly high and suggests structural oversupply, likely from short-stay accommodation pulling stock off the long-term market. At $425/week rent against a $1,320,000 median, gross yield is approximately 1.7%, among the lowest in this dataset. Net overseas migration of 416 per year sustains tenant demand, and the suburb recovered from a 4.9% COVID population dip to sit 18.0% above the pandemic low. With 33 DAs lodged in 12 months, the pipeline is active. Capital growth showed a 78.1% increase from $741,000 in 2013, though the recent peak-to-latest decline of 1.4% signals plateauing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
49
Last 12 Months
44
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1366.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Collingwood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Collingwood College
Prep-12 · 691 students
St Joseph's School
Prep-6 · 62 students
Demographics
University qualifications at 63.6% are 33.5 points above the national average, the second-highest in this cohort. English ancestry leads at 2,749, but the "Other" category at 1,806 reflects a cosmopolitan base, with Irish (1,285) and Scottish (996) also prominent. The 37.4% overseas-born share is 15.8 points above national, with Mandarin (95), Cantonese (61), Arabic (52), Greek (52) and French (38) as top languages. Median age of 33 is 7 years below national, and average household size of 1.9 is far below the 2.5 national norm. Couples without children (2,613) outnumber couples with children (1,165) by 2.2:1, consistent with a DINK-dominated inner suburb. The male share of 51.2% is marginally above the national baseline.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
5.8%
Houses
25.6%
Townhouse
68.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Apartments dominate at 68.2%, with semi-detached at 25.6% and houses at just 5.8%. The bedroom mix is small: 50.7% two-bedrooms, 29.5% studios/one-bedrooms, and only 2.4% four-plus. Renters at 65.9% control the tenure landscape, with mortgage holders at 23.1% and outright owners at 11.0%. The median climbed from $741,000 in 2013 to a peak of $1,339,000 in mid-2023, before easing 1.4% to $1,320,000 in mid-2024. The CAGR of 4.2% over 14 years is solid but below Melbourne's detached-house average. The price-to-income ratio is approximately 14.3 times annual household income, elevated because the apartment-dominated sales mix does not fully benefit from high personal incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$425
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,338
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.0%
Unoccupied
859
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.7%
Couples, no children
5,058
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional/Tech leads at 23.2% (1,115 workers), followed by Healthcare at 15.4% (743), Education at 10.0% (480), Public Admin at 7.9% (381) and Retail at 6.4% (310). Professionals (2,806) far exceed all other occupation groups, with Managers (1,020) a distant second. Full-time employment at 74.3% and participation at 70.7% are both strong, above the national average. Unemployment at 5.2% is moderate. The SEIFA IEO decile 9 confirms elite education levels, while the IER decile 1 reflects area-level resource deprivation caused by the extreme renter share and small dwellings suppressing aggregate household wealth metrics. This paradox is common in inner-city renter-majority suburbs.
Unemployment
9.3%
Labour Force
8,259
Unemployed
772
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
74.3%
Part-time
20.5%
Participation
70.7%
Employed
5,555
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.6%
Postgraduate
20.3%
Born Overseas
37.4%
Dwellings
4,489
Transport to Work
Walking and cycling at 37.0% are among the highest nationally, with car driving at just 54.6% and public transport at 5.7%. Collingwood College (ICSEA 1,022, 691 students, Government Combined K-12) sits above the national benchmark, while St Joseph's (ICSEA 928, 62 students, Catholic Primary) is below. The crime rate of 252.9 per 1,000 is driven by property/deception offences (1,579 of 2,321 total), consistent with a high-footfall commercial/entertainment precinct. Drug offences at 142 are elevated. IRSAD decile 7 and IRSD decile 3 create a mixed advantage reading. Rent-to-income at 20.0% is moderate for an inner-city location.
Drive
54.6%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
37.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.36%/yr
(+269 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grows at 2.36% per year (269 persons), driven by overseas migration averaging 416 arrivals annually, with marginal internal inflow of 26. The suburb dipped 4.9% during COVID and has since recovered to sit 18.0% above the pandemic low. The 10-year population change of 41.8% is well above the national average. The working-age share expanded 6.1 percentage points over the decade, while the senior share actually contracted 0.9 points, an unusual rejuvenation pattern. However, the young share fell 3.3 points, consistent with a suburb attracting working-age singles and couples rather than families. Projected population reaches approximately 12,704 by 2031 under medium trend assumptions.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+416
Net Internal / yr
+26
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Strong overseas inflow +416/yr, COVID recovered (-5% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,321
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
252.9
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 Collingwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Collingwood a good suburb to live in?
Collingwood suits young professionals who value walkability (37.0% walk/cycle) and inner-city culture over space and safety. The $1,320,000 median buys an apartment (68.2% of stock), not a house. SEIFA IEO decile 9 signals high education, but the crime rate of 252.9 per 1,000 and 16.0% vacancy rate are concerns.
What is the median house price in Collingwood?
The median is $1,320,000 (Apr-Jun 2024), with a 14-year CAGR of 4.2% from $741,000 in 2013. The recent peak of $1,339,000 (mid-2023) eased 1.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 produce a 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio. Median weekly rent is $425.
What schools are in Collingwood?
Two schools serve the suburb: Collingwood College (ICSEA 1,022, 691 students, Government Combined K-12) sits above the national benchmark, while St Joseph's School (ICSEA 928, 62 students, Catholic Primary) is below. The college provides a continuous pathway from primary through secondary.
Is Collingwood safe?
The crime rate of 252.9 per 1,000 residents is high. Property and deception offences account for 1,579 of 2,321 total incidents, followed by crimes against the person (252), justice procedures (232) and drug offences (142). The rate is inflated by Collingwood's role as a commercial and nightlife precinct.
Is Collingwood good for property investment?
The 65.9% renter share provides a deep tenant pool, but the 16.0% vacancy rate and 1.7% gross yield ($425/week on $1,320,000) are red flags. Capital growth CAGR of 4.2% over 14 years is moderate. Overseas migration adds 416 per year, and 33 DAs in 12 months indicate ongoing development activity.
How is Collingwood's population changing?
Population grows at 2.36% per year (269 persons), with 41.8% growth over the past decade. The suburb recovered from a 4.9% COVID dip and now sits 18.0% above the pandemic low. Overseas migration adds 416 per year. The working-age share grew 6.1 points while the senior share contracted 0.9 points.
What languages are spoken in Collingwood?
With 37.4% born overseas (15.8 points above national), Mandarin (95 speakers), Cantonese (61), Arabic (52), Greek (52) and French (38) lead non-English languages. The Greek community reflects Collingwood's historical role as a Greek-Australian settlement hub, a legacy visible in the remaining food and cultural venues.
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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