Craigieburn
Median house at $655,800 sits 0.6% below the 2022 peak, yet Craigieburn is the only Hume LGA suburb pulling SEIFA IRSD decile 2 (deep disadvantage) while running household income at the 64th national percentile. The contradiction defines the place: 65,178 residents, 50.8% born overseas (29.2 percentage points above the national figure), 38.5% with a degree, and a 4-plus bedroom dwelling share of 48.3% on mortgage-belt estates. Punjabi (3,890 speakers) and Arabic (2,596) are the largest non-English languages, separating Craigieburn from the Anglo Doreen profile further east. Real disposable income fell 20.5% over the inter-census period, the cost-of-living squeeze visible behind the new-build facades.
Population
65,178
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,798/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
43
Median House
$656K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $655,800 median sits 0.6% below the 2022 peak of $660,000, a flat-to-soft holding pattern rather than a correction. Buyers pay roughly $90,000 less than Doreen's $745,000 for a similar growth-corridor product: 89.2% separate houses, 48.3% with four or more bedrooms, 43.2% with three. Mortgage-to-income sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold but materially higher than Doreen's 21.5%, because Craigieburn household income at the 64th percentile is roughly 18 percentile points lower than the eastern peer. Long-term holders captured 82.2% appreciation from $360,000 in 2013 at a 4.4% compound annual rate. First-home stock is the 3-bedroom band at 43.2% of homes, deeper than Doreen's narrower 4-plus tilt.
For Buyers
The $655,800 median sits 0.6% below the 2022 peak of $660,000, a flat-to-soft holding pattern rather than a correction. Buyers pay roughly $90,000 less than Doreen's $745,000 for a similar growth-corridor product: 89.2% separate houses, 48.3% with four or more bedrooms, 43.2% with three. Mortgage-to-income sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold but materially higher than Doreen's 21.5%, because Craigieburn household income at the 64th percentile is roughly 18 percentile points lower than the eastern peer. Long-term holders captured 82.2% appreciation from $360,000 in 2013 at a 4.4% compound annual rate. First-home stock is the 3-bedroom band at 43.2% of homes, deeper than Doreen's narrower 4-plus tilt.
For Investors
Rent averages $380 per week against a $655,800 median, putting gross yield around 3.0%, slightly ahead of Doreen's 2.8% and a function of the lower entry price rather than stronger rental demand. Renter share is 29.2%, larger than Doreen's 21.6% and pointing to deeper tenant depth, helped by Punjabi-speaking and Arabic-speaking migrant households arriving with overseas net migration at 256 persons annually. Vacancy at 4.8% is loose, well above the sub-2% tight-market benchmark, and 1.1 points looser than Doreen. Planning applications hit 38 in the past 12 months, more than triple Doreen's 11, indicating active supply pipeline that will keep pressure on capital growth. Net internal migration runs at minus 138 annually, meaning overseas arrivals are the demand engine.
Development Activity
Total DAs
99
Last 12 Months
43
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+43.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Craigieburn iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Newbury Primary School
Prep-6 · 1136 students
Mother Teresa School
Prep-6 · 342 students
Oscar Romero Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 660 students
Aitken Hill Primary School
Prep-6 · 892 students
Aitken Creek Primary School
Prep-6 · 972 students
Demographics
Median age of 32 is eight years below the national figure, putting Craigieburn among Melbourne's youngest established residential suburbs alongside Tarneit and Truganina. The 50.8% born-overseas share runs 29.2 percentage points above national, and the migrant mix is distinct: Indian ancestry leads at 8,085 residents, Italian follows at 3,915, with Punjabi (3,890 speakers), Arabic (2,596), Hindi (1,133), and Sinhalese (992) dominating language data. Islam, at 9,968 adherents, ranks second after Christianity (26,696), a far larger share than corridor peer Doreen. University attainment at 38.5% runs 8.4 percentage points above national, unusually high for an IRSD decile 2 suburb and pointing to skilled migrant arrivals whose qualifications have not yet translated into proportionate income.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.2%
Houses
9.6%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
House prices ran from $360,000 in 2013 to $655,800 in mid-2024, a compound annual growth rate of 4.4% across 14 years and an earliest-to-latest gain of 82.2%, marginally steeper than Doreen's 79.5%. Mortgage holders dominate at 55.2% of dwellings, outright owners trail at 15.5%, and renters sit at 29.2%, a younger more-recent-arrival profile than Mill Park's established outright-heavy ownership. Stock is overwhelmingly detached at 89.2% separate houses, with semi-detached townhouses at 9.6% (higher than Doreen's 5%) and apartments negligible at 1.2%. Mortgage payments average $1,850 monthly versus household income at the 64th percentile, holding mortgage-to-income at 23.8% and rent-to-income at 21.1%, both below the 30% stress threshold but above eastern corridor benchmarks.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,850
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$700
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
961
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
13.1%
Couples, no children
57,454
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 18.5% of workers (3,346), followed by Construction at 9.6% (1,738), Transport at 9.4% (1,699), Manufacturing at 9.3% (1,675), and Education at 8.6% (1,553). The Transport share is notably elevated, roughly double Doreen's, reflecting Craigieburn's role as a rail and freight node on the Hume Highway corridor. Top occupations split between Professionals (4,556), Community/Personal services (3,682), and Machinery/Drivers (3,271), an unusually blue-collar mix despite the 38.5% university attainment rate. Unemployment sits at 8.3%, well above Doreen's 4.6% and the national average, and participation runs at only 58.7%. SEIFA tells the deepest contradiction: IRSD decile 2 (lower disadvantage band) sits alongside IER decile 6 and IEO decile 5, meaning income and education rank higher than the disadvantage measure suggests because IRSD weights unemployment, single-parent households, and need-for-assistance variables heavily.
Unemployment
8.1%
Labour Force
4,301
Unemployed
349
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.4%
Part-time
28.3%
Participation
58.7%
Employed
26,092
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.5%
Postgraduate
12.3%
Born Overseas
50.8%
Dwellings
18,944
Transport to Work
Crime runs at 56.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, almost double Doreen's 28.8 rate and well above Melbourne metro averages, with property and deception offences accounting for 2,169 of the 3,710 incidents and crimes against the person at 746. SEIFA IRSAD decile 4 places Craigieburn in the lower-middle advantage band, consistent with the IRSD-2 disadvantage signal. Ten schools serve the suburb, anchored by Mount Ridley P-12 College at 2,788 enrolments (Government Combined, ICSEA 969) and Elevation Secondary College at 1,177 (ICSEA 962); Newbury Primary leads on ICSEA at 1,032. Public transport use sits at only 4.1% versus 87.9% car driver share, slightly stronger than Doreen's 3.0% thanks to the Craigieburn train terminus, though the estate layout still forces car dependency for most trips.
Drive
87.9%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+6.1%/yr
(+689 people/yr)
High GrowthPopulation is forecast to grow 6.1% annually or about 689 persons per year, faster than Doreen's 4.89% and among the steepest rates on Melbourne's outer ring. Medium-trend projections place SA2 population at 16,065 by 2031 from 11,293 in 2025, a 42.3% increase across the forecast window. Overseas migration drives demand at 256 net arrivals per year while internal migration runs negative at minus 138, meaning long-term Melburnians are leaving but migrant settlement more than offsets them. The aging-trajectory signal is real: senior share grew 3.5 percentage points and working-age share fell 4.4 points, indicating the 2000s-era estate cohort is aging in place rather than rolling over. Affordability worsened from 47.2 in 2011 to 51.5 in 2021, and real disposable income fell 20.5% over the same window.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+256
Net Internal / yr
-138
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
3,710
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.9
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 Craigieburn compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Craigieburn a good suburb to live in?
Craigieburn's appeal is conditional. Positives: 38.5% with a degree (8.4 percentage points above national), 10 schools including Mount Ridley P-12 at 2,788 students, and a $655,800 median roughly $90,000 cheaper than corridor peer Doreen. Trade-offs are real: crime at 56.9 per 1,000 (nearly double Doreen's 28.8), SEIFA IRSD decile 2, unemployment 8.3%, and real disposable income that fell 20.5% over the inter-census period.
What is the median house price in Craigieburn?
Craigieburn's median house price is $655,800 as of the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, sitting 0.6% below the 2022 peak of $660,000. Across 14 years the price climbed from $360,000 in 2013, an earliest-to-latest gain of 82.2% at a compound annual growth rate of 4.4%. The median reflects a stock that is 89.2% separate houses and 48.3% four-bedroom-plus, on Hume estate lots 25km north of Melbourne CBD.
What schools are in Craigieburn?
Craigieburn has 10 schools with roughly 9,754 combined enrolments. Mount Ridley P-12 College (Government Combined, ICSEA 969, 2,788 students) is the largest. Newbury Primary (ICSEA 1,032, 1,136) leads on ICSEA. Elevation Secondary College (Government, ICSEA 962, 1,177), Aitken Creek Primary (ICSEA 992, 972), Aitken Hill Primary (ICSEA 1,004, 892), and Our Lady's Catholic (ICSEA 984, 703) anchor the broader catchment. Five government and three Catholic primaries cover the bulk of enrolments.
Is Craigieburn safe?
Craigieburn's crime rate of 56.9 per 1,000 residents is nearly double corridor peer Doreen's 28.8 and well above Melbourne metro averages. Total recorded incidents reached 3,710, with property and deception offences leading at 2,169, crimes against the person at 746, justice procedures at 485, and drug offences at 172. SEIFA IRSAD decile 4 and IRSD decile 2 reflect the lower-middle socioeconomic profile that typically correlates with higher property crime exposure.
Is Craigieburn good for property investment?
Gross yield runs around 3.0% ($380 weekly rent on the $655,800 median), slightly ahead of Doreen's 2.8%. Renter share is 29.2%, deeper than Doreen's 21.6% tenant pool. The catch is supply: 38 planning applications lodged in the past 12 months, more than triple Doreen's 11, and a vacancy rate of 4.8%, well above the sub-2% tight-market benchmark. Capital growth ran at 4.4% compound across 14 years but the price has gone sideways since the 2022 peak.
How is Craigieburn's population changing?
Population is forecast to grow 6.1% annually or about 689 persons per year, with medium-trend SA2 projections reaching 16,065 by 2031 from 11,293 in 2025, a 42.3% increase. Overseas migration drives demand at 256 net annual arrivals while internal migration runs negative at minus 138. Senior share grew 3.5 percentage points and working-age share fell 4.4 points, indicating the 2000s-era estate cohort is aging in place rather than turning over.
What languages are spoken in Craigieburn?
Craigieburn's born-overseas share is 50.8%, running 29.2 percentage points above the national figure. The largest non-English languages are Punjabi at 3,890 speakers, Arabic at 2,596, Hindi at 1,133, Sinhalese at 992, and Urdu at 909. Indian ancestry leads at 8,085 residents and Italian follows at 3,915. Islam ranks second after Christianity at 9,968 adherents, a larger share than corridor peer Doreen's predominantly Anglo profile.
How active is property development in Craigieburn?
Planning activity is heavy: 38 applications lodged in the past 12 months, more than triple Doreen's 11 and consistent with the 6.1% annual population growth forecast. Recent lodgements include 4-dwelling subdivisions, 2-lot warehouse subdivisions, and easement removals on existing estate land. The pipeline keeps supply pressure elevated, partly explaining why the median house price has gone sideways at 0.6% below the 2022 peak rather than recovering.
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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