Cranebrook
Detached houses define Cranebrook more than almost anything else: 89.8% of dwellings are separate homes, with apartments only 0.3%. The suburb's 15,779 residents are younger than the national profile, with a median age of 33, yet the forecast points to aging. Household income sits high at the 79.8th percentile, but daily life is car led because 90.9% drive and only 1.7% use public transport. Compared with nearby Penrith and Jordan Springs, Cranebrook is more clearly family house territory than an apartment or station centred market.
Population
15,779
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,108/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
80
Median House
$950K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
For homebuyers, Cranebrook suits buyers who want land and bedrooms rather than strata density. The median house price is $950,000, while 50.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 45.0% have 4 or more. Mortgage payments average $2,167 a month, equal to 23.7% of income, below a typical stress line, so family buyers have more buffer than in higher leverage markets. The trade off is access: with 90.9% driving to work and 1.7% using public transport, households need car based commute planning.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Cranebrook suits buyers who want land and bedrooms rather than strata density. The median house price is $950,000, while 50.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 45.0% have 4 or more. Mortgage payments average $2,167 a month, equal to 23.7% of income, below a typical stress line, so family buyers have more buffer than in higher leverage markets. The trade off is access: with 90.9% driving to work and 1.7% using public transport, households need car based commute planning.
For Investors
Investors get a moderate rental base rather than a high turnover apartment market. Renters make up 26.8% of households, median rent is $410 a week and vacancy is 3.8%, so pricing power may be lower than in tighter suburbs. The 75 development applications over 12 months, including secondary dwellings, suggest incremental supply because owners are adding rental space on large blocks. Rent grew 46.4% through the shift period, but slow population growth limits demand upside.
Development Activity
Total DAs
456
Last 12 Months
80
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+6.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cranebrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Paul's Grammar School
K-12 · 824 students
Corpus Christi Primary School
K-6 · 518 students
Henry Fulton Public School
K-6 · 219 students
Samuel Terry Public School
K-6 · 521 students
Cranebrook High School
7-12 · 871 students
Demographics
Cranebrook's population is younger and more locally born than the national mix. Median age is 33, which is 7.0 years below national, and 15.8% were born overseas, 5.8 percentage points lower than national. University attainment is 23.2%, 6.9 points below national, which helps explain the IEO decile 3 result despite household income ranking at the 79.8th percentile. English ancestry is the largest count at 5,762, with Christianity at 8,607 and an average household size of 2.9.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.8%
Houses
9.9%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is highly detached compared with metropolitan apartment nodes: 89.8% separate houses, 9.9% semi detached and only 0.3% apartments. Ownership is mortgage heavy, with 49.7% paying off a loan, 23.5% owned outright and 26.8% renting. Price history rose from $903,000 in 2024 to $980,000 in 2025, an 8.5% lift and the latest point matches the peak. That matters because the mortgage share is high, yet mortgage to income is 23.7%, below stress territory.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$903
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.8%
Unoccupied
200
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.4%
Couples, no children
13,622
Total families
Economy & Employment
Work patterns show a practical western Sydney economy rather than a single white collar niche. Healthcare leads at 15.7%, followed by construction at 14.2%, education at 12.1%, public admin at 9.4% and manufacturing at 7.2%. Occupations are split between clerical/admin 1,270, professionals 1,248 and managers 889, because service, building and public sector work all matter. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 3, IER decile 7, IRSD decile 5 and IRSAD decile 5, meaning resources rank higher than education and occupation.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
9,795
Unemployed
356
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.4%
Part-time
28.0%
Participation
58.4%
Employed
6,771
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.2%
Postgraduate
5.3%
Born Overseas
15.8%
Dwellings
5,108
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households comfortable with car based routines. Public transport commuting is only 1.7%, well below car driving at 90.9%, so access to Penrith services usually depends on roads rather than transit. School choice is a plus: 6 local schools span Independent, Catholic and Government sectors, led by St Paul's Grammar School with ICSEA 1121, Corpus Christi at 1025 and Henry Fulton at 998; the full ICSEA range is 880 to 1121. IRSAD sits at decile 5, close to the state middle.
Drive
90.9%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.37%/yr
(+64 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is modest compared with faster fringe release areas. The trend forecast is 0.37% a year, about 64 extra residents annually, taking the medium path from 17,580 in 2026 to 17,902 in 2031. Migration is uneven: overseas migration is the primary driver at +67 a year, while internal movement is -191 a year, so local churn offsets arrivals. The shift profile is Aging, with senior share up 4.4 points, and the current gentrification setting is 0, labelled Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+67
Net Internal / yr
-191
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -191/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cranebrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cranebrook a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers wanting a house focused, car based suburb. Separate houses are 89.8% of stock, median age is 33 and there are 6 local schools, so it suits families more than apartment seekers. The main compromise is transport, with 90.9% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Cranebrook?
The median house price is $950,000, with the 2025 price history showing a latest median of $980,000 after $903,000 in 2024. That 8.5% one year lift means buyers should separate the headline median from recent settled price momentum.
What schools are in Cranebrook?
Cranebrook has 6 schools across Independent, Catholic and Government sectors. St Paul's Grammar School has ICSEA 1121 and 824 enrolments, Corpus Christi Primary has ICSEA 1025, and Cranebrook High School has 871 enrolments.
Is Cranebrook safe?
A suburbwide crime rate is not available, so judge safety at street level and around daily routes. Practical checks matter because 6 schools, 90.9% car commuting and 1.7% public transport use create different activity patterns by time of day.
Is Cranebrook good for property investment?
Cranebrook can suit investors seeking houses or granny flat style supply rather than units. Renters are 26.8% of households, median rent is $410 a week and 75 development applications in 12 months point to active small scale additions.
How is Cranebrook's population changing?
Population growth is slow. The forecast trend is 0.37% a year, or about 64 people annually, with the medium path rising from 17,580 in 2026 to 17,902 in 2031. Aging is the main shift, with senior share up 4.4 points.
What development is happening in Cranebrook?
Development is active but mostly incremental. There were 75 applications over 12 months, including recent secondary dwelling certificates in 2026. That points to extra backyard or dual occupancy supply rather than a high rise reset.
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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