Croydon South
Detached houses make up 92.0% of dwellings here, one of the highest shares you will find inside Melbourne's metro fringe, and that single fact shapes almost everything else. The median house price of $900,000 has actually slipped 5.3% from its $950,500 peak in early 2024, yet it still represents a 103.6% rise from $442,000 back in 2013. Household income lands in the 70.2nd percentile nationally, university qualifications reach 36.4% (6.3 points above the national figure), and all four SEIFA indexes sit at decile 7, a consistently above-average profile without extreme advantage. At a median age of 38, two years below national, this is a settled mortgage-belt pocket rather than a young growth corridor.
Population
4,759
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,876/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$900K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $900,000 median sits well below inner-Melbourne house prices, and unusually it has eased 5.3% from the $950,500 peak of early 2024, giving buyers more room than markets that kept climbing. The stock strongly favours families: 92.0% are separate houses against just 0.4% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.2% with four-plus bedrooms another 31.3%. Mortgage holders already outnumber outright owners, 46.5% to 33.9%, which signals an active owner-occupier market rather than legacy holders. Affordability is the draw, with average monthly repayments of $2,000 producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many comparable Melbourne suburbs at this price point.
For Buyers
The $900,000 median sits well below inner-Melbourne house prices, and unusually it has eased 5.3% from the $950,500 peak of early 2024, giving buyers more room than markets that kept climbing. The stock strongly favours families: 92.0% are separate houses against just 0.4% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.2% with four-plus bedrooms another 31.3%. Mortgage holders already outnumber outright owners, 46.5% to 33.9%, which signals an active owner-occupier market rather than legacy holders. Affordability is the draw, with average monthly repayments of $2,000 producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many comparable Melbourne suburbs at this price point.
For Investors
Only 19.6% of residents rent, a thin tenant pool that reflects how owner-occupier the suburb is, so investors compete in a small segment. Weekly rent of $410 against the $900,000 median works out to a gross yield near 2.4%, modest but stronger than the sub-1.5% yields seen in premium inner suburbs. The 4.1% vacancy rate is slightly above a tight market, pointing to balanced rather than scarce supply. Rent has grown 36.7% over the decade, well above the 13.4% real income growth, which has tightened tenant budgets. New supply is almost absent, with just 3 development applications in 12 months, and population growth of 0.64% a year leans on net overseas migration of 50 people annually rather than internal inflow, which runs negative at minus 36.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2.0 years below the national figure, and 21.0% of residents were born overseas, just 0.6 points under national, so this is a predominantly Australian-born population. Ancestry skews Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,898), Irish (576) and Scottish (489), with Chinese (272) the largest non-European group and Mandarin (71 speakers) the top language after English. University qualifications reach 36.4%, which is 6.3 points above national and helps explain why Professionals (607) are the single largest occupation group. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national, consistent with the family-heavy profile where couples with children (1,743) outnumber couples without (976). The population is gradually aging, with the senior share up 3.5 points over the decade.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.0%
Houses
7.7%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 46.5% carry a mortgage, 33.9% own outright and only 19.6% rent, a balance that marks a working-family suburb rather than a retiree or investor base. The dwelling stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92.0%, with apartments a token 0.4%, so buyers chasing a house face little competition from high-density alternatives. Three-bedroom homes account for 60.2% and four-plus bedrooms 31.3%, leaving small dwellings scarce. The median house price reached $900,000 in mid-2024, down 5.3% from the $950,500 peak yet up 103.6% from $442,000 in 2013, a 5.2% compound annual rate over 14 years. Mortgage-to-income at 24.6% and rent-to-income at 21.9% both sit below the 30% stress line, a sign that prices remain in step with the 70.2nd-percentile local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$843
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.1%
Unoccupied
75
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
4,013
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in stable, service-driven sectors: Healthcare leads at 17.5% (294 workers), Construction follows at 14.3% (240) and Education at 12.2% (204), with Professional/Tech at 10.3% and Manufacturing at 7.4%. By occupation, Professionals (607), Clerical/Admin (346) and Managers (304) form the top tier, which aligns with the decile 7 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.8% and the full-time employment rate is 63.8%, while participation reads 62.2%. All four SEIFA indexes land at decile 7, from IRSD 1040 down to IRSAD 1026, a tightly clustered above-average result with no single index pulling the suburb toward either disadvantage or elite affluence. Real incomes grew 13.4% over the decade.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
6,171
Unemployed
270
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.8%
Part-time
32.4%
Participation
62.2%
Employed
2,274
Occupations
Top Industries
University
36.4%
Postgraduate
8.0%
Born Overseas
21.0%
Dwellings
1,764
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb: 89.7% drive to work while only 3.7% take public transport and 1.6% walk or cycle, well below the national reliance on active and public transport, a reflection of its detached, low-density layout at 1,856 residents per km2. The recorded crime rate is 59.0 per 1,000 residents across 281 offences, but the mix matters: justice procedures offences (106) and property and deception (98) lead, while crimes against the person are lower at 44. All four SEIFA indexes sit at decile 7, an above-average advantage tier, and only 6.1% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 2.56 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Croydon and Bayswater.
Drive
89.7%
Public Transport
3.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.64%/yr
(+33 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is modest at 0.64% a year, about 33 extra residents, and the medium forecast lifts the count from 5,156 in 2026 to 5,318 by 2031, classifying this as an established, slow-growth suburb. The 10-year change of 8.1% is well below the rates of outer growth corridors. Net overseas migration of 50 people a year is the primary driver, partly offset by internal migration that runs negative at minus 36, so growth depends on new arrivals rather than locals moving in. The headline gentrification reading is not gentrifying at a score of 3, yet the underlying shift score of 31 flags early signs, supported by 36.7% rent growth and a senior share rising 3.5 points while the working-age share fell 1.6 points over the decade.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+50
Net Internal / yr
-36
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
281
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
59.0
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 Croydon South compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Croydon South a good suburb to live in?
Croydon South scores decile 7 across all four SEIFA indexes, an above-average advantage tier, with household income in the 70.2nd percentile. It is family-oriented, with 92.0% detached houses and a median age of 38, two years below national. The main trade-off is heavy car dependence, with 89.7% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Croydon South?
The median house price is $900,000 as of mid-2024, down 5.3% from the $950,500 peak in early 2024 but up 103.6% from $442,000 in 2013. Weekly rent averages $410 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Croydon South?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.56 km2 Croydon South boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Croydon and Bayswater. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 36.4%, which is 6.3 points above the national figure.
Is Croydon South safe?
The recorded crime rate is 59.0 per 1,000 residents across 281 offences. The largest category is justice procedures offences at 106, followed by property and deception at 98, while crimes against the person are lower at 44. The suburb also scores decile 7 on the IRSD disadvantage index, an above-average result.
Is Croydon South good for property investment?
Rent of $410 a week against a $900,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.4%, modest but above premium inner suburbs. Only 19.6% of residents rent, a thin tenant pool, and the 4.1% vacancy rate signals balanced supply. With just 3 development applications in 12 months, returns lean on capital growth over yield.
How is Croydon South's population changing?
Population growth is 0.64% annually, about 33 residents a year, with the forecast rising from 5,156 in 2026 to 5,318 by 2031. The 10-year change is 8.1%. Net overseas migration of 50 a year is the main driver, offset by internal migration of minus 36, and the profile is gradually aging.
How much development is happening in Croydon South?
Only 3 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, very low and consistent with an established, slow-growth suburb at 0.64% annual population growth. One is a 4-lot subdivision under the Subdivision Act. The detached stock of 92.0% leaves little room for higher-density redevelopment.
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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