VIC 3047 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Dallas

Almost half of Dallas residents, 49.8%, were born overseas, 28.2 points above the national figure, and Islam is the largest religion at 3,747 followers, ahead of Christianity at 1,511. The median age of 32 sits 8 years below national, a young profile reinforced by an average household size of 3.1, which is 0.6 above national. Detached houses dominate at 83.9% of dwellings, so this is a low-density, family-oriented pocket of Melbourne's north rather than an apartment market.

Dallas urban fabric map

Population

6,762

Median Age

32.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,088/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

6

Median House

$640K

October to December 2025

2.43 km²· 2,788.2 people/km²· Family income $1,215/wk

The stock favours families: 72.9% of homes have three bedrooms and 15.3% have four or more, while only 11.9% are one or two bedrooms. Detached houses make up 83.9% of dwellings versus 14.1% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,408, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.9%, just under the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes sitting in only the 17.0th percentile.

For Buyers

The stock favours families: 72.9% of homes have three bedrooms and 15.3% have four or more, while only 11.9% are one or two bedrooms. Detached houses make up 83.9% of dwellings versus 14.1% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,408, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.9%, just under the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes sitting in only the 17.0th percentile.

For Investors

The rent-to-income ratio of 29.7% sits just below the stress line, so tenants are stretched but holding. A 6.7% vacancy rate points to moderate softness rather than acute oversupply. Demand support comes from the young median age of 32 and large average household size of 3.1, both above national, which keeps three-bedroom houses in use.

Development Activity

Total DAs

11

Last 12 Months

6

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+500.0%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Subdivision
4
Other
2
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
1

Schools in Dallas

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

My College

Pri/Sec Independent

Dallas Brooks Community Primary School

Primary Government

Holy Child School

Primary Catholic

Demographics

Dallas skews young and migrant-heavy. The median age of 32 runs 8 years below national, and 49.8% of residents were born overseas, 28.2 points above the national figure. Arabic is the top non-English language with 621 speakers, followed by Urdu at 178 and Nepali at 75, and the leading ancestries after broad categories are English (687), Lebanese (668) and Indian (223). Islam is the dominant religion at 3,747 residents, more than double Christianity at 1,511. University qualifications reach 27.7%, which is 2.4 points below national, consistent with a working-class profile. Average household size of 3.1 is 0.6 above national and aligns with the 2,601 couple-with-children families, which far outnumber the 678 couples without children.

Age Distribution

0-14
23.8%
15-24
14.4%
25-44
27.5%
45-64
21.8%
65+
12.6%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
2.2%
2 bed
9.7%
3 bed
72.9%
4+ bed
15.3%

Dwelling Structure

83.9%

Houses

2.0%

Townhouse

14.1%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 32.0% Mortgage 32.7% Rent 33.2% Other 2.1%

Tenure is evenly split: 33.9% rent, 33.4% carry a mortgage and 32.7% own outright, an unusually balanced spread for an affordable suburb. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 83.9% of dwellings, with apartments at 14.1% and semi-detached at just 2.0%, and three-bedroom homes account for 72.9% of all dwellings. Outright owners at 32.7% reflect a base of long-settled families rather than recent buyers.

Mortgage / mo

$1,408

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$323

Census 2021

HH Size

3.1

Personal Income / wk

$427

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

6.7%

Unoccupied

142

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

29.7%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

29.9%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Arabic
621
Urdu
178
Nepali
75
Samoan
40
Guj
36
Greek
32

Ancestry

Other
3,475
Ancestry NS
732
English
687
Lebanese
668
Indian
223
Vietnamese
149

Household Composition

51.6%

Couples with children

20.8%

Couples, no children

24.5%

Single parent

1,570

Total families

Economy & Employment

The Dallas workforce concentrates in lower-wage service and trade sectors: Healthcare leads at 16.6% (160 workers), followed by Education at 12.8% (124) and Construction at 12.6% (122), with Transport at 8.4% and Retail at 8.2%. By occupation, Machinery operators and drivers (266) and Labourers (263) top the list, ahead of Professionals at 226, which explains why personal income averages just $427 a week and household income sits in the 17.0th percentile nationally. Unemployment is high at 15.4%, well above typical rates, and the participation rate of 37.6% is low because 2,559 residents are not in the labour force. The full-time employment rate of 55.8% trails the part-time and out-of-work share, reinforcing the suburb's reliance on insecure or lower-paid work.

Unemployment

14.3%

Labour Force

2,084

Unemployed

298

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Full-time

51.3%

Part-time

40.6%

Participation

40.4%

Employed

1,786

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Trades 305
Machinery/Drivers 266
Labourers 263
Community/Personal 238
Professionals 226
Clerical/Admin 166
Sales 131
Managers 126

Top Industries

Healthcare 16.6%
Education 12.8%
Construction 12.6%
Transport 8.4%
Retail 8.2%

University

27.7%

Postgraduate

8.0%

Born Overseas

49.8%

Dwellings

1,974

Transport to Work

Dallas is car-dependent: 83.8% of residents drive to work while only 5.5% use public transport and 2.7% walk or cycle, both below national active and transit shares. The crime rate is elevated at 59.7 offences per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 213 of 404 total incidents and crimes against the person at 83, so personal safety is a real consideration. No schools are recorded inside the 2.43 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.

Drive

73.7%

Public Transport

4.9%

Walk / Cycle

2.4%

Work from Home

12.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

404

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

59.7

Offence Categories

Property and deception offences
213
Crimes against the person
83
Justice procedures offences
57
Public order and security offences
32

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Dallas compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 8%
Household Income
Bottom 17%
Rent Level
Top 33%
Apartments
Top 6%
Renters
Top 17%
Uni Educated
Top 40%
Public Transport
Top 26%
Born Overseas
Top 3%
Density
Top 4%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dallas a good suburb to live in?

The trade-offs are a high crime rate of 59.7 per 1,000 residents and unemployment of 15.4%.

What schools are in Dallas?

No schools are recorded inside the 2.43 square kilometre Dallas boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is young, with a median age of 32, eight years below national, and an average household size of 3.1.

Is Dallas safe?

Dallas records a crime rate of 59.7 offences per 1,000 residents, with 404 total incidents. Property and deception offences dominate at 213, followed by 83 crimes against the person, so property security is the main concern rather than the smaller categories like public order offences at 32.

How is Dallas's population changing?

Dallas has a young profile with a median age of 32, eight years below national, and low turnover of 15.8%, meaning 84.2% of residents stayed put. With 49.8% born overseas, 28.2 points above national, migration is the main driver of future change in this 2.43 square kilometre suburb.

What languages are spoken in Dallas?

About 49.8% of residents were born overseas, 28.2 points above national. English is the main language, with Arabic the top non-English language at 621 speakers, followed by Urdu (178), Nepali (75) and Samoan (40), reflecting a strongly multicultural resident base.

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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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