Deer Park
More than half of Deer Park residents were born overseas, at 54.4%, which is 32.8 percentage points above the national level. The suburb also remains strongly house-oriented, with 87.2% separate houses and only 0.7% apartments. Compared with nearby Sunshine and St Albans, Deer Park reads less like a higher-density centre and more like a family housing market because 64.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms. Median age is 35, 5.0 years below the national figure, but the forecast points to an aging trajectory rather than rapid youth-led growth.
Population
18,145
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,456/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$676K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are mainly weighing affordability against space. The median house price is $675,500, and prices are at their Apr-Jun 2024 peak after rising 94.1% from 2013. Separate houses make up 87.2% of dwellings, far higher than the 0.7% apartment share, so buyers wanting land have more choice than in denser inner-west suburbs. Holding costs look manageable because mortgage payments take 26.8% of income, below common stress thresholds, while 64.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 26.8% have 4 or more.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mainly weighing affordability against space. The median house price is $675,500, and prices are at their Apr-Jun 2024 peak after rising 94.1% from 2013. Separate houses make up 87.2% of dwellings, far higher than the 0.7% apartment share, so buyers wanting land have more choice than in denser inner-west suburbs. Holding costs look manageable because mortgage payments take 26.8% of income, below common stress thresholds, while 64.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 26.8% have 4 or more.
For Investors
Deer Park has a practical rental base, with 30.5% of households renting and median rent at $350 per week. The 6.0% vacancy rate is higher than a tight market, so investors may need to price realistically, but demand is supported by 54.4% overseas-born residents and a forecast overseas migration inflow of 348 people a year. Development activity is moderate at 12 applications in 12 months, below a major redevelopment wave, which can limit sudden new supply pressure while still allowing small subdivisions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
25
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+433.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Deer Park iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Peter Chanel School
Prep-6 · 506 students
Deer Park West Primary School
Prep-6 · 389 students
Deer Park North Primary School
Prep-6 · 307 students
Demographics
Deer Park is younger and more migrant-shaped than the national benchmark. Median age is 35, 5.0 years below national, while 54.4% born overseas sits 32.8 percentage points above national. University attainment is 34.2%, 4.1 points higher than national, but household income is at the 44.3 percentile, below the midpoint. Vietnamese ancestry is prominent at 2,423 people, with English at 2,022 and Chinese at 1,199, because postwar housing and western-suburban affordability have supported long-running migrant settlement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.2%
Houses
12.2%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is detached and family-sized, which explains why Deer Park behaves differently from apartment-heavy parts of Melbourne's west. Separate houses account for 87.2% of dwellings, compared with just 0.7% apartments and 12.2% semi-detached homes. Ownership is mixed: 32.0% own outright, 37.5% have a mortgage and 30.5% rent. The median house price of $675,500 is the current peak, with 0.0% fall from peak and a 4.9% annual growth rate across 14 years, while the 94.1% rise since 2013 shows a long but not explosive uplift.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,689
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$619
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
378
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.3%
Couples, no children
14,773
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce has a broad blue-collar and service profile rather than a single dominant white-collar base. Healthcare is the largest industry at 17.9%, followed by Retail at 8.5%, Construction at 8.5%, Transport at 8.3% and Education at 7.9%. Occupations are tightly clustered, with Professionals at 1,073 people, Labourers at 1,056 and Machinery or Drivers at 1,027. Unemployment is 9.1% and participation is 50.6%, which helps explain why IRSAD sits in decile 2 and IRSD in decile 1, below average despite education and occupation deciles both at 3.
Unemployment
7.8%
Labour Force
9,597
Unemployed
749
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.2%
Part-time
25.7%
Participation
50.6%
Employed
6,645
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.2%
Postgraduate
7.6%
Born Overseas
54.4%
Dwellings
5,890
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, with 86.6% driving to work compared with only 4.6% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling. School choice is local but compact: 3 schools span Catholic and Government sectors, with ICSEA scores from 942 to 1012. St Peter Chanel School is the strongest by ICSEA at 1012 with 506 enrolments, followed by Deer Park West Primary at 989 with 389. Safety needs context because the crime rate is 73.8 per 1,000 and property and deception offences make up 843 incidents. IRSAD decile 2 signals below-average advantage, which can shape services and amenity.
Drive
86.6%
Public Transport
4.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.82%/yr
(+151 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to be steady rather than boom-like. The trend forecast adds 151 people a year, or 0.82% annually, taking the medium scenario from 19,105 in 2026 to 19,860 in 2031. Compared with the 11.1% population change over the past 10 years, that forward pace is more measured. Migration is split, with overseas migration the primary driver at +348 a year while internal migration is -482 a year, suggesting some households leave for other suburbs. Gentrification is scored 10 and labelled Not gentrifying, despite earlier signs in the shift metrics.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+348
Net Internal / yr
-482
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -482/yr, Strong overseas inflow +348/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,340
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
73.8
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 Deer Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Deer Park a good suburb to live in?
Deer Park suits buyers wanting family-sized houses at a western Melbourne price point. It has 87.2% separate houses, 3 local schools and a median age of 35, but car reliance is high at 86.6% of workers driving.
What is the median house price in Deer Park?
The median house price in Deer Park is $675,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is the suburb's recorded peak in the series, with prices up 94.1% from 2013 and 0.0% below peak.
What schools are in Deer Park?
Deer Park has 3 listed schools: St Peter Chanel School, Deer Park West Primary School and Deer Park North Primary School. ICSEA scores range from 942 to 1012, across Catholic and Government sectors.
Is Deer Park safe?
Deer Park recorded 1,340 offences, equal to 73.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category with 843 incidents, so street-by-street checks are sensible.
Is Deer Park good for property investment?
Deer Park has investment appeal through a $350 weekly median rent and 30.5% renter share, but the 6.0% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market. Development activity is moderate at 12 applications in 12 months.
How is Deer Park's population changing?
Deer Park is forecast to grow by 151 people a year, or 0.82% annually. The medium scenario reaches 19,860 people by 2031, with overseas migration adding 348 a year and internal migration subtracting 482.
What languages are spoken in Deer Park?
Deer Park is strongly multicultural, with 54.4% of residents born overseas. Common non-English language groups include Punjabi with 253 speakers, Arabic with 198, Mandarin with 169 and Cantonese with 148.
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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