Delacombe
Delacombe now has 5,408 residents, a median age of 39 and a strongly detached housing profile, with 90.8% separate houses. For buyers comparing Delacombe with Alfredton or Sebastopol, the defining local trade-off is a car-oriented, family-sized market rather than apartment living: 79.6% drive to work and 55.5% of homes have 3 bedrooms. Household income sits at the 34th percentile, while 27.0% rent, so affordability remains important after long-run growth. A 4.1% vacancy rate and 48 development matters point to an active western Ballarat growth area.
Population
5,408
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,339/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
50
Median House
$623K
October to December 2025
Separate houses account for 90.8% of dwellings, while 55.5% have 3 bedrooms and 34.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. The 4-plus-bedroom share is higher than the 2-bedroom share of 8.1%, reflecting established family demand and newer detached estates. A representative mortgage cost of $1,365 per month equates to 23.5% of household income, while rent is 23.2%, so reported housing stress is not flagged. Buyers should still allow for car ownership, because 79.6% drive to work compared with only 0.9% using public transport.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 90.8% of dwellings, while 55.5% have 3 bedrooms and 34.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. The 4-plus-bedroom share is higher than the 2-bedroom share of 8.1%, reflecting established family demand and newer detached estates. A representative mortgage cost of $1,365 per month equates to 23.5% of household income, while rent is 23.2%, so reported housing stress is not flagged. Buyers should still allow for car ownership, because 79.6% drive to work compared with only 0.9% using public transport.
For Investors
Delacombe has a 27.0% renting share, a $310 weekly median rent and a 4.1% vacancy rate. Renting is lower than both outright ownership at 33.8% and mortgage ownership at 36.2%, creating an owner-heavy market that may limit the tenant pool but can support lower turnover. The 21.0% turnover rate and 79.0% of residents staying at the same address point to reasonable local stability. Rent growth of 84.6% is a strong long-run signal, although investors should weigh it against 48 development matters in the past 12 months, which may expand competing supply. Internal migration is the primary growth driver, supporting demand from households moving within the region.
Development Activity
Total DAs
65
Last 12 Months
50
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+614.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Delacombe
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Delacombe Primary School
Lumen Christi School
Demographics
Delacombe has a median age of 39, one year below the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.4, which is 0.1 below the national figure. The household mix is family-oriented but not dominated by one type: couples without children account for 38.9%, couples with children 35.8% and one-parent families 23.6%. Overseas-born residents make up 10.2%, or 11.4 percentage points below the national comparison, while university attainment at 19.6% is 10.5 points below national levels. English ancestry is reported by 2,285 residents, followed by Irish at 630 and Scottish at 607. No religion is the largest religious response at 2,648, ahead of Christianity at 2,212. Nepali and Punjabi each count 13 speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.8%
Houses
9.0%
Townhouse
0.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Delacombe is substantially detached, with 90.8% separate houses, 9.0% semi-detached homes and 0.1% apartments. Tenure is split between 33.8% outright owners, 36.2% mortgage holders and 27.0% renters. The 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio is slightly higher than the 23.2% rent-to-income ratio. Compared with apartment-oriented parts of Ballarat, the local housing choice is more strongly centred on land, parking and 3-bedroom homes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,365
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $310.
$430
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $400 · units $350
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$652
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.1%
Unoccupied
87
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.8%
Couples with children
38.9%
Couples, no children
23.6%
Single parent
1,459
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Delacombe's leading industry at 24.6%, with 351 workers, followed by construction at 11.9% and 170, education at 10.1% and 144, manufacturing at 7.9% and 113, and retail at 7.9% and 113. The occupation mix is similarly practical, led by professionals at 356, trades at 348, community and personal service workers at 336, labourers at 322 and clerical and administrative workers at 306. Labour-force participation is 56.1%, full-time employment is 54.7% and unemployment is 6.2%. Household income sits at the 34th percentile, below the midpoint. SEIFA results are uneven: IEO is decile 3, IER decile 6, IRSD decile 4 and IRSAD decile 3. The higher IER result compared with IEO and IRSAD suggests economic resources are stronger than education, occupation and broader disadvantage measures.
Unemployment
6.2%
Labour Force
2,488
Unemployed
154
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.7%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
2,334
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.6%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
10.2%
Dwellings
2,047
Transport to Work
Delacombe suits residents comfortable with a car-first daily routine. Driving accounts for 79.6% of journeys to work, far higher than public transport at 0.9% or walking and cycling at 1.3%; working from home accounts for 12.0%. Two local primary schools provide a published mix of one government school and one Catholic school, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Safety requires attention: 571 offences were recorded, equal to 105.6 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 322, followed by justice procedures at 104 and crimes against the person at 93. At 5.32 square kilometres and 1,016.5 residents per square kilometre, the suburb is compact but relatively dense. Its IRSAD decile of 3 is lower than its IER decile of 6, pointing to uneven access to resources.
Drive
79.6%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
12.0%
Population Forecast
+3.89%/yr
(+593 people/yr)
High GrowthDelacombe's annual growth trend is 3.89%, with internal migration identified as the primary driver and no recorded COVID dip. Population change across the wider area runs at 85.4% over ten years, indicating a much faster trajectory than a static established suburb. The shift is labelled Mixed: affordability worsened from 37.9 in 2011 to 46.5 in 2021, while rent growth reached 84.6% and the senior share rose 2.8 points. Gentrification signals are also mixed, with one assessment rating the stage Active at 67, while the current development stage is New development with a score of 0. The 48 development matters recorded over 12 months reinforce the role of construction and internal migration in reshaping the area.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+30
Net Internal / yr
+952
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
571
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
105.6
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 Delacombe compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Delacombe a good suburb to live in?
Delacombe can suit households seeking detached housing, practical access to primary schools and family-sized homes. About 90.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 79.6% of workers drive, so it is better suited to car owners than residents seeking strong public transport. Safety also deserves attention, with 105.6 offences per 1,000 residents.
What schools are in Delacombe?
Delacombe has 2 local primary schools in the published list, with 1 government school and 1 Catholic school. Families should confirm the current enrolment zone for each address because school boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries. Secondary school options may require travel beyond the immediate suburb.
Is Delacombe safe?
Safety is an important consideration in Delacombe. There were 571 recorded offences, equal to 105.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 322 incidents, while crimes against the person totalled 93. Buyers and renters should inspect the immediate street, lighting and access arrangements before deciding.
Is Delacombe good for property investment?
Delacombe has several investment positives, including a $310 weekly median rent, 4.1% vacancy rate and 84.6% long-run rent growth. However, only 27.0% of households rent, so the tenant base is smaller than the owner base. A total of 48 development matters in 12 months may also add competing supply.
How is Delacombe's population changing?
Delacombe has 5,408 residents today, while the wider area's growth trend is 3.89% annually and is driven primarily by internal migration. Population change across the wider area is 85.4% over 10 years. The trajectory is labelled Mixed, with a senior-share increase of 2.8 points and a young-share decline of 1.3 points.
What development is happening in Delacombe?
There were 48 development matters recorded over the past 12 months. Recent examples include 2 planning permits for office use in existing buildings and 1 application for construction of storage bins. This level of activity supports Delacombe's New development stage, but buyers should check individual permits for timing and likely local impacts.
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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