Donnybrook
At a median age of 30, Donnybrook sits 10 years below the national figure, making it one of Melbourne's youngest residential pockets. Half its residents were born overseas, a rate 28.7 percentage points above the national average, and the household income ranks at the 83.8th percentile nationally despite the suburb being in an active growth corridor north of the city. Nearly all dwellings are separate houses, 98.4% of the stock, and 76.8% have four or more bedrooms, signalling a suburb built for families rather than downsizers or renters.
Population
2,100
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,207/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
41
Median House
$645K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price reached $645,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, having grown 21.7% from $530,000 in 2018, a compound annual rate of 2.2% over 9 years. Prices peaked at $668,500 in Jul-Sep 2023 and have eased 3.5% since then, which positions buyers 3.5% below the recent peak. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.4%, with 76.8% having four or more bedrooms, so buyers get large family homes rather than apartments. With 74.2% of households still carrying a mortgage and only 4.8% owning outright, the suburb attracts recent buyers rather than long-settled owners.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $645,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, having grown 21.7% from $530,000 in 2018, a compound annual rate of 2.2% over 9 years. Prices peaked at $668,500 in Jul-Sep 2023 and have eased 3.5% since then, which positions buyers 3.5% below the recent peak. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.4%, with 76.8% having four or more bedrooms, so buyers get large family homes rather than apartments. With 74.2% of households still carrying a mortgage and only 4.8% owning outright, the suburb attracts recent buyers rather than long-settled owners.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 8.6% is high and signals softer rental demand relative to the supply pipeline. Weekly rent of $401 against the $645,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.2%, moderate by Melbourne standards. Renters make up 21.1% of households, a thin pool compared to inner suburbs, because most households are owner-occupiers with mortgages. Development activity is elevated at 38 applications in the past 12 months, mostly subdivision permits, confirming this is a suburb still being built out. The 77.7% population turnover rate reflects new arrivals rather than stable long-term tenants, which adds short-term rental risk. Investors relying on yield alone face headwinds from the vacancy rate, while the long-term capital case rests on the northern growth corridor absorbing continued population inflows.
Development Activity
Total DAs
95
Last 12 Months
41
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+28.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Donnybrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Donnybrook Primary School
Prep-6 · 502 students
Demographics
The median age of 30 is 10 years below the national figure, driven by young families rather than retirees. Overseas-born residents reach 50.3%, which is 28.7 percentage points above the national average, among the highest proportions in metropolitan Melbourne. Indian ancestry is the largest identifiable group at 427 residents, and Punjabi is the most widely spoken non-English language with 232 speakers, followed by Hindi at 49 and Malayalam at 26. University qualifications stand at 39.5%, which is 9.4 points above the national rate, consistent with a professional migrant intake. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national figure, reflecting the prevalence of couples with children, who account for 1,060 of 1,720 total families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.4%
Houses
1.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The price history from $530,000 in 2018 to $645,000 in Apr-Jun 2024 shows 21.7% cumulative growth at a 2.2% annual compound rate over 9 years, below the pace of many inner Melbourne suburbs. The peak was $668,500 in Jul-Sep 2023, and prices have retreated 3.5% since then. Tenure is dominated by mortgage holders at 74.2%, with renters at 21.1% and outright owners at just 4.8%, far lower than the national proportion, because the suburb is relatively new and buyers have not had time to pay down debt. The dwelling mix is almost entirely separate houses at 98.4%, and 76.8% have four or more bedrooms. Mortgage-to-income at 22.0% and rent-to-income at 18.2% both sit well below stress thresholds, indicating households can service current costs.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$401
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,004
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
58
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.7%
Couples, no children
1,720
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 21.2% of workers (169 people), followed by Construction and Transport each at 10.3% (82 workers each), then Education at 7.5% and Professional/Tech at 7.1%. The construction and transport shares are above typical suburban profiles, reflecting both the physical buildout of the area and its logistics connectivity. By occupation, Professionals are the largest group at 218, followed by Community and Personal Services at 171 and Clerical/Admin at 131. Unemployment stands at 3.3%, and the full-time employment rate is 71.1% among the employed. Household income at the 83.8th percentile nationally indicates this is an above-average earning community despite the suburb being in early-stage development.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.1%
Part-time
25.6%
Participation
64.7%
Employed
985
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.5%
Postgraduate
13.0%
Born Overseas
50.3%
Dwellings
621
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extreme at 92.2% of residents driving to work, with only 3.3% using public transport, well below state averages for Melbourne. This reflects the suburb's outer northern location in postcode 3064, where rail and bus services are limited compared to established corridors. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The crime rate of 161.9 incidents per 1,000 residents is elevated, with property and deception offences accounting for 202 of 340 total incidents, the largest category. Housing affordability is relatively accessible at a 22.0% mortgage-to-income ratio, and the need-for-assistance rate of 2.7% (51 residents) is low. The volunteering rate of 8.0% is moderate and typical for a suburb in an early stage of community formation.
Drive
92.2%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
340
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
161.9
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 Donnybrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donnybrook a good suburb to live in?
Donnybrook suits young families seeking large homes in a growth corridor. Household income sits at the 83.8th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is a manageable 22.0%, and 98.4% of dwellings are separate houses with 76.8% having 4 or more bedrooms. The main trade-offs are heavy car dependency at 92.2% and a crime rate of 161.9 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Donnybrook?
The median house price is $645,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024. Prices have grown 21.7% from $530,000 in 2018, at a compound annual rate of 2.2% over 9 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 22.0%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Donnybrook?
No schools are recorded inside the Donnybrook suburb boundary in this dataset. With a median age of 30 and 1,060 couple-with-children families, demand for schooling is high, and families currently rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the 3064 postcode area.
Is Donnybrook safe?
Donnybrook recorded 340 total incidents in the latest period, giving a crime rate of 161.9 per 1,000 residents, which is elevated compared to many Melbourne suburbs. The largest category is property and deception offences at 202 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 63. This is a pattern typical of newer growth-corridor suburbs with high turnover and developing infrastructure.
Is Donnybrook good for property investment?
The gross rental yield is near 3.2% based on $401 weekly rent against the $645,000 median, moderate but constrained by an 8.6% vacancy rate. Development activity is high at 38 applications in the past 12 months, signalling ongoing supply. The 21.7% price growth since 2018 shows the corridor has delivered capital gains, but near-term vacancy is a risk investors should weigh.
How is Donnybrook's population changing?
Donnybrook is growing rapidly as part of Melbourne's northern corridor. The 77.7% population turnover rate confirms most of its 2,100 residents arrived recently. The young median age of 30, which is 10 years below the national figure, and the 50.3% overseas-born share both indicate continued in-migration is driving expansion.
What languages are spoken in Donnybrook?
Donnybrook has one of Melbourne's highest overseas-born rates at 50.3%, which is 28.7 percentage points above the national average. Punjabi is the most common non-English language with 232 speakers, followed by Hindi at 49 and Malayalam at 26, reflecting a predominantly South Asian migrant community.
How much development is happening in Donnybrook?
There were 38 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly subdivision permits creating new residential lots, consistent with the suburb being actively built out. Recent examples include a 23-lot and a 2-lot subdivision permit in March 2026, confirming the growth-corridor status.
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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