Donvale
Large detached homes and older, wealthier households shape Donvale more than apartment growth does. The suburb has 12,644 residents, a median age of 45, which is 5 years above the national figure, and an 86.8% separate-house share. Compared with nearby Mitcham and Doncaster East, Donvale reads more as a low-density family and downsizer market, with a $1,600,000 median house price, 51.1% university attainment, and household income in the 79.4 percentile.
Population
12,644
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,100/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
47
Median House
$1.6M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for space, school access, and established streets rather than density. The median house price is $1,600,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, with 86.8% separate houses and 52.2% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage pressure is moderated by incomes: mortgage repayments sit at 27.5% of income, below the usual stress line, because household income is relatively high. Ownership is entrenched, with 45.6% owned outright and 38.3% mortgaged.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for space, school access, and established streets rather than density. The median house price is $1,600,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, with 86.8% separate houses and 52.2% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage pressure is moderated by incomes: mortgage repayments sit at 27.5% of income, below the usual stress line, because household income is relatively high. Ownership is entrenched, with 45.6% owned outright and 38.3% mortgaged.
For Investors
Donvale is more of a capital-preservation market than a high-yield rental suburb. Only 16.1% of homes are rented, below the owner-occupier base, while the median rent is $450 per week and vacancy is 6.6%. That higher vacancy rate means tenant depth can be thinner, but limited development, with 15 applications in 12 months, helps protect scarcity. Rent growth of 37.5% points to demand recovery, especially from families seeking larger homes.
Development Activity
Total DAs
65
Last 12 Months
47
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+487.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Donvale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Donvale Christian College
Prep-12 · 1623 students
Donvale Primary School
Prep-6 · 289 students
Whitefriars College
7-12 · 1055 students
Our Lady of the Pines School
Prep-6 · 404 students
Demographics
Donvale skews older, educated, and internationally connected. The median age is 45, sitting 5 years above the national figure, while 37.4% of residents were born overseas, 15.8 percentage points higher than national. University attainment is 51.1%, which is 21.0 points above national, supporting higher incomes and professional households. Major ancestry groups include English at 3,105 people and Chinese at 2,647, with Mandarin spoken by 536 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.8%
Houses
10.3%
Townhouse
3.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by large owner-occupied dwellings, so supply behaves differently compared with apartment-heavy suburbs. The median house price reached $1,600,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, up 117.7% from $735,000 in 2013, a 5.7% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Separate houses make up 86.8% of stock, while apartments are only 3.0%. With 45.6% owned outright and 16.1% rented, listings can be relatively scarce because many households are long-term holders.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (Apr-Jun 2024)
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $450.
$700
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $680 · units $575
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$769
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
304
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.6%
Couples, no children
10,547
Total families
Economy & Employment
Donvale's workforce is concentrated in higher-skill service sectors, which explains its above-average incomes and SEIFA strength. Healthcare employs 736 residents, or 17.2%, followed by Professional/Tech at 613 and Education at 467. Professionals number 1,826 and Managers 1,058, while unemployment is 5.2% with participation at 56.1%. SEIFA is consistently high, with IRSAD decile 9, IRSD decile 9, IEO decile 9, and IER decile 10, signalling broad advantage rather than a single income outlier.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
9,073
Unemployed
166
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.9%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
5,616
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.1%
Postgraduate
13.4%
Born Overseas
37.4%
Dwellings
4,321
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented because Donvale has no rail station in the suburb: 89.0% drive to work, compared with only 3.4% using public transport and 0.9% walking or cycling. School access is a strength, with 4 local schools across Independent, Government, and Catholic sectors and ICSEA scores from 1108 to 1158; Donvale Christian College, Donvale Primary School, and Whitefriars College anchor the mix. Safety is relatively calm, with 31.0 offences per 1,000 residents and 261 property-related offences.
Drive
89.0%
Public Transport
3.4%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.95%/yr
(+222 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The trend forecast is 1.95% per year, equal to about 222 additional residents annually, and the medium scenario reaches 12,455 people by 2031. Migration is led by internal moves, averaging 252 net residents a year compared with 38 from overseas, which suits a family housing market. The gentrification score is 53 and stage is Active, while the aging trajectory shows seniors up 3.3 points and young residents down 2.8 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+38
Net Internal / yr
+252
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +38% since 2011, Net internal migration +252/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 28%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
392
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
31.0
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 Donvale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donvale a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Donvale suits buyers wanting larger homes, quieter streets, and strong schools. It has 86.8% separate houses, 4 local schools, and a median age of 45, so it tends to feel more settled than high-density inner suburbs.
What is the median house price in Donvale?
The median house price in Donvale is $1,600,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. Prices have risen 117.7% from $735,000 in 2013, with the latest quarter also matching the recorded peak.
What schools are in Donvale?
Donvale has 4 local schools: Donvale Christian College, Donvale Primary School, Whitefriars College, and Our Lady of the Pines School. ICSEA scores range from 1108 to 1158, with enrolments from 289 to 1,623.
Is Donvale safe?
Donvale recorded 392 offences, equal to 31.0 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category with 261 incidents, followed by 58 crimes against the person.
Is Donvale good for property investment?
Donvale can suit long-term investors focused on land value and family demand. Renting is only 16.1% of dwellings, median rent is $450 per week, vacancy is 6.6%, and house prices have grown 5.7% annually over 14 years.
How is Donvale's population changing?
Donvale is forecast to grow steadily at 1.95% per year, or about 222 people annually. Internal migration is the main driver, adding an average of 252 net residents a year, while the medium scenario reaches 12,455 people by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Donvale?
English is common, but Donvale also has a sizeable multilingual population because 37.4% of residents were born overseas. Mandarin is spoken by 536 residents, Canton by 444, Greek by 167, and Italian by 145.
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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