Donvale
A 45-year median age, 86.8% separate-house share and household income at the 79.4th percentile give Donvale a premium, established profile. Its population is 12,644, while 52.2% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, supporting larger households and long-term ownership. The overseas-born share is 37.4%, 15.8 percentage points above the national figure. For buyers comparing Donvale with nearby Doncaster or Templestowe, the main distinction is its detached housing emphasis and older resident base, which help explain the lower turnover rate of 15.4%.
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
63
Median House
$1.6M
October to December 2025
Donvale suits buyers seeking established detached housing, but the entry price is above many middle-ring alternatives. Four-bedroom-plus homes account for 52.2%, compared with 34.4% for three-bedroom homes, because the suburb is dominated by family-scale blocks and houses. Mortgage repayments of $2,500 monthly represent 27.5% of household income, below the usual stress threshold, while 86.8% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with more apartment-oriented pockets of Doncaster, Donvale offers more space but less low-cost entry stock.
For Buyers
Donvale suits buyers seeking established detached housing, but the entry price is above many middle-ring alternatives. Four-bedroom-plus homes account for 52.2%, compared with 34.4% for three-bedroom homes, because the suburb is dominated by family-scale blocks and houses. Mortgage repayments of $2,500 monthly represent 27.5% of household income, below the usual stress threshold, while 86.8% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with more apartment-oriented pockets of Doncaster, Donvale offers more space but less low-cost entry stock.
For Investors
Donvale presents a low-rental-share, established-market investment case rather than a high-yield profile. Only 15.7% of households rent, below the combined 81.4% who own outright or hold a mortgage, so tenant demand is shaped by a smaller rental pool. Weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 6.6%, providing more leasing choice than a tightly constrained market, while rent growth of 37.5% indicates stronger pricing than earlier periods. There were 57 development applications in 12 months, pointing to active renovation and property churn, although the detached-house pattern limits large-scale apartment supply. Internal migration is the primary growth driver, which may support demand from relocating households rather than short-term investors.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
63
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+800.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Donvale
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Donvale Christian College
Donvale Primary School
Our Lady of the Pines School
Whitefriars College
Heatherwood School
Demographics
Donvale has an older profile than Australia overall: the median age is 45, or 5 years above the national figure. University-qualified residents represent 51.1%, 21 percentage points above the national level, helping explain the suburb's high household income percentile of 79.4. Overseas-born residents account for 37.4%, 15.8 points above the national share, with English ancestry numbering 3,105 and Chinese ancestry 2,647. Mandarin is spoken by 536 residents and Canton by 444, while Christianity counts 6,361 people and no religion 4,507. Compared with nearby Doncaster and Templestowe, buyers should expect a similarly established eastern-suburban setting but pay close attention to Donvale's older age trajectory and 2.7-person average household size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.8%
Houses
10.3%
Townhouse
3.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership is strong, with 44.2% of dwellings owned outright and 37.2% mortgaged, compared with 15.7% rented. The 4-bedroom-plus share is 52.2%, higher than the 34.4% share of 3-bedroom homes, because detached blocks dominate at 86.8%. Compared with nearby Doncaster's more varied housing mix, Donvale is more strongly oriented toward larger family houses.
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
52.2%
Couples with children
35.6%
Couples, no children
11.9%
Single parent
3,484
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Donvale's largest employment industry at 17.2%, or 736 workers, followed by Professional and Technical services at 14.4% and Education at 10.9%. The occupation mix is led by 1,826 professionals and 1,058 managers, with 824 clerical and administrative workers, supporting a relatively skilled local economy. Unemployment is 5.0% among a labour force of 6,265, while participation is 59.3%. Household income of $2,100 per week sits at the 79.4th percentile, above the national midpoint, and SEIFA places Donvale in the 9th IRSAD decile, with income and education deciles of 10 and 9. These results indicate stronger socioeconomic conditions than average, although the 21.4% rent-to-income ratio remains below mortgage costs of 27.5%.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
6,265
Unemployed
311
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.4%
Part-time
36.9%
Participation
59.3%
Employed
5,954
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.1%
Postgraduate
13.4%
Born Overseas
37.4%
Dwellings
4,321
Transport to Work
Donvale's detached layout supports family living but makes the car the dominant transport mode: 52.8% drive to work, compared with 2.0% using public transport and 0.6% walking or cycling. Working from home is substantial at 40.7%, which fits the suburb's larger homes and 52.2% share of 4-bedroom-plus dwellings. Five nearby schools span government, Catholic and independent sectors, with primary, secondary, special and combined primary-secondary options; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Recorded crime is 31.0 offences per 1,000 residents, including 261 property and deception offences out of 392 total, which is higher than the 58 crimes against the person. An IRSAD decile of 9 is above the middle of the national distribution and supports strong amenity conditions.
Drive
52.8%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
40.7%
Population Forecast
+1.95%/yr
(+222 people/yr)
EstablishedDonvale is forecast to grow at 1.95% annually, with internal migration identified as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change over 10 years is 22.3%, while the demographic trajectory is labelled Aging, reinforced by a 3.3 percentage point rise in the senior share and a 2.8 point fall in the young share. Gentrification is rated Active with a score of 53, and rent growth has reached 37.5%, suggesting ongoing demand and reinvestment. Compared with a static established suburb, this combination points to continued change, but the aging pattern means growth is likely to come alongside more mature household needs. Detached housing, strong incomes and 57 development applications support incremental renewal rather than wholesale redevelopment.
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?
Donvale suits households wanting larger detached homes, established services and a quieter resident base. The median age is 45, 86.8% of dwellings are separate houses and the IRSAD score sits in decile 9, above the national middle. Car access is important because 52.8% drive to work.
What schools are in Donvale?
Donvale has 5 nearby schools covering government, Catholic and independent sectors. The mix includes primary, secondary, special and combined primary-secondary settings, giving families 2 government options alongside Catholic and independent choices. Enrolment zones should be checked for each address.
Is Donvale safe?
Donvale recorded 392 offences, equivalent to 31.0 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 261, compared with 58 crimes against the person. Safety can vary by street and incident type, so buyers and renters should review recent local patterns before choosing an address.
How is Donvale's population changing?
Donvale's current population is 12,644, while population change across the wider area is forecast at 22.3% over 10 years. Growth is estimated at 1.95% annually and is driven primarily by internal migration. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 3.3 percentage points.
What languages are spoken in Donvale?
Donvale has an overseas-born share of 37.4%, which is 15.8 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is spoken by 536 residents and Canton by 444, followed by Greek at 167, Italian at 145 and Persian at 121. English and Chinese ancestries are both prominent.
What development is occurring in Donvale?
There were 57 development applications in the latest 12-month period. Recent examples include 2 dwelling extensions and alterations, along with a council footpath project involving vegetation removal. This pattern points to incremental renewal of established properties rather than a clearly identified large apartment project.
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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