Doonside
Detached housing still defines Doonside: 89.2% of dwellings are separate houses and only 2.4% are apartments, a lower-density profile than many western Sydney rail suburbs. Compared with nearby Blacktown and Rooty Hill on the same corridor, Doonside reads as a family-house market with a strong migrant base. It is more internationally connected than the national average, with 48.0% born overseas, while the median age of 36 is 4 years below national. Household income sits near the middle at the 51.6 percentile, but $980,000 houses are still pressured because mortgages absorb 30.7% of income.
Population
13,614
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,582/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
71
Median House
$980K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers are mainly buying land, not strata: 89.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 8.3% are semi-detached and 2.4% are apartments. The median house price is $980,000, while the short price series rose from $932,500 in 2024 to $1,010,000 in 2025, an 8.3% lift and no fall from peak to latest. Family-sized stock dominates, with 56.1% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 30.4% having 4 or more. Borrowing needs care because mortgage costs sit at 30.7% of income, higher than rent-to-income at 22.1%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mainly buying land, not strata: 89.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 8.3% are semi-detached and 2.4% are apartments. The median house price is $980,000, while the short price series rose from $932,500 in 2024 to $1,010,000 in 2025, an 8.3% lift and no fall from peak to latest. Family-sized stock dominates, with 56.1% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 30.4% having 4 or more. Borrowing needs care because mortgage costs sit at 30.7% of income, higher than rent-to-income at 22.1%.
For Investors
Investors get a renter-heavy market, with 46.8% renting compared with 22.8% owned outright and 30.4% mortgaged. The median rent is $350 a week and vacancy is 4.7%, so demand needs street-by-street checking because empty stock is not especially tight. Activity is meaningful: 65 development applications in 12 months point to secondary dwellings and replacement homes adding supply. Overseas migration averages +342 people a year, partly offset by -417 internal migration, which shapes leasing demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
337
Last 12 Months
71
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-6.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Doonside iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St John Vianney's Primary School
K-6 · 348 students
Mountain View Adventist College
K-12 · 592 students
Doonside High School
7-12 · 715 students
Crawford Public School
K-6 · 387 students
Doonside Public School
P-6 · 258 students
Demographics
Doonside skews younger and more migrant than Australia overall: median age is 36, 4 years below national, and 48.0% of residents were born overseas, 26.4 percentage points above national. University attainment is 35.1%, 5.0 points higher than national, but household size is also higher at 2.9 people. Filipino and Indian ancestries sit alongside English, while Christianity counts 7,193 adherents, Hinduism 1,278 and Islam 926. Arabic, Hindi and Punjabi are the leading listed languages because family migration is a major local driver.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.2%
Houses
8.3%
Townhouse
2.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing structure is unusually detached for metropolitan Sydney, with 89.2% separate houses compared with just 8.3% semi-detached homes and 2.4% apartments. Ownership is split between 22.8% owned outright, 30.4% with a mortgage and 46.8% renting, so turnover exposure is higher than in a settled owner-occupier suburb. Prices moved from $932,500 in 2024 to $1,010,000 in 2025, matching the 2025 peak and lifting 8.3% in 1 year. The pressure point is serviceability because mortgage-to-income is 30.7%, while rent-to-income is lower at 22.1%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$647
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
213
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.1%
Couples, no children
11,040
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the main employment base at 21.8% of workers, well above the next sectors: retail at 9.1%, education at 8.1%, transport at 8.1% and manufacturing at 7.7%. Occupations are mixed, led by 863 professionals, 782 machinery and driver roles, and 721 clerical jobs, which explains why income ranks near average rather than high. The unemployment rate is 8.8% and participation is 44.2%. SEIFA is uneven: IEO decile 5, IER 5 and IRSAD 5 sit mid-range, but IRSD decile 3 is lower because disadvantage indicators are more concentrated than education or resources alone suggest.
Unemployment
5.9%
Labour Force
13,655
Unemployed
802
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.8%
Part-time
26.4%
Participation
44.2%
Employed
4,429
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.1%
Postgraduate
8.1%
Born Overseas
48.0%
Dwellings
4,325
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 80.4% of commuters drive, compared with 9.5% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling. That matters because rail access helps some trips, but most households still need parking and arterial-road convenience. Education is a strength for families, with 5 local schools across Catholic, Independent and Government sectors. St John Vianney's Primary leads on ICSEA at 1083, followed by Mountain View Adventist College at 1041, while the local range runs from 900 to 1083. IRSAD decile 5 is average for socio-economic advantage.
Drive
80.4%
Public Transport
9.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.96%/yr
(+229 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is modest rather than explosive: the trend adds 0.96% a year, or 229 people, with the medium scenario rising from 24,623 in 2026 to 25,770 in 2031. Migration is mixed because overseas migration is the primary driver at +342 a year, while internal migration runs at -417 a year as some households move further out. The age mix is shifting older, with seniors up 4.5 points and young share down 1.5 points. Despite a shift score of 54 Active, the current gentrification reading is 16 and Not gentrifying, lower than a rapid renewal market.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+342
Net Internal / yr
-417
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +17% since 2011, Net internal outflow -417/yr, Strong overseas inflow +342/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Doonside compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Doonside a good suburb to live in?
Doonside suits households wanting detached homes and school choice, with 89.2% separate houses, 5 local schools and a median age of 36. It is more car-dependent than inner suburbs, so buyers should factor commuting into the decision.
What is the median house price in Doonside?
The median house price in Doonside is $980,000, with the latest price series reaching $1,010,000 in 2025 after $932,500 in 2024. That 8.3% lift suggests recent momentum, but the series is short.
What schools are in Doonside?
Doonside has 5 local schools across Catholic, Independent and Government sectors. St John Vianney's Primary has ICSEA 1083, Mountain View Adventist College 1041, and Doonside High enrols 715 students.
Is Doonside safe?
Crime totals and a current crime rate are not available, so safety should be checked with NSW Police updates and inspections at different times. For context, the suburb has 5 schools and 80.4% of commuters drive, which affects local traffic conditions.
Is Doonside good for property investment?
Doonside has investor appeal because 46.8% of homes are rented and there were 65 development applications in 12 months. The caution is vacancy at 4.7%, which is higher than a very tight rental market.
How is Doonside's population changing?
Forecast growth is moderate at 0.96% a year, or about 229 people annually. The medium scenario rises from 24,623 in 2026 to 25,770 in 2031, with overseas migration the main driver.
What languages are spoken in Doonside?
English is joined by several household languages, led among listed non-English languages by Arabic with 254 speakers, Hindi with 249 and Punjabi with 241. This reflects the 48.0% born overseas share.
Is there much development in Doonside?
Development activity is noticeable, with 65 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include secondary dwellings and new dwelling houses, so supply is likely to increase more through infill than high-rise apartments.
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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