Doreen
A median age of 33 places Doreen 7 years below the national median, while its average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national figure. Its 27,122 residents are concentrated in separate houses, with 94.6% detached dwellings and 66.4% containing four or more bedrooms. Household income sits at the 82nd percentile, supporting a mortgage-belt profile. Forecast growth of 4.89% a year and 55 development applications reinforce a high-growth setting. Compared with nearby Laurimar and Mernda, Doreen reads more as a family-sized detached-house market than a compact apartment precinct.
Population
27,122
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,151/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
53
Median House
$834K
October to December 2025
Family buyers are the core market: 66.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 94.6% are separate houses, compared with only 0.3% apartments and 5.1% semi-detached dwellings. A $2,000 monthly mortgage and mortgage payments at 21.5% of household income point to a manageable but substantial commitment. Renting at $397 a week provides a lower-entry alternative, although 58.8% of households already carry a mortgage.
For Buyers
Family buyers are the core market: 66.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 94.6% are separate houses, compared with only 0.3% apartments and 5.1% semi-detached dwellings. A $2,000 monthly mortgage and mortgage payments at 21.5% of household income point to a manageable but substantial commitment. Renting at $397 a week provides a lower-entry alternative, although 58.8% of households already carry a mortgage.
For Investors
Doreen has a predominantly owner-occupier profile, with 21.5% of households renting, so investor demand is narrower than in a high-rental inner suburb. The $397 weekly rent and 3.7% vacancy rate provide a useful baseline, while development activity is substantial compared with a settled suburb, with 55 applications in 12 months. That pipeline can add stock and temper near-term scarcity. A 4.89% annual growth forecast and Balanced migration support a long-term demand case, but new supply means investors should assess estate location, tenant depth and holding costs rather than rely on headline growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
326
Last 12 Months
53
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+55.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Doreen
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hazel Glen College
Plenty Valley Christian College
Ashley Park Primary School
Doreen Primary School
Laurimar Primary School
Demographics
Doreen's age profile remains young by national standards: the median age is 33, or 7 years below the national median. Family structure explains that position, with 57.1% of families being couples with children, 16.3% one-parent families and household size of 3.0, 0.5 above the national average. The university share is 32.5%, 2.4 points above national, while the overseas-born share is 20.4%, 1.2 points below. English ancestry counts 8,960, Irish 2,729 and Italian 2,593; Punjabi is the largest listed non-English language at 255. Compared with nearby Laurimar and Mernda, Doreen's identity is strongly family-oriented and Anglo-leaning, with established migrant communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-heavy: 58.8% of households have a mortgage, compared with 19.2% owning outright and 21.5% renting. The stock suits larger households, with 66.4% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 31.7% having three. Compared with compact markets nearby, Doreen's separate-house share of 94.6% makes land, maintenance and borrowing capacity central to value.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$397
Census 2021
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$928
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.7%
Unoccupied
340
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
57.1%
Couples with children
25.7%
Couples, no children
16.3%
Single parent
7,542
Total families
Economy & Employment
Doreen combines strong workforce participation with a practical employment base. Participation is 72.7%, unemployment 4.3% and full-time employment 61.3%. Healthcare leads at 17.7% or 1,688 workers, followed by construction at 14.3%, education at 13.3%, public administration at 7.4% and professional or technical work at 7.2%. Occupations include 2,745 professionals, 2,185 trades workers, 2,026 clerical and administrative workers, 1,793 community and personal service workers and 1,700 managers. Household income is at the 82nd percentile. SEIFA economic resources rank in decile 9, above education and occupation decile 6; disadvantage is decile 8 and advantage/disadvantage decile 7. Compared with a single-industry suburb, this spread supports resilience.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
14,413
Unemployed
624
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.3%
Part-time
32.5%
Participation
72.7%
Employed
13,789
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.5%
Postgraduate
7.8%
Born Overseas
20.4%
Dwellings
8,758
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 66.2% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.2% using public transport, while 27.3% work from home. Six nearby schools cover government primary, government combined primary and secondary, Catholic primary and independent primary and secondary options; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Safety indicators are relatively favourable, with 780 recorded offences and a rate of 28.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 385, compared with 173 crimes against the person. SEIFA IRSAD is in decile 7, above the IEO decile 6, supporting a generally comfortable but car-dependent suburban setting.
Drive
66.2%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
27.3%
Population Forecast
+4.89%/yr
(+584 people/yr)
High GrowthDoreen sits in a high-growth phase, with forecast annual growth of 4.89% and migration labelled Balanced rather than driven by one dominant stream. Population change across the wider area is forecast at 243.8% over 10 years, a rate far above a stable-growth setting. The shift trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 3.5 percentage points and the working share down 2.8 points, even as the young share rises 0.6 points. The gentrification score is 0, with the shift stage labelled Not gentrifying and the development stage New development. With 55 applications in 12 months, expansion is being shaped more by new housing supply than by inner-suburban upgrading.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+69
Net Internal / yr
+89
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
780
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
28.8
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 Doreen compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Doreen a good suburb to live in?
Doreen suits households wanting larger detached homes, schools and a family-oriented setting. The median age is 33, 57.1% of families are couples with children, and 94.6% of dwellings are separate houses. Car dependence is high at 66.2%, so commute patterns and access to services matter more than in a transit-led suburb.
What schools are in Doreen?
Doreen has 6 listed schools spanning government primary, government primary and secondary, Catholic primary and independent primary and secondary options. Families should check the exact enrolment zone because access can differ by address, even within nearby estates and surrounding suburbs.
Is Doreen safe?
Doreen recorded 780 offences, equal to 28.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 385, compared with 173 crimes against the person. The IRSAD decile is 7, but safety can vary by pocket and time, so inspect the immediate street before buying or renting.
How is Doreen's population changing?
Doreen's current population is 27,122. The wider-area outlook is high growth, with annual growth of 4.89% and population change of 243.8% over 10 years. Migration is labelled Balanced, while the shift trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 3.5 points and working share down 2.8 points. That suggests continued expansion alongside gradual ageing.
What development is occurring in Doreen?
Development activity is high, with 55 applications lodged over the past 12 months. The pipeline includes allotment of a dwelling on a lot below 300 square metres and works to existing homes, so activity is not limited to one format. The gentrification score is 0 and the development stage is New development, pointing to estate expansion rather than a premium-upgrade cycle.
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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