Essendon
Premium pricing and unusually high vacancy define Essendon: 21,240 residents live at 3,448.6 people per sq km, with a median house price of $1,787,500 and vacancy at 12.1%. Household income sits in the 81.4th percentile nationally, supporting a market above the Melbourne middle. Compared with nearby Moonee Ponds and Strathmore, Essendon leans more school-and-house prestige than high-street apartment intensity, because schools, station access and period housing all compete for the same buyers.
Population
21,240
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,132/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
58
Median House
$1.8M
Apr-Jun 2024
For homebuyers, Essendon is a premium trade-off: the Apr-Jun 2024 house median is $1,787,500, only 2.9% below the 2022 peak, so discounts are modest rather than distressed. Separate houses make up 47.2% of stock, apartments 33.0% and semi-detached homes 19.6%, giving more choice than lower-density suburbs. Mortgage costs take 24.6% of income, below stress settings, because household earnings are high even though entry prices are higher than average.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Essendon is a premium trade-off: the Apr-Jun 2024 house median is $1,787,500, only 2.9% below the 2022 peak, so discounts are modest rather than distressed. Separate houses make up 47.2% of stock, apartments 33.0% and semi-detached homes 19.6%, giving more choice than lower-density suburbs. Mortgage costs take 24.6% of income, below stress settings, because household earnings are high even though entry prices are higher than average.
For Investors
Investors should separate rent demand from vacancy risk. Renter demand is visible at 36.5% of households and $380 weekly rent, but the 12.1% vacancy rate is higher than a tight market, so leasing strategy matters. There were 31 development lodgements in 12 months, mainly subdivisions, adding competition. Overseas migration averages +95 people a year, above internal migration of -16, which supports demand but may favour well-located, renovated stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
75
Last 12 Months
58
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+383.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Essendon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School
Prep-12 · 859 students
Essendon Primary School
Prep-6 · 387 students
St Therese's School
Prep-6 · 529 students
Aberfeldie Primary School
Prep-6 · 374 students
St Columba's College
7-12 · 1047 students
Demographics
Essendon's demographics are affluent and educated rather than especially young: median age 39 is 1.0 year below the national benchmark, while university attainment is 53.5%, 23.4 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 25.5%, 3.9 points above national, led by English ancestry at 5,649 and Italian ancestry at 3,464. Compared with nearby Aberfeldie and Niddrie, the suburb feels more professional because managers and professionals dominate its workforce.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
47.2%
Houses
19.6%
Townhouse
33.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Essendon has doubled from $870,000 in 2013 to $1,787,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 105.5% rise at 5.3% CAGR over 14 years. The latest median is 2.9% below the 2022 peak of $1,841,000, so pricing is high but not at its top. Tenure is balanced: 33.2% own outright, 30.4% have a mortgage and 36.5% rent. Demand is broad because 31.9% of homes have 2 bedrooms, 31.7% have 3 and 25.4% have 4 or more, compared with a smaller 11.0% at 0 to 1 bedroom.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,275
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,067
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.1%
Unoccupied
1,172
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.5%
Couples, no children
16,176
Total families
Economy & Employment
Essendon's economy is white-collar and service-heavy: healthcare employs 1,407 people or 15.9%, professional/tech 1,178 or 13.3%, and education 1,042 or 11.8%. Professionals number 3,912, above managers at 2,025, which helps explain household income in the 81.4th percentile. Unemployment is 4.4% with 64.8% participation. SEIFA shows advantage but some debt pressure: IEO decile 8, IER 6, IRSD 9 and IRSAD 9, so resources rank lower than education and overall advantage.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
10,697
Unemployed
382
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
29.9%
Participation
64.8%
Employed
11,192
Occupations
Top Industries
University
53.5%
Postgraduate
14.5%
Born Overseas
25.5%
Dwellings
8,518
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for schooling and local amenity, but car use remains high at 82.4% compared with 7.2% public transport and 4.9% walking or cycling. Seven schools span Government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with ICSEA from 1088 to 1161; Lowther Hall at 1161, Essendon Primary at 1137 and St Therese's at 1116 anchor the academic offer. Crime is 58.2 per 1,000, with 775 property and deception offences, so security matters. IRSAD decile 9 indicates above average advantage.
Drive
82.4%
Public Transport
7.2%
Walk / Cycle
4.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.18%/yr
(+95 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, with a forecast trend of 1.18% a year or 95 people annually. The medium path moves from 8,095 in 2026 to 8,569 in 2031, higher than 2025's 8,048 but not a boom. Migration explains the direction: overseas migration averages +95 a year compared with internal migration of -16, making international arrivals the primary driver. The gentrification score is 8 and stage is Not gentrifying, because Essendon is already expensive and established despite a 19.0% 10-year population shift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+95
Net Internal / yr
-16
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +24% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,237
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
58.2
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 Essendon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Essendon a good suburb to live in?
Yes for households prioritising schools, prestige housing and inner north-west access. Essendon has 7 local schools, IRSAD decile 9 and median age 39, with household income in the 81.4th percentile nationally. The trade-off is price and car reliance, with 82.4% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Essendon?
The median house price in Essendon is $1,787,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 2.9% below the 2022 peak of $1,841,000, but still 105.5% higher than the $870,000 median recorded in 2013.
What schools are in Essendon?
Essendon has 7 local schools across Independent, Government and Catholic sectors. They include Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, Essendon Primary School, St Therese's School, Aberfeldie Primary School, St Columba's College, St Bernard's College and Buckley Park College, with ICSEA scores from 1088 to 1161.
Is Essendon safe?
Essendon recorded 1,237 offences, equal to 58.2 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 775 incidents, followed by 203 crimes against the person, so buyers should assess street-level exposure and home security.
Is Essendon good for property investment?
Essendon has investor appeal but also risk. Renting households make up 36.5% and weekly rent is $380, while rent growth in the shift indicators is 31.8%. The caution is vacancy at 12.1% and 31 development lodgements in 12 months, which can increase leasing competition.
How is Essendon's population changing?
Essendon's forecast trend is 1.18% annual growth, or about 95 people a year. The medium projection rises from 8,095 in 2026 to 8,569 in 2031, with overseas migration averaging +95 a year compared with internal migration of -16.
How much development is happening in Essendon?
There were 31 development lodgements in the past 12 months, with recent examples focused on 2-lot and 4-lot subdivision. That points to incremental infill rather than wholesale redevelopment, which fits an established suburb with high land values.
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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