Fawkner
Detached housing defines Fawkner: 83.7% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 0.5%, giving it a more low-rise profile compared with nearby Coburg. The suburb has 14,274 residents, a median age of 35, and 48.3% of residents were born overseas, well above the national share by 26.7 percentage points. A $782,800 median house price sits with household income in the 42.2 percentile, so Fawkner remains relatively accessible for buyers seeking land in Melbourne's north, but not without mortgage pressure.
Population
14,274
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,428/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
43
Median House
$783K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are mostly buying land and family layouts rather than density, because 60.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 17.8% have 4 or more. The median house price is $782,800 for Apr-Jun 2024, 4.0% below the 2021 peak of $815,000, which gives buyers more room than at the top of the cycle. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,876 absorb 30.3% of income, above a comfortable threshold, so purchasers need to budget carefully even though apartments make up only 0.5% of stock.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly buying land and family layouts rather than density, because 60.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 17.8% have 4 or more. The median house price is $782,800 for Apr-Jun 2024, 4.0% below the 2021 peak of $815,000, which gives buyers more room than at the top of the cycle. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,876 absorb 30.3% of income, above a comfortable threshold, so purchasers need to budget carefully even though apartments make up only 0.5% of stock.
For Investors
Fawkner has a broad tenant base, with 31.9% renting, slightly higher than the 30.6% share buying with a mortgage. Median rent is $376 per week, and rent growth in the shift indicators is 31.9%, helped by overseas migration demand. The caution is vacancy: 8.9% is a high reading compared with a tight rental market, so near-term leasing may require sharper pricing. Development activity is also active, with 30 applications in 12 months, because subdivisions are adding future competing stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
66
Last 12 Months
43
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+330.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Fawkner iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mark's School
Prep-6 · 170 students
Fawkner Primary School
Prep-6 · 238 students
Moomba Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 205 students
St Matthew's School
Prep-6 · 204 students
Darul Ulum College of Victoria
Prep-12 · 1766 students
Demographics
Fawkner is younger than Australia overall, with a median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below the national benchmark. Migration shapes the suburb: 48.3% were born overseas, 26.7 percentage points above national, and university attainment of 44.2% is 14.1 points above national. Urdu has 1,133 speakers, Arabic 631 and Italian 606, while Italian ancestry counts 2,640 people. Household size is 2.8, 0.3 above national, because family households remain a major part of local life.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.7%
Houses
15.5%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing market has nearly doubled over the long term: the median moved from $410,000 in 2013 to $782,800 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 90.9% rise and 4.7% CAGR over 14 years. Prices remain below the $815,000 peak reached in 2021 by 4.0%, which points to consolidation rather than a fresh upswing. Ownership is relatively balanced, with 37.5% owned outright, 30.6% mortgaged and 31.9% rented. Separate houses dominate at 83.7%, so scarcity of apartments supports land value.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,876
Rent / wk
$376
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$592
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.9%
Unoccupied
462
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.6%
Couples, no children
11,232
Total families
Economy & Employment
Fawkner's labour market is service-led, with healthcare at 16.1% of jobs, education 11.8%, professional and tech 9.5%, construction 8.5% and retail 8.0%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,325, but the unemployment rate is 8.6% and participation is 50.3%, which keeps incomes lower than the skill mix might suggest. SEIFA shows the split clearly: IEO decile 5 is middle, while IER decile 2, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 4 point to lower economic resources and advantage.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
7,302
Unemployed
423
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.1%
Part-time
32.3%
Participation
50.3%
Employed
5,172
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.2%
Postgraduate
15.2%
Born Overseas
48.3%
Dwellings
4,698
Transport to Work
Daily life is practical and car-oriented: 83.3% drive to work, compared with 7.8% using public transport and 3.3% walking or cycling. Education choice is a strength, with 6 local schools across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors and an ICSEA range from 958 to 1076. St Mark's School leads at 1076 ICSEA with 170 enrolments, followed by Fawkner Primary at 1020 and Darul Ulum College at 1005. Crime is 73.2 offences per 1,000 people, while IRSAD decile 4 sits below higher-advantage suburbs.
Drive
83.3%
Public Transport
7.8%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.73%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedFawkner's outlook is steady rather than high-growth. The trend forecast is 0.73% a year, or about 110 people annually, with the medium path rising from 15,139 in 2026 to 15,691 in 2031, higher than the 15,096 recorded in 2025. Overseas migration is the primary driver, adding an average 394 people a year while internal migration subtracts 267. The gentrification score is 25 and the stage is Early signs, so growth is being sustained by arrivals and gradual renewal, not a rapid prestige reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+394
Net Internal / yr
-267
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +15% since 2011, Net internal outflow -267/yr, Strong overseas inflow +394/yr, COVID recovered (-5% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,045
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
73.2
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 Fawkner compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fawkner a good suburb to live in?
Fawkner suits buyers wanting houses, schools and northern-suburbs access. It has 83.7% separate houses, 6 local schools and a median age of 35, though 83.3% of workers drive, so car dependence is high compared with inner suburbs.
What is the median house price in Fawkner?
The median house price in Fawkner is $782,800 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 4.0% below the 2021 peak of $815,000, but still 90.9% higher than the $410,000 median recorded in 2013.
What schools are in Fawkner?
Fawkner has 6 local schools. Options include St Mark's School with ICSEA 1076, Fawkner Primary School with ICSEA 1020 and Darul Ulum College of Victoria with 1,766 enrolments.
Is Fawkner safe?
Fawkner recorded 1,045 offences, equal to 73.2 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences were the largest group with 550 incidents, followed by 215 crimes against the person.
Is Fawkner good for property investment?
Fawkner has investor appeal through a 31.9% renting share and $376 median weekly rent, but the 8.9% vacancy rate is a caution. The 30 recent development applications may also add competing stock.
How is Fawkner's population changing?
Fawkner is forecast to grow at 0.73% a year, or about 110 people annually. The medium projection reaches 15,691 by 2031, with overseas migration adding 394 people a year on average.
What languages are spoken in Fawkner?
Fawkner is strongly multilingual, with 48.3% of residents born overseas. Urdu has 1,133 speakers, Arabic 631, Italian 606, Nepali 266 and Greek 200, reflecting migration above the national average.
Is there much development in Fawkner?
Yes. Fawkner recorded 30 development applications in the past 12 months, including subdivision permits such as 2 lot subdivision proposals. This is consistent with renewal pressure in a house-dominant suburb.
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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