Fawkner
A 48.3% overseas-born share is the clearest marker of Fawkner's identity, sitting 26.7 percentage points above the national figure. The suburb has 14,274 residents, a median age of 35 and a density of 2,729.2 people per square kilometre. Compared with nearby Reservoir and Coburg, Fawkner combines a more established family housing pattern with strong international migration links, helping explain its 2.8-person average household size.
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
91
Median House
$874K
October to December 2025
Fawkner suits buyers who prioritise land, family-sized layouts and established streets rather than apartment stock. Separate houses make up 83.7% of homes, compared with 0.5% apartments, and 3-bedroom dwellings account for 60.4%, followed by 4-plus bedrooms at 17.8%. That detached pattern matters because it favours households seeking usable indoor and outdoor space. The $1,876 monthly mortgage benchmark sits alongside a 30.3% mortgage-to-income ratio and a mortgage stress flag, so deposit size and repayment buffers matter. A 31.4% renting share may also help buyers understand the local tenant and resale audience.
For Buyers
Fawkner suits buyers who prioritise land, family-sized layouts and established streets rather than apartment stock. Separate houses make up 83.7% of homes, compared with 0.5% apartments, and 3-bedroom dwellings account for 60.4%, followed by 4-plus bedrooms at 17.8%. That detached pattern matters because it favours households seeking usable indoor and outdoor space. The $1,876 monthly mortgage benchmark sits alongside a 30.3% mortgage-to-income ratio and a mortgage stress flag, so deposit size and repayment buffers matter. A 31.4% renting share may also help buyers understand the local tenant and resale audience.
For Investors
Fawkner offers an investor profile shaped by an established, detached market and a sizeable renter base. Rent is $376 per week, with 31.4% of occupied dwellings rented compared with 37.0% owned outright. The 8.9% vacancy rate deserves close checking because advertised availability can affect leasing time and incentives. Rental growth of 31.9% is higher than the 11.1% population change across the wider area over 10 years, suggesting rental pressure has outpaced resident growth. Ninety-four development applications in 12 months, alongside overseas migration as the primary growth driver, may support demand but can also increase competing supply. Assess the exact dwelling, permit status, tenant mix and body-corporate exposure rather than relying on the suburb median alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
127
Last 12 Months
91
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+468.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Fawkner
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Fawkner Primary School
Moomba Park Primary School
St Mark's School
John Fawkner Secondary College
Demographics
Fawkner's median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure, while 44.2% of residents hold a university qualification, 14.1 percentage points above the national comparison. The overseas-born share is 48.3%, 26.7 points above national, and the average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 higher. Italian ancestry counts 2,640 and Lebanese 981; listed languages include Urdu 1,133, Arabic 631 and Italian 606. Christianity accounts for 5,252 people and Islam 4,932, compared with 2,104 reporting no religion. A 79.9% stayed rate versus 20.1% turnover suggests continuity alongside migration, because established households remain while new arrivals refresh the suburb's social and language mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.7%
Houses
15.5%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
The median is higher than the 2013 trough because land-focused detached stock has captured long-run demand. Tenure is split between 37.0% owned outright, 30.1% mortgaged and 31.4% rented. Separate houses represent 83.7%, semi-detached homes 15.5% and apartments 0.5%; 3-bedroom homes lead at 60.4%. Mortgage repayments equal 30.3% of income and are flagged as stressed, compared with rent at 26.3% without a rent-stress flag.
Mortgage / mo
$1,876
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $376.
$530
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $551 · units $490
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
50.8%
Couples with children
29.7%
Couples, no children
17.4%
Single parent
3,459
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Fawkner's named industries at 16.1% and 618 workers, followed by Education at 11.8% and 450, Professional/Tech at 9.5% and 365, Construction at 8.5% and 327, and Retail at 8.0% and 308. Professionals number 1,325, higher than Trades at 759, with Community/Personal at 668, Labourers 612 and Clerical/Admin 610. The labour force is 6,120, including 3,057 full-time and 2,115 part-time workers; participation is 54.4% and unemployment 7.9%. SEIFA is uneven: IEO is decile 5, versus IER decile 2, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 4. That spread suggests education and occupation conditions are stronger than income and resource outcomes, helping explain why employment diversity coexists with lower economic-resources rankings.
Unemployment
7.9%
Labour Force
6,120
Unemployed
484
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.2%
Part-time
37.5%
Participation
54.4%
Employed
5,636
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.2%
Postgraduate
15.2%
Born Overseas
48.3%
Dwellings
4,698
Transport to Work
Fawkner provides access to 4 nearby schools: 3 primary and 1 secondary, across 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school. That mix supports different schooling pathways, but families should check the exact address, enrolment zone and travel time because boundaries can cut across local streets. Daily mobility is car-led: 60.9% drive, higher than 6.0% using public transport, while 26.7% work from home and 2.4% walk or cycle. Recorded crime totals 1,045 incidents, or 73.2 per 1,000 people; property and deception offences total 550, higher than crimes against the person at 215 and drug offences at 61. SEIFA ranges from IER and IRSD decile 2 to IEO decile 5 and IRSAD decile 4, indicating lower economic-resource outcomes than education and occupation conditions. This makes address-level street, transport and service checks important.
Drive
60.9%
Public Transport
6.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
26.7%
Population Forecast
+0.73%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedFawkner's established profile is forecast to grow at 0.73% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 11.1% over 10 years, while the trajectory is Mixed rather than one-directional. The affordability trend is labelled Improving, with values of 79.6 in 2011 and 64.0 in 2021, while rent growth reached 31.9%, so households still need to monitor cost pressure. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift profile scores 68 and is labelled Active, while the headline gentrification score is 25 with an Early signs stage. The area also recovered from a 4.9% COVID dip, followed by 5.0% recovery. Compared with a purely local-demand story, overseas migration and uneven affordability are the stronger forces shaping the next phase.
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 can work well for households wanting detached housing, multicultural amenities and access to established northern suburbs. It has 14,274 residents, a median age of 35 and 83.7% separate houses. Public transport use is lower than car commuting at 6.0% versus 60.9%, so exact access and daily travel should guide the decision.
What schools are in Fawkner?
Four schools serve the suburb: Fawkner Primary School, Moomba Park Primary School, St Mark's School and John Fawkner Secondary College. The mix is 3 primary and 1 secondary, with 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school. Check the exact address because enrolment zones can differ.
Is Fawkner safe?
Recorded crime totalled 1,045 incidents, with a rate of 73.2 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences were highest at 550, compared with 215 crimes against the person and 61 drug offences. Review recent local conditions and address-specific factors before deciding.
How is Fawkner's population changing?
Fawkner's current population is 14,274. The wider-area trend is 0.73% annual growth, with overseas migration the primary driver, and population change of 11.1% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed, while gentrification is labelled Early signs at 25, so growth is active but not uniform.
What languages are spoken in Fawkner?
Urdu is the most common listed language, with 1,133 speakers, followed by Arabic at 631 and Italian at 606. Nepali accounts for 266 and Greek 200. The overseas-born share is 48.3%, which is 26.7 percentage points above the national figure.
What development is happening in Fawkner?
Development activity is substantial, with 94 applications in the past 12 months. Examples include 2-lot subdivisions and construction of a two-storey rear dwelling. This can improve housing choice but may also create local construction disruption or add competing stock, so check permit status and the immediate street context.
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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