Glenroy
Nearly 46% of Glenroy residents were born overseas, making cultural mix one of the suburb's defining features. The median age is 34, which is 6 years below the national comparison, while university attainment is 43.9%, or 13.8 percentage points above the national figure. With 23,792 residents across 9.22 square kilometres, density reaches 2,579.5 people per square kilometre. For buyers comparing Glenroy with Oak Park or Hadfield, the suburb's large population, high overseas-born share and established housing supply are important distinctions because they shape local demand, services and everyday activity.
Population
23,792
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,655/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
155
Median House
$911K
October to December 2025
Glenroy suits buyers seeking established family housing with some attached and smaller-format options. Three-bedroom homes account for 49.6% of dwellings, higher than the 14.2% share of four-bedroom-plus homes, so the market is oriented towards practical family layouts rather than large prestige stock. Separate houses make up 58.5%, semi-detached homes 33.1% and apartments 8.4%. The 38.1% renting share is higher than outright ownership at 27.6%, supporting established resale and rental activity. Glenroy can work for buyers who value space and amenity, provided they budget for a price that has risen 100.7% since 2013.
For Buyers
Glenroy suits buyers seeking established family housing with some attached and smaller-format options. Three-bedroom homes account for 49.6% of dwellings, higher than the 14.2% share of four-bedroom-plus homes, so the market is oriented towards practical family layouts rather than large prestige stock. Separate houses make up 58.5%, semi-detached homes 33.1% and apartments 8.4%. The 38.1% renting share is higher than outright ownership at 27.6%, supporting established resale and rental activity. Glenroy can work for buyers who value space and amenity, provided they budget for a price that has risen 100.7% since 2013.
For Investors
Glenroy has a substantial renter base, with 38.1% of households renting compared with 27.6% owning outright. Weekly rent is $369 and vacancy is 9.6%, a relatively important consideration because available stock can give tenants more choice and limit short-term rental competition. The suburb recorded 148 development applications over 12 months, including proposals for 6 dwellings and a combination of 2 dwellings, a rooming house and an SDA home. Rent growth of 26.8% supports the income case, but investors should allow for new supply and inspect property quality carefully. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, which can sustain tenant demand because newer arrivals often seek accessible established housing close to jobs and services.
Development Activity
Total DAs
215
Last 12 Months
155
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+453.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glenroy
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Glenroy Private
Belle Vue Park Primary School
Corpus Christi School
Glenroy Central Primary School
Glenroy West Primary School
Demographics
Glenroy is younger than the national comparison, with a median age of 34, or 6 years below the national figure. Its 45.8% overseas-born share is 24.2 percentage points above national levels, helping explain the prominence of Nepali speakers at 1,035 people, Arabic at 974 and Urdu at 527. Italian ancestry is reported by 2,572 residents and Lebanese ancestry by 1,397, while Christianity counts 8,471 people, no religion 5,351 and Islam 4,440. University attainment is 43.9%, 13.8 points above the national comparison, and average household size is 2.6, only 0.1 higher than the national figure. This mix supports varied food, faith and community networks because Glenroy combines established migrant households with a steady flow of newer residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
58.5%
Houses
33.1%
Townhouse
8.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 58.5% of homes, higher than the 8.4% apartment share, while semi-detached housing contributes 33.1%. Tenure is split between 27.6% outright ownership, 33.0% mortgages and 38.1% renting. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 49.6%, higher than every other bedroom category, because the suburb's established stock is largely designed for family use. The 26.9% mortgage-to-income ratio indicates less pressure than a highly stretched market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,927
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $369.
$530
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $551 · units $490
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$759
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.6%
Unoccupied
910
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.0%
Couples with children
37.1%
Couples, no children
16.9%
Single parent
5,966
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Glenroy's largest industry at 17.6%, or 1,388 workers, followed by education at 9.8% and professional and technical services at 9.5%. Construction accounts for 8.4% and public administration 7.3%, creating a broader employment base than a suburb dependent on one sector. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 2,607 people, higher than trades at 1,577, while community and personal services count 1,377 and clerical and administrative work 1,374. The labour force is 11,784, participation is 60.0% and unemployment is 5.8%. Household income sits at the 57.3rd percentile. SEIFA results are uneven: education and occupation decile is 6, income decile 2, disadvantage decile 4 and advantage decile 5, suggesting qualifications and job mix are stronger than income capacity because housing costs and earnings are not evenly aligned.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
11,784
Unemployed
688
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.3%
Part-time
34.7%
Participation
60.0%
Employed
11,096
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.9%
Postgraduate
14.4%
Born Overseas
45.8%
Dwellings
8,603
Transport to Work
Glenroy provides access to 7 schools across 5 government settings, 1 Catholic primary school and 1 independent primary and secondary school, covering primary, secondary and specialist education. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can affect practical access. Travel patterns are car-oriented, with 55.1% driving to work, higher than the 9.2% using public transport, while 29.7% work from home. Safety requires attention to property-related incidents: total recorded offences are 2,044 and the crime rate is 85.9 per 1,000 residents, including 1,036 property and deception offences and 446 crimes against the person. An IRSAD decile of 5 and IRSD decile of 4 place Glenroy around the middle of the socioeconomic scale, so livability varies by street and household circumstances because transport, housing costs and local conditions are not uniform.
Drive
55.1%
Public Transport
9.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
29.7%
Population Forecast
+1.45%/yr
(+139 people/yr)
EstablishedGlenroy has an established forecast type, with annual growth of 1.45% and overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 23.8% over ten years, while the forecast trajectory is labelled Mixed because affordability, tenure and demographic signals do not move in one direction. Rent growth is 26.8%, and affordability shifted from 61.8% in 2011 to 43.4% in 2021 even though the affordability trend is labelled Improving. The forecast measures also need to be read together: one shift indicator assigns gentrification a score of 75 and stage Advanced, while the current gentrification index records 19 and Not gentrifying. That higher-or-lower tension reflects an established suburb changing through migration and redevelopment rather than following a single clear reinvention path.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+323
Net Internal / yr
-232
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +28% since 2011, Net internal outflow -232/yr, Strong overseas inflow +323/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,044
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
85.9
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 Glenroy compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Glenroy?
Glenroy has 7 schools covering primary, secondary and specialist education. The mix includes 5 government schools, 1 Catholic primary school and 1 independent school offering primary and secondary levels. Local options include Glenroy College, Glenroy Specialist School and several primary schools, but families should confirm enrolment zones for their exact address.
Is Glenroy safe?
Glenroy recorded 2,044 offences at a rate of 85.9 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 1,036, followed by 446 crimes against the person. Safety can vary by street and time, so prospective residents should inspect the immediate area and review current local conditions before deciding.
How is Glenroy's population changing?
Glenroy has 23,792 residents and a median age of 34. The forecast annual growth rate is 1.45%, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 23.8% over ten years. The 45.8% overseas-born share indicates that migration is already a major part of Glenroy's demographic change.
What languages are spoken in Glenroy?
Glenroy has a high overseas-born share of 45.8%. Nepali is spoken by 1,035 residents, Arabic by 974, Urdu by 527, Italian by 475 and Greek by 201. These figures sit alongside 2,572 people reporting Italian ancestry and 1,397 reporting Lebanese ancestry, indicating a wide range of established and newer cultural connections.
What development is occurring in Glenroy?
Glenroy recorded 148 development applications over 12 months. Recent proposals include 6 dwellings, 2 single-storey dwellings, 1 SDA home and 1 rooming house, along with smaller residential works. This level of activity may gradually change housing choice and streetscapes, so buyers and investors should check planning approvals for the immediate property surroundings.
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.
Explore Glenroy on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map