Gowanbrae
With household income at the 83.9th percentile nationally and an IRSD decile of 9, Gowanbrae punches well above the average for a suburb of just 2,971 people packed into 1.05 square kilometres. What stands out is the ownership profile: 53.5% of households carry a mortgage and only 12.8% rent, a mortgage-belt signature far lower in renters than state and national norms. University qualifications reach 39.5%, which is 9.4 percentage points above the national figure, and the top occupation is Professionals at 376 workers, reflecting a skilled resident base that has driven house prices from $620,000 in 2013 to $1,085,000 by mid-2024.
Population
2,971
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,208/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price reached $1,085,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter, up from $970,000 in the prior quarter and from a trough of $557,500 in 2014. The long-run compound annual growth rate is 4.1% over 14 years, reaching a 75% total gain since 2013. Separate houses represent 69.0% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 27.9% and apartments a modest 3.1%. The bedroom mix tilts large: 38.4% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 45.2% have three, which suits families rather than singles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, making Gowanbrae more affordable to service than many comparable VIC suburban markets.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,085,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter, up from $970,000 in the prior quarter and from a trough of $557,500 in 2014. The long-run compound annual growth rate is 4.1% over 14 years, reaching a 75% total gain since 2013. Separate houses represent 69.0% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 27.9% and apartments a modest 3.1%. The bedroom mix tilts large: 38.4% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 45.2% have three, which suits families rather than singles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, making Gowanbrae more affordable to service than many comparable VIC suburban markets.
For Investors
The rental market is thin: only 12.8% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, and weekly rent sits at $445. A vacancy rate of 3.9% is elevated compared with the sub-2% norm in tightly held VIC suburbs, suggesting landlords face modest competition for tenants. Migration is balanced, with overseas arrivals of 24 a year nearly offsetting internal outflows of 22, yielding little net population pressure either way. There are no development applications in the past 12 months, consistent with a fully built-out suburb in a 1.05 km2 footprint. Rent grew 26.3% over the measured period, and the CAGR of 4.1% on house prices points to steady capital appreciation rather than yield-driven returns.
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure, though the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 5.1 points and the working-age share fell 3.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents account for 24.6%, which is 3.0 percentage points above the national average. The dominant ancestries are English (709), Italian (558) and Irish (271), with a strong Southern European influence distinguishing Gowanbrae from many nearby northern suburbs. The top non-English languages are Italian (55 speakers), Hindi (43) and Arabic (37). University qualifications reach 39.5%, which is 9.4 points above national. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national average, consistent with the family-oriented dwelling mix of mostly three and four-bedroom houses.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.0%
Houses
27.9%
Townhouse
3.1%
Apartment
Tenure
House prices rose from a trough of $557,500 in 2014 to $1,085,000 by mid-2024, a 75% gain from the earliest recorded $620,000 in 2013 and a CAGR of 4.1% over 14 years. The current price is also the peak on record, suggesting no recent correction. Tenure heavily favours ownership: 33.7% own outright and 53.5% carry a mortgage, while renters make up only 12.8%, well below the national norm. The stock is 69.0% separate houses and 27.9% semi-detached, with a mere 3.1% apartments, meaning the suburb is effectively a single and semi-detached market. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.9% and rent-to-income of 20.2% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, indicating most households are servicing housing costs comfortably.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$445
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$930
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.9%
Unoccupied
43
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.1%
Couples, no children
2,580
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the top employing industry at 13.5% (141 workers), closely followed by Education at 13.0% (135) and Construction at 11.3% (118). Professional/Technical services add another 10.6% (110 workers), reflecting the university-educated base. By occupation, Professionals lead at 376 and Managers follow at 253, together accounting for the bulk of higher-income roles. The unemployment rate is 4.8% and the full-time employment rate is 67.6%, broadly in line with state norms. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSD and decile 8 on IRSAD, placing it in the top quintile nationally on both relative disadvantage and advantage measures. Real income grew 5.5% over the decade, modest compared with capital growth, which may explain the persistent household savings and low mortgage stress.
Unemployment
1.9%
Labour Force
1,935
Unemployed
37
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.6%
Part-time
27.6%
Participation
63.9%
Employed
1,452
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.5%
Postgraduate
9.3%
Born Overseas
24.6%
Dwellings
1,060
Transport to Work
Car dependency is very high: 91.4% of residents drive to work, compared with a national figure well above 60%, and only 1.7% use public transport, which reflects the suburb's position in Melbourne's car-dependent northern fringe rather than near a train line. The crime rate is 21.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, below what many comparable suburban areas record, with property offences (33 incidents) the dominant category rather than violence. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier below decile 10, and 84.7% of residents stayed in the same dwelling over the survey period, one of the higher stability rates in Melbourne. Mortgage stress at 20.9% of income and rent stress at 20.2% remain below the 30% stress threshold. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby institutions in Tullamarine and Gladstone Park.
Drive
91.4%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.74%/yr
(+56 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation has grown from roughly 2,850 in 2011 to 3,215 in 2025, a 13.2% rise over 10 years with annual growth of 1.74% adding about 56 persons per year. Medium forecasts put the suburb at 3,690 by 2031, a further 14.8% increase on today. The aging trajectory is the most notable demographic shift: the senior share climbed 5.1 points while the young share fell 4.0 points over the decade, and the working-age share contracted 3.2 points. Gentrification scores low at 4 out of 100 and is classified as not gentrifying, which fits a suburb already at decile 9 advantage with little remaining room for profile uplift. Migration is balanced at roughly 24 overseas arrivals and 22 internal departures per year, so organic household formation is the primary growth engine.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+24
Net Internal / yr
-22
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +11% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
65
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
21.9
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 Gowanbrae compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gowanbrae a good suburb to live in?
Gowanbrae scores decile 9 on both IRSD and IRSAD, placing it in the top quintile nationally for advantage and low disadvantage. Household income sits at the 83.9th percentile, and 84.7% of residents stayed in their home over the survey period, pointing to strong community stability. The main trade-off is high car dependence, with 91.4% of workers driving and only 1.7% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Gowanbrae?
The median house price was $1,085,000 in the April to June 2024 quarter, up from $970,000 the prior quarter. From the 2014 trough of $557,500, prices have nearly doubled. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 20.9%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Gowanbrae?
No schools are recorded within the Gowanbrae suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in neighbouring Tullamarine, Gladstone Park and Westmeadows. Despite no local schools, educational attainment is high: 39.5% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 9.4 percentage points above the national average.
Is Gowanbrae safe?
The recorded crime rate is 21.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, a relatively low figure compared with many Melbourne suburban areas. Property and deception offences account for 33 of the 65 total incidents, while crimes against the person number just 9. The IRSD decile of 9 also signals a low-disadvantage environment, which correlates with lower crime outcomes nationally.
Is Gowanbrae good for property investment?
House prices compounded at 4.1% annually over 14 years, reaching $1,085,000 by mid-2024, a 75% gain from 2013. Weekly rent of $445 against that median implies a gross yield around 2.1%, modest but supported by stable owner-occupier demand. The vacancy rate of 3.9% is above the tight VIC norm, so investors should expect some letting competition. No new development applications in the past 12 months limits future supply pressure.
How is Gowanbrae's population changing?
Population grew 13.2% over 10 years and stands at 3,215 in 2025, with annual growth of about 56 persons or 1.74%. Medium forecasts put the total at 3,690 by 2031. The demographic trend is aging, with the senior share up 5.1 points and the young share down 4.0 points over the decade, shifting demand toward lower-maintenance housing over time.
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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