Hadfield
Hadfield's most distinctive feature is its 70.9% separate-house share within a compact 3.04 sq km area, supporting a density of 2,060 people per sq km. Its population of 6,269 has a median age of 36, four years below the national figure, while 34.8% were born overseas, 13.2 percentage points above the national comparison. Compared with nearby Coburg, Hadfield has a more detached-house-led profile because established family housing dominates the local stock. Italian ancestry counts 1,225 and Lebanese ancestry 701, alongside household income at the 47.7th percentile nationally.
Population
6,269
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,523/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
70
Median House
$925K
October to December 2025
Buyers seeking a conventional family layout will find Hadfield weighted toward detached homes: 70.9% are separate houses, 25.4% are semi-detached and 54.6% have 3 bedrooms, while 19.0% have 4 or more. Compared with nearby Coburg, Hadfield suits buyers prioritising space over apartment density, while the 3.7% apartment share keeps the stock relatively house-led.
For Buyers
Buyers seeking a conventional family layout will find Hadfield weighted toward detached homes: 70.9% are separate houses, 25.4% are semi-detached and 54.6% have 3 bedrooms, while 19.0% have 4 or more. Compared with nearby Coburg, Hadfield suits buyers prioritising space over apartment density, while the 3.7% apartment share keeps the stock relatively house-led.
For Investors
Hadfield's rental case rests on a sizeable tenant segment and recent rent momentum. Renting accounts for 28.3% of households, the weekly rent is $370 and the vacancy rate is 7.2%, giving tenants more choice than a tightly constrained market and making property presentation important. Rents have grown 35.3%, while 69 development applications in 12 months point to ongoing small-scale change rather than a single large project. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which can support rental demand because new arrivals often begin as renters. Compared with a pure capital-growth bet, the 3.7% long-run price CAGR and 0.5% fall from the latest peak favour a hold strategy that weighs income and land value.
Development Activity
Total DAs
85
Last 12 Months
70
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+775.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hadfield
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Thomas More's School
Demographics
Hadfield combines a younger-than-national age profile with strong overseas links: the median age is 36, four years below national, and 34.8% of residents were born overseas, 13.2 percentage points above the national comparison. University attainment is 37.5%, 7.4 points above national, while the 2.5-person average household matches the national figure. Italian ancestry counts 1,225 and Lebanese ancestry 701, with Arabic spoken by 392 residents and Italian by 216. Compared with nearby Glenroy, Hadfield's profile is more shaped by established Italian and Lebanese family networks because 77.5% of residents stayed at the same address five years earlier.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
70.9%
Houses
25.4%
Townhouse
3.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split between 37.2% owned outright, 33.2% mortgaged and 28.3% renting, so owner and tenant demand both matter. Separate houses make up 70.9%, semi-detached homes 25.4% and apartments 3.7%; 54.6% have 3 bedrooms. Compared with denser Coburg options, Hadfield's land-led stock supports family use, but mortgage costs at 30.3% of income are above rent costs at 24.3%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$370
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$697
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
183
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.7%
Couples with children
35.4%
Couples, no children
17.1%
Single parent
1,646
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hadfield's employment base is led by Healthcare at 15.6% of jobs (282), followed by Education and Construction at 11.8% each (214 and 213). Public Administration contributes 9.3% (169) and Professional/Tech 9.1% (164); the largest occupations are Professionals at 643 and Trades at 419. Participation is 56.9%, full-time work is 60.3% and unemployment is 6.1%, so household budgets can be sensitive to mortgage costs. Socio-economic indicators are uneven: IEO is decile 6, above IRSD decile 3, while IER is decile 3 and IRSAD decile 5. That spread sits alongside household income at the 47.7th percentile and helps explain why professional employment does not translate into uniformly higher resources.
Unemployment
6.1%
Labour Force
2,891
Unemployed
175
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
32.3%
Participation
56.9%
Employed
2,716
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.5%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
34.8%
Dwellings
2,359
Transport to Work
Hadfield is car-oriented: 60.9% drive to work and 3.2% use public transport; 30.6% work from home, which can reduce commute frequency but increases the value of local services. Families have access to 1 nearby Catholic primary school, and enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburbs. Crime totals 480 at 76.6 per 1,000 people, with property and deception offences the largest category at 226. IRSAD is decile 5, above IRSD decile 3, showing moderate relative advantage alongside disadvantage. Compared with a transit-first inner suburb, Hadfield's practical liveability depends more on cars, home working and nearby services.
Drive
60.9%
Public Transport
3.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
30.6%
Population Forecast
+0.98%/yr
(+65 people/yr)
EstablishedHadfield is tracking as an established suburb with annual growth of 0.98%, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 16.9% over 10 years, so the outlook is positive but measured rather than explosive. The broader trajectory is Mixed: rents have grown 35.3%, the working share has increased 4.8 percentage points and the senior share has fallen 3.6 points. Gentrification signals are mixed, with one score of 66 tagged Active and another score of 21 tagged Early signs. Compared with a static established-suburb pattern, the direction is gradual change because migration and rental demand are building while affordability remains a live constraint.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+73
Net Internal / yr
-59
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +19% since 2011, Accelerating: 6% → 13%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
480
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
76.6
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 Hadfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Hadfield?
Hadfield has 1 nearby Catholic primary school, St Thomas More's School. Check the exact enrolment zone before buying or renting, because school boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries and local access is not the same as guaranteed placement.
Is Hadfield safe?
Hadfield recorded 480 offences at a rate of 76.6 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 226, so compare the exact street and property type, and use current local reporting before making a decision.
How is Hadfield's population changing?
Hadfield's population outlook is positive but measured: annual growth is 0.98%, overseas migration is the primary driver and population change across the wider area is 16.9% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed, so growth is more gradual than a rapid expansion story.
What languages are spoken in Hadfield?
Arabic is the most common listed language, with 392 speakers, followed by Italian at 216, Urdu at 136 and Greek at 95. The language mix aligns with Italian and Lebanese ancestry counts of 1,225 and 701, respectively.
What development is occurring in Hadfield?
There were 69 development applications in 12 months, including a 2-lot subdivision and planning permits for tree removal. This points to incremental change rather than a single major project, so buyers should check the exact address for nearby planning activity.
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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