Hadfield
Detached houses make up 70.9% of dwellings here, a striking figure for a suburb only 3.04 km2 in size sitting 11 km north of central Melbourne. The $846,000 median house price has slipped 5.5% from its $895,000 peak in mid 2023, yet still represents a 83.3% rise from $461,500 in 2013. The resident base is younger than typical, with a median age of 36, four years below the national figure, and notably international: 34.8% were born overseas, 13.2 points above national. Italian ancestry (1,225) and Lebanese ancestry (701) anchor the cultural mix, and 37.5% of residents hold university qualifications, 7.4 points above national.
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
35
Median House
$846K
Apr-Jun 2024
Hadfield suits buyers chasing a detached house close to Melbourne without inner-suburb pricing. The $846,000 median is down 5.5% from the $895,000 peak in mid 2023, so the market has cooled, giving buyers more room than during the run-up. The stock favours families because 70.9% are separate houses and just 3.7% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 54.6% and four-plus bedrooms at 19.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.3%, which trips the stress threshold because household income sits only in the 47.7th percentile nationally. That mismatch between detached-house prices and mid-range incomes is the main affordability pressure for owner-occupiers.
For Buyers
Hadfield suits buyers chasing a detached house close to Melbourne without inner-suburb pricing. The $846,000 median is down 5.5% from the $895,000 peak in mid 2023, so the market has cooled, giving buyers more room than during the run-up. The stock favours families because 70.9% are separate houses and just 3.7% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 54.6% and four-plus bedrooms at 19.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.3%, which trips the stress threshold because household income sits only in the 47.7th percentile nationally. That mismatch between detached-house prices and mid-range incomes is the main affordability pressure for owner-occupiers.
For Investors
Renters make up 28.7% of households, a smaller share than the owner base, with weekly rent of $370 against the $846,000 median implying a gross yield near 2.3%, modest by Melbourne standards. The 7.2% vacancy rate is elevated and points to softer rental demand than an investor would want. Demand support leans on overseas migration, which adds about 73 residents a year, while net internal migration removes 59, leaving thin organic growth. Development is moderate at 32 applications in 12 months. With prices 5.5% below peak and rent up 35.3% over the period studied, the case here rests more on rent escalation and a possible price recovery than on yield, which stays below 3%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
43
Last 12 Months
35
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1066.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hadfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Thomas More's School
Prep-6 · 366 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, and the working-age share rose 4.8 points over the decade while the senior share fell 3.6 points, a genuinely youthful trajectory. Overseas-born residents reach 34.8%, which is 13.2 points above national, and the cultural anchors are Italian (1,225) and Lebanese (701) ancestry. The top non-English languages are Arabic (392), Italian (216) and Urdu (136), reflecting a strong Middle Eastern and Mediterranean presence, and Islam (1,338 residents) is a substantial second faith behind Christianity (2,856). University qualifications at 37.5% sit 7.4 points above the national figure. Average household size is 2.5, level with national, consistent with the 2,179 couple-with-children families that dominate the area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
70.9%
Houses
25.4%
Townhouse
3.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-weighted: 37.7% own outright, 33.7% carry a mortgage and 28.7% rent, so debt-free and mortgaged owners together hold roughly 71% of dwellings. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 70.9%, with semi-detached at 25.4% and apartments at just 3.7%, and three-bedroom homes lead at 54.6%. The median house price rose from $461,500 in 2013 to $846,000 in 2024, a 83.3% gain at a 4.4% compound annual rate, though it has since eased 5.5% from the $895,000 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 30.3% exceeds the stress threshold while rent-to-income at 24.3% stays comfortable, a gap driven by detached-house prices climbing faster than the local 47.7th-percentile incomes can absorb.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$370
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
23.8%
Couples, no children
4,938
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors: Healthcare leads at 15.6% (282 workers), followed by Education at 11.8% (214) and Construction at 11.8% (213), with Public Admin at 9.3% and Professional/Tech at 9.1%. By occupation, Professionals (643) and Clerical/Admin (391) are the largest groups, ahead of Managers (308). Unemployment is 6.5%, above the typical metropolitan rate, and the participation rate of 53.0% is held down by 1,869 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA reading is mixed: IEO sits at decile 6 for education and occupation, but IER lands at decile 3 and IRSD at decile 3, because mid-range incomes in the 47.7th percentile cap the economic-resources score below the suburb's education profile.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
3,410
Unemployed
152
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.1%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
53.0%
Employed
2,516
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.5%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
34.8%
Dwellings
2,359
Transport to Work
Hadfield is car-dependent, with 88.3% of residents driving to work and only 4.1% using public transport and 1.8% walking or cycling, well below the inner-Melbourne average. Crime totals 480 offences, a rate of 76.6 per 1,000, with property and deception offences the largest category at 226, so theft and similar property crime drives most of the local activity. The SEIFA disadvantage reading is decile 3 on IRSD and decile 5 on IRSAD, placing the suburb in the lower-middle band nationally, and 9.0% of residents (532 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 3.04 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a compact residential pocket.
Drive
88.3%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.98%/yr
(+65 people/yr)
EstablishedHadfield is growing slowly, at 0.98% a year or about 65 people, with the population climbing from 6,502 in 2023 to 6,650 in 2025 and medium forecasts reaching 6,997 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver, adding roughly 73 residents a year, while net internal migration subtracts 59, so growth is essentially imported rather than organic. The gentrification reading is early signs at a score of 21, supported by a 19% population rise since 2011 and an accelerating university share from 6% toward 13%. Affordability improved from 67.6% in 2011 to 55.0% in 2021, a sign the suburb is becoming relatively more attainable even as prices rose over the longer run.
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
Is Hadfield a good suburb to live in?
Hadfield offers detached family housing 11 km from central Melbourne, with 70.9% separate houses and a median age of 36, four years below national. University qualifications reach 37.5%, 7.4 points above national. The trade-offs are car dependence at 88.3% and a crime rate of 76.6 per 1,000.
What is the median house price in Hadfield?
The median house price is $846,000 as of mid 2024, down 5.5% from the $895,000 peak in 2023 but up 83.3% from $461,500 in 2013. Weekly rent averages $370 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.3%.
What schools are in Hadfield?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.04 km2 Hadfield boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local resident base is well educated, with university qualifications at 37.5%, which is 7.4 points above the national figure.
Is Hadfield safe?
Hadfield recorded 480 offences, a rate of 76.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 226, followed by justice procedures at 91 and crimes against the person at 74, so most activity is property crime rather than violent crime.
Is Hadfield good for property investment?
Rent of $370 a week against the $846,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, modest by Melbourne standards, and the 7.2% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand. Overseas migration adds about 73 residents a year, so returns lean on rent growth and price recovery rather than yield.
How is Hadfield's population changing?
Population is growing about 0.98% a year, or 65 people, rising from 6,502 in 2023 to 6,650 in 2025, with forecasts near 6,997 by 2031. Overseas migration adds roughly 73 residents a year while net internal migration removes 59, so growth is driven by arrivals from abroad.
What languages are spoken in Hadfield?
About 34.8% of residents were born overseas, 13.2 points above national. The most common non-English languages are Arabic (392 speakers), Italian (216), Urdu (136) and Greek (95), reflecting a strong Middle Eastern and Mediterranean presence alongside an English-speaking majority.
How much development is happening in Hadfield?
There were 32 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a moderate level for a 3.04 km2 suburb. Activity is consistent with a slow-growth, detached-dominant area where 70.9% of dwellings are separate houses and population grows about 0.98% a year.
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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