Hamilton
At a median age of 45, five years above the national median, Hamilton reads as a settled regional Western District town rather than a growth corridor, and the numbers reinforce it. The $356,500 median house price sits well below metropolitan Melbourne, household income ranks in just the 27.6th percentile nationally, and all four SEIFA indices land in deciles 3 to 4, placing the town in the lower-advantage tiers. Population grew only 2.4% over a decade and is forecast to add roughly 3 people a year, so demand is flat. The standout tension is a crime rate of 129.0 per 1,000 residents, high for a town this size, driven largely by 445 justice procedures offences rather than violent crime.
Population
10,346
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,247/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$356K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $356,500 median (Apr-Jun 2024) makes Hamilton genuinely affordable, far below Melbourne and roughly a third of inner-city prices. Stock is overwhelmingly detached: 91.4% separate houses against just 2.1% apartments, and 53.8% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms with another 26.5% at 4 or more, so families get space cheaply. Prices rose 85.2% over 14 years from $192,500 (CAGR 4.5%) but have slipped 3.6% from the 2023 peak of $370,000, suggesting a softening entry point. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1%, comfortably below stress thresholds because cheap housing offsets modest local incomes. Outright ownership at 43.3% is high, signalling a stable, low-turnover owner base.
For Buyers
The $356,500 median (Apr-Jun 2024) makes Hamilton genuinely affordable, far below Melbourne and roughly a third of inner-city prices. Stock is overwhelmingly detached: 91.4% separate houses against just 2.1% apartments, and 53.8% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms with another 26.5% at 4 or more, so families get space cheaply. Prices rose 85.2% over 14 years from $192,500 (CAGR 4.5%) but have slipped 3.6% from the 2023 peak of $370,000, suggesting a softening entry point. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1%, comfortably below stress thresholds because cheap housing offsets modest local incomes. Outright ownership at 43.3% is high, signalling a stable, low-turnover owner base.
For Investors
Hamilton offers low entry cost but thin growth fundamentals. Weekly rent of $235 against a $356,500 median gives a gross yield near 3.4%, stronger than Melbourne metro on paper, yet the 10.2% vacancy rate signals real difficulty filling properties. The renter pool is shallow at 24.3%, well below the national average, because 43.3% own outright and 32.4% carry mortgages. Demand drivers are weak: net overseas migration of just 42 a year barely offsets internal outflow of 22, and forecast growth is effectively flat at 3 persons annually. Development activity is minimal at 11 planning applications in 12 months. Rents did grow 38.2% over the decade, so the upside is income, not capital gain or scarcity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
41
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+116.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hamilton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
The Hamilton and Alexandra College
Prep-12 · 409 students
St Mary's School
Prep-6 · 257 students
Monivae College
7-12 · 583 students
Good Shepherd College - Senior Campus
Prep-12 · 193 students
Hamilton (Gray Street) Primary School
Prep-6 · 294 students
Demographics
Hamilton skews older and notably less diverse than the country. The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above national, and the senior share expanded 5.2 points while the working-age share fell 2.3 points, an aging trajectory. Overseas-born residents make up just 8.4%, fully 13.2 points below the national figure, and ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (4,254), Scottish (1,412) and Irish (1,190) dominate, with German (742) the largest non-Anglo group. University qualifications at 23.0% sit 7.1 points below national, consistent with a trades and services workforce. Couples with children (2,814) slightly outnumber couples without (2,507), and average household size of 2.2 is 0.3 below national. Volunteering at 22.4% reflects an engaged, settled community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.4%
Houses
6.1%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-heavy and stable: 43.3% own outright, 32.4% hold mortgages, and only 24.3% rent, below the national norm. The built form is almost entirely detached, 91.4% separate houses versus 2.1% apartments, with 3-bedroom homes (53.8%) and 4-plus (26.5%) accounting for four-fifths of stock. The 14-year price series rose from $192,500 to $356,500 (CAGR 4.5%), peaking at $370,000 in 2023 before a 3.6% pullback. Affordability stayed flat, 33.2% in 2011 to 33.9% in 2021. Despite high outright ownership, all four SEIFA indices sit in deciles 3 to 4, and household income ranks in the 27.6th percentile, so the town is asset-rich relative to its modest cash incomes. Both rent-to-income (18.8%) and mortgage-to-income (20.1%) stay below stress thresholds.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$235
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$693
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
494
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.4%
Couples, no children
7,509
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local economy at 25.5% of workers (755 people), more than double the next sector, Education at 11.8% (350), followed by Construction at 10.4% (308), Public Admin at 8.5% (252) and Agriculture at 7.5% (222), the last reflecting Hamilton's Western District farming base. Occupations are led by Professionals (842) and Community/Personal workers (628), with Managers (579) and Labourers (567) close behind, a broad rather than knowledge-concentrated mix. Unemployment is low at 3.3%, below average, but participation at 51.9% is depressed by the older population, with 3,303 people not in the labour force. The SEIFA education-and-occupation decile of 3 confirms a service-and-trades economy, and real incomes grew only 10.0% over the decade.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
4,880
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
60.1%
Part-time
36.6%
Participation
51.9%
Employed
4,318
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.0%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
8.4%
Dwellings
4,328
Transport to Work
Hamilton is a car town: 86.4% drive to work and public transport use is effectively zero at 0.1%, far below metropolitan rates, with only 7.3% walking or cycling, reflecting low density of 52.2 people per km2 across 198 km2. The chief livability concern is a crime rate of 129.0 per 1,000 residents, high for a regional town, though the composition is reassuring: 445 of 1,335 offences are justice procedures and 418 are property and deception, while crimes against the person number 279. All four SEIFA indices fall in deciles 3 to 4, the lower-advantage tiers, and household income ranks in the 27.6th percentile. Housing costs are comfortable, with rent-to-income at 18.8%, and the settled, low-turnover population (80.4% stayed) supports community stability.
Drive
86.4%
Public Transport
0.1%
Walk / Cycle
7.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.03%/yr
(+3 people/yr)
EstablishedHamilton is close to static. The trend forecast adds about 3 people a year (0.03% annually), and the 10-year change was just 2.4%, well below growth-corridor suburbs. ERP edged from 10,262 in 2023 to 10,299 in 2025, with medium projections reaching only 10,280 by 2031. There was no COVID dip. The primary driver is overseas migration at 42 a year, but it is nearly cancelled by internal outflow averaging 22 annually. The gentrification score of 19 confirms the town is not gentrifying, and the aging trajectory, senior share up 5.2 points against young share down 0.9, points to managed decline rather than renewal. Affordability has stayed stable at roughly 33%, so there is no displacement pressure pushing change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+42
Net Internal / yr
-22
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,335
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
129.0
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 Hamilton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamilton a good suburb to live in?
Hamilton suits buyers prioritising affordability and space: the $356,500 median house price is well below Melbourne, 91.4% of homes are detached, and mortgage-to-income sits at a comfortable 20.1%. The trade-offs are a crime rate of 129.0 per 1,000, high for a regional town, and all four SEIFA indices in deciles 3 to 4, the lower-advantage tiers.
What is the median house price in Hamilton?
The median house price is $356,500 (Apr-Jun 2024), down 3.6% from the 2023 peak of $370,000. Over 14 years prices rose 85.2% from $192,500 (CAGR 4.5%). Weekly rent averages $235 and monthly mortgage repayments around $1,083, giving a gross rental yield near 3.4%, above Melbourne metro levels.
What schools are in Hamilton?
Our current dataset records 0 schools with verified ICSEA and enrolment figures inside the Hamilton boundary, so we cannot rank specific campuses here. As a context point, local university qualification rates are 23.0%, which is 7.1 points below the national average, typical of a trades and services town.
Is Hamilton safe?
The crime rate is 129.0 per 1,000 residents (1,335 total offences), high for a regional town. The largest category is justice procedures offences at 445, followed by property and deception at 418, while crimes against the person account for 279, meaning much of the count is procedural rather than violent.
Is Hamilton good for property investment?
Entry cost is low and gross yield near 3.4% ($235/week on $356,500) beats Melbourne metro, but a 10.2% vacancy rate signals weak tenant demand. The renter share is only 24.3%, below national, and forecast growth is flat at about 3 people a year, so the case is income, not capital growth.
How is Hamilton's population changing?
Population is nearly static, growing just 2.4% over 10 years and a forecast 3 people per year (0.03% annually) to around 10,280 by 2031. Overseas migration adds 42 a year but internal outflow removes 22. The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above national, and the senior share rose 5.2 points, an aging trajectory.
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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