Harkness
A median age of 30, 10.0 years below the national benchmark, defines Harkness more than any postcard feature. The suburb has 12,463 residents and a strongly detached housing pattern, with 94.0% separate houses and 60.0% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms. On the Melton fringe near Kurunjang and Melton West, it reads as a younger mortgage-belt area because 56.0% of homes carry a mortgage and the median house price is $547,500. Household income sits at the 61.6 percentile, above the national middle, which helps explain why larger family homes dominate rather than apartments at 1.7%.
Population
12,463
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,752/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$548K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers in Harkness are mainly buying space, not density. The median house price is $547,500, below many established Melbourne family markets, while 94.0% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.7% are apartments. The suburb suits larger households because 60.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and average household size is 3.1, which is 0.6 above the national figure. Mortgage costs are relatively contained at $1,700 per month and 22.4% of household income, so pressure is lower than the 30% stress line for many buyers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers in Harkness are mainly buying space, not density. The median house price is $547,500, below many established Melbourne family markets, while 94.0% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.7% are apartments. The suburb suits larger households because 60.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and average household size is 3.1, which is 0.6 above the national figure. Mortgage costs are relatively contained at $1,700 per month and 22.4% of household income, so pressure is lower than the 30% stress line for many buyers.
For Investors
Investors see a tenant base but not a high-churn apartment market. Renting accounts for 28.0% of households, below the 56.0% mortgaged share, so demand is tied to families who may be saving to buy nearby. Median rent is $350 per week, and the 3.9% vacancy rate points to more choice for tenants than in a very tight market. Only 1 development application was recorded over 12 months, limiting near-term new supply. Car dependence is high at 90.5% of commuters, so rental appeal is strongest for households with vehicles and work links across Melton.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Harkness iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Arnolds Creek Primary School
Prep-6 · 724 students
Demographics
Harkness is younger, larger-household and more overseas-connected than the national average. The median age is 30, which is 10.0 years below national, while average household size is 3.1, or 0.6 higher. Overseas-born residents make up 32.4%, 10.8 percentage points above national, led by English ancestry at 3,019 people, Indian ancestry at 851 and Irish at 691. University attainment is 24.8%, 5.3 points below national, which aligns with an employment base spread across care, transport, trades and administration rather than only degree-heavy occupations.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.0%
Houses
4.3%
Townhouse
1.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Harkness housing is defined by detached family stock and a long price lift that has recently cooled. The median house price was $547,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, compared with $330,000 in 2013, a 65.9% rise over 14 years and a 3.7% CAGR. Prices remain 8.0% below the 2022 peak of $595,000, after $570,000 in Jan-Mar 2024. Ownership is mortgage-led, with 56.0% paying a mortgage, 15.9% owned outright and 28.0% renting. This structure reflects a newer family market because 60.0% of homes have 4 plus bedrooms and only 2.6% have 2 bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$789
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.9%
Unoccupied
154
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.2%
Couples, no children
10,550
Total families
Economy & Employment
Harkness has a practical service and logistics workforce rather than a single white-collar concentration. Healthcare employs 549 residents, or 16.6%, higher than retail at 288 residents and 8.7%. Construction follows at 12.6%, education at 11.2% and transport at 10.5%, which fits the car-based commute pattern of 90.5%. Occupations are spread across community and personal services at 763 people, machinery and drivers at 734, clerical and admin at 697, professionals at 688 and labourers at 596. Unemployment is 7.4% with participation at 59.8%, so job access is a key local constraint.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.7%
Part-time
25.9%
Participation
59.8%
Employed
4,914
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
5.7%
Born Overseas
32.4%
Dwellings
3,772
Transport to Work
Daily life in Harkness is highly car-oriented. Car drivers account for 90.5% of commutes, far above public transport at 2.0% and walking or cycling at 0.4%, because local movement is shaped around roads and family errands. Schooling is limited inside the suburb to 1 Government primary school, Arnolds Creek Primary School, with ICSEA 999 and 724 enrolments; the local ICSEA range is therefore 999 to 999. Safety is mixed: 632 offences equal 50.7 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 289, higher than crimes against the person at 164.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
0.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
632
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
50.7
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 Harkness compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Harkness a good suburb to live in?
Harkness can suit families wanting larger homes at a median house price of $547,500. It has a young median age of 30 and 60.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, but car dependence is high at 90.5% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Harkness?
The median house price in Harkness was $547,500 in Apr-Jun 2024. That is 8.0% below the 2022 peak of $595,000, but still 65.9% higher than the $330,000 recorded in 2013.
What schools are in Harkness?
Harkness has 1 school listed locally: Arnolds Creek Primary School, a Government primary with 724 enrolments and an ICSEA of 999. Families seeking secondary or non-government options will usually look beyond the suburb.
Is Harkness safe?
Harkness recorded 632 offences, equal to 50.7 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 289, followed by crimes against the person at 164 and justice procedures offences at 117.
Is Harkness good for property investment?
Harkness has investor appeal for family rentals, with 28.0% of households renting and median rent at $350 per week. The 3.9% vacancy rate means tenants have some choice, so investors need to focus on well-presented houses.
How is Harkness's population changing?
Harkness has grown into a sizeable Melton fringe suburb with 12,463 residents and a young median age of 30. Its housing base is family-oriented, with 94.0% separate houses and average household size 0.6 above the national figure.
What languages are spoken in Harkness?
Harkness has a strong multilingual layer, with 32.4% of residents born overseas. Common non-English languages include Punjabi with 337 speakers, Hindi with 111, Samoan with 93, Arabic with 59 and Sinhal with 55.
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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