Hillside
Family-sized housing and relatively strong household resources define Hillside more than apartment living. The suburb has 17,331 residents across 8.2 square kilometres, a density of 2,112.3 people per square kilometre, and a median age of 36, which is 4.0 years below the national comparison. Separate houses account for 88.1% of dwellings, while 55.8% have 4 or more bedrooms. Household income sits at the 83.4th percentile, above the national median, and 31.2% of residents were born overseas, 9.6 percentage points above the national level. For buyers comparing Hillside with nearby Caroline Springs or Taylors Lakes, the key distinction is its settled, detached-home profile, supported by a 53.2% mortgage share and an ageing trajectory.
Population
17,331
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,190/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers are choosing a mortgage-belt setting where space is more common than compact housing. Separate homes make up 88.1% of dwellings, and 4-plus-bedroom properties account for 55.8%, compared with 41.4% for 3-bedroom homes. Mortgage holders represent 53.2% of households, while 31.4% own outright and 14.9% rent. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,900 equates to 20.0% of household income, above the 17.4% rent-to-income measure, so debt costs appear manageable in aggregate. A current median house price is not available, making live sales evidence more important than a suburb-wide price anchor. Hillside suits buyers prioritising family floor area over apartment choice, especially when compared with denser western alternatives.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a mortgage-belt setting where space is more common than compact housing. Separate homes make up 88.1% of dwellings, and 4-plus-bedroom properties account for 55.8%, compared with 41.4% for 3-bedroom homes. Mortgage holders represent 53.2% of households, while 31.4% own outright and 14.9% rent. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,900 equates to 20.0% of household income, above the 17.4% rent-to-income measure, so debt costs appear manageable in aggregate. A current median house price is not available, making live sales evidence more important than a suburb-wide price anchor. Hillside suits buyers prioritising family floor area over apartment choice, especially when compared with denser western alternatives.
For Investors
Rental investors get access to a predominantly owner-occupied market, with only 14.9% of households renting. Weekly rent is $380 and vacancy is 3.3%, while rent-to-income pressure is 17.4%, lower than the 20.0% mortgage-to-income measure. That combination can support tenant affordability, although the small renter share may limit rental depth. No development activity was recorded in the last 12 months, with a count of 0, which reduces an immediate supply pipeline but also limits new stock choices. Rent growth of 26.7% is higher than real income growth of 2.4%, so investors should stress-test turnover and affordability rather than assume recent rent momentum will persist. Overseas migration is the main growth driver.
Schools in Hillside
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Cana Catholic Primary School
Parkwood Green Primary School
Demographics
Hillside's social profile is family-oriented and more internationally connected than the national pattern. Median age is 36, 4.0 years below the national figure, while average household size is 3.2, or 0.7 above national. Overseas-born residents account for 31.2%, 9.6 percentage points above national, and the university qualification share is 33.7%, 3.6 points above the national level. Italian ancestry counts 2,326 people, Maltese 1,922 and Greek 888, alongside English ancestry at 2,789. Christianity is recorded for 10,861 residents, no religion for 3,325 and Islam for 961. Arabic is the leading reported language other than English at 320 speakers, followed by Punjabi at 253. These patterns help explain the 59.4% share of couples with children and the stable feel created by 87.7% staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.1%
Houses
9.5%
Townhouse
2.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Hillside's tenure and dwelling mix points to established family housing rather than a high-turnover apartment market. Separate houses represent 88.1% of dwellings, higher than the 2.3% apartment share and the 9.5% semi-detached share. The bedroom profile reinforces that pattern: 55.8% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, 41.4% have 3, and only 2.5% have 2 bedrooms. Ownership is split between 31.4% outright owners and 53.2% mortgage holders, with renting at 14.9%. Weekly rent is $380 and the mortgage figure is $1,900 per month; mortgage costs equal 20.0% of household income. Compared with apartment-led areas, Hillside has more land-oriented stock, but buyers should weigh ongoing debt exposure because mortgage households outnumber outright owners.
Mortgage / mo
$1,900
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$805
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.3%
Unoccupied
183
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
59.4%
Couples with children
24.4%
Couples, no children
15.1%
Single parent
4,766
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hillside's employment base is spread across healthcare with 801 workers or 14.2%, construction with 791 or 14.0%, education with 686 or 12.1%, retail with 471 or 8.3%, and manufacturing with 408 or 7.2%. The occupation mix includes professionals at 1,615, clerical and administrative workers at 1,458, trades at 1,398, sales at 1,043 and managers at 1,011. Participation is 69.5%, full-time employment is 60.4% and unemployment is 5.4%, supporting household weekly income of $2,190, which ranks at the 83.4th percentile and sits above the national median. Socioeconomic results are mixed: IER is decile 9 versus IEO decile 5, while IRSD is decile 7 and IRSAD decile 6. The resource result ranking higher than education and occupation suggests stronger financial capacity than the mid-range IEO result alone would imply, with mortgage stress not flagged at 20.0% of income.
Unemployment
5.4%
Labour Force
9,691
Unemployed
519
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.4%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
69.5%
Employed
9,172
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.7%
Postgraduate
6.9%
Born Overseas
31.2%
Dwellings
5,341
Transport to Work
Daily life in Hillside is car-led: 68.1% of residents drive to work, higher than the 2.1% using public transport, while 24.3% work from home and 0.5% walk or cycle. This makes parking, road access and local services important for many households. Families have access to 2 nearby primary schools, with one government and one Catholic school; check the exact enrolment zone and current places before purchasing. Safety needs active consideration: 642 offences were recorded, including 343 property and deception offences, 122 crimes against the person, 104 justice procedures offences and 49 drug offences, equating to a crime rate of 2,213.8 per 1,000. IRSAD is decile 6 and IRSD decile 7, with the latter ranking higher than the former, so amenity and street-level conditions should be assessed in person.
Drive
68.1%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.5%
Work from Home
24.3%
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+121 people/yr)
EstablishedHillside is an established area with a forecast annual trend of 0.75%, driven primarily by overseas migration. Population change across the wider area is 7.0% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Aging: the young share is down 7.7% and the senior share is up 5.5%. This matters because slower household formation can reduce the pace of new demand even while migration adds buyers and renters. Affordability is described as Stable, moving from 46.3 in 2011 to 46.6 in 2021, but rent growth of 26.7% is higher than real income growth of 2.4%. The shift model gives gentrification a score of 20 and stage Early signs, whereas the dedicated gentrification measure records score 0 and Not gentrifying. The 0.75% annual trend is lower than the 26.7% rent-growth rate, pointing to rental pressure moving faster than population.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+124
Net Internal / yr
-297
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -297/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
642
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
2213.8
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 Hillside compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hillside a good suburb to live in?
Hillside suits households wanting detached space and family-sized homes: 88.1% are separate houses, 55.8% have 4 or more bedrooms, and average household size is 3.2. Car use is high at 68.1%, while public transport use is 2.1%, so commute patterns and local access matter.
What is the median house price in Hillside?
A current median house price is not available for Hillside. As a guide to ongoing costs, the mortgage figure is $1,900 per month and weekly rent is $380. Buyers should compare current listings, recent comparable sales and property condition before setting a budget.
What schools are in Hillside?
Hillside has 2 primary schools: Cana Catholic Primary School and Parkwood Green Primary School. The sector mix includes 1 Catholic school and 1 government school. Families should confirm the enrolment zone and available places for the exact address before purchasing.
Is Hillside safe?
Safety deserves attention in Hillside. There were 642 recorded offences, equivalent to 2,213.8 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences accounted for 343, followed by crimes against the person at 122. Check the immediate street, lighting, parking and property security before renting or buying.
Is Hillside good for property investment?
Hillside may suit investors seeking family housing, with 88.1% separate houses and weekly rent of $380. However, only 14.9% of households rent and vacancy is 3.3%. Rent growth of 26.7% is higher than real income growth of 2.4%, so affordability and tenant turnover should be stress-tested.
How is Hillside's population changing?
Growth is gradual, with an annual trend of 0.75% and population change across the wider area of 7.0% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging, with the young share down 7.7% and the senior share up 5.5%. Overseas migration is the primary driver of ongoing growth.
What languages are spoken in Hillside?
Hillside has an overseas-born share of 31.2%. Arabic is the leading reported language other than English at 320 speakers, followed by Punjabi at 253, Macedon at 241, Italian at 227 and Greek at 196. These figures point to a multilingual local population.
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 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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