Hughesdale
The suburb has 7,563 residents, a median age of 38, and 40.3% born overseas. Household income sits at the 77.1st percentile, above the national midpoint, while 57.8% hold a university qualification. Compared with the broader Oakleigh-Chadstone corridor, Hughesdale is more concentrated and established, with 3,763.6 residents per sq km and a housing mix led by 53.6% separate houses. Overseas migration and a 0.58% annual trend point to steady rather than rapid expansion.
Population
7,563
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,057/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
32
Median House
$1.7M
October to December 2025
A monthly mortgage estimate of $2,167 equals 24.3% of income, compared with 20.2% for rent, and neither measure is flagged as stress. Housing choice is broader than a detached-only market: 53.6% are separate houses, 31.2% semi-detached and 15.1% apartments. Three-bedroom homes lead at 37.9%, just above two-bedroom homes at 36.1%, suiting households averaging 2.5 people.
For Buyers
A monthly mortgage estimate of $2,167 equals 24.3% of income, compared with 20.2% for rent, and neither measure is flagged as stress. Housing choice is broader than a detached-only market: 53.6% are separate houses, 31.2% semi-detached and 15.1% apartments. Three-bedroom homes lead at 37.9%, just above two-bedroom homes at 36.1%, suiting households averaging 2.5 people.
For Investors
Investor conditions are mixed. Hughesdale has 35.1% of households renting and a weekly rent of $416, creating a sizeable tenant base, while the 9.9% vacancy rate may reduce short-term pricing power. Rent growth of 22.4% has been much stronger than the 0.58% annual population trend across the wider area, so income growth has recently outpaced local expansion. Thirty-two development applications were recorded over 12 months, including a two-dwelling rear build and medical clinic additions, pointing to small-scale infill rather than a major release of new stock. The suburb suits a long-term strategy better than a quick-yield approach because vacancy and purchase prices both constrain immediate returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
38
Last 12 Months
32
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+966.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hughesdale
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hughesdale Primary School
Sacred Heart Girls' College
Demographics
Hughesdale combines an educated, overseas-born population with a settled household base. The median age is 38, about 2 years below the national figure, and 57.8% of residents have a university qualification, 27.7 percentage points above the national level. Overseas-born residents account for 40.3%, 18.7 points above national, with Greek, Mandarin, Hindi, Canton and Korean among the main recorded languages. English, Greek and Chinese are the largest ancestry groups at 1,690, 1,079 and 808 people. Household size is 2.5, equal to the national comparison, while 73.9% stayed at the same address and turnover was 26.1%. Compared with a more transient area, this level of residential stability supports established cultural and family networks.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
53.6%
Houses
31.2%
Townhouse
15.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Household tenure is divided across ownership and renting: 31.6% own outright, 32.0% have a mortgage and 35.1% rent. The rental share is higher than outright ownership, helping explain why demand can remain active even as entry prices rise. Separate houses make up 53.6% of dwellings, while semi-detached homes account for 31.2% and apartments 15.1%. Compared with a detached-only market, this blend gives downsizers and smaller households more options, while 37.9% of homes have 3 bedrooms.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $416.
$580
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $730 · units $570
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$935
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.9%
Unoccupied
321
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.9%
Couples with children
37.0%
Couples, no children
13.4%
Single parent
2,072
Total families
Economy & Employment
Income and employment indicators place Hughesdale above the national midpoint, but the profile is not uniformly affluent. Household income is at the 77.1st percentile, participation is 68.4% and unemployment is 4.1%, with 2,576 full-time and 1,376 part-time workers. Healthcare leads local employment at 16.3% or 522 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 16.1% or 517, Education at 11.9% or 381, Finance at 7.7% or 247, and Construction at 6.8% or 218. Professionals number 1,428 and managers 638, reinforcing a knowledge-worker base. SEIFA places education and occupation in decile 9, while economic resources sit at decile 6, and disadvantage and advantage both sit at decile 8. Compared with the strong education and occupation results, the lower decile 6 economic-resource score suggests housing costs and uneven household capacity temper the suburb's overall advantage.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
4,364
Unemployed
181
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
68.4%
Employed
4,183
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.8%
Postgraduate
17.7%
Born Overseas
40.3%
Dwellings
2,935
Transport to Work
Daily life is shaped by a work-oriented household base and a relatively dense urban setting. Public transport is used by 6.9% of commuters, 43.6% drive, 3.5% walk or cycle and 43.1% work from home, so local shops and services matter even though many residents still depend on cars for regular trips. Two nearby schools provide a government primary and Catholic secondary option, giving families access to both sectors and types; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Hughesdale records 396 offences, or 52.4 per 1,000 residents, including 311 property and deception offences and 39 crimes against the person. Compared with the overall incident count, property offences are the dominant safety issue, so secure parking and home security deserve attention. An IRSAD decile of 8 is above the national midpoint, and density of 3,763.6 residents per sq km supports an amenity-focused lifestyle.
Drive
43.6%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
43.1%
Population Forecast
+0.58%/yr
(+47 people/yr)
EstablishedHughesdale is an established suburb with growth of 0.58% a year, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 7.3% over 10 years, which is modest when compared with the sharper 22.4% rise in rents. The age shift is labelled Declining young: the young share is down 2.3 percentage points, while the senior share is up 2.0 points and the working-age share is up 1.6. Gentrification is at an Early signs stage with a score of 23, while the broader shift signal is Active at 45. Hughesdale also recovered from a 3.6% COVID dip, followed by 5.4% recovery. These figures point to gradual, migration-supported change because established housing and a premium price base limit rapid redevelopment.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+207
Net Internal / yr
-113
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +10% since 2011, Net internal outflow -113/yr, Strong overseas inflow +207/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
396
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
52.4
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 Hughesdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Hughesdale?
Two nearby schools cover the main local mix: Hughesdale Primary School is a government primary school, while Sacred Heart Girls' College is a Catholic secondary school. Families have 2 local options across different sectors and should confirm current enrolment zones because boundaries can differ by exact address.
Is Hughesdale safe?
Safety should be assessed by offence type rather than a simple label. Hughesdale recorded 396 offences, equal to 52.4 per 1,000 residents, including 311 property and deception offences and 39 crimes against the person. Property-related incidents therefore outweigh person offences, so buyers and renters should inspect lighting, parking and security around the exact address.
How is Hughesdale's population changing?
Change is gradual rather than explosive. The wider area's population change is 7.3% over 10 years and the annual trend is 0.58%, with overseas migration the primary driver. Hughesdale is labelled Declining young, as the young share fell 2.3 percentage points and the senior share rose 2.0 points. The gentrification stage is Early signs, with a score of 23.
What languages are spoken in Hughesdale?
Hughesdale has a strong multilingual profile because 40.3% of residents were born overseas. Greek is the largest recorded non-English language at 431 people, followed by Mandarin at 208, Hindi at 71, Canton at 57 and Korean at 45. These figures can help buyers assess local services and household networks.
What development is happening in Hughesdale?
Development activity is noticeable but focused on small-scale change. There were 32 applications in the past 12 months, including a proposal for 2 dwellings at the rear of an existing home and additions to a medical clinic. That pattern suggests infill and service upgrades rather than a large estate release, so buyers should check planning history and future construction near any address.
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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