Jacana
Nearly half of Jacana's 2,187 residents were born overseas, a share 27.3 percentage points above the national figure, making it one of Melbourne's more internationally diverse pockets in a compact 1.1 square kilometre footprint. Against that income base, with household incomes at the 39.5th percentile nationally, the suburb carries an affordability identity alongside a high crime rate of 106.1 incidents per 1,000 residents. At 81.9%, detached houses dominate the housing stock, and vacancy at 10.8% points to meaningful stock sitting idle.
Local council: Hume
Population
2,187
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,387/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$660K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers are not being stretched severely compared to higher-priced suburbs. The stock is 81.9% separate houses, with three-bedroom homes making up 65.7% of all dwellings, giving families genuine choice. At 37.6%, the proportion holding university qualifications is 7.5 points above the national average, suggesting an educated buyer and renter base is already established.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers are not being stretched severely compared to higher-priced suburbs. The stock is 81.9% separate houses, with three-bedroom homes making up 65.7% of all dwellings, giving families genuine choice. At 37.6%, the proportion holding university qualifications is 7.5 points above the national average, suggesting an educated buyer and renter base is already established.
For Investors
The 10.8% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants caution: nearly one in nine dwellings sits unoccupied, which could reflect turnover between tenants rather than sustained oversupply, but it compresses effective returns. Development activity is low at 4 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply pressure is minimal. With household incomes at the 39.5th percentile nationally, rent affordability for tenants is tight, and any rent increase strategy must be measured against a relatively constrained local income base.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Jacana
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Jacana School for Autism
Demographics
Jacana's median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger resident mix than most Melbourne suburbs. The overseas-born population of 48.9% is 27.3 percentage points above national, a defining characteristic of the area. The most common non-English languages are Arabic (91 speakers), Nepali (87), Urdu (78) and Punjabi (36), reflecting migration streams from South Asia and the Middle East. Islam (389 residents) and Hinduism (195) sit alongside Christianity (766), a religious composition that mirrors the overseas-born concentration. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above the national average, and couples with children make up 585 of 1,608 families. Turnover runs at 23.4%, with 76.6% of residents having stayed at the same address, indicating reasonable but not exceptional stability.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.9%
Houses
9.9%
Townhouse
8.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 81.9% of dwellings, a high proportion that limits apartment-style alternatives but keeps the suburb accessible for families seeking standalone homes. Three-bedroom properties represent 65.7% of stock, with four-or-more bedrooms at 12.4% and two-bedroom at 20.8%. Tenure is spread across outright ownership (30.4%), mortgage holders (31.2%) and renters (38.4%), a mix that skews toward renting compared to many suburban VIC markets. A 10.8% vacancy rate is above typical suburban norms, suggesting some structural softness in occupancy.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$335
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$606
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.8%
Unoccupied
92
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.4%
Couples with children
31.9%
Couples, no children
21.7%
Single parent
552
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the top employment sector at 18.1% of the workforce (106 workers), followed by Transport at 10.6% (62), Manufacturing at 9.1% (53), Construction at 8.9% (52) and Hospitality at 8.4% (49), a profile weighted toward essential services and trades rather than office-based professions. By occupation, Community and Personal Services, Professionals, Machinery and Drivers, and Labourers all sit within a narrow band of 123 to 130 workers each, an unusually even spread across skill levels. The unemployment rate of 9.3% is elevated, and the participation rate of 49.2% is relatively low, with 743 residents not in the labour force. Personal weekly income averages $606, placing household income at the 39.5th percentile nationally. Mortgage-to-income at 25.3% and rent-to-income at 24.2% both stay below stress thresholds, meaning the income level is adequate for current housing costs.
Unemployment
8.6%
Labour Force
991
Unemployed
85
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.7%
Part-time
41.1%
Participation
53.2%
Employed
906
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.6%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
48.9%
Dwellings
767
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 81.5% of residents drive to work, and only 10.4% use public transport. Walking and cycling account for just 2.4% of commutes, suggesting limited active transport infrastructure compared to inner-Melbourne suburbs. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families draw on neighbouring catchments. The crime rate of 106.1 incidents per 1,000 residents is above typical suburban benchmarks, with property and deception offences comprising 129 of the 232 recorded incidents. Crimes against the person (42 incidents) and justice procedures offences (34) make up the next largest categories. On the positive side, rent-to-income at 24.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.3% both sit below stress thresholds, and the 10.2% rate of residents needing daily assistance is moderate, reflecting the area's younger median age of 35.
Drive
66.8%
Public Transport
8.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
18.0%
Growth Outlook
SEIFA decile data is unavailable for the suburb, so relative socioeconomic positioning cannot be benchmarked against the national distribution directly. Development applications total just 4 in the past 12 months, indicating the suburb is not in an active densification phase. The suburb's identity signals include affordability and high vacancy, suggesting price momentum will depend on income growth and rental absorption rather than supply-driven competition among buyers.
Population trend: Hume council area
Jacana sits in the Hume council area. These are the council area's residents, not Jacana's.
Residents 2025
278,885
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.7%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+3.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
232
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
106.1
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 Jacana compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jacana a good suburb to live in?
Jacana suits buyers and renters who prioritise affordability and access to Melbourne's northwest. The trade-offs are a crime rate of 106.1 per 1,000 residents and a 10.8% vacancy rate, both above typical suburban norms.
What schools are in Jacana?
No schools are recorded inside the Jacana suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach 37.6%, which is 7.5 percentage points above the national average, reflecting an educated local community despite the absence of local schools.
Is Jacana safe?
Jacana recorded 232 criminal incidents in the latest period, a rate of 106.1 per 1,000 residents, which is elevated compared to many Melbourne suburban areas. Property and deception offences account for 129 of those incidents, followed by 42 crimes against the person. Prospective residents should factor this into their assessment.
Is Jacana good for property investment?
The 10.8% vacancy rate is a concern, and the 38.4% renter share supports ongoing demand. Low development activity (4 applications in 12 months) limits new supply competition.
How is Jacana's population changing?
Jacana's current population stands at 2,187 in a 1.1 square kilometre area, giving a density of 1,989 residents per square kilometre. The suburb has a median age of 35, which is 5 years below the national figure, suggesting a younger and potentially growing resident base. Turnover runs at 23.4% annually.
What languages are spoken in Jacana?
With 48.9% of residents born overseas, Jacana sits 27.3 percentage points above the national figure. The most common non-English languages are Arabic (91 speakers), Nepali (87), Urdu (78) and Punjabi (36), reflecting substantial South Asian and Middle Eastern communities among the 2,187 residents.
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).
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