Keilor Downs
A 43-year median age and 43.3% overseas-born share make Keilor Downs an older, migrant-rich part of Melbourne's west, with the overseas-born proportion 21.7 percentage points above the national figure. Its 9,857 residents occupy 5.02 square kilometres at 1,965.3 people per square kilometre, while 85.2% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with nearby Keilor and Taylors Lakes, the suburb reads as a settled, family-oriented mortgage-belt market: 57.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 39.0% have 4 or more. Household income sits near the national midpoint at the 49.7th percentile, helping explain why established housing remains central.
Population
9,857
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,558/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$891K
October to December 2025
Mortgage repayments of $1,733 a month equal 25.7% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with apartment-oriented choices elsewhere, Keilor Downs suits buyers seeking land because 85.2% of stock is separate houses, 57.0% has 3 bedrooms and 39.0% has 4 or more. Its 49.2% outright ownership also signals a mature owner base.
For Buyers
Mortgage repayments of $1,733 a month equal 25.7% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with apartment-oriented choices elsewhere, Keilor Downs suits buyers seeking land because 85.2% of stock is separate houses, 57.0% has 3 bedrooms and 39.0% has 4 or more. Its 49.2% outright ownership also signals a mature owner base.
For Investors
Keilor Downs presents a lower-turnover rental market rather than a high-yield growth story. Renting accounts for 18.4% of occupied dwellings, the weekly median rent is $360, and vacancy is 4.4%, so tenant demand may be less constrained than in tighter markets. The 25.7% mortgage-to-income ratio and 23.1% rent-to-income ratio are not flagged as stressed, supporting a relatively stable established-household base. Annual price trend is forecast at -0.22%, while only 2 development applications were recorded over 12 months, limiting a near-term supply catalyst. Compared with a speculative growth suburb, the case rests more on 85.2% detached housing, overseas migration as the primary driver and long-run price growth of 4.3% a year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
10
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-75.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Keilor Downs
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Keilor Views Primary School
Monmia Primary School
St Mary MacKillop Primary School
Keilor Downs Secondary College
Demographics
Keilor Downs has a median age of 43, which is 3.0 years above the national comparison, and a 2.8-person average household, 0.3 above the national figure. Its 43.3% overseas-born share is 21.7 percentage points above national, reflected in Italian, Vietnamese and Greek ancestry counts of 1,042, 763 and 745. Greek is the most common reported non-English language at 266 speakers, followed by Macedon at 217 and Arabic at 171. Couples with children make up 43.5% of families, while one-parent families account for 18.5%, helping explain demand for 3 and 4-bedroom houses. Compared with nearby Keilor and Taylors Lakes, the suburb's demographic character is more visibly shaped by established migrant and family households, while 87.5% of residents stayed at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.2%
Houses
14.1%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Keilor Downs is strongly detached and owner-held: 85.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 14.1% semi-detached and only 0.5% apartments. Tenure is split between 49.2% owned outright, 31.3% with a mortgage and 18.4% rented, indicating a mature market with a substantial but smaller rental segment. Compared with nearby Taylors Lakes, Keilor Downs remains a practical established-house choice, with 57.0% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 39.0% having 4 or more.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$360
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$586
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.4%
Unoccupied
157
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.5%
Couples with children
36.6%
Couples, no children
18.5%
Single parent
2,841
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local industry employment at 15.4% and 401 workers, followed by Education at 11.6% and 303, Construction at 10.9% and 284, Transport at 8.3% and 216, and Public Administration at 8.0% and 209. This mix links the suburb to essential services, schools, building and logistics rather than a single private-sector niche. Professionals are the largest listed occupation at 777, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 702 and Trades at 604, reinforcing that occupational demand is broader than the industry ranking alone suggests. Labour-force participation is 54.4%, unemployment is 6.8% and full-time employment is 58.9%. Compared with the national household income midpoint, the 49.7th percentile position is close to average, while an IRSAD decile of 4 points to less economic advantage than higher-decile suburbs.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
4,541
Unemployed
311
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.9%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
54.4%
Employed
4,230
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.9%
Postgraduate
6.7%
Born Overseas
43.3%
Dwellings
3,388
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 67.9% of commuters drive, 24.3% work from home, 2.2% use public transport and 0.8% walk or cycle. Families have access to 4 nearby schools, comprising 3 primary schools and 1 secondary college across 3 government campuses and 1 Catholic school; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. The recorded crime rate is 63.1 offences per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 331 incidents, followed by 117 justice-procedure offences. Social conditions are mixed: IRSAD is decile 4, IRSD decile 3, IEO decile 4 and IER decile 5. The spread from IRSD 3 to IER 5 suggests household resources and education are uneven, so a single index should not define every street. Compared with transit-led suburbs, car access and local school proximity matter more.
Drive
67.9%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
24.3%
Population Forecast
-0.22%/yr
(-19 people/yr)
EstablishedKeilor Downs has an established, slow-growth outlook: the annual trend is forecast at -0.22%, while population change across the wider area is 2.8% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which may refresh demand even as the local age profile moves older. The shift trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 6.2 percentage points and the working share down 4.2 points; affordability is described as Stable, moving from 53.2 in 2011 to 52.1 in 2021. Gentrification is not the expected engine, with a score of 0 and a Not gentrifying stage. Compared with a high-growth fringe suburb, this points to selective renovation and turnover rather than rapid expansion, especially with only 2 development applications in 12 months.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+48
Net Internal / yr
-28
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
622
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
63.1
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 Keilor Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keilor Downs a good suburb to live in?
It suits households wanting established detached housing, with 85.2% separate houses and 4 local schools. The median age is 43 and 67.9% commute by car, so it compares better with suburban family routines than with inner-city, transit-led living.
What schools are in Keilor Downs?
The local mix includes 4 schools: 3 primary schools and 1 secondary college, including 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school. Check exact enrolment zones against the address because boundaries can differ by street and school sector.
Is Keilor Downs safe?
The recorded crime rate is 63.1 offences per 1,000 residents, with 622 total offences. Property and deception offences accounted for 331, so compare street-level conditions and security needs rather than relying on one suburb-wide rate.
Is Keilor Downs good for property investment?
It is more suited to established-household income than a rapid-growth strategy: rent is $360 a week, vacancy is 4.4% and 2 development applications were recorded over 12 months. The annual trend is forecast at -0.22%, compared with a long-run price CAGR of 4.3%.
How is Keilor Downs's population changing?
The wider area is forecast to record 2.8% population change over 10 years, while the annual trend is -0.22%. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 6.2 percentage points, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Compared with a growth-frontier suburb, change should be gradual.
What languages are spoken in Keilor Downs?
Common home languages include Greek at 266 speakers, Macedon at 217, Arabic at 171, Italian at 146 and Croatian at 138. Overseas-born residents account for 43.3%, which is 21.7 percentage points above the national comparison.
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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