Laverton
A median house price of $595,000 sits well below Melbourne's metropolitan figure, yet the population has grown 114.2% over the past decade, and the two facts are linked: affordability has pulled in younger arrivals faster than most suburbs absorb them. The median age of 32 runs 8.0 years below the national figure, 55.2% of residents were born overseas (33.6 points above national), and half the dwellings (50.2%) are rented. SEIFA places the area at decile 7 for education and occupation but only decile 5 for income and disadvantage, a split that reflects a working population earning around the 47.3rd income percentile while qualifications outpace the national rate.
Population
4,760
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,512/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
Median House
$595K
Apr-Jun 2024
At $595,000 the median house price is far lower than Melbourne's broader market, and the long arc has been strongly upward: prices climbed 83.1% from $325,000 in 2013, a 4.4% compound annual rate over 14 years. The recent picture is softer, with the latest quarter down 4.0% from the $620,000 peak in late 2023. Stock favours families chasing space, since 78.5% of dwellings are separate houses and only 2.5% are apartments, while three-bedroom homes dominate at 70.1% against just 9.8% with four or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability, rather than prestige, is what keeps first-home buyers competing here.
For Buyers
At $595,000 the median house price is far lower than Melbourne's broader market, and the long arc has been strongly upward: prices climbed 83.1% from $325,000 in 2013, a 4.4% compound annual rate over 14 years. The recent picture is softer, with the latest quarter down 4.0% from the $620,000 peak in late 2023. Stock favours families chasing space, since 78.5% of dwellings are separate houses and only 2.5% are apartments, while three-bedroom homes dominate at 70.1% against just 9.8% with four or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability, rather than prestige, is what keeps first-home buyers competing here.
For Investors
Renters make up 50.2% of households, one of the higher shares in metropolitan Melbourne, which gives landlords a deep tenant pool at a weekly rent of $330. Against the $595,000 median that implies a gross yield near 2.9%, stronger than premium inner suburbs because the entry price is low. The catch is a 13.1% vacancy rate, well above a balanced market, signalling that supply currently runs ahead of demand. The demand engine is migration: overseas arrivals add about 398 residents a year while net internal movement removes 262, so population growth leans heavily on new migrants rather than local churn. Development is modest at 28 applications in 12 months, including small subdivisions, so new competing supply stays limited and the rejuvenating trajectory supports medium-term rent growth, which has already run 43.9% over the period.
Development Activity
Total DAs
47
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+172.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$804K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Laverton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Martin de Porres School
Prep-6 · 270 students
Laverton P-12 College
Prep-12 · 678 students
Demographics
The median age of 32 is 8.0 years below the national figure, marking a young resident base rather than an aging one. Overseas-born residents reach 55.2%, which is 33.6 points above national, and the cultural mix is led by Indian (543) and broadly diverse ancestries, with Punjabi (192), Nepali (90) and Hindi (89) the most common languages spoken after English. University qualifications sit at 38.6%, running 8.5 points above the national rate, a sign that recent migrant arrivals carry strong credentials. Average household size is 2.5, in line with national, and family households skew toward couples with children (1,350) over couples without (858). Hinduism (590) and Islam (356) feature prominently alongside Christianity (1,663), reflecting the migrant majority.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.5%
Houses
18.6%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-led: 50.2% rent, 26.8% carry a mortgage and only 23.0% own outright, a profile typical of a young, recently settled population rather than long-held wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses at 78.5% and apartments at just 2.5%, and three-bedroom homes account for 70.1% of dwellings. The median house price moved from $325,000 in 2013 to $595,000 in 2024, an 83.1% rise, though it has eased 4.0% from the $620,000 peak. Affordability is the standout: mortgage-to-income at 26.0% and rent-to-income at 21.8% both sit below the 30% stress line, unusual for metropolitan Melbourne and consistent with household income near only the 47.3rd percentile yet manageable housing costs.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$738
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.1%
Unoccupied
263
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.4%
Couples, no children
3,247
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in essential and blue-collar sectors: Healthcare leads at 13.7% (210 workers), followed by Hospitality at 10.3% (157), Transport at 9.0% (138), Manufacturing at 8.1% (124) and Retail at 7.5% (115). By occupation, Labourers (384) outnumber Professionals (334) and Machinery operators and drivers (298), which explains why SEIFA scores decile 7 on education and occupation but only decile 5 on economic resources. Unemployment runs at 8.0%, above the national norm, and participation is modest at 56.1% with 1,196 residents not in the labour force. The full-time employment rate is 59.3%. The decile 5 IRSD reading for disadvantage reflects an income base near the 47.3rd percentile despite qualifications that run above national.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
8,291
Unemployed
397
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.3%
Part-time
32.7%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
2,066
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.6%
Postgraduate
14.7%
Born Overseas
55.2%
Dwellings
1,741
Transport to Work
Daily life leans on the car, with 74.9% driving to work against 14.4% using public transport and only 2.9% walking or cycling, reflecting an outer-western location at 1,266 residents per square kilometre. The crime rate is high at 146.8 per 1,000 residents (699 offences), dominated by property and deception offences at 408, which is the main livability trade-off against the suburb's affordability. SEIFA scores decile 5 on the IRSD disadvantage index and decile 6 on IRSAD, mid-range nationally, and 6.5% of residents (281 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 3.76 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical consideration given the family-heavy, three-bedroom housing stock.
Drive
74.9%
Public Transport
14.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.37%/yr
(+432 people/yr)
High GrowthLaverton is firmly in expansion mode: annual population growth registers 3.37% (about 432 people a year) and the 10-year change reached 114.2%, more than doubling the resident base. The primary driver is overseas migration, adding around 398 residents annually, while net internal migration removes 262, so the suburb grows on new arrivals rather than people relocating within Australia. The trajectory reads as rejuvenating, with the young-adult share up 2.4 points and the senior share down 2.5 points over the decade. Affordability improved from 57.1% of income in 2011 to 43.4% in 2021, and real incomes rose 54.0% across the period. With rent growth at 43.9%, the area carries the signature of a new-development corridor still drawing fresh population.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+398
Net Internal / yr
-262
Gentrification Signal
New development
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
699
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
146.8
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 Laverton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Laverton a good suburb to live in?
Laverton offers strong affordability, with a $595,000 median house price and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, below the 30% stress line. It scores decile 7 for education and occupation on SEIFA. The main trade-off is a high crime rate of 146.8 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Laverton?
The median house price is $595,000 as of the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter. Prices rose 83.1% from $325,000 in 2013, a 4.4% compound annual rate, but have eased 4.0% from the $620,000 peak in late 2023. Weekly rent averages $330.
What schools are in Laverton?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.76 square kilometre Laverton boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is young, with a median age of 32, which is 8.0 years below the national figure, and family households number 3,247.
Is Laverton safe?
Laverton records a crime rate of 146.8 per 1,000 residents, with 699 total offences, higher than many Melbourne suburbs. Property and deception offences dominate at 408, while crimes against the person number 115. SEIFA scores the area decile 5 on the IRSD disadvantage index, mid-range nationally.
Is Laverton good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $330 against the $595,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.9%, stronger than premium suburbs. Rent has grown 43.9% over the period and renters make up 50.2% of households, but a 13.1% vacancy rate signals current oversupply to weigh against demand.
How is Laverton's population changing?
Population is growing fast, at 3.37% a year, about 432 people, with a 114.2% rise over 10 years. Overseas migration drives the growth, adding around 398 residents annually, while net internal migration removes 262. The trajectory is rejuvenating, with the young-adult share up 2.4 points.
What languages are spoken in Laverton?
About 55.2% of residents were born overseas, 33.6 points above the national figure. After English, the most common languages are Punjabi (192 speakers), Nepali (90), Hindi (89) and Urdu (50), reflecting a strong South Asian migrant presence in the suburb.
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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