Lilydale
Lilydale's housing story is unusually detached for an outer eastern centre: 79.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.1% are apartments. The suburb has 17,348 residents, a median age of 40 and household income at the 62nd percentile nationally. Compared with Mooroolbark or Chirnside Park, Lilydale reads more as a Yarra Ranges service hub because its station, retail spine and 7 schools pull activity into one local centre. University attainment is 27.5%, 2.6 points below the national level, so the profile is more family and trades oriented than inner eastern Melbourne.
Population
17,348
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,764/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$860K
Apr-Jun 2024
For homebuyers, Lilydale is a house-first market: 79.9% separate houses, 19.0% semi-detached homes and 0.1% apartments. The Apr-Jun 2024 median house price is $860,500, down 15.6% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,020,000, which gives buyers more leverage than at the 2023 high. Family-sized stock dominates because 41.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 36.7% have 4 or more. Mortgage costs sit at 25.5% of income, below common stress thresholds, while $1,950 monthly repayments suit dual-income households better than single buyers.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Lilydale is a house-first market: 79.9% separate houses, 19.0% semi-detached homes and 0.1% apartments. The Apr-Jun 2024 median house price is $860,500, down 15.6% from the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,020,000, which gives buyers more leverage than at the 2023 high. Family-sized stock dominates because 41.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 36.7% have 4 or more. Mortgage costs sit at 25.5% of income, below common stress thresholds, while $1,950 monthly repayments suit dual-income households better than single buyers.
For Investors
Investors get a lower-rent, lower-density market than many Melbourne middle-ring locations. Only 19.6% of homes are rented, while the median rent is $369 a week and vacancy is 5.1%, so cash-flow pressure is muted but tenant choice can be wider. Development is active but not overheated, with 17 applications in 12 months and recent subdivision samples of 4 and 7 lots. The strongest rental logic is family demand because 41.3% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 36.7% have 4 or more, while the rail-town centre supports commuters despite public transport commuting at 2.6%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
33
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lilydale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Edinburgh College
Prep-12 · 590 students
St Patrick's School
Prep-6 · 250 students
Mount Lilydale Mercy College
7-12 · 1550 students
Victoria Road Primary School
Prep-6 · 231 students
Lilydale Primary School
Prep-6 · 221 students
Demographics
Lilydale is older-local and less migrant-heavy than the national profile. Median age is 40, exactly in line with the national benchmark, while 17.8% were born overseas, 3.8 points below national. University attainment is 27.5%, 2.6 points below national, matching an employment base that includes trades, care and administration. English ancestry is the largest group at 7,527 people, followed by Scottish 1,828 and Irish 1,770. Non-English language counts are modest, with Italian 116 and Mandarin 42.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.9%
Houses
19.0%
Townhouse
0.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the clearest signal in Lilydale: separate houses make up 79.9% of stock, semi-detached 19.0% and apartments just 0.1%, well below inner Melbourne norms. The median house price rose from $469,000 in 2013 to $860,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, an 83.5% gain or 4.4% CAGR over 14 years, but it is 15.6% below the $1,020,000 peak. Ownership is high because 34.3% own outright and 46.1% have a mortgage, while renters are 19.6%. The price path suggests long-term wealth formation with a recent reset for buyers.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$369
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$798
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
353
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.7%
Couples, no children
14,231
Total families
Economy & Employment
Lilydale's economy sits above simple dormitory-suburb status because local work is spread across services and trades. Healthcare employs 1,039 workers or 17.6%, construction 924 or 15.7%, and education 718 or 12.2%, with manufacturing at 492 and professional/tech at 464. Professionals are the top occupation at 1,619, but clerical/admin 1,298 and community/personal 1,140 are also large. The 3.7% unemployment rate and 60.7% participation point to a steady labour market. SEIFA is mixed: disadvantage ranks decile 7, resources decile 8, but education/occupation is lower at decile 5.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.4%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
60.7%
Employed
8,407
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.5%
Postgraduate
5.1%
Born Overseas
17.8%
Dwellings
6,531
Transport to Work
Lilydale works best for car-based households, with 90.5% driving to work, 2.6% using public transport and 1.7% walking or cycling. The train station helps, but the commute pattern is still far higher by car than transit. School choice is a clear strength: 7 local schools span Government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with ICSEA from 1000 to 1083. Edinburgh College at 1083, St Patrick's School at 1052 and Mount Lilydale Mercy College at 1045 lead the academic mix. Safety is the trade-off, with 1,411 offences and a crime rate of 81.3 per 1,000, while IRSAD decile 6 sits above the middle.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,411
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
81.3
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 Lilydale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lilydale a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers wanting space, schools and a rail-served town centre. The suburb has 17,348 residents, 7 schools and 79.9% separate houses, while household income sits at the 62nd percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Lilydale?
The median house price in Lilydale is $860,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 15.6% below the $1,020,000 peak recorded in Oct-Dec 2023, but still 83.5% above the 2013 level of $469,000.
What schools are in Lilydale?
Lilydale has 7 schools: Edinburgh College, St Patrick's School, Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Victoria Road Primary School, Lilydale Primary School, Lilydale High School and Lilydale Heights College. ICSEA ranges from 1000 to 1083.
Is Lilydale safe?
Safety is mixed. Lilydale recorded 1,411 offences, equal to 81.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 734, above justice procedures offences at 269.
Is Lilydale good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking houses rather than apartments. Renters are 19.6% of households, median rent is $369 a week and vacancy is 5.1%, so returns need careful testing compared with tighter rental markets.
How is Lilydale's population changing?
Population change appears incremental rather than rapid. Lilydale has 17,348 residents across 29.17 sq km, with 17 development applications in 12 months and recent subdivision examples of 4 and 7 lots.
How is public transport in Lilydale?
Lilydale has a train station, but commuting is still car-heavy. Public transport accounts for 2.6% of work trips, well below the 90.5% who drive, while 1.7% walk or cycle.
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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