Longford
Sitting at the 75.7th percentile for household income nationally, Longford punches above what its SEIFA scores suggest. The suburb scores decile 3 on both IRSAD and IEO, yet weekly household income of $2,024 places it above the majority of Australian suburbs. The 100% detached housing stock, just 4.8% renter share and 40.9% of homes owned outright point to a settled, owner-occupier community where mobility is low: 80.8% of residents stayed put in the five years to the census. Population grew 17.9% over the decade, reaching 1,489 people across a 314 km2 area.
Population
1,489
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,024/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Longford's housing market is entirely separate houses, with no apartments or semi-detached stock recorded. Larger homes dominate: 58.7% have 4 or more bedrooms and 35.4% have 3 bedrooms, which is well above the national average for detached housing profiles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to many metropolitan markets. Outright owners at 40.9% outnumber households with a mortgage, signalling long-held tenure rather than speculative churn. No median sale price data is available for this suburb due to the small transaction volume.
For Buyers
Longford's housing market is entirely separate houses, with no apartments or semi-detached stock recorded. Larger homes dominate: 58.7% have 4 or more bedrooms and 35.4% have 3 bedrooms, which is well above the national average for detached housing profiles. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to many metropolitan markets. Outright owners at 40.9% outnumber households with a mortgage, signalling long-held tenure rather than speculative churn. No median sale price data is available for this suburb due to the small transaction volume.
For Investors
The rental market in Longford is thin: only 4.8% of dwellings are rented, far lower than the national average, and weekly rent averages $274. The vacancy rate stands at 7.8%, which is elevated and signals limited tenant demand relative to the stock available. Net migration is balanced, with an average of 28 internal and 20 overseas arrivals annually supporting modest population growth of around 1.07% per year. Development activity is low at 5 applications in the past 12 months, with recent permits including a 21-lot subdivision, suggesting incremental rather than rapid new supply. Investors should weigh the thin rental pool and high vacancy against the suburb's steady long-term population growth of 17.9% over the decade.
Development Activity
Total DAs
17
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-16.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Longford iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Longford Primary School
Prep-6 · 178 students
Demographics
The median age is 40, equal to the national figure, but the demographic trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.4 points while the working-age share fell 3.4 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents make up just 9.0% of the population, which is 12.6 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born community. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (644), Irish (175) and Scottish (173). Average household size is 2.9, which is 0.4 above the national figure, consistent with the high proportion of couple families with children (572 families). The volunteering rate is 20.3%, above typical suburban levels.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling in Longford is a separate house, giving the suburb a uniform residential character distinct from urban centres. The ownership profile is notable: 40.9% of dwellings are owned outright and 54.3% carry a mortgage, leaving only 4.8% renting, well below the national renter share. This low renter share reflects the settled, longer-tenured households typical of regional Victoria. Bedroom sizes skew large, with 58.7% of homes having 4 or more bedrooms compared to national norms. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,625 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, which is significantly lower than metropolitan benchmarks. Rent-to-income runs at 13.5%, also well below stress thresholds.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wk
$274
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$791
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.8%
Couples, no children
1,293
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local industry base at 20.1% of employed residents (104 workers), followed by Construction at 15.4% (80) and Education at 13.3% (69). Public Administration accounts for 11.4% (59 workers), and Mining, significant for this region, employs 6.9% (36 workers). By occupation, Professionals are the largest group (160), followed by Managers (110) and Community/Personal service workers (84). The full-time employment rate of 62.6% and unemployment rate of 3.4% are healthy. However, the suburb scores decile 3 on IEO and IRSAD, reflecting that education levels and occupational mix sit below the state and national median, with university qualifications at 21.3%, which is 8.8 points below the national figure.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
2,252
Unemployed
66
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.6%
Part-time
34.0%
Participation
61.3%
Employed
692
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.3%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
9.0%
Dwellings
495
Transport to Work
Car ownership is nearly universal in Longford: 91.4% of residents drive to work and only 0.6% use public transport, which is far below the national average and reflects the rural setting and 314 km2 footprint. Walking and cycling account for 2.8% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby towns. The crime rate of 42.3 incidents per 1,000 residents covers 63 total recorded offences, with crimes against the person (20) and property offences (15) the leading categories. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSD, indicating moderate relative disadvantage compared to the national distribution. Housing stress is low: both rent-to-income (13.5%) and mortgage-to-income (18.5%) sit well below the 30% threshold.
Drive
91.4%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.07%/yr
(+50 people/yr)
EstablishedLongford grew 17.9% over the decade, adding roughly 225 residents, and the current trend of 1.07% annual growth or about 50 persons per year puts the wider SA2 population on track to reach approximately 4,954 by 2031. The gentrification score of 22 signals early signs of change, with population up more than 20% since 2011 and professional employment accelerating from 3% to 16% of the workforce. Migration is balanced between internal (28 per year) and overseas (20 per year) arrivals. Affordability has been remarkably stable, shifting from 39.3% in 2011 to 39.1% in 2021, while real income grew 18.0% over the same period, suggesting improving conditions for existing residents rather than displacement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+20
Net Internal / yr
+28
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +20% since 2011, Accelerating: 3% → 16%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
63
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
42.3
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 Longford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Longford a good suburb to live in?
Longford suits owner-occupiers looking for affordable detached housing in a stable regional community. Household income sits at the 75.7th percentile nationally, housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 18.5%, and 80.8% of residents stayed put for 5 years, reflecting high satisfaction. The main trade-offs are limited public transport, no schools recorded within the suburb, and a SEIFA decile 3 rating on IRSAD.
What is the median house price in Longford?
Median sale price data is not available for Longford due to low transaction volume. As proxies, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625 and weekly rent averages $274. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5% is well below the 30% stress benchmark, suggesting relative affordability compared to metropolitan markets.
What schools are in Longford?
No schools are recorded within the Longford suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in nearby towns. The local university qualification rate is 21.3%, which is 8.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the regional and trade-oriented workforce character.
Is Longford safe?
Longford recorded 63 total offences in the reference period, a rate of 42.3 per 1,000 residents. Crimes against the person account for 20 incidents, property and deception offences 15. For comparison, the IRSD decile of 4 places Longford in the lower-middle range nationally for relative disadvantage, which can correlate with higher crime exposure than more advantaged suburbs.
Is Longford good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Population grew 17.9% over the decade and gentrification early signals are emerging, supporting long-run capital growth. However, the rental pool is thin at 4.8% renter share, the vacancy rate is elevated at 7.8%, and weekly rent of $274 suggests limited yield. Investors focused on capital growth over yield may find more upside than landlord investors.
How is Longford's population changing?
Population grew 17.9% over the decade, reaching 1,489 residents. The annual growth rate is approximately 1.07%, adding around 50 people per year. Growth is driven by a balanced mix of internal migration (28 arrivals per year) and overseas migration (20 per year). The demographic trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 6.4 points over the decade.
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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