Maddingley
A median age of 33 sits 7 years below the national figure, and that youth shapes almost everything else about this Bacchus Marsh fringe suburb. Detached houses make up 91.7% of dwellings and 52.3% carry four or more bedrooms, a stock built for the couples-with-children families that fill 2,327 of the 4,609 local families. Households earn enough to land in the 71.9th income percentile nationally, yet 56.2% still carry a mortgage, well above the share owning outright at 19.3%. The $605,000 median house price has nearly doubled since 2013, up 91.2% from $316,500, though it has slipped 7.0% from its 2023 peak.
Population
5,491
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,923/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$605K
Apr-Jun 2024
At a $605,000 median, Maddingley buys far more house than inner Melbourne, which is why families dominate here. Separate houses are 91.7% of the stock and four-plus-bedroom homes reach 52.3%, compared with just 1.8% in the 0-1 bedroom band, so this is a market for owner-occupiers needing space rather than downsizers. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at a comfortable 21.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, helped by household incomes in the 71.9th percentile. Recent buyers should note the price trajectory: the median has eased 7.0% from its $650,500 peak in mid-2023 to $605,000, which softens entry costs but signals the rapid post-2013 run of 91.2% has paused. Mortgage holders at 56.2% far outnumber outright owners at 19.3%, marking this as a recent-purchase, debt-funded suburb rather than one of long-settled equity.
For Buyers
At a $605,000 median, Maddingley buys far more house than inner Melbourne, which is why families dominate here. Separate houses are 91.7% of the stock and four-plus-bedroom homes reach 52.3%, compared with just 1.8% in the 0-1 bedroom band, so this is a market for owner-occupiers needing space rather than downsizers. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at a comfortable 21.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, helped by household incomes in the 71.9th percentile. Recent buyers should note the price trajectory: the median has eased 7.0% from its $650,500 peak in mid-2023 to $605,000, which softens entry costs but signals the rapid post-2013 run of 91.2% has paused. Mortgage holders at 56.2% far outnumber outright owners at 19.3%, marking this as a recent-purchase, debt-funded suburb rather than one of long-settled equity.
For Investors
Renters make up 24.5% of households and weekly rent runs $366, giving landlords a modest tenant pool against a strongly owner-occupied base. The 3.7% vacancy rate is tight, which supports holding power, but the rent-to-income ratio of 19.0% shows tenants here have limited headroom to absorb increases. Against the $605,000 median, that $366 weekly rent implies a gross yield near 3.1%, higher than premium inner-city suburbs though not exceptional for outer Melbourne. Development is light at 6 applications in 12 months, mostly small subdivisions of 3 to 13 lots rather than dense infill, so new rental supply will stay thin. With 56.2% of households on a mortgage and a young median age of 33, the demand story rests on family in-migration and the suburb's affordability relative to metropolitan Melbourne.
Development Activity
Total DAs
11
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 33 runs 7.0 years below the national figure, the single most defining trait of the area and a direct result of its family-formation appeal: couples with children make up 2,327 families against 1,045 couples without. Overseas-born residents reach 20.7%, slightly below national by 0.9 points, and ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (1,967), Scottish (542) and Irish (540), with Indian (263) the largest non-Anglo group. University qualifications at 29.5% sit 0.6 points under national, close to par. The top non-English languages are Punjabi (157) and Hindi (33), echoing the Indian ancestry presence. Average household size is 2.7, which is 0.2 above national, consistent with the larger four-bedroom homes and the children-present family majority.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.7%
Houses
7.8%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by recent buyers: 56.2% carry a mortgage, 24.5% rent and only 19.3% own outright, so debt-funded ownership outweighs settled equity nearly three to one. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 91.7%, with apartments almost absent at 0.2%, and 52.3% of dwellings carry four or more bedrooms against 38.3% with three. The median house price has climbed 91.2% from $316,500 in 2013 to $605,000, a 4.7% compound annual rate over 14 years, though it has fallen 7.0% from the $650,500 peak reached in mid-2023. Mortgage-to-income at 21.2% and rent-to-income at 19.0% both sit comfortably below the 30% stress line, which reflects the gap between a moderate $605,000 entry price and household incomes in the 71.9th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (Apr-Jun 2024)
Mortgage / mo
$1,766
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$366
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$895
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.7%
Unoccupied
74
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.7%
Couples, no children
4,609
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 16.5% (306 workers), Education follows at 13.2% (245) and Construction at 12.6% (233), with Public Administration at 10.0% and Transport at 7.5%. By occupation, Professionals (527) and Clerical/Admin (411) top the list, ahead of Community/Personal (374) and Managers (267), a spread consistent with a 29.5% university rate that sits near the national figure. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 68.7%, while participation reads 63.2%. The construction share is notable because it ties directly to the suburb's subdivision-led growth, where active lot creation feeds local building demand and explains why trades feature so heavily in the employment mix.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.7%
Part-time
27.3%
Participation
63.2%
Employed
2,551
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.5%
Postgraduate
8.0%
Born Overseas
20.7%
Dwellings
1,921
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 88.8% drive to work while only 3.3% use public transport and 2.6% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars, a function of the outer-fringe location away from rail-dense corridors. The crime rate is 56.1 per 1,000 residents from 308 recorded offences, with property and deception offences the largest category at 168, more than double the 63 crimes against the person. No schools are recorded inside the 25.56 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in surrounding Bacchus Marsh, a practical trade-off offset by larger four-bedroom homes that 52.3% of dwellings provide. Volunteering runs at 11.8% and 7.3% of residents need daily assistance, both shaped by the young, family-heavy profile.
Drive
88.8%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
308
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.1
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 Maddingley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maddingley a good suburb to live in?
Maddingley suits families well, with detached houses at 91.7% of stock and 52.3% offering four or more bedrooms. Household incomes sit in the 71.9th percentile nationally and the median age of 33 is 7 years below national. The main trade-offs are high car dependence at 88.8% and no schools recorded within the suburb itself.
What is the median house price in Maddingley?
The median house price is $605,000 as of mid-2024. That is up 91.2% from $316,500 in 2013, a 4.7% compound annual rate, but down 7.0% from the $650,500 peak in 2023. Weekly rent averages $366 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,766.
What schools are in Maddingley?
No schools are recorded inside the 25.56 km2 Maddingley boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Bacchus Marsh. The local university qualification rate is 29.5%, just 0.6 points below the national figure, indicating an education profile close to the national average.
Is Maddingley safe?
Maddingley recorded 308 offences, a crime rate of 56.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 168, more than double the 63 crimes against the person, so most incidents are property-related rather than violent, a common pattern for outer-suburban areas.
Is Maddingley good for property investment?
Rent of $366 a week against a $605,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.1%, higher than premium inner-city suburbs. The vacancy rate is tight at 3.7%, but renters are only 24.5% of households and development is light at 6 applications in 12 months, so the market favours owner-occupiers over investors.
How is Maddingley's population changing?
Maddingley has 5,491 residents with a young median age of 33, which is 7 years below the national figure. Couples with children make up 2,327 of 4,609 families, and ongoing subdivisions of 3 to 13 lots point to continued family-driven growth on the Bacchus Marsh fringe.
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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