Manifold Heights
A university-educated, detached-house suburb of 2,681 people packed into just 0.94 km2, Manifold Heights carries a 45.6% university qualification rate, which is 15.5 percentage points above the national figure. The median house price reached $1,316,000 in April-June 2024 after growing 147.1% since 2013, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio stays at 25.3%, below the stress threshold. Household income sits at the 65.7th percentile nationally. The suburb is stable: 78.2% of residents did not move in the prior year, and the workforce leans heavily toward Healthcare (21.1%) and Education (16.0%), grounding the local economy in public services rather than cyclical industries.
Population
2,681
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,820/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$1.3M
Apr-Jun 2024
The $1,316,000 median house price in April-June 2024 represents 147.1% growth from $532,500 in 2013, a 6.7% CAGR over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,990, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3%, below the 30% stress level, more accessible than many comparable Victorian markets. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 74.4%, with three-bedroom dwellings at 40.1% and four-or-more-bedroom homes at 29.3%. Outright owners (32.7%) and mortgage holders (35.2%) are near parity, suggesting a mix of established, debt-free households alongside recent buyers.
For Buyers
The $1,316,000 median house price in April-June 2024 represents 147.1% growth from $532,500 in 2013, a 6.7% CAGR over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,990, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3%, below the 30% stress level, more accessible than many comparable Victorian markets. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 74.4%, with three-bedroom dwellings at 40.1% and four-or-more-bedroom homes at 29.3%. Outright owners (32.7%) and mortgage holders (35.2%) are near parity, suggesting a mix of established, debt-free households alongside recent buyers.
For Investors
With 32.1% of residents renting and weekly rent at $310, gross yield against the $1,316,000 median is below 1.3%, so the investment case rests on capital growth. The 7.7% vacancy rate is elevated and worth monitoring. Price growth of 147.1% over 14 years at a 6.7% CAGR shows sustained appreciation. Zero development applications in the past 12 months means new supply is not competing with existing stock. Turnover is just 21.8% annually, and the Healthcare and Education employment base is less cyclical than construction or retail, underpinning stable demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
Schools in Manifold Heights iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Manifold Heights Primary School
Prep-6 · 469 students
Holy Spirit Parish School
Prep-6 · 326 students
Demographics
University qualifications reach 45.6%, which is 15.5 percentage points above the national figure, and median age of 39 is one year below national. Overseas-born residents at 13.6% sit 8.0 points below national, consistent with an Anglo-Celtic ancestry profile: English (1,041), Irish (455) and Scottish (350) dominate. Italian (165) is the main non-Anglo group. Average household size is 2.4, fractionally below national. Couples with children account for 1,048 families versus 524 couples without children, weighting the suburb toward families rather than retirees or single-person households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.4%
Houses
13.7%
Townhouse
11.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Manifold Heights has grown from a $532,500 median in 2013 to $1,316,000 in April-June 2024, a 147.1% increase and 6.7% CAGR, outpacing many regional Victorian markets over the same period. The trough was $489,000 in 2014, meaning the market has more than doubled from its low. Separate houses dominate at 74.4% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 13.7% and apartments at 11.9%. Tenure splits into thirds: 32.7% owned outright, 35.2% on a mortgage and 32.1% renting. Rent-to-income is 17.0% and mortgage-to-income is 25.3%, both below stress thresholds, indicating that current occupants are not under financial pressure regardless of tenure.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,990
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$984
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
89
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.5%
Couples, no children
2,142
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 21.1% (217 workers), followed by Education at 16.0% (165), Construction at 11.4% (117), Professional/Tech at 8.6% and Public Admin at 8.1%. By occupation, Professionals (419) lead ahead of Managers (238) and Clerical/Admin (177). Unemployment is 3.6% and full-time employment runs at 60.0%, with participation at 64.9%. Weekly personal income averages $984 and household income sits at the 65.7th percentile nationally. Healthcare and Education together employ over a third of workers, providing recession-resistant demand that differs from suburbs reliant on cyclical construction or retail.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
64.9%
Employed
1,325
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.6%
Postgraduate
11.3%
Born Overseas
13.6%
Dwellings
1,071
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 85.5% of residents drive to work, above the national average, while only 2.6% use public transport and 6.2% walk or cycle. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary. Crime totals 108 incidents at a rate of 40.3 per 1,000 residents, with property offences accounting for 89 of those. Volunteering participation is 18.6% and only 4.7% of residents (123 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a capable, low-disadvantage population. Rent-to-income is 17.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, reducing turnover pressure compared to higher-cost rental markets.
Drive
85.5%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
6.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
108
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
40.3
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 Manifold Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manifold Heights a good suburb to live in?
Manifold Heights suits owner-occupier families: 74.4% of dwellings are separate houses, 78.2% of residents stayed put in the prior year and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.3%, below the 30% stress level. University qualifications at 45.6% are 15.5 percentage points above national. The main limitation is high car dependency at 85.5%, with only 2.6% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Manifold Heights?
The median house price was $1,316,000 in April-June 2024. That represents 147.1% growth from $532,500 in 2013, a compound annual rate of 6.7% over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,990 and weekly rent is $310.
What schools are in Manifold Heights?
No schools are recorded within the Manifold Heights suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The resident population is highly educated, with 45.6% holding university qualifications, which is 15.5 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Manifold Heights safe?
Manifold Heights recorded 108 criminal incidents in the dataset period, a rate of 40.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 89 of those 108 incidents. Crimes against the person total 9, a low absolute count for a suburb of 2,681 people.
Is Manifold Heights good for property investment?
The suburb delivered 147.1% price growth from 2013 to 2024 at a 6.7% CAGR, pointing to strong long-run capital appreciation. Weekly rent of $310 against a $1,316,000 median implies a gross yield under 1.3%, so yield investors should look elsewhere. The 7.7% vacancy rate is worth monitoring, though zero new development applications in 12 months means supply is not expanding.
How is Manifold Heights's population changing?
Current population is 2,681 across 0.94 km2, giving a density of 2,861.6 people per km2. No forecast data is available in the dataset. The 78.2% resident retention rate indicates a stable, low-turnover community compared to higher-churn inner-city suburbs.
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.
Explore Manifold Heights on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map