Mansfield
A 47-year median age makes Mansfield 7 years older than the national figure, while its 5,541 residents live across a low-density 269.74 square kilometres. Housing is strongly detached, with 93.0% of homes separate houses, and the 15.0% vacancy rate is unusually high for a regional market. Household income sits at the 35th percentile, while university attainment of 23.6% is 6.5 percentage points below the national level. Mansfield reads as the larger service town compared with nearby Bonnie Doon, with 5 local schools, a 23.2% volunteering rate and a practical, car-oriented lifestyle. Its older resident base and 77.0% five-year stay rate support stability, but they also point to slower renewal than younger regional centres.
Population
5,541
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,356/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
20
Median House
$762K
October to December 2025
Mortgage costs equal 27.3% of household income, below the stated mortgage stress threshold, although affordability has worsened from 38.3% in 2011 to 44.3% in 2021. The housing stock suits buyers wanting space: 44.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 36.6% have 4 or more, while 93.0% are separate houses. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, Mansfield gives buyers more detached stock, but limited rental-style housing and a high 15.0% vacancy rate may signal uneven demand by location and property type.
For Buyers
Mortgage costs equal 27.3% of household income, below the stated mortgage stress threshold, although affordability has worsened from 38.3% in 2011 to 44.3% in 2021. The housing stock suits buyers wanting space: 44.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 36.6% have 4 or more, while 93.0% are separate houses. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, Mansfield gives buyers more detached stock, but limited rental-style housing and a high 15.0% vacancy rate may signal uneven demand by location and property type.
For Investors
Mansfield presents a mixed investment case. The 15.0% vacancy rate is high compared with a tightly supplied market, which can reduce competition for tenants even as it creates more leasing risk. Rents have grown 68.4% across the forecast shift period, and internal migration is identified as the primary demand driver. Development activity is also visible, with 25 planning permit applications in 12 months, although the available applications do not establish how many dwellings will result. The 93.0% detached-house share favours family and lifestyle demand, while an Aging trajectory means investors should test tenant depth carefully rather than assume broad-based growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
79
Last 12 Months
20
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 Mansfield
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School
Mansfield Primary School
St Mary's School
Mansfield Secondary College
Mansfield Autism Statewide Services
Demographics
Mansfield has an older and more locally rooted population profile than Australia overall. The median age is 47, or 7 years above the national comparison, while the average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below the national figure. University attainment is 23.6%, 6.5 percentage points below the national level, and only 11.3% of residents were born overseas, 10.3 points below the national comparison. English ancestry is recorded for 2,387 people, followed by Irish at 853 and Scottish at 760; no religion accounts for 2,675 people and Christianity for 2,394. With 77.0% of residents staying and turnover at 23.0%, Mansfield has a stable base. That stability, combined with 50.1% of families being couples without children, helps explain its aging trajectory compared with younger growth corridors.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.0%
Houses
5.5%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Mansfield's long-term price performance is positive but uneven. Tenure is owner-heavy: 43.8% own outright, 31.7% hold a mortgage and 21.7% rent. Housing is more detached than apartment-based, with 93.0% separate houses versus 0.4% apartments and 5.5% semi-detached homes. Compared with higher-density markets, this stock supports larger households, but the 15.0% vacancy rate suggests demand is not uniform across all homes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,603
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$331
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$758
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.0%
Unoccupied
381
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.1%
Couples with children
50.1%
Couples, no children
14.1%
Single parent
1,486
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mansfield's economy is anchored by practical local services and property-related work. Construction is the largest listed industry at 14.9% and 259 workers, followed by healthcare at 14.2% and 247, education at 12.7% and 220, retail at 8.5% and 147, and hospitality at 8.1% and 140. Trades are the largest occupation group with 471 people, ahead of managers at 424 and professionals at 417. Unemployment is low at 1.7%, but participation is 58.3% and the full-time employment rate is 53.1%, reflecting an older population and a sizeable 1,634 people outside the labour force. Household income sits at the 35th percentile, below the national midpoint, while SEIFA deciles range from 5 to 6. This middle-range socioeconomic position contrasts with the low unemployment rate because local work is available without producing high aggregate incomes.
Unemployment
1.7%
Labour Force
2,646
Unemployed
44
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.1%
Part-time
38.6%
Participation
58.3%
Employed
2,602
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.6%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
11.3%
Dwellings
2,154
Transport to Work
Mansfield is set up for car-based daily life: 71.4% of workers drive, compared with only 0.5% using public transport, while 8.2% walk or cycle and 14.8% work from home. Families have access to 5 local schools spanning primary, secondary, special and Pri/Sec formats, across 2 government, 1 Catholic and 2 independent providers. Crime totals 307 recorded offences at a rate of 55.4 per 1,000 people; property and deception offences account for 120, justice procedures for 108 and crimes against the person for 50. Mansfield's IRSAD decile is 5 and its IER decile is 6, both below the top decile and around the middle of the socioeconomic scale. A 23.2% volunteering rate supports local connection, while 6.9% needing assistance indicates that access to health, transport and support services remains important for an aging population.
Drive
71.4%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
8.2%
Work from Home
14.8%
Population Forecast
+1.88%/yr
(+213 people/yr)
EstablishedMansfield's forecast trend is 1.88% annual growth, with internal migration named as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 29.1% over 10 years, placing the trajectory above a static regional market, but the shift is explicitly labelled Aging. The senior share has increased by 7.0 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 1.6 points and the working share has declined 3.4 points. Gentrification is also marked Active, with a score of 46 in the current forecast and 62 in the broader shift measure. Affordability worsened from 38.3% in 2011 to 44.3% in 2021, while rents grew 68.4%. Compared with a younger, cheaper growth corridor, Mansfield is attracting demand while becoming less affordable and older, so future growth is likely to rely on lifestyle and internal migration rather than a youthful employment surge.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+73
Net Internal / yr
+147
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +38% since 2011, Net internal migration +147/yr, Accelerating: 9% → 27%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
307
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
55.4
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 Mansfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mansfield a good suburb to live in?
Mansfield can suit residents seeking detached housing, local schools and a quieter regional setting. The population is 5,541, car use is 71.4% and public transport use is only 0.5%. A 23.2% volunteering rate supports local participation, but the crime rate is 55.4 per 1,000 people and the median age of 47 signals an older community.
What schools are in Mansfield?
Mansfield has 5 schools across several formats: Mansfield Primary School and Mansfield Secondary College are government schools, St Mary's School is Catholic, and Mansfield Autism Statewide Services plus Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School are independent. The mix covers primary, secondary, special and Pri/Sec education.
Is Mansfield safe?
Mansfield recorded 307 offences at a rate of 55.4 per 1,000 people. The largest categories were property and deception offences at 120, justice procedures offences at 108 and crimes against the person at 50. Buyers and renters should review current local conditions and consider the exact street, lighting and access to services.
How is Mansfield's population changing?
Mansfield has 5,541 residents today, with forecast growth of 1.88% annually driven by internal migration. Population change across the wider area is 29.1% over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 7.0 percentage points while the young share fell 1.6 points. Growth is occurring alongside an older resident base.
What development is happening in Mansfield?
Mansfield recorded 25 planning permit applications in the latest 12-month period. The available applications do not confirm a dwelling total, but the volume indicates continuing development activity. With a 93.0% separate-house share and a 15.0% vacancy rate, future projects should be assessed by housing type, location and likely tenant demand.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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