Marangaroo
At 10,483 residents in 4.79 sq km, Marangaroo is a dense established suburb whose 2,187 residents per sq km sit alongside a strongly detached housing base: 90.6% separate houses and 57.0% with 4 or more bedrooms. Its median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, while 40.5% born overseas is 18.9 percentage points above national, making migration a defining influence on local households and services. Compared with nearby Girrawheen, Marangaroo presents a more clearly established family-housing setting, with 47.0% of families being couples with children and average household size of 2.8, or 0.3 above national. Household income sits at percentile 48.3, placing the suburb near the middle of the distribution rather than in a high-income segment.
Population
10,483
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,533/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Marangaroo suits buyers prioritising established detached housing over apartment living. Separate houses account for 90.6% of dwellings, while 57.0% have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.5% have 3 bedrooms, giving families more choice than downsizers or apartment buyers. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,647, compared with weekly rent of $350, and mortgage repayments represent 24.8% of household income, higher than the 22.8% rent-to-income share. With 45.4% of households paying a mortgage and 33.7% owning outright, the suburb has a strong owner-occupier base. This matters because the housing mix and family composition support longer-term residential stability, although the 84.6% car-driver rate adds transport costs to the ownership decision.
For Buyers
Marangaroo suits buyers prioritising established detached housing over apartment living. Separate houses account for 90.6% of dwellings, while 57.0% have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.5% have 3 bedrooms, giving families more choice than downsizers or apartment buyers. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,647, compared with weekly rent of $350, and mortgage repayments represent 24.8% of household income, higher than the 22.8% rent-to-income share. With 45.4% of households paying a mortgage and 33.7% owning outright, the suburb has a strong owner-occupier base. This matters because the housing mix and family composition support longer-term residential stability, although the 84.6% car-driver rate adds transport costs to the ownership decision.
For Investors
Marangaroo has a modest rental segment, with 19.7% of households renting, lower than the 45.4% share paying a mortgage. Weekly rent is $350 and the vacancy rate is 5.1%, suggesting investors should assess property condition, tenant demand and achievable rent carefully rather than assume a tightly constrained market. Rent growth of 7.7% provides a positive recent signal, but the wider growth trend is -0.1% annually, below zero, and recorded development in the past 12 months is 0. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which may support tenant turnover and demand over time. The suburb is more suitable for a yield-and-stability strategy than a rapid redevelopment or gentrification thesis.
Schools in Marangaroo
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
MARANGAROO PRIMARY SCHOOL
RAWLINSON PRIMARY SCHOOL
Demographics
Marangaroo has a median age of 39, 1 year below the national figure, but its aging trajectory is becoming more visible. The overseas-born share is 40.5%, 18.9 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 23.6%, or 6.5 points below national. English ancestry is recorded for 2,747 people, Vietnamese for 1,068 and Italian for 716, while Christianity has 4,782 adherents, no religion 3,388 and Buddhism 806. Macedon, Arabic and Italian are among the leading household languages, with counts of 206, 113 and 96. Average household size is 2.8, 0.3 above national, and couples with children account for 47.0% of families. Compared with nearby Girrawheen, these figures point to a settled, family-oriented suburb shaped by overseas migration and established cultural networks.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.6%
Houses
9.0%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Marangaroo's housing stock is overwhelmingly detached: 90.6% separate houses, 9.0% semi-detached dwellings and 0.4% apartments. The 57.0% share of homes with 4 or more bedrooms is higher than the 38.5% share with 3 bedrooms, reinforcing its family-housing orientation. Tenure is led by mortgages at 45.4%, followed by outright ownership at 33.7% and renting at 19.7%. The mortgage share is higher than the outright-ownership share, so household budgets remain exposed to interest-rate changes even though mortgage repayments account for 24.8% of income. Average household income is $1,533 per week and average household size is 2.8, which helps explain demand for larger homes rather than smaller apartment formats.
Mortgage / mo
$1,647
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$661
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
192
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
47.0%
Couples with children
31.8%
Couples, no children
19.1%
Single parent
2,812
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Marangaroo's largest listed industry at 17.7%, or 473 workers, higher than construction at 11.2%, education at 10.6%, retail at 9.5% and professional and technical services at 7.0%. The main occupations are trades with 805 workers, labourers with 720, community and personal services with 667, professionals with 636 and clerical and administrative roles with 596. Labour-force participation is 60.7%, unemployment is 7.2% and the full-time employment rate is 57.1%. The socioeconomic pattern is uneven: the IEO and IRSD scores are both in decile 2, lower than the IER decile 6, while IRSAD is decile 3. This gap indicates that household resources and disadvantage do not move together, making affordable services and secure employment important local economic considerations.
Unemployment
7.2%
Labour Force
5,205
Unemployed
374
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.1%
Part-time
37.2%
Participation
60.7%
Employed
4,831
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.6%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
40.5%
Dwellings
3,538
Transport to Work
Practical livability is strongly car-oriented. About 84.6% of residents drive a car, higher than the 3.3% using public transport, while 0.9% walk or cycle and 5.6% work from home. This pattern means access to shops, employment and services is likely to be easiest for households with reliable vehicle access. Two nearby schools are listed, both government primary schools: Marangaroo Primary School and Rawlinson Primary School. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because school boundaries can cross suburb lines. The socioeconomic indicators are below the middle range, with IRSAD in decile 3 and IRSD in decile 2, while IER is higher at decile 6. These contrasts make transport costs, service access and household affordability more important than relying on a single livability ranking.
Drive
84.6%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
5.6%
Population Forecast
-0.1%/yr
(-11 people/yr)
EstablishedMarangaroo is forecast to age rather than expand rapidly. The annual trend is -0.1%, below zero, while population change across the wider area is -0.3% over 10 years. The primary migration driver is overseas migration, which may refresh the community even as the overall trajectory is labelled Aging. A senior-share increase of 6.6% and young-share decline of 3.0% reinforce that direction. Gentrification is not currently indicated: the score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Rent growth of 7.7% is higher than the forecast annual population trend, so housing costs may move more quickly than local population growth. Affordability is labelled Improving, with recorded measures of 61.3 in 2011 and 53.0 in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+132
Net Internal / yr
-112
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -112/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Marangaroo compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Marangaroo a good suburb to live in?
Marangaroo can suit households seeking established detached housing, with 90.6% of dwellings being separate houses and 57.0% having 4 or more bedrooms. The trade-offs are strong car dependence at 84.6% and an aging trajectory, so lifestyle fit depends on transport needs and household stage.
What is the median house price in Marangaroo?
Use recent settled sales and current listings to establish the market level rather than relying on an outdated headline figure. Marangaroo is dominated by separate houses at 90.6%, and 45.4% of households have a mortgage, so compare similar 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes when assessing value.
What schools are in Marangaroo?
The 2 local schools listed are Marangaroo Primary School and Rawlinson Primary School. Both are government primary schools. Check the enrolment zone for the exact property address, as school boundaries may differ from suburb boundaries and can affect practical access.
Is Marangaroo safe?
A definitive safety judgement requires current street-level checks rather than a suburb-wide assumption. Marangaroo has 10,483 residents and 84.6% of residents drive, so visit the exact street at different times and assess lighting, traffic, parking and surrounding activity before making a decision.
Is Marangaroo good for property investment?
Marangaroo may suit a measured rental strategy, with weekly rent of $350, a 5.1% vacancy rate and 19.7% of households renting. However, the annual growth trend is -0.1% and development recorded in the past 12 months is 0, so investors should focus on entry price, property quality and achievable yield.
How is Marangaroo's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at -0.3% over 10 years, with an annual trend of -0.1%, so growth is slower than expansion markets. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.6% and the young share down 3.0%, while overseas migration remains the primary driver.
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 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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