Meadow Heights
Half of Meadow Heights residents were born overseas, 28.4 percentage points above the national share, while the median age is 34, 6 years below national. The suburb's 14,890 people live at 3,219.3 per sq km in a compact 4.63 sq km area. Compared with nearby Broadmeadows and Roxburgh Park, it is more detached and family-household oriented than apartment-led, with 82.3% separate houses, 1.1% apartments and an average household size of 3.3. Affordability is central: the $597,500 house median sits alongside household income in the 28.9 percentile, so value comes with tighter local incomes.
Population
14,890
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,274/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$598K
Apr-Jun 2024
Buyers are mainly assessing land and family layouts rather than units. The median house price is $597,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, only 0.3% below the $599,500 peak, so recent discounting is minimal. Separate houses make up 82.3% of stock, apartments just 1.1%, and 3-bedroom homes dominate at 71.9% with 4-plus bedrooms at 20.3%. Mortgage payments take 26.5% of income, lower than rent's 27.2%, because prices remain under $600,000 while ownership is geared to households needing detached space.
For Buyers
Buyers are mainly assessing land and family layouts rather than units. The median house price is $597,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, only 0.3% below the $599,500 peak, so recent discounting is minimal. Separate houses make up 82.3% of stock, apartments just 1.1%, and 3-bedroom homes dominate at 71.9% with 4-plus bedrooms at 20.3%. Mortgage payments take 26.5% of income, lower than rent's 27.2%, because prices remain under $600,000 while ownership is geared to households needing detached space.
For Investors
Investors get rental depth but not scarcity. Renters are 31.9% of households, higher than the 27.9% owned outright cohort, and the median rent is $346 a week. Vacancy is 5.2%, so leasing power is weaker than in tighter markets, while 11 development applications in 12 months point to measured renewal rather than a construction wave. Recent rent growth is 24.9%, supported by overseas migration averaging +289 people a year, but net internal movement is -479 a year, so demand is more replacement-led than expansion-led.
Development Activity
Total DAs
29
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Meadow Heights iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bethal Primary School
Prep-6 · 259 students
Meadow Heights Primary School
Prep-6 · 400 students
Demographics
Meadow Heights is younger and more migrant-based than Australia overall. The median age of 34 is 6 years below national, while 50.0% born overseas is 28.4 percentage points above national. University attainment is 28.1%, 2.0 points below national. Households are larger at 3.3 people, 0.8 above national, because family households are prominent, including 5,250 couples with children. Arabic is the largest named non-English language with 1,335 speakers, and Islam is the largest religion with 7,169 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.3%
Houses
16.6%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing market is detached, mortgaged and mature. Prices have risen from $317,000 in 2013 to $597,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, an 88.5% gain over 14 years at 4.6% CAGR, but the latest figure is 0.3% lower than the $599,500 Jul-Sep 2023 peak. Tenure is split across 27.9% owned outright, 40.3% with a mortgage and 31.9% renting, so debt-funded ownership is the largest group. The built form explains the buyer base: 82.3% separate houses and 71.9% 3-bedroom homes support families, while apartments are only 1.1%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,460
Rent / wk
$346
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$442
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
234
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
12.8%
Couples, no children
12,708
Total families
Economy & Employment
Local work skews to services and practical occupations, with household income at the 28.9 percentile and below the national median. Healthcare leads at 18.6% or 445 workers, followed by education at 13.0%, construction at 10.2%, transport at 8.4% and retail at 8.4%. Occupations are mixed: 652 professionals sit alongside 599 community and personal service workers, 597 labourers and 561 machinery or driver roles. The SEIFA pattern is consistently low, with IRSD decile 1, IRSAD decile 1, IEO decile 2 and IER decile 2, because employment access and resources lag even where essential-service jobs are present. Unemployment is 13.3% and participation is 39.7%.
Unemployment
14.1%
Labour Force
5,837
Unemployed
821
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
26.5%
Participation
39.7%
Employed
4,023
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.1%
Postgraduate
6.6%
Born Overseas
50.0%
Dwellings
4,252
Transport to Work
Livability is practical but car-dependent. Commuting is heavily by car, with 89.4% driving compared with only 3.6% using public transport and 0.6% walking or cycling, so households that rely on frequent transit may feel constrained. Education is primary-focused: 2 local schools are both government primaries, with Bethal Primary at ICSEA 941 and Meadow Heights Primary at 919, a range below many advantaged catchments. Safety needs due diligence, with 855 recorded offences and a crime rate of 57.4 per 1,000 people; IRSAD decile 1 also points to lower socio-economic resources.
Drive
89.4%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.43%/yr
(-64 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is weak rather than merely slow. The trend points to -0.43% a year, or -64 people annually, and the medium path eases from 14,872 in 2026 to 14,553 by 2031. Migration explains the split: overseas migration is the primary driver at +289 people a year, but internal movement is -479 a year, so local departures more than offset arrivals. The suburb is also aging, with seniors up 5.3 points and young residents down 4.5 points. Gentrification is low, with a score of 10 and stage listed as Not gentrifying, compared with suburbs where renewal is driven by higher-income inflows.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+289
Net Internal / yr
-479
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -479/yr, Strong overseas inflow +289/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
855
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.4
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 Meadow Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meadow Heights a good suburb to live in?
Yes, for households wanting detached homes and family space at a $597,500 median house price. It is less suited to car-free living because 89.4% of commuters drive and only 3.6% use public transport, and buyers should weigh the 57.4 per 1,000 crime rate.
What is the median house price in Meadow Heights?
The median house price is $597,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is up 88.5% from $317,000 in 2013 and only 0.3% below the $599,500 peak recorded in Jul-Sep 2023, so recent prices are close to their high point.
What schools are in Meadow Heights?
Meadow Heights has 2 local schools, both government primaries. Bethal Primary School has ICSEA 941 and 259 enrolments, while Meadow Heights Primary School has ICSEA 919 and 400 enrolments.
Is Meadow Heights safe?
Meadow Heights recorded 855 offences, equal to 57.4 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 384, followed by crimes against the person at 219, so safety varies by street and property type.
Is Meadow Heights good for property investment?
It can work for income-focused investors, with 31.9% of households renting and a $346 weekly median rent. The caution is vacancy at 5.2% and net internal migration of -479 people a year, although rent growth is 24.9%.
How is Meadow Heights's population changing?
Meadow Heights is projected to decline slightly, with the trend at -0.43% a year or -64 people annually. The medium path moves from 14,872 in 2026 to 14,553 in 2031, as -479 net internal migration outweighs +289 overseas migration.
What languages are spoken in Meadow Heights?
Languages reflect the 50.0% overseas-born population. Arabic is the largest listed non-English language with 1,335 speakers, followed by Urdu with 287, Greek with 69, Nepali with 67 and Samoan with 62.
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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