Medowie
Large-lot housing, family households and internal migration shape Medowie more than apartment living. The suburb has 10,879 residents, a median age of 37 and 97.3% separate houses, while 65.8% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Couples with children make up 48.4% of families, helping explain the mortgage-belt feel and 26.1% working from home. Compared with nearby Raymond Terrace and Williamtown, Medowie is notably detached and family-oriented, but its 1.58% annual growth trend and Active gentrification stage point to ongoing change.
Population
10,879
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,044/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
170
Medowie suits buyers prioritising space over apartment convenience: 97.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 65.8% have four or more bedrooms and only 0.5% are apartments. The typical mortgage commitment is $1,950 a month, while mortgage payments equal 22.0% of household income and rent equals 21.0%, indicating measured affordability. Compared with denser markets, commuting needs and car access may matter more than walkability because 68.7% travel as car drivers and only 0.3% use public transport. Buyers should also check exact flood, bushfire and school-zone conditions before committing.
For Buyers
Medowie suits buyers prioritising space over apartment convenience: 97.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 65.8% have four or more bedrooms and only 0.5% are apartments. The typical mortgage commitment is $1,950 a month, while mortgage payments equal 22.0% of household income and rent equals 21.0%, indicating measured affordability. Compared with denser markets, commuting needs and car access may matter more than walkability because 68.7% travel as car drivers and only 0.3% use public transport. Buyers should also check exact flood, bushfire and school-zone conditions before committing.
For Investors
Medowie's investor case rests on detached family stock and a local tenant base rather than apartment turnover. Renting accounts for 22.1% of occupied dwellings, weekly rent is $430 and vacancy is 5.1%, a level that can give tenants more choice than a tightly constrained market. Development activity is substantial, with 173 applications in 12 months, including dual occupancy and secondary-dwelling examples, which may expand supply but also increase competition between properties. The 1.58% annual growth trend is supported by internal migration, while 63.3% rent growth signals stronger long-run pricing pressure than a flat rental market. Assess holding costs, dwelling quality and future supply carefully.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,247
Last 12 Months
170
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Medowie
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Medowie has a more established, locally rooted demographic profile than the national average. Median age is 37, three years below the national figure, but the trajectory is Aging and the senior share has risen 5.6 percentage points. Overseas-born residents account for 9.7%, 11.9 points below national, while university participation is 20.1%, 10.0 points below national. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts are 4,787, 1,180 and 1,057; Christianity is 5,597 and no religion 4,645. Average household size is 2.9, 0.4 above national, consistent with the 48.4% share of couples with children. Compared with Raymond Terrace, the profile leans toward larger family households and lower migration exposure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.3%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Medowie's housing stock is unusually detached: separate houses make up 97.3%, with 29.7% three-bedroom and 65.8% four-plus-bedroom homes. Tenure is tilted toward owners with debt, as 46.8% hold a mortgage and 30.2% own outright, compared with 22.1% renting. That structure fits the 2.9-person average household and 48.4% couples-with-children share because larger dwellings can absorb family demand. Weekly rent is $430 and the mortgage benchmark is $1,950 per month; rent-to-income and mortgage-to-income ratios are 21.0% and 22.0%, with neither flagged as housing stress. Compared with apartment-heavy suburbs, demand is more tied to land, bedrooms and commuting access.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $430.
$670
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $673
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$845
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
193
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.4%
Couples with children
36.6%
Couples, no children
14.6%
Single parent
3,154
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 17.8%, public administration at 14.5%, construction at 10.2%, education at 9.0% and manufacturing at 7.9%. Trades are the largest listed occupation group at 988 people, followed by professionals at 861 and clerical and administrative workers at 729, giving Medowie a broader practical and service base than a single-industry suburb. Labour-force participation is 66.5%, unemployment is 4.0% and 3,133 workers are employed full time. SEIFA is mixed: education and occupation sits at decile 3, economic resources at decile 8, disadvantage at decile 5 and advantage and disadvantage at decile 4. The gap indicates household resources rank higher than formal education and occupational measures, an important distinction for local spending and housing demand.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
5,562
Unemployed
223
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.7%
Part-time
33.3%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
5,339
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.1%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
9.7%
Dwellings
3,604
Transport to Work
Medowie is practical for households that drive or work remotely: 68.7% travel as car drivers, just 0.3% use public transport and 26.1% work from home. Two nearby government primary schools serve the suburb, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address and ask about available places, transport and progression options. The small local school mix means secondary schooling and specialist choices may require travel beyond the immediate suburb. With an IRSAD decile of 4 and no local crime rate available for a precise safety comparison, review current incident information and service access before choosing a street. Compared with transit-oriented suburbs, convenience depends more on a car, while remote work can reduce commuting pressure.
Drive
68.7%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
26.1%
Population Forecast
+1.58%/yr
(+271 people/yr)
EstablishedMedowie is in an established but changing phase: the annual growth trend is 1.58%, with Internal migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 19.4% over ten years, while the forecast trajectory is Aging, including a 5.6 percentage-point rise in the senior share and a 3.5-point fall in the working share. Gentrification is rated Active with a score of 51, and rent growth has reached 63.3%, so demand is changing faster than in a static established suburb. Affordability also worsened from 43.8% in 2011 to 53.2% in 2021, making future growth more dependent on internal movers, family housing and the suburb's ability to add supply.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+50
Net Internal / yr
+398
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +32% since 2011, Net internal migration +398/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Medowie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medowie a good suburb to live in?
Medowie can suit households seeking detached space, larger bedrooms and a car-oriented routine. About 97.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 65.8% have four or more bedrooms and 26.1% of residents work from home. Public transport is limited at 0.3%, so lifestyle fit depends heavily on commuting needs.
What is the median house price in Medowie?
A current median house price should be checked against live sales because the most useful local benchmarks are $430 weekly rent and a $1,950 monthly mortgage. The housing mix is strongly detached, with 97.3% separate houses and 65.8% four-plus-bedroom homes, so price can vary substantially by land, condition and bedroom count.
What schools are in Medowie?
Medowie has 2 government primary schools: Medowie Public School and Wirreanda Public School. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and ask about available places, transport and progression options, because school access can differ by address. Secondary schooling and specialist choices may involve travel beyond the immediate suburb.
Is Medowie safe?
Medowie's safety should be checked with current NSW incident information and the exact street context, because a local crime rate is not available for a reliable comparison with nearby areas. The suburb has 10,879 residents across 44.72 square kilometres, so review recent trends and local conditions rather than relying on a simple label.
Is Medowie good for property investment?
Medowie can suit a long-term investor who understands detached family housing and supply growth. Rent is $430 a week, vacancy is 5.1% and 22.1% of occupied dwellings are rented. There were 173 development applications in 12 months, while annual growth is 1.58% and internal migration is the primary driver. Added supply may create more competition than in a tightly constrained market.
How is Medowie's population changing?
Medowie's population is 10,879 today, and population change across the wider area is 19.4% over ten years. The annual growth trend is 1.58%, driven primarily by internal migration, while the trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 5.6 percentage points and working share is down 3.5 points. Gentrification is Active with a score of 51.
How car dependent is Medowie?
Medowie is strongly car dependent compared with transit-oriented suburbs. About 68.7% of residents travel as car drivers, while only 0.3% use public transport and 1.2% walk or cycle. The 26.1% work-from-home share can reduce commuting frequency, but households should budget for regular vehicle use.
What is the rental market like in Medowie?
Weekly rent is $430 and the vacancy rate is 5.1%, while 22.1% of occupied dwellings are rented. That combination can provide more choice for tenants than a tighter market, although 63.3% rent growth indicates stronger long-run pressure than a flat rental area. Detached houses dominate at 97.3% of dwellings.
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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