Melonba
With 96.7% of residents having moved in within the Census reference period, Melonba in northwest Sydney is one of Australia's newest occupied suburbs, a greenfield estate still forming its identity. The median age of 31 sits 9 years below the national figure, household income ranks in the 96.4th percentile nationally, and 60.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 39.2 points above the national average. Despite that income strength, the suburb recorded a 20% price correction from $1,150,000 in 2024 to $920,000 in 2025, making it a rare case where high-income households face rapid nominal price falls in a newly built estate.
Population
1,439
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,859/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
268
Median House
$1.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price in Melonba fell from $1,150,000 in 2024 to $920,000 in 2025, a 20% decline that reflects the correction in northwest Sydney's new-estate market. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.1%, with 89.4% having four or more bedrooms, so buyers get large family homes rather than apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,835, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite a median house price well above the national average. The trade-off is that 87% of households carry a mortgage while only 4.5% own outright, meaning nearly every buyer here is still paying down debt. The price fall may represent a buying opportunity compared to the 2024 peak, though further correction risk remains in oversupplied outer-ring estates.
For Buyers
The median house price in Melonba fell from $1,150,000 in 2024 to $920,000 in 2025, a 20% decline that reflects the correction in northwest Sydney's new-estate market. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.1%, with 89.4% having four or more bedrooms, so buyers get large family homes rather than apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,835, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite a median house price well above the national average. The trade-off is that 87% of households carry a mortgage while only 4.5% own outright, meaning nearly every buyer here is still paying down debt. The price fall may represent a buying opportunity compared to the 2024 peak, though further correction risk remains in oversupplied outer-ring estates.
For Investors
Investor fundamentals are mixed. Weekly rent of $600 against the $920,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.4%, which is better than inner Sydney but still modest. The 2.3% vacancy rate is low, suggesting genuine tenant demand in this growing corridor. Development activity is high at 251 applications in the past 12 months, mostly new dwelling houses via Complying Development Certificates, which signals ongoing supply additions that could pressure rents. The 96.7% residential turnover shows this suburb is still being populated, so rental demand should hold as new residents arrive. At the same time, the 20% price fall from the 2024 peak to $920,000 in 2025 cautions against expecting near-term capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2,230
Last 12 Months
268
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-0.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Melonba iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Melonba Public School
K-6 · 776 students
Melonba High School
7-12 · 704 students
Demographics
Melonba's population of 1,439 is young and internationally diverse. The median age of 31 is 9 years below the national figure, and couples with children make up the dominant household type at 949 out of 1,369 families. Overseas-born residents account for 60.8% of the population, which is 39.2 points above the national average. The largest ancestry groups are Indian (421 people) and Filipino (258), and Punjabi is the most spoken non-English language with 105 speakers, followed by Gujarati (49) and Hindi (35). University qualifications reach 64.8%, which is 34.7 points above the national average, reflecting a professional migrant cohort. Average household size is 3.3 people, which is 0.8 above the national figure, consistent with multigenerational family living.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.1%
Houses
0.9%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is strikingly uniform: 99.1% separate houses, with 89.4% having four or more bedrooms. Only 0.9% are semi-detached, and apartments are effectively absent. This is a suburb built for large families. Tenure is dominated by mortgage holders at 87%, while just 4.5% own outright and 8.5% rent, which is lower than the national renter share. The price trajectory moved sharply down, from $1,150,000 in 2024 to $920,000 in 2025, a 20% fall, suggesting the estate premium has unwound compared to the launch pricing of recent years. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9% is manageable, and rent-to-income at 21% sits below the stress threshold, so despite the large mortgages, households are not financially stretched relative to their incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,835
Rent / wk
$600
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,266
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.3%
Unoccupied
10
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.9%
Couples, no children
1,369
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the top employer at 19.5% (126 workers), followed by Professional/Tech at 13.6% (88) and Finance at 10.4% (67). By occupation, Professionals lead at 261 workers, with Clerical/Admin at 122 and Managers at 89. The full-time employment rate is 77.9%, above most suburban benchmarks, and unemployment sits at 3.0%, consistent with a workforce-age suburb. The participation rate of 73.6% is solid, partly because the young median age of 31 places most residents in peak working years. Weekly personal income averages $1,266 and weekly household income of $2,859 places Melonba households in the 96.4th percentile nationally, a result of dual-professional households in high-income fields like finance and technology.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
77.9%
Part-time
19.1%
Participation
73.6%
Employed
721
Occupations
Top Industries
University
64.8%
Postgraduate
19.1%
Born Overseas
60.8%
Dwellings
423
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 88.1% of commuters driving, compared to 6.9% who use public transport, which is below national averages for public transport use. Melonba's postcode 2765 corridor has limited rail access, making car ownership a practical necessity. There are no schools recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas within the broader Schofields and Marsden Park precinct. Detailed crime data is not available for Melonba, but the low 3.0% unemployment and high 64.8% university qualification rate, which is 34.7 points above national, are associated with lower disadvantage outcomes. Housing stress is absent: rent-to-income is 21% and mortgage-to-income is 22.9%, both below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
88.1%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Melonba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Melonba a good suburb to live in?
Melonba suits families who want a large, newly built home. Household income ranks in the 96.4th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is 22.9% (below stress level), and 89.4% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. The main downsides are high car dependency at 88.1% of commuters and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Melonba?
The median house price is $920,000 in 2025, down 20% from $1,150,000 in 2024. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,835. Weekly rent is $600, implying a gross yield of around 3.4% at the current median.
What schools are in Melonba?
No schools are recorded within the Melonba suburb boundary in this dataset. Families access schools in the broader Schofields and Marsden Park precinct. Despite the absence of local schools, 64.8% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 34.7 points above the national figure.
Is Melonba safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Melonba in this dataset. As indirect indicators, unemployment sits at a low 3.0%, housing stress is absent (mortgage-to-income 22.9%), and only 1.6% of residents (23 people) need daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage, newly established community.
Is Melonba good for property investment?
The investment case is balanced. Rent of $600 a week implies a gross yield of about 3.4% at the $920,000 median, and the 2.3% vacancy rate shows tenant demand. The 20% price fall from the 2024 peak and 251 new development applications in 12 months signal ongoing supply additions, which limits near-term capital growth expectations.
How is Melonba's population changing?
Melonba is a new estate still being populated. The 96.7% residential turnover means nearly all of the current 1,439 residents arrived recently. Development activity running at 251 applications per year indicates active construction, and population will grow as the estate fills. The median age of 31 is 9 years below national, pointing to a young, growing community.
What languages are spoken in Melonba?
About 60.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 39.2 points above the national average. Punjabi is the most spoken non-English language (105 speakers), followed by Gujarati (49), Hindi (35), Urdu (25) and Malayalam (19), reflecting the suburb's large Indian and South Asian community.
How much development is happening in Melonba?
There were 251 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, most as Complying Development Certificates for new dwelling houses. This rate is high for a suburb of 1,439 people and reflects the estate still being actively built out across its 6.47 square kilometre footprint.
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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