Moonee Ponds
Premium inner north-west density defines Moonee Ponds more than its racecourse image: 16,224 residents fit into 4.36 sqkm, with density of 3,725.3 people per sqkm. Its $1.57m median house price and 79.9th percentile household income put it above the national middle, while 56.4% university attainment is 26.3 points higher than national. Between Essendon and Ascot Vale, the suburb reads more urban than a detached-house market because separate houses are 44.7% and apartments are 39.3%. The trade-off is sharper: rent demand exists, but vacancy is 12.7% and crime runs at 99.5 per 1,000.
Population
16,224
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,111/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
32
Median House
$1.6M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for established amenity and scarce land: the median house price is $1.57m in Apr-Jun 2024, only 2.5% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1.61m after an 89.0% rise from 2013. Detached stock is not dominant, with 44.7% separate houses compared with 39.3% apartments and 15.7% semi-detached homes, so family buyers face competition for larger dwellings. The bedroom mix is practical rather than oversized, with 31.8% 2 bedroom and 31.2% 3 bedroom homes. Mortgage pressure looks contained at 23.7% of income, helped by household income in the 79.9th percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for established amenity and scarce land: the median house price is $1.57m in Apr-Jun 2024, only 2.5% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1.61m after an 89.0% rise from 2013. Detached stock is not dominant, with 44.7% separate houses compared with 39.3% apartments and 15.7% semi-detached homes, so family buyers face competition for larger dwellings. The bedroom mix is practical rather than oversized, with 31.8% 2 bedroom and 31.2% 3 bedroom homes. Mortgage pressure looks contained at 23.7% of income, helped by household income in the 79.9th percentile.
For Investors
Investors get a deep tenant pool but should price vacancy risk carefully. Renters make up 39.6% of households, a higher share than owner mortgage households at 29.7%, and median rent is $400 a week. The counterweight is a 12.7% vacancy rate, which is high enough to weaken short-term rent leverage despite the 25.0% rent growth signal. Supply is still being refreshed, with 18 development applications in 12 months including a 4 dwelling project. Longer-run demand is supported by forecast Overseas migration of 350 net people a year, well above internal migration of 5.
Development Activity
Total DAs
45
Last 12 Months
32
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+540.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Moonee Ponds iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Moonee Ponds Primary School
Prep-6 · 290 students
Moonee Ponds West Primary School
Prep-6 · 289 students
St Monica's Primary School
Prep-6 · 512 students
Demographics
Moonee Ponds skews educated, cosmopolitan and slightly younger than Australia. Median age is 38, which is 2.0 years below national, and 56.4% of residents hold university qualifications, 26.3 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 29.1%, 7.5 points higher than national, but the largest ancestry counts remain English 4,377, Italian 2,658 and Irish 2,100. Italian is the leading non-English language at 371 speakers, ahead of Greek 203 and Mandarin 113. Average household size is 2.2, below national by 0.3, because apartments and couples without children are prominent.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
44.7%
Houses
15.7%
Townhouse
39.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing market is premium and mixed-form rather than purely suburban. Houses moved from $830,500 in 2013 to $1.57m in Apr-Jun 2024, an 89.0% gain and 4.7% CAGR over 14 years, but the latest price sits 2.5% below the $1.61m Oct-Dec 2023 peak. Tenure is split: 30.8% own outright, 29.7% have a mortgage and 39.6% rent. Stock choice reflects the inner location, with 44.7% separate houses compared with 39.3% apartments. Smaller dwellings matter because 17.5% have 0 or 1 bedrooms and 31.8% have 2 bedrooms, widening demand beyond families.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,113
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.7%
Unoccupied
996
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.2%
Couples, no children
11,689
Total families
Economy & Employment
Moonee Ponds has a white-collar employment base, with Healthcare at 16.0%, Professional/Tech 15.6%, Education 12.0%, Public Admin 8.9% and Construction 7.1%. Occupations reinforce that profile: Professionals number 3,438 and Managers 1,666, above lower-skilled categories. Labour market conditions are solid, with 67.6% of workers full time, 66.2% participation and 4.1% unemployment. SEIFA shows an important split: education and occupation decile 9, relative disadvantage decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9, but economic resources decile 5, likely because 39.6% rent and 39.3% live in apartments.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
11,762
Unemployed
490
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.6%
Part-time
28.3%
Participation
66.2%
Employed
8,881
Occupations
Top Industries
University
56.4%
Postgraduate
17.1%
Born Overseas
29.1%
Dwellings
6,854
Transport to Work
Daily life is convenient but not car-free. Public transport is used by 10.0% of commuters, walking or cycling by 9.8%, while car driving remains much higher at 74.9%. The local school base is primary-focused, with 3 schools across Government and Catholic sectors; ICSEA runs from 1129 to 1145, led by Moonee Ponds Primary School at 1145 and Moonee Ponds West Primary School at 1136. Advantage indicators are strong, with IRSAD in decile 9, but safety is a sharper watchpoint because recorded crime is 99.5 per 1,000, led by 1,066 property and deception offences.
Drive
74.9%
Public Transport
10.0%
Walk / Cycle
9.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.39%/yr
(+249 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The forecast trend is 1.39% a year, or 249 people annually, taking the medium population path from 17,940 in 2026 to 19,186 in 2031. Migration is the main engine because Overseas migration adds an average 350 net residents a year, far above internal migration at 5. The suburb is not at a late-cycle transformation point: the gentrification score is 34 and stage is Early signs, while the shift indicators show young share down 2.8 points, seniors up 1.6 points and real income growth of 18.6%. That points to slower household renewal than inner-city apartment precincts.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+350
Net Internal / yr
+5
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +27% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +350/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 19%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,615
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
99.5
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 Moonee Ponds compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moonee Ponds a good suburb to live in?
Yes, if you want an inner north-west address with high amenity and are comfortable with city-fringe density. It has 16,224 residents, IRSAD decile 9 and 3 local primary schools, but the 99.5 crimes per 1,000 rate is a factor to check street by street.
What is the median house price in Moonee Ponds?
The median house price is $1.57m in Apr-Jun 2024. That is 2.5% below the $1.61m peak in Oct-Dec 2023 but 89.0% above the 2013 median of $830,500, so buyers are entering a premium market that has already repriced strongly.
What schools are in Moonee Ponds?
There are 3 schools in the suburb: 2 Government primaries and 1 Catholic primary. ICSEA scores range from 1129 to 1145, led by Moonee Ponds Primary School at 1145 and Moonee Ponds West Primary School at 1136.
Is Moonee Ponds safe?
Safety is mixed. Recorded crime is 99.5 per 1,000 residents, with 1,066 property and deception offences forming the largest category. Buyers should compare individual streets and building security rather than relying on suburb-wide averages.
Is Moonee Ponds good for property investment?
It can suit investors who accept vacancy risk. Renters are 39.6% of households and median rent is $400 a week, but vacancy is 12.7%. The stronger demand signal is forecast Overseas migration of 350 net people a year.
How is Moonee Ponds's population changing?
Moonee Ponds is forecast to grow by 1.39% a year, equal to about 249 people annually. The medium path reaches 19,186 residents by 2031, with Overseas migration averaging 350 net people a year as 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 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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