Mulgrave
Mulgrave's most distinctive feature is its combination of a 19,889-person population, a 48.0% overseas-born share and an 83.2% separate-house profile. The median age is 40, matching the national figure, while university attainment is 48.0%, 17.9 percentage points above the national level. Compared with the busier commercial focus of Springvale and the larger activity-centre feel of Glen Waverley, Mulgrave presents a more conventional family-housing setting, supported by 53.0% three-bedroom and 41.2% four-bedroom-plus homes. The suburb suits buyers wanting established eastern-suburban housing, though the 93.4 crimes-per-1,000 rate warrants careful street and property checks.
Population
19,889
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,913/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
142
Median House
$1.1M
October to December 2025
Mulgrave is geared to buyers seeking established detached housing rather than apartment stock. Separate houses account for 83.2% of dwellings, with 53.0% containing three bedrooms and 41.2% containing four or more, while apartments make up just 0.3%. Compared with the 3-bedroom segment, four-plus-bedroom homes are lower in share, keeping family demand concentrated. Mortgage repayments represent 26.2% of household income, below one-third, but the upfront deposit remains the main hurdle.
For Buyers
Mulgrave is geared to buyers seeking established detached housing rather than apartment stock. Separate houses account for 83.2% of dwellings, with 53.0% containing three bedrooms and 41.2% containing four or more, while apartments make up just 0.3%. Compared with the 3-bedroom segment, four-plus-bedroom homes are lower in share, keeping family demand concentrated. Mortgage repayments represent 26.2% of household income, below one-third, but the upfront deposit remains the main hurdle.
For Investors
Mulgrave has a family-oriented rental base, with 22.7% of occupied dwellings rented and a median weekly rent of $430. Three-bedroom homes account for 53.0% of stock, far higher than the 0.6% share of studio and one-bedroom dwellings, which points to demand from established households rather than a compact-apartment market. Vacancy is 5.2%, while rent growth across the shift profile reached 33.1%. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, supporting demand diversity, and 135 development matters were recorded over 12 months. Investors should balance this with a 93.4-per-1,000 crime rate and check asset-level security, because property and deception offences total 1,312.
Development Activity
Total DAs
169
Last 12 Months
142
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1190.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mulgrave
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Albany Rise Primary School
Mulgrave Primary School
St John Vianney's School
Mazenod College
Wellington Secondary College
Demographics
Mulgrave is close to the national age profile but more internationally connected and university educated. Median age is 40, while 48.0% of residents were born overseas, 26.4 percentage points above the national share; 48.0% hold a university qualification, 17.9 points above the national figure. Chinese, English, Greek and Italian ancestries are prominent, with counts of 3,387, 2,989, 1,888 and 1,397 respectively. Mandarin is the most common listed language at 836 speakers, followed by Greek at 682. Average household size is 2.8, or 0.3 above the national measure, and 81.6% of residents stayed at the same address, higher than the 18.4% turnover rate. That mix supports settled family networks alongside ongoing overseas connections.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.2%
Houses
16.5%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Mulgrave's housing is predominantly low-rise and family-sized: 83.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.5% semi-detached and 0.3% apartments. Three-bedroom homes lead at 53.0%, followed by four-plus-bedroom homes at 41.2%, so buyers seeking smaller formats face a narrower choice than family households. Tenure is split between outright ownership at 38.6%, mortgages at 37.4% and renting at 22.7%; mortgage costs equal 26.2% of household income, higher than the 22.5% rent-to-income share. This established stock helps explain the moderate 18.4% turnover rate.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $430.
$695
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $640 · units $640
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$746
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
373
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
50.0%
Couples with children
34.1%
Couples, no children
14.1%
Single parent
5,593
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mulgrave's employment base is anchored by healthcare, professional and technical services, education, manufacturing and retail. Healthcare is the largest listed industry at 16.6% with 1,113 workers, higher than education at 11.3% and 760 workers. Professionals number 2,533, followed by clerical and administrative workers at 1,372 and managers at 1,270, pointing to a substantial white-collar base alongside 1,106 trades workers. The labour force totals 9,985, participation is 61.0% and unemployment is 5.1%, while full-time work accounts for 60.9%. Household income ranks at the 71.4th percentile, and all four SEIFA deciles are 7, indicating socioeconomic conditions above the national midpoint. That combination supports service-sector resilience, although manufacturing and trades retain an important practical role.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
9,985
Unemployed
511
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.9%
Part-time
32.6%
Participation
61.0%
Employed
9,474
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.0%
Postgraduate
14.4%
Born Overseas
48.0%
Dwellings
6,843
Transport to Work
Daily life in Mulgrave is strongly car-oriented. Driving accounts for 61.3% of journeys, compared with 2.2% using public transport and 1.1% walking or cycling; a further 31.6% work from home. That pattern suits households with cars but makes route planning important for residents seeking a train or bus-based commute. Five nearby schools span 3 government and 2 Catholic campuses, covering primary and secondary years and giving families a broader sector mix than a single-school catchment. The trade-off is safety: the crime rate is 93.4 per 1,000, with property and deception offences at 1,312, higher than crimes against the person at 204. SEIFA decile 7 and density of 1,853.1 people per square kilometre support access to established services, while the 10.73 square kilometre footprint creates variation between streets. Check exact transport routes, school zones and recent local incidents before committing.
Drive
61.3%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
31.6%
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+158 people/yr)
EstablishedMulgrave is an established suburb with steady rather than explosive momentum. The forecast trend is 0.75% annual growth, while population change across the wider area is 12.7% over 10 years and the trajectory is labelled "Growing (all ages)". Overseas migration is the primary driver, which fits the suburb's 48.0% overseas-born share and helps sustain demand across age groups. Rent growth has reached 33.1%, much higher than the annual population trend, signalling stronger pressure in housing costs than in resident growth. Gentrification remains at the "Early signs" stage, with a score of 25, and the area recovered from a 3.0% COVID dip with 4.3% recovery. Stable affordability, shifting demographics and 135 development matters suggest gradual change rather than a wholesale reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+426
Net Internal / yr
-222
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +14% since 2011, Net internal outflow -222/yr, Strong overseas inflow +426/yr, COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,857
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
93.4
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 Mulgrave compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mulgrave a good suburb to live in?
Mulgrave suits households wanting established, mostly detached housing, with 83.2% of dwellings separate houses and a median age of 40. Car dependence is high at 61.3%, and the crime rate is 93.4 per 1,000, so lifestyle fit depends on street, transport and security priorities.
What schools are in Mulgrave?
Mulgrave has 5 nearby schools across government and Catholic sectors, covering primary and secondary years. The mix includes 3 government schools and 2 Catholic schools, so families should confirm the exact enrolment zone, year-level availability and transport options for each address before buying.
Is Mulgrave safe?
Safety requires a closer look than a simple suburb-wide label. Mulgrave recorded 1,857 offences and a rate of 93.4 per 1,000, with property and deception offences accounting for 1,312. Check recent incidents, lighting, parking exposure and security around the specific property, especially when comparing streets.
Is Mulgrave good for property investment?
Mulgrave can suit investors targeting family rentals: 22.7% of dwellings are rented, median rent is $430 a week, and 3-bedroom homes comprise 53.0% of stock. Vacancy is 5.2% and 135 development matters were recorded over 12 months, so rental demand and future competition should both be assessed.
How is Mulgrave's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is 12.7% over 10 years, with a forecast annual trend of 0.75% and a "Growing (all ages)" trajectory. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while Mulgrave itself has 48.0% overseas-born residents. The forecast also gives gentrification an early-signs score of 25.
What languages are spoken in Mulgrave?
Mulgrave has a strong overseas-born profile at 48.0%. Mandarin is the most common listed language with 836 speakers, followed by Greek at 682, Sinhal at 401, Canton at 364 and Italian at 235. These figures can help households assess local networks, but services and school communication should be checked directly.
Is there much development in Mulgrave?
Development activity is material, with 135 matters recorded over 12 months. Examples include a proposed warehouse development and a three-lot subdivision, alongside other planning permits. This points to ongoing change in the built environment, but buyers should check the exact address, approval status and likely construction impacts before relying on future amenity.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), 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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