Mulgrave
Detached housing still defines Mulgrave, with 83.2% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, a much lower apartment share than nearby Clayton. The suburb sits above the national education benchmark, with 48.0% university qualified, and overseas-born residents at 48.0%, 26.4 percentage points above the national level. The trade-off is a recorded crime rate of 93.4 per 1,000, largely driven by 1,312 property and deception offences, so buyers get space and established family housing but need to assess street-level safety.
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
107
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
Mulgrave suits buyers chasing land rather than density: 83.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.5% are semi-detached and apartments are just 0.3%. The median house price was $1,053,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, which is 5.9% below the Jul-Sep 2023 peak of $1,120,000 but 82.4% higher than 2013. Families dominate the stock because 53.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 41.2% have 4 or more. Mortgage costs absorb 26.2% of income, below stress settings, giving owner-occupiers more buffer than the headline price suggests.
For Buyers
Mulgrave suits buyers chasing land rather than density: 83.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.5% are semi-detached and apartments are just 0.3%. The median house price was $1,053,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, which is 5.9% below the Jul-Sep 2023 peak of $1,120,000 but 82.4% higher than 2013. Families dominate the stock because 53.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 41.2% have 4 or more. Mortgage costs absorb 26.2% of income, below stress settings, giving owner-occupiers more buffer than the headline price suggests.
For Investors
Mulgrave is more owner-occupier than rental-led, with 23.0% renting compared with 39.1% owned outright and 37.9% mortgaged. Median rent is $430 per week, while the 5.2% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market, so rent growth may depend on dwelling quality and location. The investment angle is renewal: 47 development applications in 12 months point to duplex and rear-dwelling activity. Forecast migration also helps demand, with overseas inflow averaging 426 people a year, partly offset by internal outflow of 222 a year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
129
Last 12 Months
107
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1683.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mulgrave iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mazenod College
7-12 · 1469 students
Mulgrave Primary School
Prep-6 · 426 students
St John Vianney's School
Prep-6 · 417 students
Albany Rise Primary School
Prep-6 · 207 students
Wellington Secondary College
7-12 · 1643 students
Demographics
Mulgrave has 19,889 residents, a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.8, which is 0.3 above the national benchmark. Overseas-born residents make up 48.0%, 26.4 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 48.0%, 17.9 points higher. Chinese ancestry counts 3,387 residents, English 2,989, Greek 1,888 and Italian 1,397, giving the suburb a different profile compared with nearby Wheelers Hill or Clayton. Mandarin, Greek, Sinhal, Canton and Italian are the leading non-English language groups.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.2%
Houses
16.5%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Mulgrave's housing market is established and land-heavy. The latest median house price of $1,053,500 is below the $1,120,000 peak reached in Jul-Sep 2023, but still 82.4% higher than the 2013 trough of $577,500, equal to a 4.4% CAGR over 14 years. Ownership is deep, with 39.1% owned outright and 37.9% being purchased, leaving 23.0% renting. The price-to-income load is moderated by a 26.2% mortgage-to-income ratio, below stress territory, because household income sits in the 71.4 percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$430
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
23.0%
Couples, no children
16,769
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mulgrave's workforce leans professional but still has a broad suburban jobs base. Healthcare leads with 1,113 workers, or 16.6%, followed by Professional/Tech at 788, Education at 760, Manufacturing at 569 and Retail at 542. Professionals are the largest occupation group with 2,533 people, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 1,372 and Managers at 1,270. Unemployment is 5.5% and participation is 57.3%, lower than a pure working-age hub because 5,686 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is consistent: IEO 1042, IER 1036, IRSD 1038 and IRSAD 1043 all sit in decile 7.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
11,823
Unemployed
316
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.1%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
57.3%
Employed
8,862
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.0%
Postgraduate
14.4%
Born Overseas
48.0%
Dwellings
6,843
Transport to Work
Mulgrave is practical and family-oriented, but car dependence is high: 89.7% drive to work, compared with only 3.3% using public transport and 1.7% walking or cycling. Five local schools span ICSEA 1006 to 1089, led by Catholic secondary Mazenod College at 1089, Government Mulgrave Primary at 1079 and Catholic St John Vianney's School at 1049. IRSAD decile 7 supports a relatively advantaged setting, but the 93.4 crimes per 1,000 rate is above what many family buyers expect, with property offences making up 1,312 of 1,857 recorded incidents.
Drive
89.7%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+158 people/yr)
EstablishedMulgrave is forecast to grow steadily rather than surge, at 0.75% or about 158 people a year. The medium scenario lifts population from 21,305 in 2026 to 22,093 in 2031, a gain of 788 people. Migration is the key driver because overseas migration averages +426 people a year, compared with net internal movement of -222 a year. The gentrification score is 25 and the stage is Early signs, while the shift metrics show 33.1% rent growth and 12.7% population growth over 10 years. That points to gradual renewal rather than rapid displacement.
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 works well for households wanting established houses, schools and space, with 83.2% separate houses and an average household size of 2.8. The main caution is safety, with 93.4 crimes per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Mulgrave?
The median house price in Mulgrave was $1,053,500 in Apr-Jun 2024. That is 5.9% below the Jul-Sep 2023 peak of $1,120,000, but 82.4% above the 2013 level.
What schools are in Mulgrave?
Mulgrave has 5 local schools, with ICSEA values from 1006 to 1089. Key options include Mazenod College, Mulgrave Primary School, St John Vianney's School, Albany Rise Primary School and Wellington Secondary College.
Is Mulgrave safe?
Mulgrave recorded 1,857 offences, equal to 93.4 crimes per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences dominate with 1,312 incidents, so buyers should compare streets and security needs carefully.
Is Mulgrave good for property investment?
Mulgrave has an investor case based on renewal rather than high rental scarcity. Rent is $430 per week, renting is 23.0%, vacancy is 5.2% and there were 47 development applications in 12 months.
How is Mulgrave's population changing?
Mulgrave is growing at a forecast 0.75% a year, or about 158 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 22,093 residents by 2031, supported by overseas migration averaging +426 people a year.
What languages are spoken in Mulgrave?
Mulgrave has a strong multilingual profile, with 48.0% of residents born overseas. Leading non-English language groups include Mandarin with 836 speakers, Greek with 682, Sinhal with 401 and Canton with 364.
Is there much development in Mulgrave?
Yes. Mulgrave recorded 47 development applications in 12 months, including duplex and rear-dwelling proposals. That level of activity fits a suburb where 83.2% of homes are detached and sites can be renewed.
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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