Nollamara
Nollamara's standout trait is its migrant-majority profile: 52.2% of residents were born overseas, 30.6 percentage points above the national level. It packs 12,779 people into 3.73 sq km, a density of 3,422.3 per sq km, while the median age of 34 sits 6.0 years below national. Compared with nearby Yokine and Dianella, its point of difference is a compact, infill-style housing base rather than large-lot prestige. Household income sits at the 46.6 percentile, so affordability and access drive demand.
Population
12,779
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,492/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
50
Median House
$417K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers are buying into a practical middle-market suburb rather than a detached-house enclave. Semi-detached dwellings make up 52.8% of stock, higher than separate houses at 47.0%, while apartments are only 0.3%. The typical home is compact family-scale: 76.3% have 3 bedrooms and only 7.6% have 4 or more. Monthly mortgage payments of $1,582 take 24.5% of income, with household income at the 46.6 percentile, because villas and grouped dwellings keep entry costs more manageable.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are buying into a practical middle-market suburb rather than a detached-house enclave. Semi-detached dwellings make up 52.8% of stock, higher than separate houses at 47.0%, while apartments are only 0.3%. The typical home is compact family-scale: 76.3% have 3 bedrooms and only 7.6% have 4 or more. Monthly mortgage payments of $1,582 take 24.5% of income, with household income at the 46.6 percentile, because villas and grouped dwellings keep entry costs more manageable.
For Investors
For investors, the tenant pool is the main signal: 47.4% of households rent, higher than the 18.7% owned outright share and the 33.8% with a mortgage. Median rent is $340 a week, while vacancy is 8.0%, so cash flow needs a sharper leasing strategy than in tighter markets. Recent activity is moderate, with 15 development applications in 12 months and 6.2% rent growth in the shift series, because grouped dwellings are still reshaping supply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
50
Last 12 Months
50
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nollamara iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
West Coast Steiner School
PP-6 · 172 students
Our Lady of Lourdes School
PP-6 · 192 students
Nollamara Primary School
K-6 · 390 students
Demographics
Nollamara skews younger and more internationally connected than Australia overall. The median age is 34, which is 6.0 years below the national figure, while 52.2% born overseas is 30.6 percentage points above national. University attainment is 39.2%, 9.1 points above national, supporting a sizeable professional cohort. English ancestry counts 2,680 people, Indian 825, with Punjabi 229, Arabic 187 and Mandarin 153 among leading non-English languages; Christianity counts 4,791 and Islam 1,158.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
47.0%
Houses
52.8%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the clearest marker of Nollamara's infill pattern. Semi-detached homes account for 52.8% of dwellings, higher than separate houses at 47.0%, and apartments are just 0.3%, so the market is villa and townhouse-led rather than high-rise. The stock is heavily 3 bedroom, at 76.3%, with 2 bedroom homes at 12.7% and 4-plus at 7.6%. Tenure is more rental-weighted than ownership: 47.4% rent, compared with 33.8% mortgaged and 18.7% owned outright.
Mortgage / mo
$1,582
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$839
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.0%
Unoccupied
466
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.9%
Couples, no children
8,905
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is broad but not uniformly advantaged. Healthcare leads with 919 workers, or 19.2%, followed by Professional/Tech at 449, Education at 401, Construction at 377 and Retail at 355. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,395, yet the unemployment rate is 6.6% and participation is 63.1%. SEIFA explains the mixed picture: education and occupation sit in decile 5, while economic resources rank lower at decile 2 and IRSAD is decile 3, because skills are stronger than household resources.
Unemployment
5.4%
Labour Force
13,962
Unemployed
752
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.8%
Part-time
28.6%
Participation
63.1%
Employed
6,249
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.2%
Postgraduate
10.1%
Born Overseas
52.2%
Dwellings
5,316
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, with 83.2% driving to work, far higher than 9.4% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling. Education is a strength for primary years: 3 local schools span ICSEA 981 to 1101, led by West Coast Steiner School at 1101 (Independent) and Our Lady of Lourdes School at 1071 (Catholic), with a Government option enrolling 390. Safety needs direct address-by-address checking because no local crime rate is published, but IRSAD decile 3 signals below-average advantage.
Drive
83.2%
Public Transport
9.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.13%/yr
(+491 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The trend setting is 2.13% a year, equal to about 491 people, and the medium path rises from 23,320 in 2026 to 25,773 in 2031. Migration is the key driver: overseas inflow averages +664 a year, higher than the internal outflow of -328 a year. The shift trajectory is Stable, with 31.6% population change over 10 years, while gentrification scores 39 and remains at Early signs because renewal is visible but not yet a full reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+664
Net Internal / yr
-328
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +43% since 2011, Net internal outflow -328/yr, Strong overseas inflow +664/yr, Accelerating: 16% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nollamara compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nollamara a good suburb to live in?
Nollamara suits buyers and renters who want an inner-north location with compact housing. It has 12,779 residents, a median age of 34 and 3 primary schools, while 83.2% car commuting means day-to-day convenience depends heavily on road access.
What is the median house price in Nollamara?
A current median house price is not published for Nollamara. The strongest available housing benchmarks are $340 weekly rent, $1,582 monthly mortgage payments and a stock mix of 52.8% semi-detached dwellings versus 47.0% separate houses.
What schools are in Nollamara?
Local primary options include West Coast Steiner School, Independent, ICSEA 1101, Our Lady of Lourdes School, Catholic, ICSEA 1071, and Nollamara Primary School, Government, ICSEA 981, with enrolments of 172, 192 and 390.
Is Nollamara safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not published, so inspect streets at the times you will use them and compare addresses carefully. For context, 83.2% of workers drive, 9.4% use public transport and IRSAD sits in decile 3.
Is Nollamara good for property investment?
Investment appeal is rental-led: 47.4% of households rent and median rent is $340 a week. Balance that against 8.0% vacancy and 15 development applications in 12 months, which can add leasing competition.
How is Nollamara's population changing?
Population momentum is positive in the forward series, rising from 23,320 in 2026 to 25,773 in 2031 at 2.13% a year. Overseas migration is the main driver, averaging +664 people annually against -328 internal movement.
What languages are spoken in Nollamara?
With 52.2% of residents born overseas, Nollamara has several sizeable language groups. Punjabi counts 229 speakers, Arabic 187, Mandarin 153, Urdu 153 and Italian 134 among the leading non-English languages.
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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