Northgate
Half the working adults in Northgate hold university qualifications, 20 percentage points above the national average, yet the suburb's IRSD disadvantage score sits at decile 5, squarely mid-range. The $1,286,000 median house price rose 24.9% in a single year from $1,030,000, compressing the gap between educational attainment and purchase affordability. The suburb spans just 1.01 km2 with 3,184 residents at a density of 3,154 per km2. Separate houses make up 89.2% of dwellings and 44.1% of homes have four or more bedrooms, a profile consistent with family-focused, owner-occupier demand rather than investor churn.
Population
3,184
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,207/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$1.3M
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price reached $1,286,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up from $1,030,000 a year earlier, a 24.9% rise in 12 months. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,742, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability cushion holds even as prices climb, because household incomes sit at the 83.8th percentile nationally. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 89.2%, with 53% of dwellings having three bedrooms and 44.1% having four or more. The 47.3% mortgage-holder share is higher than the 29.7% who own outright, which points to active recent buying rather than long-held, debt-free tenure.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,286,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up from $1,030,000 a year earlier, a 24.9% rise in 12 months. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,742, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability cushion holds even as prices climb, because household incomes sit at the 83.8th percentile nationally. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 89.2%, with 53% of dwellings having three bedrooms and 44.1% having four or more. The 47.3% mortgage-holder share is higher than the 29.7% who own outright, which points to active recent buying rather than long-held, debt-free tenure.
For Investors
Renters make up 23% of households, below typical investor-friendly suburbs, and the weekly median rent of $395 against a $1,286,000 median price implies a gross yield around 1.6%, lower than state averages. The vacancy rate of 3.2% is moderate and broadly in line with the SA average, suggesting steady rather than pressured demand. Development activity logged 10 applications in the past 12 months, mostly detached dwelling works, indicating incremental change rather than a supply surge. The 24.9% price gain in one year compared to broader SA market movements makes the capital growth case compelling, though forward momentum at that pace is unlikely to persist. Household income in the 83.8th percentile nationally supports tenant quality for those who do rent.
Development Activity
Total DAs
65
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Northgate iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Cedar College
R-12 · 884 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, indicating a working-age and family-formation profile. Overseas-born residents make up 36.5% of the population, 14.9 percentage points above the national average. English ancestry leads at 802 residents, followed by Chinese (377), Indian (230) and Italian (226). The top non-English languages are Mandarin (88 speakers), Punjabi (59) and Cantonese (46), reflecting the suburb's multicultural mix. University qualifications at 50.1% are 20 percentage points above national, among the highest in suburban SA. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above national, and couples with children dominate at 1,481 of 2,820 families, consistent with a family-led demographic.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.2%
Houses
10.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 89.2% of stock, with semi-detached units making up the remaining 10.8% and no apartments recorded. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 53%, with four-or-more bedroom dwellings close behind at 44.1%. This bedroom profile, skewed large, aligns with the 3.0 average household size, above the national average. Tenure splits into 47.3% mortgage holders, 29.7% outright owners and 23% renters. The price moved from $1,030,000 in early 2025 to $1,286,000 in early 2026, a 24.9% gain. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2% and rent-to-income ratio of 17.9% both remain below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting current residents are absorbing costs comfortably despite the sharp price rise.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,742
Rent / wk
$395
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$881
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
34
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.8%
Couples, no children
2,820
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 22.1% (267 workers), well above its national industry share, followed by Education at 12.2% and Public Admin at 11.7%. Professional/Technical services employ 8.9% and Construction 6.5%. The occupation profile is knowledge-heavy: Professionals (496) and Managers (243) together account for the largest blocks, consistent with the IEO decile 7 rating for education and occupation, above the national midpoint. The full-time employment rate of 63.5% and unemployment rate of 4.2% are close to SA norms. The IER (economic resources) decile sits at 4, below the IEO decile of 7, a divergence that reflects high income but only moderate household wealth accumulation, partly because 47.3% still carry a mortgage.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.5%
Part-time
32.3%
Participation
67.9%
Employed
1,614
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.1%
Postgraduate
14.2%
Born Overseas
36.5%
Dwellings
1,035
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 86.5% of commuters driving, compared to 5.1% using public transport and just 1.8% walking or cycling, typical of a suburban SA location without rail access. The IRSAD decile of 6 places Northgate above the national median on combined advantage and disadvantage measures. Crime totals 103 incidents recorded, translating to a rate of 32.3 per 1,000 residents, a figure that warrants monitoring but is not extreme by SA suburban standards. The rent-to-income ratio of 17.9% and mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2% both sit well below the 30% stress level, meaning most households are financially stable. No schools are recorded within the 1.01 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families depend on nearby institutions outside the suburb.
Drive
86.5%
Public Transport
5.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
103
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
32.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Northgate compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Northgate a good suburb to live in?
Northgate rates at IRSAD decile 6, above the national median on combined advantage measures. University qualifications at 50.1% are 20 percentage points above national, household incomes sit at the 83.8th percentile, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2% is well below the stress threshold. The trade-off is a $1,286,000 median house price after a 24.9% rise in one year.
What is the median house price in Northgate?
The median house price is $1,286,000 as of the first quarter of 2026, up 24.9% from $1,030,000 in early 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,742 and weekly rent is $395. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.2%, below the 30% stress benchmark.
What schools are in Northgate?
No schools are recorded within the Northgate boundary in this dataset, so families typically rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local adult population is highly educated, with 50.1% holding university qualifications, 20 percentage points above the national average.
Is Northgate safe?
Northgate recorded 103 incidents in the most recent crime data, giving a rate of 32.3 per 1,000 residents. As a broader indicator, the suburb scores IRSAD decile 6 and IRSD decile 5, both around the national midpoint, consistent with a stable, mid-advantage area rather than a high-disadvantage one.
Is Northgate good for property investment?
The 24.9% price gain from $1,030,000 to $1,286,000 in one year is well above typical SA market gains and strengthens the capital growth case. Weekly rent of $395 against a $1,286,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, low by investor standards. The vacancy rate is 3.2% and renters make up 23% of households, providing a modest but steady tenant pool.
How is Northgate's population changing?
A population turnover rate of 17.6% means 82.4% of residents stayed in the same dwelling over five years, indicating a stable community with low churn. The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, and households average 3.0 people, above the national average, reflecting active family formation rather than an aging or declining base.
What languages are spoken in Northgate?
About 36.5% of residents were born overseas, 14.9 percentage points above the national average. The most common non-English languages are Mandarin (88 speakers), Punjabi (59), Cantonese (46), Gujarati (38) and Hindi (32), reflecting a significant South and East Asian community alongside the English-ancestry majority.
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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