Nunawading
Compact, educated and increasingly multicultural, Nunawading packs 12,413 residents into 5.08 sq km at 2,444.2 people per sq km. Compared with nearby Blackburn and Mitcham, it reads as a smaller rail-side pocket with a strong family-house base. University attainment is 52.0%, 21.9 percentage points above national, and 39.7% of residents were born overseas, 18.1 points above national. The $1,240,000 median house price is just 0.8% below the 2021 peak, because demand is supported by schools, transport access and a household income percentile of 72.9.
Population
12,413
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,938/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$1.2M
Apr-Jun 2024
At $1,240,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, houses sit only 0.8% below the 2021 peak of $1,250,000, so buyers are paying for an established market rather than a deep discount. The stock is still family sized: 68.9% separate houses, 27.9% semi-detached and just 3.2% apartments, with 44.5% of homes having 3 bedrooms. Mortgage costs absorb 25.8% of income, below stress territory, because household income sits at the 72.9 percentile. Buyers priced out of Blackburn may find Nunawading slightly more practical, but not cheap.
For Buyers
At $1,240,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, houses sit only 0.8% below the 2021 peak of $1,250,000, so buyers are paying for an established market rather than a deep discount. The stock is still family sized: 68.9% separate houses, 27.9% semi-detached and just 3.2% apartments, with 44.5% of homes having 3 bedrooms. Mortgage costs absorb 25.8% of income, below stress territory, because household income sits at the 72.9 percentile. Buyers priced out of Blackburn may find Nunawading slightly more practical, but not cheap.
For Investors
Investment appeal is more about steady tenant depth than scarcity. Renters make up 30.1% of households and median rent is $391 a week, while rent has grown 30.3% through the shift period. Vacancy of 5.7% weakens urgency compared with the rent-growth signal, so pricing discipline matters. Development is modest, with 8 applications in 12 months, below a heavy pipeline. Demand should be supported because overseas migration averages +290 people a year, offsetting -134 internal migration.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
7
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+250.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nunawading iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mount Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary School
Prep-6 · 388 students
Nunawading Christian College - Primary
Prep-6 · 343 students
Nunawading Christian College - Secondary
7-12 · 261 students
Demographics
Nunawading skews educated and internationally connected. The median age is 39, 1.0 year below the national figure, while 52.0% hold a university qualification, 21.9 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 39.7%, 18.1 points above national, with Chinese ancestry counted at 2,610 after English at 3,151. Mandarin has 627 speakers and Canton has 301, reinforcing Chinese cultural links. This profile supports schools, health and professional services because many households have high skills and 2.6 people on average.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
68.9%
Houses
27.9%
Townhouse
3.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Nunawading housing has nearly doubled since 2013: the median rose from $637,500 to $1,240,000, a 94.5% gain and 4.9% CAGR over 14 years. The latest price is only 0.8% below the $1,250,000 2021 peak, compared with the trough in 2013. Tenure is balanced, with 33.5% owned outright, 36.4% mortgaged and 30.1% rented. The small 3.2% apartment share keeps supply lower than in denser Box Hill, while 68.9% separate houses protect family-house scarcity.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$391
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$839
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.7%
Unoccupied
279
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
9,645
Total families
Economy & Employment
Nunawading's workforce is white-collar but not only corporate. Healthcare leads with 817 workers, or 17.4%, followed by Professional/Tech at 637 and Education at 576; Retail 365 and Finance 360 round out the top 5. Professionals total 2,054, higher than Managers at 836, which helps explain the IEO decile 8 result. The resources decile is lower at 6, while IRSD is 7 and IRSAD is 8, suggesting strong education and advantage with a more mixed asset and income base. Unemployment is 4.8% and full-time work is 62.6%.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
7,551
Unemployed
212
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.6%
Part-time
32.6%
Participation
59.9%
Employed
5,833
Occupations
Top Industries
University
52.0%
Postgraduate
16.1%
Born Overseas
39.7%
Dwellings
4,569
Transport to Work
Daily life is practical if car-oriented. Car drivers account for 82.8% of commuting, far higher than public transport at 8.2% and walking or cycling at 2.8%, because the suburb mixes rail access with dispersed housing and retail strips. Schooling is a plus: 3 local schools span ICSEA 1067 to 1133, led by Mount Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary at 1133 and Nunawading Christian College primary at 1101, with government and independent options. Crime is 62.4 per 1,000 from 775 offences, while IRSAD decile 8 sits above the national middle.
Drive
82.8%
Public Transport
8.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.87%/yr
(+115 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive. The trend path adds 0.87% a year, about 115 people, taking the medium population track from 13,345 in 2026 to 13,922 in 2031. Migration is the engine because overseas inflow averages +290 a year, compared with net internal outflow of -134. The suburb has recovered from a -2.5% COVID dip to 13,192 people, higher than the 12,518 low. Gentrification is labelled Early signs with a score of 25, so change is likely incremental, not a full reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+290
Net Internal / yr
-134
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +16% since 2011, Net internal outflow -134/yr, Strong overseas inflow +290/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
775
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
62.4
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 Nunawading compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nunawading a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for households wanting established eastern-suburb amenity. It has 12,413 residents, a median age of 39, 3 local schools and IRSAD decile 8, above the national middle. The trade-off is car dependence, with 82.8% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Nunawading?
The median house price in Nunawading is $1,240,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is only 0.8% below the 2021 peak of $1,250,000 and 94.5% higher than the 2013 median of $637,500.
What schools are in Nunawading?
Nunawading has 3 local schools: Mount Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary School, Nunawading Christian College - Primary and Nunawading Christian College - Secondary. ICSEA scores range from 1067 to 1133, above the national midpoint of 1000.
Is Nunawading safe?
Nunawading recorded 775 offences, equal to 62.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest group at 529, compared with 107 crimes against the person, so buyers should check street-level context.
Is Nunawading good for property investment?
It suits investors seeking established demand rather than rapid new supply. Renters are 30.1% of households, median rent is $391 a week and rent growth has been 30.3%, but vacancy is 5.7%, so returns need careful pricing.
How is Nunawading's population changing?
Population growth is moderate. The trend adds 0.87% a year, or about 115 people, with the medium track rising from 13,345 in 2026 to 13,922 in 2031. Overseas migration of +290 a year is higher than internal outflow of -134.
What languages are spoken in Nunawading?
English is common, but overseas-born residents make up 39.7%, which is 18.1 percentage points above national. Mandarin has 627 speakers, Canton has 301, Hindi has 110, Punjabi has 108 and Nepali has 94.
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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