Park Orchards
Household income sits at the 98th percentile, and 100% of recorded dwellings are separate houses. Compared with nearby Doncaster East and Warrandyte, Park Orchards has a low-density, established residential profile, reinforced by a 40.6% work-from-home rate. The suburb suits households seeking space, stability and higher-end housing rather than rapid urban change.
Population
3,835
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,155/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
32
Median House
$1.8M
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Four-bedroom-plus properties account for 76.4% of homes, while 3-bedroom dwellings represent 22.1%, so smaller-house supply is limited. Mortgage commitments average $3,000 monthly and equal 22.0% of household income, below common stress thresholds. With 49.4% owned outright and 46.2% under mortgage, the market is more owner-occupier focused than rental-led.
For Buyers
Four-bedroom-plus properties account for 76.4% of homes, while 3-bedroom dwellings represent 22.1%, so smaller-house supply is limited. Mortgage commitments average $3,000 monthly and equal 22.0% of household income, below common stress thresholds. With 49.4% owned outright and 46.2% under mortgage, the market is more owner-occupier focused than rental-led.
For Investors
Investment demand is supported by a $601 weekly median rent, a 4.9% vacancy rate and a stable owner-occupier base, but the 3.3% renting share is below the 46.2% mortgage share, limiting the depth of the tenant pool. Annual price growth is only 0.2%, so the suburb currently presents below a high-growth corridor profile and relies more on scarcity and property quality than rapid turnover. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver. Development activity is material at 31 applications over 12 months, including a three-lot subdivision and several dwelling alterations, which may add selective supply without changing the detached character quickly. Investors should assess yield, holding costs and tenant demand property by property.
Development Activity
Total DAs
32
Last 12 Months
32
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 Park Orchards
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Park Orchards Primary School
St Anne's School
Demographics
Park Orchards has an older and more university-educated profile than Australia overall: the median age is 45, 5 years above the national figure, while university attainment is 48.7%, or 18.6 percentage points above national levels. Overseas-born residents account for 18.5%, 3.1 points below the national comparison, while English, Irish, Scottish and Italian ancestry counts are 1,543, 455, 400 and 378 respectively. Household size averages 3.2 people, above the national comparison by 0.7, and couples with children represent 60.3% of families. Residential stability is high, with 84.8% remaining at the same address and turnover of 15.2%, a profile more settled than a highly mobile area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and spacious, with 100.0% separate houses and 76.4% containing 4 or more bedrooms. Tenure is weighted toward ownership, with 49.4% owned outright, 46.2% mortgaged and only 3.3% rented. Compared with the rental share, the owner-occupier base is substantially higher, supporting stability but reducing investor stock.
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$601
Census 2021
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$958
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
60.3%
Couples with children
33.6%
Couples, no children
6.3%
Single parent
1,058
Total families
Economy & Employment
Park Orchards combines high household incomes with professional and managerial employment. Healthcare leads local industries at 16.4% and 230 workers, followed by Construction at 16.0% and 225, Professional and Technical services at 14.5% and 204, Education at 11.7% and 164, and Manufacturing at 6.2% and 87. The largest occupations are Professionals with 550 people and Managers with 431, ahead of Clerical and Administrative workers at 278 and Trades at 206. Labour force participation is 66.6%, unemployment is 4.3%, and 1,088 workers are employed full-time compared with 802 part-time. Socioeconomic measures sit in the 9th IEO, 10th IER, 9th IRSD and 9th IRSAD deciles, above the midpoint and consistent with the 98th household-income percentile.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
2,106
Unemployed
90
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.0%
Part-time
39.8%
Participation
66.6%
Employed
2,016
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.7%
Postgraduate
11.0%
Born Overseas
18.5%
Dwellings
1,157
Transport to Work
Park Orchards provides a leafy, low-density setting across 9.48 square kilometres, with density of 404.7 people per square kilometre. Daily travel is strongly car oriented because only 1.2% use public transport compared with 54.2% who drive, although 40.6% work from home and may avoid some commuting. Two local primary schools are available: one government school, Park Orchards Primary School, and one Catholic school, St Anne's School. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address and plan secondary-school access separately. Recorded crime totals 84 incidents, or 21.9 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences account for 48, above the 20 crimes against the person. Socioeconomic disadvantage is below the midpoint, with IRSAD in the 9th decile and IER in the 10th.
Drive
54.2%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.2%
Work from Home
40.6%
Population Forecast
+0.2%/yr
(+33 people/yr)
EstablishedPark Orchards is tracking as an established, slow-growth suburb, with forecast annual growth of 0.2% and population change across the wider area of 5.0% over 10 years. That pace is below a high-growth corridor, partly because the forecast trajectory is labelled Aging: the senior share has increased by 4.5 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 1.6 points and the working-age share has fallen 2.8 points. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, although the local demographic direction remains mature. Gentrification is not currently evident, with a forecast score of 10 and stage of Not gentrifying. Housing affordability was broadly stable at 54.5 in 2011 and 54.6 in 2021, while rents grew 26.7%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+172
Net Internal / yr
-14
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
84
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
21.9
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 Park Orchards compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Park Orchards?
Park Orchards has 2 local primary schools: Park Orchards Primary School in the government sector and St Anne's School in the Catholic sector. Both are primary options, so families should confirm enrolment zones and investigate secondary pathways for the exact address.
Is Park Orchards safe?
Park Orchards recorded 84 offences, equal to 21.9 incidents per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 48, higher than crimes against the person at 20. The low overall crime profile supports a settled residential feel, but normal property-security precautions remain sensible.
Is Park Orchards good for property investment?
Park Orchards may suit investors seeking premium detached housing and stable demand rather than rapid growth. Median rent is $601 per week, vacancy is 4.9%, and annual forecast growth is 0.2%. The 3.3% renting share is low, while 31 development applications in 12 months indicate selective activity.
How is Park Orchards's population changing?
The current population is 3,835, with an aging trajectory across the wider area. Forecast annual growth is 0.2% and 10-year population change is 5.0%, driven primarily by overseas migration. The senior share has risen 4.5 percentage points, while the young share has declined 1.6 points.
What development is occurring in Park Orchards?
There were 31 development applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a three-lot subdivision, vegetation removal and easements, plus verandah, extension and alteration works. This suggests ongoing infill and renovation activity, but the 100% detached-home profile remains dominant.
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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