VIC 3195 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Parkdale

Compared with nearby Mentone and Mordialloc, Parkdale's profile leans toward established family households, with 49.2% of families being couples with children and 38.1% owning their home outright. The suburb has 12,308 residents across 3.57 square kilometres, while its overseas-born share of 22.2% is 0.6 percentage points below the national comparison.

Parkdale urban fabric map

Population

12,308

Median Age

43.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,130/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

84

Median House

$1.6M

October to December 2025

3.57 km²· 3,449.6 people/km²· Family income $2,829/wk

The housing mix creates some choice, with 54.7% separate houses, 35.1% semi-detached homes and 9.8% apartments. Three-bedroom properties account for 41.2% of homes, while 4 or more bedrooms represent 29.1%. Monthly mortgage payments of $2,366 equate to 25.7% of household income, below the level usually associated with severe repayment pressure, because household incomes are relatively high.

For Buyers

The housing mix creates some choice, with 54.7% separate houses, 35.1% semi-detached homes and 9.8% apartments. Three-bedroom properties account for 41.2% of homes, while 4 or more bedrooms represent 29.1%. Monthly mortgage payments of $2,366 equate to 25.7% of household income, below the level usually associated with severe repayment pressure, because household incomes are relatively high.

For Investors

Parkdale has a smaller rental sector than its owner-occupied market, with 22.3% of households renting and weekly rent at $410. The 6.5% vacancy rate gives tenants more choice than a tightly constrained market, while rent takes 19.2% of household income, lower than the 25.7% mortgage burden. Development activity is notable, with 80 applications in 12 months, including several 2-lot subdivision examples. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, supporting ongoing tenant demand.

Development Activity

Total DAs

102

Last 12 Months

84

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+663.6%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Subdivision
36
New Dwelling
23
Other
9
Tree Removal
8
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
7
Renovation / Extension
5
Fencing
2
Swimming Pool / Spa
2

Schools in Parkdale

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Parkdale Primary School

Primary Government

Parktone Primary School

Primary Government

Demographics

Parkdale has a median age of 43, which is 3 years above the national comparison, and its 45.6% university-qualified share is 15.5 percentage points above national levels. The profile is relatively settled: 82.7% of residents stayed at the same address, compared with a 17.3% turnover rate. English ancestry is recorded for 4,871 people, followed by Irish at 1,825 and Scottish at 1,427, while Italian ancestry accounts for 717. No religion is reported by 5,667 residents, narrowly above Christianity at 5,597. Compared with nearby Mentone and Mordialloc, Parkdale's household pattern appears more established, with 49.2% of families being couples with children and an average household size of 2.5.

Age Distribution

0-14
17.9%
15-24
12.1%
25-44
22.6%
45-64
29.4%
65+
18.1%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
5.4%
2 bed
24.3%
3 bed
41.2%
4+ bed
29.1%

Dwelling Structure

54.7%

Houses

35.1%

Townhouse

9.8%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 38.1% Mortgage 38.5% Rent 22.3% Other 1.1%

The latest figure is also the recorded peak, so the peak-to-latest change is 0.0%. Tenure is split between 38.1% owned outright, 38.5% with a mortgage and 22.3% rented. Separate houses make up 54.7% of dwellings, while semi-detached homes account for 35.1%, giving Parkdale a more varied stock profile than a detached-house-only market. Compared with the 2013 trough, today's price level is substantially higher because land values and established suburb demand have compounded over time.

Mortgage / mo

$2,366

Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $410.

$580

Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $750 · units $550

HH Size

2.5

Personal Income / wk

$974

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

6.5%

Unoccupied

330

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

19.2%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

25.7%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Greek
138
Mandarin
82
Italian
67
Russian
60
Arabic
26
Serbian
26

Ancestry

English
4,871
Irish
1,825
Scottish
1,427
Other
1,158
Italian
717
Greek
500

Household Composition

49.2%

Couples with children

35.0%

Couples, no children

14.4%

Single parent

3,413

Total families

Economy & Employment

Parkdale's employment base is concentrated in service industries, led by healthcare at 16.1% of workers, education at 14.1%, professional and technical services at 11.9%, construction at 10.8% and public administration at 7.0%. Occupations reinforce that pattern, with 1,970 professionals, 1,178 managers and 930 clerical and administrative workers. Household income ranks at the 81.3rd percentile nationally, helping explain the suburb's premium housing prices. Labour-force participation is 68.1%, full-time employment is 59.2% and unemployment is 4.0%. Socioeconomic indicators are higher than the middle of the state distribution, with IEO and IER both at decile 8 and IRSD and IRSAD at decile 9, because education, professional employment and income are comparatively strong.

Unemployment

4.0%

Labour Force

6,881

Unemployed

272

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
9
Disadvantage
9
Economic resources
8
Education & occupation
8

Full-time

59.2%

Part-time

34.9%

Participation

68.1%

Employed

6,609

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 1,970
Managers 1,178
Clerical/Admin 930
Trades 740
Community/Personal 610
Sales 608
Labourers 305
Machinery/Drivers 172

Top Industries

Healthcare 16.1%
Education 14.1%
Professional/Tech 11.9%
Construction 10.8%
Public Admin 7.0%

University

45.6%

Postgraduate

12.0%

Born Overseas

22.2%

Dwellings

4,742

Transport to Work

Parkdale supports a settled residential lifestyle, with 2 nearby government primary schools: Parkdale Primary School and Parktone Primary School. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address, since boundaries can affect access. Daily travel is more car-oriented than public-transport oriented, with 50.5% driving to work, 2.5% using public transport and 3.0% walking or cycling; working from home is comparatively common at 40.9%. Recorded crime totals 549 incidents, or 44.6 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 356, higher than crimes against the person at 100. Socioeconomic advantage ranks highly, with IRSAD at decile 9 and IEO at decile 8, while volunteering reaches 15.8%.

Drive

50.5%

Public Transport

2.5%

Walk / Cycle

3.0%

Work from Home

40.9%

Population Forecast

+0.93%/yr

(+208 people/yr)

Established

Parkdale is forecast to follow an established growth pattern, with annual trend growth of 0.93% driven primarily by overseas migration. Population change across the wider area is 13.2% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed. Rent growth of 33.3% is higher than that population change, indicating that housing demand has strengthened faster than the resident base. The forecast gentrification score is 15 with a stage of Not gentrifying, although a separate shift measure records a score of 36 and Early signs. Together, these signals point to gradual renewal rather than wholesale change, with 80 development applications in 12 months adding pressure for selective subdivision and infill.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+343

Net Internal / yr

-118

15

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Population +15% since 2011, Net internal outflow -118/yr, Strong overseas inflow +343/yr

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

549

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

44.6

Offence Categories

Property and deception offences
356
Crimes against the person
100
Justice procedures offences
41
Drug offences
30

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Parkdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 3%
Household Income
Top 19%
Rent Level
Top 14%
Apartments
Top 8%
Renters
Top 33%
Uni Educated
Top 12%
Public Transport
Bottom 49%
Born Overseas
Top 25%
Density
Top 2%

Frequently Asked Questions

What schools are in Parkdale?

Parkdale has 2 nearby government primary schools: Parkdale Primary School and Parktone Primary School. School access depends on the exact address and enrolment zone, so families should confirm catchment details before purchasing or renting. Secondary school options may be located outside the suburb.

Is Parkdale safe?

Parkdale recorded 549 incidents at a rate of 44.6 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 356 incidents, while crimes against the person totalled 100. These figures provide a suburb-wide guide, but buyers and renters should also review the specific street, property type and recent local conditions.

How is Parkdale's population changing?

Parkdale has 12,308 residents today and an annual growth trend of 0.93%, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is forecast at 13.2% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed, while the median age of 43 and a 2.2 percentage-point rise in the senior share point to gradual ageing.

What development is occurring in Parkdale?

Parkdale recorded 80 development applications over 12 months. Recent examples include 2-lot subdivision proposals and tree-removal permits. This suggests ongoing small-scale infill rather than a single large project, with redevelopment likely to focus on established residential blocks and replacement or additional dwellings.

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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