Ringwood
At 19,144 residents, Ringwood combines a median age of 38 with a highly educated, internationally connected population. University attainment is 45.8%, or 15.7 percentage points above the national comparison, while 36.9% of residents were born overseas, 15.3 points above national levels. For buyers comparing Ringwood with nearby Croydon or Mitcham, its strongest distinction is the combination of established housing, employment access and substantial cultural change. Healthcare, professional services and education are prominent because the suburb functions as a mature eastern metropolitan centre.
Population
19,144
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,654/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$1.0M
October to December 2025
The stock is family-oriented because 76.1% of dwellings are separate houses, with 38.6% containing 3 bedrooms and 21.2% containing 4 or more. A typical mortgage indicator of $2,000 per month and mortgage repayments equal to 27.9% of income point to manageable but material costs. Compared with apartment-led areas, Ringwood provides more land-based housing, but buyers should assess renovation needs, school zones and transport distance property by property.
For Buyers
The stock is family-oriented because 76.1% of dwellings are separate houses, with 38.6% containing 3 bedrooms and 21.2% containing 4 or more. A typical mortgage indicator of $2,000 per month and mortgage repayments equal to 27.9% of income point to manageable but material costs. Compared with apartment-led areas, Ringwood provides more land-based housing, but buyers should assess renovation needs, school zones and transport distance property by property.
For Investors
Ringwood has a sizeable rental base, with 40.0% of households renting and weekly rent at $381. The 9.7% vacancy rate gives renters more choice than a tightly supplied market, so investors should allow for leasing competition rather than assume uninterrupted rent growth. A pipeline of 21 planning applications over 12 months indicates active development activity, although the available applications do not establish a completed dwelling total. Demand has support from a 1.05% annual growth trend and overseas migration as the primary forecast driver. The established housing base can reduce development risk because 76.1% of homes are separate houses, while the 13.1% apartment share provides a smaller, more concentrated investment segment.
Development Activity
Total DAs
47
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+166.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ringwood
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Yarra Valley Grammar
Kalinda Primary School
Mullum Primary School
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Aquinas College
Demographics
Ringwood's median age of 38 is 2 years below the national comparison, while university attainment reaches 45.8%, 15.7 percentage points above national levels. Overseas-born residents account for 36.9%, also 15.3 points above the national figure, helping explain the presence of Mandarin speakers numbering 760 and Cantonese speakers numbering 283. English is the largest reported ancestry at 5,620 people, followed by Chinese at 2,853, Irish at 1,780 and Scottish at 1,644. Household size averages 2.4 people, 0.1 below the national comparison, with couples with children forming 43.7% of families and couples without children 38.4%. Compared with older, lower-mobility districts, Ringwood's 25.0% turnover rate and 75.0% stayed rate suggest both continuity and ongoing overseas migration.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.1%
Houses
10.8%
Townhouse
13.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 76.1% of dwellings, higher than the 13.1% apartment share and the 10.8% semi-detached share. Three-bedroom homes make up 38.6%, while 4-bedroom-plus homes represent 21.2%, supporting established family demand. Tenure is split between 26.6% owned outright, 32.1% with a mortgage and 40.0% rented. Renting is higher than outright ownership because Ringwood contains a substantial investment and apartment market alongside its detached stock.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $381.
$560
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $600 · units $520
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$820
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
817
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.7%
Couples with children
38.4%
Couples, no children
16.3%
Single parent
5,078
Total families
Economy & Employment
Ringwood's employment base is led by healthcare at 17.6% or 1,256 workers, followed by professional and technical services at 12.0% or 855, education at 11.8% or 842, construction at 8.8% or 626 and retail at 7.8% or 554. Professionals number 2,758, with clerical and administrative workers at 1,289 and managers at 1,267. The labour force totals 10,158, participation is 63.9% and unemployment is 4.5%, giving the suburb a broad employment base because several service industries operate alongside construction and retail. University attainment is 45.8%, above the national comparison, while SEIFA results are uneven: IEO is in decile 8, IER in decile 4, IRSD in decile 6 and IRSAD in decile 7. This gap indicates stronger educational advantage than economic resources, reflected in a household income percentile of 57.2.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
10,158
Unemployed
459
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.2%
Part-time
32.7%
Participation
63.9%
Employed
9,699
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.8%
Postgraduate
14.0%
Born Overseas
36.9%
Dwellings
7,592
Transport to Work
Ringwood provides practical access to 7 nearby schools across 3 sectors: government, Catholic and independent, with primary, secondary and combined primary-secondary options. Enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb lines. Daily travel is more car-oriented than public transport use, with 54.3% driving to work compared with 4.4% using public transport, while 35.4% work from home. Safety requires attention: the recorded crime rate is 178.5 offences per 1,000 residents, with 3,417 total offences and property and deception offences accounting for 1,680. These conditions matter because a busy established centre can increase movement and property exposure. IRSAD sits in decile 7, volunteering is 14.5% and assistance needs affect 6.8% of residents, giving livability a generally advantaged but not uniform social picture.
Drive
54.3%
Public Transport
4.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
35.4%
Population Forecast
+1.05%/yr
(+208 people/yr)
EstablishedRingwood has an established but positive outlook, with forecast growth running at 1.05% annually and overseas migration identified as the primary driver. The wider area's population change is 16.9% over 10 years, above a flat trajectory, while the forecast shift is labelled Stable. Gentrification indicators are mixed: the gentrification score is 16 with a stage of Not gentrifying, while the separate shift measure records a score of 34 and Early signs. This suggests gradual change rather than a rapid reinvention, because established housing and services remain central to the suburb. Rents have grown 35.6%, real incomes 16.0% and the affordability trend is labelled Improving, with affordability recorded at 48.8 in 2011 and 46.4 in 2021. Overseas migration is therefore more important to future momentum than speculative redevelopment.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+374
Net Internal / yr
-200
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +19% since 2011, Net internal outflow -200/yr, Strong overseas inflow +374/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
3,417
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
178.5
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 Ringwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Ringwood?
Ringwood has 7 nearby schools spanning 3 sectors: government, Catholic and independent. The mix includes primary, secondary and combined primary-secondary settings, including Ringwood Secondary College, Norwood Secondary College, Kalinda Primary School and Yarra Valley Grammar. Check the exact enrolment zone before committing to an address.
Is Ringwood safe?
Safety is a consideration rather than a simple yes or no. Ringwood recorded 3,417 offences, equal to 178.5 per 1,000 residents, with 1,680 property and deception offences and 425 crimes against the person. Residents and investors should compare the exact street, property security and local conditions before deciding.
How is Ringwood's population changing?
Ringwood has 19,144 residents today. Forecast growth runs at 1.05% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver, and the wider area's population change is 16.9% over 10 years. The trajectory is labelled Stable, while gentrification is assessed as Not gentrifying with a score of 16.
What languages are spoken in Ringwood?
Overseas-born residents account for 36.9% of Ringwood's population, which is 15.3 percentage points above the national comparison. Mandarin is reported for 760 people, Cantonese for 283, Persian for 131, Hindi for 115 and Sinhalese for 93, so language access may matter when choosing services and schools.
Is Ringwood experiencing much development?
Ringwood recorded 21 planning applications over the latest 12-month period. The activity indicates an active planning pipeline, but application numbers do not confirm completed dwellings or final project scale. Buyers and investors should review each permit, its timing and its relationship to nearby homes, roads and services before relying on future development.
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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