Seaford
At 17,215 residents on 12.4 sq km, Seaford is a house-heavy bayside suburb with a median age of 40 and a middle-income profile. Unlike the larger Frankston centre or smaller Carrum, Seaford is defined by detached housing at 73.7% compared with apartments at only 2.5%. The median house price is $850,000, while household income sits at the 47th percentile, slightly below the national middle. The main caution is safety: recorded crime is 148.1 per 1,000, a higher risk signal than the suburb's otherwise stable family and owner-occupier base suggests.
Population
17,215
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,500/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
56
Median House
$850K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $850,000 median house price buys into a suburb where separate houses still dominate at 73.7%, compared with just 2.5% apartments and 23.2% semi-detached homes. Prices are 4.8% below the 2022 peak of $880,000, so buyers are not entering at the top of the cycle, yet the latest price remains 99.6% above the 2013 level. Mortgage costs average $1,850 per month and mortgage-to-income is 28.5%, not flagged as stress, which matters because the local household income percentile is 47 rather than affluent.
For Buyers
The $850,000 median house price buys into a suburb where separate houses still dominate at 73.7%, compared with just 2.5% apartments and 23.2% semi-detached homes. Prices are 4.8% below the 2022 peak of $880,000, so buyers are not entering at the top of the cycle, yet the latest price remains 99.6% above the 2013 level. Mortgage costs average $1,850 per month and mortgage-to-income is 28.5%, not flagged as stress, which matters because the local household income percentile is 47 rather than affluent.
For Investors
Seaford has a meaningful rental pool, with 34.4% renting compared with 28.7% owned outright and 36.9% under mortgage. Weekly rent is $351, and rent growth in the long-run shift measure is 39.8%, supporting income momentum. The caution is vacancy at 7.7%, which is high enough to make tenant selection and pricing important. Development activity is also visible, with 36 applications in 12 months, so investors should compare older houses, townhouses and new supply before assuming easy scarcity-driven gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
103
Last 12 Months
56
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+93.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Seaford iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Seaford North Primary School
Prep-6 · 444 students
St Anne's School
Prep-6 · 186 students
Seaford Primary School
Prep-6 · 230 students
Patterson River Secondary College
7-12 · 1268 students
Kananook Primary School
Prep-6 · 190 students
Demographics
Seaford's median age is 40, exactly in line with the national comparison, while university attainment is 28.1%, 2.0 percentage points below the national level. Overseas-born residents make up 21.1%, only 0.5 points below national, but ancestry remains strongly English, Irish and Scottish with counts of 7,040, 2,208 and 1,955. Average household size is 2.3, 0.2 below national, which helps explain the strong presence of 2 and 3 bedroom homes rather than very large family dwellings.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
73.7%
Houses
23.2%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the clearest part of Seaford's identity. Across 13 recorded quarters, the median moved from $419,500 in 2013 to $837,500 in 2024, a 99.6% lift and 5.9% CAGR over 12 years. The latest figure sits below the $880,000 peak from 2022 by 4.8%, giving buyers more room than at the top. Tenure is mixed, with 28.7% owned outright, 36.9% mortgaged and 34.4% renting. Bedrooms skew practical: 53.7% are 3 bedroom homes, compared with 18.3% at 4 plus bedrooms and 23.1% at 2 bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,850
Rent / wk
$351
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$809
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
598
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
12,821
Total families
Economy & Employment
Seaford's workforce leans toward essential and trade-linked sectors. Healthcare is largest at 18.0% or 1,016 workers, followed by construction at 14.8%, education at 12.9%, manufacturing at 7.5% and professional/tech also at 7.5%. Professionals are the top occupation group at 1,697, ahead of clerical/admin at 1,056 and managers at 997. SEIFA is middle-ranked overall: IEO decile 6 is higher than IER decile 4, while IRSD and IRSAD both sit at decile 5, suggesting education indicators are a little stronger than economic resources.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
9,900
Unemployed
554
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.9%
Part-time
28.7%
Participation
56.9%
Employed
7,639
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.1%
Postgraduate
6.0%
Born Overseas
21.1%
Dwellings
7,186
Transport to Work
Seaford is car-oriented, with 89.8% driving to work compared with 3.3% using public transport and 2.3% walking or cycling. Education access is solid for families: there are 7 local schools with ICSEA values from 1004 to 1070, led by Seaford North Primary School and St Anne's School at 1070, plus Patterson River Secondary College with 1,268 students. Livability is moderated by safety, with 2,550 recorded offences and a crime rate of 148.1 per 1,000, while IRSAD decile 5 points to average socio-economic advantage.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.55%/yr
(+101 people/yr)
EstablishedSeaford is on a modest growth path rather than a boom cycle. The annual trend is 0.55%, equal to about 101 additional residents per year, and the medium projection reaches 18,634 people by 2031 compared with 18,127 in 2026. Migration is the key driver: overseas migration averages +140 people annually, compared with internal migration at -40. The gentrification score is 3 and the stage is 'Not gentrifying', even though the longer shift records 7.3% population growth over 10 years and 39.8% rent growth.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+140
Net Internal / yr
-40
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,550
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
148.1
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 Seaford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seaford a good suburb to live in?
Seaford suits buyers wanting a house-led bayside area, with 73.7% separate houses, 7 local schools and a median age of 40. The main trade-off is safety, with crime recorded at 148.1 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Seaford?
The median house price in Seaford is $850,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. The broader price series shows $837,500 in 2024, which is 4.8% below the $880,000 peak reached in 2022.
What schools are in Seaford?
Seaford has 7 local schools, with ICSEA values from 1004 to 1070. Key options include Seaford North Primary School, St Anne's School and Patterson River Secondary College, which has 1,268 students.
Is Seaford safe?
Seaford records 2,550 offences, equal to 148.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 1,337, so safety should be assessed street by street.
Is Seaford good for property investment?
Seaford has investment appeal through a 34.4% renter share, $351 weekly rent and 39.8% rent growth in the long-run shift measure. Vacancy is 7.7%, so holding costs and tenant demand need close checking.
How is Seaford's population changing?
Seaford is growing slowly, with an annual trend of 0.55% or about 101 people. The medium projection rises from 18,127 in 2026 to 18,634 in 2031, led by +140 overseas migration versus -40 internal migration.
What development is happening in Seaford?
Seaford recorded 36 development applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a domestic swimming pool and outbuilding, tree removal and promotional signage, pointing to steady small-scale renewal.
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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