VIC 3660 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Seymour

A $407,500 median house price sits 15.1% below the suburb's late-2023 peak of $480,000, and that correction tells most of Seymour's story. Household income lands in just the 22.6th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 1 on three of four SEIFA indexes (IRSAD, IRSD and IEO), the lowest advantage tier in the country. The median age of 45 runs 5.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.5 points over the decade. Stock is overwhelmingly detached at 90.4% of dwellings, and university qualifications reach only 17.4%, which is 12.7 points below national. Despite that, prices are up 85.2% over 14 years, a 4.5% annual compounding rate.

Seymour urban fabric map

Population

6,569

Median Age

45.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,165/wk

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

2

Median House

$408K

Apr-Jun 2024

79.31 km²· 82.8 people/km²· Family income $1,483/wk

At $407,500 the median house is well below Victoria's metro markets, and the recent path has favoured buyers: prices fell from $480,000 in late 2023 to $450,000 then $407,500 by mid-2024, a 15.1% drop from peak. The stock suits family buyers because 90.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.1% are apartments, so a detached home is the default purchase rather than a scarce premium. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 55.8% and four-plus-bedroom at 23.1%, leaving smaller dwellings rare. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, so ownership stays affordable even on incomes in the 22.6th percentile. Outright owners at 38.2% outnumber mortgage holders at 28.1%, a sign of an established, debt-light owner base.

For Buyers

At $407,500 the median house is well below Victoria's metro markets, and the recent path has favoured buyers: prices fell from $480,000 in late 2023 to $450,000 then $407,500 by mid-2024, a 15.1% drop from peak. The stock suits family buyers because 90.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.1% are apartments, so a detached home is the default purchase rather than a scarce premium. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 55.8% and four-plus-bedroom at 23.1%, leaving smaller dwellings rare. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, so ownership stays affordable even on incomes in the 22.6th percentile. Outright owners at 38.2% outnumber mortgage holders at 28.1%, a sign of an established, debt-light owner base.

For Investors

Weekly rent of $250 against the $407,500 median implies a gross yield near 3.2%, higher than most metro Melbourne markets where sub-2% is common. A 33.6% renter share gives landlords a reasonable tenant pool, but the 8.2% vacancy rate is elevated and signals that supply runs ahead of demand. Rent has grown 55.3% over the decade, the strongest single tailwind here, while net overseas migration of 62 a year and net internal migration of 46 keep demand balanced rather than booming. Development is minimal at just 2 applications in 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term threat to existing landlords. The case rests on yield and affordability rather than capital growth, since annual population growth sits at only 0.23%.

Development Activity

Total DAs

16

Last 12 Months

2

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

-60.0%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Other
6
Subdivision
1

Schools in Seymour iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

St Mary's College

ICSEA 1015 Combined Catholic

Prep-12 · 600 students

Seymour College

ICSEA 933 Combined Government

U, Prep-12 · 730 students

Demographics

The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, and the profile is aging: the senior share rose 5.5 points while the young share fell 2.7 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach only 12.4%, which is 9.2 points below national, so the population is markedly more Anglo than most. Ancestry confirms this, led by English (2,536), Irish (793) and Scottish (723), and the largest non-English languages are Mandarin (87), Punjabi (11) and Italian (11). University qualifications at 17.4% run 12.7 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and service roles. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, and couples without children make up 30.4% of families, slightly ahead of couples with children at the same broad level.

Age Distribution

0-14
15.1%
15-24
12.0%
25-44
22.2%
45-64
26.7%
65+
24.0%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
4.4%
2 bed
16.7%
3 bed
55.8%
4+ bed
23.1%

Dwelling Structure

90.4%

Houses

9.0%

Townhouse

0.1%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 38.2% Mortgage 28.1% Rent 33.6%

Tenure splits across three groups: 38.2% own outright, 28.1% carry a mortgage and 33.6% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-light ownership rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 90.4% separate houses with apartments at just 0.1% and semi-detached at 9.0%, so density is very low at 82.8 people per square kilometre across the 79.31 square kilometre boundary. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 55.8% and four-plus-bedroom 23.1%, a family-house pattern. The median price rose from $220,000 in 2013 to $407,500 by mid-2024, an 85.2% gain, though it sits 15.1% below the $480,000 peak. Mortgage-to-income at 25.8% and rent-to-income at 21.5% both stay below stress thresholds, which keeps housing affordable relative to most Victorian markets.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$1,300

Rent / wk

$250

HH Size

2.2

Personal Income / wk

$633

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

8.2%

Unoccupied

237

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

21.5%

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

25.8%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin
87
Oth
16
Punjabi
11
Italian
11

Ancestry

English
2,536
Irish
793
Scottish
723
Ancestry NS
582
German
309
Other
307

Household Composition

30.4%

Couples, no children

4,567

Total families

Economy & Employment

The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 18.2% (284 workers), Public Administration follows at 11.9% (185) and Construction at 11.7% (183), with Education at 8.9% and Retail at 8.6%. By occupation, Labourers (463) and Community and Personal Service workers (408) outnumber Professionals (311) and Managers (305), which explains why the IEO education-and-occupation index sits at decile 1. Unemployment is 6.5%, above the national rate, and the participation rate is low at 47.3% because 2,250 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age profile. Real incomes grew 11.6% over the decade. All four SEIFA indexes are in the bottom two deciles, decile 1 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO and decile 2 on IER, marking Seymour as a low-advantage economy.

Unemployment

12.2%

Labour Force

3,182

Unemployed

387

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

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

Overall advantage
1
Disadvantage
1
Economic resources
2
Education & occupation
1

Full-time

60.1%

Part-time

33.4%

Participation

47.3%

Employed

2,464

Occupations

Labourers 463
Community/Personal 408
Professionals 311
Managers 305
Clerical/Admin 302
Sales 261
Machinery/Drivers 186

Top Industries

Healthcare 18.2%
Public Admin 11.9%
Construction 11.7%
Education 8.9%
Retail 8.6%

University

17.4%

Postgraduate

3.3%

Born Overseas

12.4%

Dwellings

2,661

Transport to Work

Transport leans heavily on cars: 83.9% drive to work while only 0.9% use public transport and 7.4% walk or cycle, well below the national reliance on alternatives, a function of the very low 82.8 people per square kilometre density. No schools are recorded inside the 79.31 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions elsewhere in the area. The clearest livability concern is safety: the crime rate of 216.5 per 1,000 residents is high, driven by 566 property and deception offences and 370 justice procedures offences out of 1,422 total. The suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the lowest tier, and 10.0% of residents (603 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-advantage profile. Volunteering runs at 15.1%.

Drive

83.9%

Public Transport

0.9%

Walk / Cycle

7.4%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

+0.23%/yr

(+16 people/yr)

Established

Seymour grows slowly: annual population growth registers 0.23%, roughly 16 people a year, and the 10-year change is just 3.2%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. The historical run shows 6,637 residents in 2023 rising to 6,911 in 2025, and medium forecasts hold the population near 6,802 by 2031, so little expansion is expected. Migration is balanced, with net overseas inflow of 62 a year and net internal inflow of 46 doing the lifting since natural growth is thin under an aging profile. Affordability has worsened from 34.9% in 2011 to 39.5% in 2021 even as prices stayed low, because incomes here are in the 22.6th percentile. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with a market already at decile 1 advantage.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Balanced

Net Overseas / yr

+62

Net Internal / yr

+46

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

1,422

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

216.5

Offence Categories

Property and deception offences
566
Justice procedures offences
370
Crimes against the person
258
Drug offences
116

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

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

How Seymour compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 8%
Household Income
Bottom 23%
Rent Level
Bottom 44%
Apartments
Bottom 0%
Renters
Top 23%
Uni Educated
Bottom 27%
Public Transport
Bottom 13%
Born Overseas
Bottom 42%
Density
Top 27%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Seymour a good suburb to live in?

Seymour offers affordability, with a median house price of $407,500 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%, below the stress threshold. The main trade-offs are a high crime rate of 216.5 per 1,000 residents and a decile 1 ranking on three of four SEIFA indexes, the lowest advantage tier nationally.

What is the median house price in Seymour?

The median house price is $407,500 as of mid-2024, down 15.1% from the $480,000 peak in late 2023. Over 14 years prices rose 85.2% from $220,000, a 4.5% annual rate. Weekly rent averages $250, giving a gross yield near 3.2%.

What schools are in Seymour?

No schools are recorded inside the 79.31 square kilometre Seymour boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools elsewhere in the area. University qualifications among residents reach 17.4%, which is 12.7 points below the national figure, reflecting a trade-weighted workforce.

Is Seymour safe?

Seymour has an elevated crime rate of 216.5 per 1,000 residents, with 1,422 total offences. The largest categories are property and deception offences at 566 and justice procedures offences at 370. The suburb also scores decile 1 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the lowest tier.

Is Seymour good for property investment?

Rent of $250 a week against the $407,500 median gives a gross yield near 3.2%, above most metro Melbourne markets. Rent grew 55.3% over the decade, but the 8.2% vacancy rate is elevated and annual population growth of 0.23% means returns depend on yield rather than capital growth.

How is Seymour's population changing?

Population growth is 0.23% annually, about 16 people a year, with a 3.2% rise over 10 years. Residents grew from 6,637 in 2023 to 6,911 in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.5 points and the young share down 2.7 points over the decade.

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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