Somerville
A 127.3% rise in house prices since 2013 sits alongside a population of 11,767 and a strongly detached housing base, with 82.4% of dwellings being separate houses. Somerville has a median age of 40, matching the national comparison, while household income sits at the 62.8th percentile. The suburb is mortgage-led, with 48.1% of homes under mortgage and 16.2% rented. For buyers weighing Somerville against nearby Tyabb, the practical distinction is Somerville's combination of established schools, healthcare and construction employment, and a broad family-home market. Growth is slow rather than stalled, at 0.39% annually, with an aging trajectory.
Population
11,767
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,781/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$875K
October to December 2025
Somerville suits buyers seeking a conventional family-house format because 82.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 46.8% have three bedrooms, while another 38.7% have four or more. A monthly mortgage estimate of $1,800 equates to 23.3% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. Compared with a unit-heavy market, the 0.2% apartment share points to limited apartment choice, while the 17.2% semi-detached share adds some middle-density stock.
For Buyers
Somerville suits buyers seeking a conventional family-house format because 82.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 46.8% have three bedrooms, while another 38.7% have four or more. A monthly mortgage estimate of $1,800 equates to 23.3% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. Compared with a unit-heavy market, the 0.2% apartment share points to limited apartment choice, while the 17.2% semi-detached share adds some middle-density stock.
For Investors
Somerville's investment case is shaped by owner occupation rather than a deep rental pool: 16.2% of homes are rented, compared with 80.8% owned outright or with a mortgage. Weekly rent is $380 and vacancy is 4.6%, giving investors a measurable leasing base, although tenant demand may be narrower than in a higher-renting suburb. Rent growth is 38.2%, which supports attention to income performance, while 8 development applications in 12 months signal some ongoing supply activity. Annual growth is 0.39%, so the case is steadier than a high-growth strategy. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, but the gentrification stage is Not gentrifying with a score of 0, supporting disciplined pricing and conservative yield assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+20.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Somerville
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Somerville Primary School
Somerville Rise Primary School
St Brendan's School
Somerville Secondary College
Demographics
Somerville's population is 11,767, with a median age of 40, exactly in line with the national comparison. The university-qualified share is 22.1%, 8.0 percentage points below the national figure, and 15.7% of residents were born overseas, 5.9 points below the national comparison. Average household size is 2.6, or 0.1 above the national reference, consistent with a family-oriented mix: 45.5% of families are couples with children and 37.4% are couples without children. English ancestry is recorded for 5,619 people, ahead of Scottish at 1,335 and Irish at 1,208. The aging trajectory is reinforced by a 6.5-point rise in senior share and a 2.6-point fall in young share, while no religion, at 6,276, is more common than Christianity at 4,636.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.4%
Houses
17.2%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-led: 48.1% of homes are mortgaged, 32.7% owned outright and 16.2% rented. Separate houses account for 82.4%, compared with 17.2% semi-detached homes and 0.2% apartments. Three-bedroom homes lead at 46.8%, followed by four-plus at 38.7%, while mortgage costs equal 23.3% of household income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,800
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$809
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
208
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.5%
Couples with children
37.4%
Couples, no children
15.8%
Single parent
3,324
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Somerville's largest industry at 18.7% of workers, followed by construction at 17.1%, education at 12.7%, manufacturing at 8.4% and retail at 6.4%. That mix helps explain the suburb's practical employment base, with trades the largest occupation group at 1,177, followed by professionals at 1,012, clerical and administration at 802, community and personal services at 762, and managers at 678. Unemployment is 2.4% and labour-force participation is 64.6%, while full-time employment is 57.1%. Household income ranks at the 62.8th percentile, above the midpoint. SEIFA results are mixed: IRSD is in decile 7 and IER in decile 8, versus IEO decile 5 and IRSAD decile 6, suggesting stronger economic resources than education or occupation scores alone might imply.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
6,196
Unemployed
148
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.1%
Part-time
35.5%
Participation
64.6%
Employed
6,048
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.1%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
15.7%
Dwellings
4,313
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car dependent: 74.1% travel as car drivers, compared with 0.5% using public transport and 1.8% walking or cycling; 19.6% work from home. Education access includes 4 local schools, with 3 government schools and 1 Catholic school, spanning 3 primary campuses and 1 secondary college. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because they can cross suburb boundaries. Recorded crime totals 772 incidents, or 65.6 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences account for 479, followed by justice procedures at 167 and crimes against the person at 87. The 479 property offences are higher than the 87 crimes against the person, so the category mix matters as much as the headline rate. IRSAD sits in decile 6 while IRSD reaches decile 7, above the middle decile on the latter measure. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, Somerville's 74.1% car-driver share makes parking and road access more important.
Drive
74.1%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
19.6%
Population Forecast
+0.39%/yr
(+75 people/yr)
EstablishedSomerville is forecast to grow at 0.39% a year, a gradual pace consistent with an established suburb rather than a rapid expansion corridor. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 6.1% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share rises 6.5 percentage points, young share falls 2.6 points and the working share falls 1.6 points. Affordability is effectively stable, moving from 48.0 in 2011 to 47.7 in 2021, even as rents grew 38.2%. The current gentrification stage is Not gentrifying with a score of 0, while the shift profile records Early signs and a score of 33. That combination points to incremental change rather than a sharp demographic reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+78
Net Internal / yr
-44
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
772
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
65.6
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 Somerville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Somerville a good suburb to live in?
Yes, it suits households wanting established services and detached homes. Separate houses make up 82.4%, the median age is 40, and 74.1% travel by car, so it is better suited to family and car-oriented routines than a highly apartment-based, transit-led suburb.
What schools are in Somerville?
Somerville has 4 local schools: 3 government schools covering primary and secondary education, plus 1 Catholic primary school. The government options include 2 primary schools and 1 secondary college, so families should verify the enrolment zone for the exact address.
Is Somerville safe?
Recorded crime was 772 incidents, equal to 65.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category at 479, followed by 167 justice procedures offences and 87 crimes against the person. The 479 property offences are higher than the 87 personal offences, so recent street-level conditions should also be checked.
Is Somerville good for property investment?
It can suit a cautious, income-focused investor, but the rental pool is smaller than in a high-renting suburb: 16.2% of homes are rented. Weekly rent is $380, vacancy is 4.6%, and rents have grown 38.2%, while annual growth is 0.39%, so yield, tenant demand and purchase price need to be tested together.
How is Somerville's population changing?
Somerville has 11,767 residents today, and its wider-area growth profile is gradual rather than rapid. Forecast annual growth is 0.39%, population change across 10 years is 6.1%, and the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.5 points and the young share down 2.6 points.
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.
Explore Somerville on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map