Spotswood
The 2,820-resident suburb packs 891.5 people into each square kilometre and records household income at the 91.8th percentile, well above the national midpoint. Its median age is 37, three years below national, while 51.9% hold university qualifications. Compared with nearby Yarraville and Newport, the housing profile is compact and established, with 65.7% separate houses and 30.8% semi-detached homes. The price correction supports careful negotiation, but the 112.8 crime rate warrants close attention.
Local council: Hobsons Bay
Population
2,820
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,460/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
23
Median House
$1.0M
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
The typical mortgage cost is $2,300 per month and mortgage payments represent 21.6% of household income. Housing is mainly three bedroom stock at 49.4%, followed by four or more bedrooms at 22.6%. Separate houses account for 65.7% and semi-detached homes 30.8%, while apartments represent only 2.9%. Compared with a detached-house-only market, the mixed dwelling profile creates more entry points, but buyers should inspect renovation, traffic and industrial amenity risks at each address.
For Buyers
The typical mortgage cost is $2,300 per month and mortgage payments represent 21.6% of household income. Housing is mainly three bedroom stock at 49.4%, followed by four or more bedrooms at 22.6%. Separate houses account for 65.7% and semi-detached homes 30.8%, while apartments represent only 2.9%. Compared with a detached-house-only market, the mixed dwelling profile creates more entry points, but buyers should inspect renovation, traffic and industrial amenity risks at each address.
For Investors
Spotswood's rental case rests on a $456 weekly median rent, 32.6% renting households and a 9.6% vacancy rate. That vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market would normally imply, so tenant choice may be stronger and rent increases less predictable than the suburb's location suggests. Twenty one development applications in 12 months, including a 6 lot staged subdivision and a 2 lot subdivision, could add competing stock. Compared with buying at the peak, current pricing may improve entry conditions, but investors should allow for vacancy, maintenance and new supply rather than assume a rapid recovery.
Development Activity
Total DAs
32
Last 12 Months
23
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+283.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$772K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Spotswood
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Spotswood Primary School
St Margaret Mary's School
Demographics
Spotswood has a median age of 37, which is 3 years below the national figure, and a university qualification rate of 51.9%, 21.8 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 23.9%, only 2.3 points above the national rate, so the profile is more graduate-heavy than migrant-led. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, while 75.4% stayed at the same address over the reference period. English ancestry is recorded for 868 people, followed by Irish at 370, Scottish at 263 and Italian at 234. No religion is the largest reported category at 1,335 people, compared with 1,116 identifying with Christianity. This mix helps explain demand for smaller established homes and professional services.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
65.7%
Houses
30.8%
Townhouse
2.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Spotswood's housing market has moved unevenly across 20 quarters. Ownership is split between 27.3% outright owners, 39.0% mortgage holders and 32.6% renters. Separate houses make up 65.7%, semi-detached dwellings 30.8% and apartments 2.9%, with three bedroom homes the largest group at 49.4%. Compared with the peak, today's lower median may improve entry conditions, but the mixed stock means buyers should compare land, renovation and body corporate costs rather than rely on one median.
Mortgage / mo
$2,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $456.
$620
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $700 · units $575
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,229
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.6%
Unoccupied
113
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.2%
Couples with children
36.3%
Couples, no children
13.0%
Single parent
775
Total families
Economy & Employment
Spotswood has a high-income, professionally weighted labour market. Household income sits at the 91.8th percentile, while 73.5% participate in the labour force and unemployment is 4.4%. Professionals number 520 and managers 307, ahead of clerical and administrative workers at 194 and trades at 154. Employment is concentrated in healthcare at 14.6% or 176 workers, professional and technical services at 13.8% or 167, education at 11.6% or 140, public administration at 10.0% or 120, and construction at 9.7% or 117. Full-time work accounts for 65.8% of employed residents, with 47.2% working from home.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
1,639
Unemployed
72
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.8%
Part-time
26.8%
Participation
73.5%
Employed
1,567
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.9%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
23.9%
Dwellings
1,051
Transport to Work
Daily life in Spotswood is shaped by compact urban housing and a strong work-from-home pattern. Public transport accounts for 3.9% of commuting, compared with 43.6% driving and 47.2% working from home; walking or cycling is 2.6%. Families have 2 nearby primary schools, one government and one Catholic, but should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Recorded crime is 112.8 offences per 1,000 people, with 318 total incidents, including 232 property and deception offences and 37 crimes against the person. Property offences are higher than crimes against the person, making security, lighting and parking practical considerations. The 37 median age and 2.6 average household size support a settled profile that is younger than national.
Drive
43.6%
Public Transport
3.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
47.2%
Growth Outlook
Spotswood's growth story is incremental rather than a simple straight line. The suburb has 2,820 residents across 3.16 square kilometres, producing a density of 891.5 people per square kilometre. Twenty one development applications in 12 months include a 6 lot staged subdivision and a 2 lot subdivision, pointing to ongoing infill rather than a large greenfield release. That pattern supports measured, address-specific expectations, particularly around redevelopment, traffic and transport access.
Population trend: Hobsons Bay council area
Spotswood sits in the Hobsons Bay council area. These are the council area's residents, not Spotswood's.
Residents 2025
97,031
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
318
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
112.8
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 Spotswood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Spotswood?
Spotswood has 2 listed primary schools: Spotswood Primary School, a government school, and St Margaret Mary's School, a Catholic school. Enrolment zones can differ by address, so families should confirm eligibility, year-level places and transport before committing to a property.
Is Spotswood safe?
The recorded crime rate is 112.8 offences per 1,000 people, with 318 incidents. Property and deception offences account for 232, compared with 37 crimes against the person. Inspect the immediate street, parking and route home at different times because suburb-wide figures do not describe every block.
How is Spotswood's population changing?
Spotswood has 2,820 residents today and a 37 median age. Residential mobility is moderate, with 75.4% staying at the same address and 24.6% moving during the reference period. New subdivisions and infill may gradually change the housing mix, while 21 recent development applications point to incremental rather than sudden change.
What development is happening in Spotswood?
There were 21 development applications in the past 12 months. Examples include a 2 lot subdivision, a 6 staged lot subdivision linked to a build-to-rent project, and business identification signs. These applications suggest continued infill and activity, but buyers should check the exact permit, construction timing and likely effects on outlook, parking and noise.
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).
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