Strathdale
A median age of 46, six years above the national figure, sets the tone for this Bendigo suburb, where 46.4% of households own their home outright and renters make up just 25.2%. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached at 87.5%, with apartments at only 0.5%, so the market is built around families and downsizers rather than transient tenants. The $680,000 median house price reflects 14 years of steady 4.0% annual growth from $392,500 in 2013. University qualifications reach 35.3%, which sits 5.2 points above national, yet household income lands in the 48th percentile, slightly below the national midpoint, a gap driven by the large share of retirees outside the workforce.
Population
5,756
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,527/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$680K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $680,000 median house price is the peak of a 15-quarter record, recovering sharply from $597,500 in early 2024 to $680,000 by the June 2024 quarter. Over the longer run prices rose 73.2% from $392,500 in 2013, a compound 4.0% a year. Buyers get genuine houses here: 87.5% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 0.5%, while three-bedroom homes make up 45.9% and four-plus-bedroom homes 38.9%, so the stock skews larger than most metro markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability, combined with a 46.4% outright-ownership rate, signals a market dominated by established owners rather than stretched recent entrants.
For Buyers
The $680,000 median house price is the peak of a 15-quarter record, recovering sharply from $597,500 in early 2024 to $680,000 by the June 2024 quarter. Over the longer run prices rose 73.2% from $392,500 in 2013, a compound 4.0% a year. Buyers get genuine houses here: 87.5% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 0.5%, while three-bedroom homes make up 45.9% and four-plus-bedroom homes 38.9%, so the stock skews larger than most metro markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability, combined with a 46.4% outright-ownership rate, signals a market dominated by established owners rather than stretched recent entrants.
For Investors
Renters are a minority at 25.2%, and weekly rent of $300 against the $680,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, modest but stronger than premium metro suburbs. The 6.0% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market would show, pointing to thin tenant demand in a suburb where 74.7% of households own. Development activity is light, with only 8 applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly single-dwelling permits and a small two-lot subdivision rather than new supply at scale. Resident turnover is low at 22.3%, meaning 77.7% stayed put over the period, so stock rarely turns over. The investment case rests on steady 4.0% annual capital growth and an aging, owner-heavy base rather than rental yield or rapid tenant churn.
Development Activity
Total DAs
16
Last 12 Months
8
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 Strathdale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Victory Christian College
Prep-12 · 900 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 runs 6.0 years above national, and the profile leans Anglo, with English (2,532), Irish (909) and Scottish (720) the dominant ancestries. Only 10.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 10.8 points below the national figure, making this far less internationally mixed than most Australian suburbs. The top non-English languages are spoken by tiny groups, led by Mandarin (23 speakers) and Punjabi (13). University qualifications at 35.3% are 5.2 points above national, a credentialed but not elite profile. Average household size is 2.3, sitting 0.2 below national, consistent with the older couple base: 32.9% of the 4,463 families are couples without children. Christianity dominates at 2,846 residents, with Hinduism (59) and Buddhism (56) far behind.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.5%
Houses
12.1%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-dominated: 46.4% own outright, 28.3% carry a mortgage and only 25.2% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth typical of an older population. The stock is 87.5% separate houses with apartments at just 0.5% and semi-detached homes at 12.1%, and bedroom counts run large, with 45.9% three-bedroom and 38.9% four-plus-bedroom. The median house price climbed from $392,500 in 2013 to $680,000 in 2024, a 73.2% rise at a 4.0% compound rate, with the trough of $380,000 recorded in 2014. Mortgage-to-income at 22.9% and rent-to-income at 19.6% both sit well under the 30% stress line, so housing costs here are manageable relative to the 48th-percentile household income.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$791
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
150
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.9%
Couples, no children
4,463
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in service sectors tied to Bendigo's role as a regional hub: Healthcare leads at 26.0% (478 workers), Education follows at 15.7% (288), then Construction at 7.7% (142), Public Admin at 7.1% (131) and Professional/Tech at 7.0% (128). By occupation, Professionals (718) outnumber Clerical/Admin (353) and Managers (337), which fits the above-national 35.3% university qualification rate. Unemployment is low at 3.8%, but the full-time employment rate of 58.2% and participation of just 52.9% reflect the older base, with 1,873 residents not in the labour force. The healthcare and education concentration, well above what a purely residential suburb would carry, ties directly to the major hospital and school employers in the surrounding Bendigo catchment.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.2%
Part-time
38.0%
Participation
52.9%
Employed
2,437
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.3%
Postgraduate
7.4%
Born Overseas
10.8%
Dwellings
2,335
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total, with 90.0% of commuters driving and only 1.6% using public transport and 2.5% walking or cycling, far below the levels seen in transit-rich inner suburbs. Crime runs at 82.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 472 total offences led by property and deception (221) and drug offences (135), while crimes against the person are lower at 53. Volunteering is healthy at 18.7%, and 7.2% of residents (394 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 46. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 19.6% and mortgage-to-income at 22.9%, both below the 30% stress threshold, leaving households more disposable income than in costlier markets despite the below-median 48th-percentile income.
Drive
90.0%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
472
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
82.0
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 Strathdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strathdale a good suburb to live in?
Strathdale suits owner-occupiers and families, with 87.5% detached houses and 46.4% of households owning outright. University qualifications reach 35.3%, 5.2 points above national, and housing costs are manageable at a 22.9% mortgage-to-income ratio. The main trade-offs are heavy car reliance at 90.0% and a below-median 48th-percentile household income.
What is the median house price in Strathdale?
The median house price is $680,000 as of the June 2024 quarter, the peak across 15 recorded quarters. Prices rose 73.2% from $392,500 in 2013, a 4.0% compound annual rate. Weekly rent averages $300 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.9%.
What schools are in Strathdale?
No schools are recorded inside the Strathdale boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools elsewhere in the Bendigo catchment. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 35.3%, which is 5.2 points above the national figure, and Education employs 15.7% of the workforce.
Is Strathdale safe?
Crime runs at 82.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 472 total offences. The mix is weighted toward property and deception offences (221) and drug offences (135), while crimes against the person are lower at 53, indicating most incidents are property-related rather than violent.
Is Strathdale good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $300 against the $680,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, modest, and the 6.0% vacancy rate signals thin tenant demand in an owner-heavy suburb where 74.7% own. With only 25.2% renting, the case rests on steady 4.0% annual capital growth rather than rental yield.
How is Strathdale's population changing?
The population sits at 5,756 across 3.52 km2, a density of 1,636 per km2. Change is slow, with 77.7% of residents staying put and turnover at just 22.3%. The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above national, pointing to a gradually aging, stable base rather than rapid growth.
What is the demographic profile of Strathdale?
Strathdale leans Anglo, with English (2,532), Irish (909) and Scottish (720) the top ancestries and only 10.8% of residents born overseas, 10.8 points below national. The median age is 46, average household size is 2.3, and 32.9% of the 4,463 families are couples without children.
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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