Strathfieldsaye
Population here jumped 52.5% over the decade, yet the median house price sits at $633,500, down 16.2% from its $756,000 peak in late 2023, and the two facts pull in opposite directions. This Bendigo fringe pocket is almost entirely detached housing at 99.8%, with 65.9% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms, a family footprint reinforced by an average household size of 3.0, which runs 0.5 above the national figure. The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below national, and household income lands in the 84.6th percentile. SEIFA places it at decile 10 for economic resources but only decile 7 for education and occupation, a gap that marks it as asset-rich working families rather than a professional enclave.
Population
6,850
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,237/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
55
Median House
$634K
Apr-Jun 2024
Buyers face a market that has corrected: the $633,500 median is 16.2% below the $756,000 peak of mid-2023, yet still 68.0% above the $377,000 level of 2013, a long-run CAGR of 3.8%. Affordability is the draw, because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,733 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 17.9%, far below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 84.6th percentile. Stock skews large and detached: 99.8% are separate houses and 65.9% carry four or more bedrooms, with only 1.5% offering two bedrooms or fewer, so downsizers and first-home buyers wanting a compact dwelling have little to choose from. The 51.9% mortgage share, well above the 35.0% who own outright, shows a market dominated by recent owner-occupier families still paying down loans.
For Buyers
Buyers face a market that has corrected: the $633,500 median is 16.2% below the $756,000 peak of mid-2023, yet still 68.0% above the $377,000 level of 2013, a long-run CAGR of 3.8%. Affordability is the draw, because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,733 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 17.9%, far below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 84.6th percentile. Stock skews large and detached: 99.8% are separate houses and 65.9% carry four or more bedrooms, with only 1.5% offering two bedrooms or fewer, so downsizers and first-home buyers wanting a compact dwelling have little to choose from. The 51.9% mortgage share, well above the 35.0% who own outright, shows a market dominated by recent owner-occupier families still paying down loans.
For Investors
The investment case rests on growth rather than yield. Weekly rent of $400 against the $633,500 median implies a gross yield near 3.3%, modest, and the 4.5% vacancy rate is loose for a regional market, signalling tenants have options. Renters are only 13.2% of households, a thin pool compared with metro suburbs, so the suburb is built for owner-occupiers, not landlords. The real signal is supply and demand momentum: 54 development applications were lodged in 12 months, several of them multi-lot subdivisions creating 16 and 19 new lots, while net internal migration adds 151 residents a year against 20 from overseas. Rent has risen 33.3% across the measured period, so the thesis is capital growth on land plus rising rents in a fast-expanding fringe, not high running yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
64
Last 12 Months
55
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1733.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Strathfieldsaye iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Francis of the Fields School
Prep-6 · 614 students
Strathfieldsaye Primary School
Prep-6 · 538 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below national, and 65.9% of homes have four or more bedrooms, a structure that fits the dominant family profile: couples with children make up 3,160 of 6,142 families against 1,376 couples without. University qualifications reach 35.9%, which is 5.8 points above the national figure, yet the suburb is far less internationally mixed than the metro average, with only 8.5% born overseas, fully 13.1 points below national. Ancestry is strongly Anglo, led by English (3,051), Irish (1,035) and Scottish (891), and the largest non-English languages are tiny by comparison, Mandarin (13) and Malayalam (12). Christianity dominates at 3,319 residents, with Buddhism and Hinduism both at 39, underlining a homogeneous, locally rooted population where 76.4% stayed put over the period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.8%
Houses
0.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward mortgaged owners: 51.9% carry a home loan, 35.0% own outright and only 13.2% rent, so this is an owner-occupier market with a churn of recent buyers. The dwelling stock is almost monolithic, 99.8% separate houses, and weighted to large homes with 65.9% holding four-plus bedrooms and just 1.5% at two bedrooms or fewer, which explains why the median price tracks land and family-home demand rather than apartments. Prices ran from $377,000 in 2013 to a $756,000 peak in 2023 before easing to $633,500, a 16.2% retreat from peak but a 68.0% gain over the decade. Mortgage-to-income at 17.9% stays well below the 30% stress line, a comfort buffer that lower-priced regional land affords even to households in the 84.6th income percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$924
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
105
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.4%
Couples, no children
6,142
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce leans on the Bendigo health and education base: Healthcare employs 22.1% (545 workers) and Education 14.5% (359), with Construction at 10.4% (256) and Public Admin at 9.3% reflecting the regional-centre economy next door. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 941, ahead of Clerical/Admin (470) and Managers (466). Unemployment is low at 3.7% and the participation rate is 66.5%, with a 60.2% full-time rate. The SEIFA picture is split: economic resources sit at decile 10 and relative disadvantage at decile 9, both near the top, yet education and occupation lag at decile 7, below the asset measures. That divergence says household wealth here comes from secure trade, health and admin incomes and cheap land equity rather than from a high-credential professional base.
Unemployment
1.4%
Labour Force
6,031
Unemployed
83
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
36.1%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
3,295
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.9%
Postgraduate
6.6%
Born Overseas
8.5%
Dwellings
2,233
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-dependent: 90.5% drive to work while only 1.0% use public transport and 1.6% walk or cycle, a profile typical of a low-density fringe at 227.7 residents per square kilometre. The crime rate is 32.1 per 1,000 residents, with 220 recorded offences led by property and deception (83) and crimes against the person (69), a moderate level for a regional area. On wellbeing measures the suburb scores well, decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 10 for economic resources, both near the national top, while only 3.8% of residents need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 20.0%, above many metro suburbs, and rent-to-income at 17.9% keeps tenants comfortable. The main trade-off is the absence of recorded schools inside the boundary, so families rely on nearby Bendigo institutions.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.79%/yr
(+327 people/yr)
EstablishedThis is one of the faster-growing pockets on the Bendigo fringe: the population rose 52.5% over the decade and is projected to climb 2.79% a year, about 327 residents annually, with the medium forecast lifting the wider area from roughly 11,705 to 13,788 by 2031. Net internal migration of 151 a year is the primary engine, dwarfing the 20 from overseas, so growth is domestic relocation into affordable family land rather than immigration. The gentrification gauge reads early signs at a score of 34, with turnover accelerating from 24% to 33%, while the demographic trajectory is aging, the senior share up 8.0 points and the working-age share down 5.5. Affordability has held stable, slipping only from 45.2% to 44.6%, which keeps the suburb open to the families driving its expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+20
Net Internal / yr
+151
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +151/yr, Accelerating: 24% → 33%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
220
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
32.1
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 Strathfieldsaye compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strathfieldsaye a good suburb to live in?
It scores decile 10 for economic resources and decile 9 for relative disadvantage on SEIFA, both near the national top, with household income in the 84.6th percentile. It suits families: 65.9% of homes have four or more bedrooms and the median age of 36 is 4.0 years below national. The main trade-off is car dependence, with 90.5% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Strathfieldsaye?
The median house price is $633,500, down 16.2% from the $756,000 peak in mid-2023 but up 68.0% from $377,000 in 2013, a CAGR of 3.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 and weekly rent is around $400, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 17.9%, well below the 30% stress line.
What schools are in Strathfieldsaye?
No schools are recorded inside the Strathfieldsaye boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Bendigo. The suburb is education-oriented overall, with university qualifications at 35.9%, which is 5.8 points above the national figure, and Education employing 14.5% of the local workforce.
Is Strathfieldsaye safe?
The crime rate is 32.1 per 1,000 residents, with 220 recorded offences, led by property and deception (83) and crimes against the person (69), a moderate level for a regional area. The suburb also scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the national top, and only 3.8% of residents need daily assistance.
Is Strathfieldsaye good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against the $633,500 median gives a gross yield near 3.3%, modest, and renters are just 13.2% of households, a thin tenant pool. The case is growth-led: net internal migration adds 151 residents a year, 54 development applications were lodged in 12 months, and rent rose 33.3% over the period.
How is Strathfieldsaye's population changing?
The population grew 52.5% over the decade and is forecast to rise 2.79% a year, about 327 residents annually, with the wider area projected near 13,788 by 2031. Growth is driven by net internal migration of 151 a year, far above the 20 from overseas, and the profile is aging, with the senior share up 8.0 points.
How much development is happening in Strathfieldsaye?
There were 54 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including multi-lot subdivisions creating 16 and 19 new lots. That pipeline aligns with net internal migration of 151 residents a year and a 52.5% population rise over the decade, consistent with a fast-expanding family-housing fringe rather than infill density.
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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