Sunbury
On Melbourne's north-western fringe, Sunbury reads as a classic mortgage-belt growth town: 88.6% detached housing, a $670,000 median price, and 47.8% of residents paying off a mortgage. Population sits at 38,851 across 132 sq km, giving a low density of 294 per sq km. Internal migration drives the +2.1% annual growth (+454 people/yr from elsewhere in Australia versus only +105 from overseas), an unusual signature for Greater Melbourne where most growth suburbs lean on overseas arrivals. The result is an Anglo-leaning, family-oriented commuter belt rather than a multicultural urban node.
Population
38,851
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,925/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
60
Median House
$670K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $670,000 median house price (April-June 2024) sits 0.7% below the $675,000 peak reached in Q2 2023, so prices have effectively flatlined for over a year while inflation has eroded real values. House-hunters get genuine space: 88.6% of dwellings are separate houses, 45.3% have four or more bedrooms, and another 44.8% have three. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 absorb just 20.8% of the $1,925 weekly household income, well below the 30% mortgage stress line. With 47.8% of residents already on a mortgage and only 31.4% owning outright, the suburb is firmly in repayment mode rather than wealth-holding mode. Compared to inner Melbourne suburbs around the $1M+ median, Sunbury offers more than 30% more land and dwelling for the dollar.
For Buyers
The $670,000 median house price (April-June 2024) sits 0.7% below the $675,000 peak reached in Q2 2023, so prices have effectively flatlined for over a year while inflation has eroded real values. House-hunters get genuine space: 88.6% of dwellings are separate houses, 45.3% have four or more bedrooms, and another 44.8% have three. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 absorb just 20.8% of the $1,925 weekly household income, well below the 30% mortgage stress line. With 47.8% of residents already on a mortgage and only 31.4% owning outright, the suburb is firmly in repayment mode rather than wealth-holding mode. Compared to inner Melbourne suburbs around the $1M+ median, Sunbury offers more than 30% more land and dwelling for the dollar.
For Investors
Sunbury is not a renter's market in the inner-suburb sense: only 20.8% of households rent, compared to 30%+ in many transit-rich Melbourne areas. Median weekly rent of $361 yields a rent-to-income ratio of 18.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and a sign that landlords have limited room to push rents without breaking tenant capacity. Vacancy sits at 4.6%. Council recorded 55 development applications in the past 12 months, mostly modest two-lot subdivisions and dual-occupancy permits rather than large infill projects. Forecast population growth of +371 people per year (2.1% annual) is driven 81% by net internal migration of +454/yr, a more stable signal than overseas-led growth because it does not depend on visa settings. Risk: the household income percentile of 72 nationally still skews working-class, so rent growth will track wage growth rather than outpace it.
Development Activity
Total DAs
173
Last 12 Months
60
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Sunbury iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 431 students
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
Prep-6 · 299 students
Salesian College Sunbury
7-12 · 1720 students
St Anne's School
Prep-6 · 599 students
Sunbury Primary School
Prep-6 · 400 students
Demographics
Sunbury skews younger and more Anglo than the national picture. Median age of 38 runs 2 years below the national median, while overseas-born share at 17.6% sits 4.0 percentage points below national average and far under inner-Melbourne suburbs at 40%+. The top three ancestries (English 14,714, Irish 5,014, Scottish 4,066) account for the bulk of residents, with Italian (2,653), German (1,533) and Maltese (1,482) representing older European migration waves rather than recent arrivals. University attainment of 26.7% sits 3.4 percentage points below national average, reflecting a workforce weighted toward trades, healthcare and clerical roles rather than knowledge workers. Average household size of 2.6 matches the national figure almost exactly. Religious composition is dominated by Christianity (18,651 followers), with Hinduism (410) and Buddhism (399) representing only small minorities, consistent with the low overseas-born share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.6%
Houses
4.1%
Townhouse
7.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The price story is mature, not booming. Sunbury's median moved from $355,000 in 2013 to $670,000 in mid-2024, an 88.7% rise translating to 4.6% compound annual growth over 14 years, broadly tracking long-term Melbourne fringe averages. The peak was $675,000 in mid-2023, and the latest reading sits 0.7% below that, meaning the market has stalled rather than corrected. Detached housing dominates at 88.6%, with apartments at only 7.3% and semi-detached at 4.1%, the inverse of inner-Melbourne stock mixes. Four-plus bedroom homes (45.3%) outnumber three-bed homes (44.8%) for the first time in this suburb's history, signalling that newer estates are building larger than older ones. Affordability ratio (price divided by annual household income) sits at roughly 6.7x, below Melbourne's metro-wide 9x and a key reason the suburb remains a first-home-buyer target.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$361
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$854
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
686
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.4%
Couples, no children
32,518
Total families
Economy & Employment
Three industries anchor employment: Healthcare (15.5%), Construction (13.9%) and Education (12.9%), together absorbing 42% of the workforce. Public Admin (9.1%) and Transport (7.8%) round out the top five, reflecting Sunbury's role as a service hub for Hume's outer growth area rather than a CBD-commuter dormitory alone. Occupational mix is weighted toward Professionals (3,591), Clerical/Admin (3,053) and Community/Personal Services (2,486), with significant Trades and Labourer presence (1,607 labourers, 1,424 machinery operators) reflecting the construction boom in surrounding greenfield estates. Unemployment of 4.9% sits near the national average, and full-time employment rate of 65.9% is healthy. SEIFA tells an interesting split: Index of Economic Resources scores at decile 9 (top 20% nationally) thanks to high mortgage and home ownership, while Education and Occupation decile is only 5, meaning households are asset-rich relative to their educational credentials. Volunteering rate of 12.1% is above many comparable outer suburbs, suggesting community ties remain strong.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
8,746
Unemployed
251
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.9%
Part-time
29.2%
Participation
61.9%
Employed
18,549
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.7%
Postgraduate
5.6%
Born Overseas
17.6%
Dwellings
14,109
Transport to Work
Sunbury has 10 schools above the national ICSEA average of 1000, ranging from Holy Trinity Catholic Primary (ICSEA 1065, 431 students) and Salesian College Sunbury (ICSEA 1059, 1,720 students) at the top, down to Sunbury West Primary (ICSEA 1004). The school stock is balanced: 5 Government, 4 Catholic and 1 Independent, giving families real choice without long commutes. Crime rate sits at 64.8 per 1,000 residents (2,519 total offences), below Greater Melbourne's typical 85+ per 1,000, with property and deception offences (1,187) the dominant category. Car dependence is extreme at 89.6% car-driver mode share, while public transport use is just 3.0% despite the V/Line rail link to Southern Cross, reflecting both the suburb's spread and the limited weekday frequency. SEIFA composite index of disadvantage sits at decile 7, meaning more advantage than 70% of Australian suburbs, while need-for-assistance rate of 6.8% is in line with the national norm.
Drive
89.6%
Public Transport
3.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.1%/yr
(+371 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at +2.1% annually, adding roughly 371 residents per year, with the Hume SA2 capturing this suburb posting +25.7% over the past decade. Crucially, the primary driver is internal migration: +454 people per year arrive from elsewhere in Australia versus only +105 from overseas, an 81% versus 19% split. This is the opposite signature from inner Melbourne, where overseas migration usually leads. Under medium projections the population reaches roughly 19,272 in the SA2 by 2031, a continuation of the current trend rather than an acceleration. The gentrification score is 55 (Active stage), with signals including +44% population since 2011 and accelerating internal migration from 11% to 30% share of growth. Real income growth of 8.8% over the decade is modest but positive, and rent growth of 33.5% has outpaced it. The trajectory tag is Aging, with senior share +3.2 percentage points and young share -1.8 percentage points compared to a decade ago.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+105
Net Internal / yr
+454
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +44% since 2011, Net internal migration +454/yr, Accelerating: 11% → 30%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,519
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
64.8
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 Sunbury compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunbury a good suburb to live in?
Sunbury suits families and first-home buyers seeking detached housing within a Melbourne commute. With a $670,000 median house price (33% below Melbourne's metro median), 88.6% separate houses, and 10 schools above the national ICSEA average, it offers genuine space and stable amenity. The trade-off is car dependence: 89.6% drive to work, while only 3.0% take public transport.
What is the median house price in Sunbury?
The median house price in Sunbury is $670,000 as of April-June 2024, sitting 0.7% below the suburb's peak of $675,000 reached in Q2 2023. Median weekly rent is $361 and median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,733. The price has risen 88.7% from $355,000 in 2013, a 4.6% compound annual growth rate over 14 years.
What schools are in Sunbury?
Sunbury has at least 10 schools listed, all scoring above the national ICSEA average of 1000. Top performers include Holy Trinity Catholic Primary (ICSEA 1065, 431 students), Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1061, 299), and Salesian College Sunbury (1059, 1,720). Government, Catholic and Independent sectors are all represented, including Sunbury Downs Secondary College (ICSEA 1005, 789 students).
Is Sunbury safe?
Sunbury's crime rate of 64.8 offences per 1,000 residents (2,519 total) is below Greater Melbourne's typical 85 per 1,000. The largest category is property and deception offences (1,187 incidents), followed by justice procedures (602) and crimes against the person (455). The SEIFA disadvantage decile of 7 indicates more relative advantage than 70% of Australian suburbs.
Is Sunbury good for property investment?
Sunbury is moderate for investment. The 20.8% rental share is below the metro average, vacancy sits at 4.6%, and rent-to-income of 18.8% is well under stress thresholds, all suggesting limited upside for rent growth. Council logged 55 DAs in the past 12 months, and population growth of +371/yr is driven by internal migration (+454/yr), a more stable signal than overseas-dependent suburbs.
How is Sunbury's population changing?
Population growth runs at +2.1% annually, adding around 371 residents per year, with internal migration (+454/yr) accounting for 81% of net growth versus overseas migration at +105/yr. The trajectory tag is Aging: senior share is up 3.2 percentage points and young share down 1.8 points over the decade. Medium projections put the suburb on a continued growth path rather than acceleration.
What development is happening in Sunbury?
Council recorded 55 development applications in the past 12 months, weighted toward small subdivisions and dual-occupancy planning permits rather than large infill projects. Recent samples include 2 to 4 lot subdivisions and dual-dwelling proposals. Detached housing remains 88.6% of stock, but the rise of 4-plus bedroom homes to 45.3% (above 3-bed at 44.8%) shows newer estates are scaling up dwelling size.
Who lives in Sunbury?
Sunbury skews Anglo-Australian and family-oriented. The top three ancestries are English (14,714), Irish (5,014) and Scottish (4,066), while overseas-born share of 17.6% sits 4.0 percentage points below the national average. Median age of 38 is 2 years younger than national, university attainment of 26.7% is 3.4 points lower, and average household size of 2.6 matches the national figure.
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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