Sunshine North
Detached housing and migration define Sunshine North more than inner-west densification. The suburb has 12,047 residents, 57.9% born overseas and 82.5% separate houses, a high house share compared with apartment-led pockets closer to central Sunshine and Albion. The median house price is $742,000, only 1.1% below the 2022 peak, while household income sits at the 40.0 percentile. Affordability is helped by lower mortgage pressure at 28.6% of income, but the crime rate of 122.9 per 1,000 is a material livability trade-off.
Population
12,047
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,399/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$742K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are mainly buying land and family layouts rather than apartment convenience. Separate houses make up 82.5% of dwellings vs just 4.2% apartments, and 59.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms, so the market suits households wanting space near Sunshine, Albion and St Albans. The $742,000 median house price is 1.1% below the 2022 peak of $750,000, which gives buyers slightly better timing than the peak. Mortgage costs at $1,733 a month equal 28.6% of income, below stress settings, because prices remain moderated by a 40.0 household income percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mainly buying land and family layouts rather than apartment convenience. Separate houses make up 82.5% of dwellings vs just 4.2% apartments, and 59.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms, so the market suits households wanting space near Sunshine, Albion and St Albans. The $742,000 median house price is 1.1% below the 2022 peak of $750,000, which gives buyers slightly better timing than the peak. Mortgage costs at $1,733 a month equal 28.6% of income, below stress settings, because prices remain moderated by a 40.0 household income percentile.
For Investors
Investor appeal is mixed rather than simple yield chasing. Renting sits at 30.8%, with weekly rent of $341 and vacancy at 6.8%, a higher vacancy rate that can weaken short-term leasing power. Demand is supported by 57.9% overseas-born residents and forecast overseas migration of 235 people a year, because new arrivals often rent first. Development activity is also above a quiet infill market, with 29 applications in 12 months, including subdivision activity, but investors need to price in competition from new stock and a crime rate of 122.9 per 1,000.
Development Activity
Total DAs
59
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+230.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Sunshine North iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Bernadette's School
Prep-6 · 333 students
Albion North Primary School
Prep-6 · 184 students
Sunshine North Primary School
Prep-6 · 234 students
Sunshine Christian School
Prep-6 · 94 students
Demographics
Sunshine North is younger than the national profile, with a median age of 37, or 3.0 years below national. It is also far more migrant-shaped: 57.9% of residents were born overseas, 36.3 percentage points above national, and Vietnamese ancestry is the largest group at 4,111 people, followed by Chinese at 1,456. University attainment is 38.2%, 8.1 percentage points above national, yet household income is only at the 40.0 percentile. That gap matters because qualifications are not translating fully into local earning power.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.5%
Houses
12.9%
Townhouse
4.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing base is owner-heavy and low-density. Outright ownership is 39.3%, mortgages account for 29.9% and renting is 30.8%, so long-term owner occupation is higher than many renewal corridors. Prices have risen from $400,000 in 2013 to $742,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, an 85.5% gain over 14 years with 4.5% CAGR, but the latest median is still 1.1% below the 2022 peak. Stock is practical rather than compact: 84.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms, because detached homes dominate at 82.5%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$341
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$546
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
283
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.9%
Couples, no children
9,321
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local economy has service and blue-collar depth, but disadvantage remains above average. Healthcare leads at 16.5% of workers, followed by retail at 10.8%, manufacturing at 8.9%, education at 8.2% and construction at 7.8%. Occupations are split between professionals at 832 people and labourers at 753, with machinery and driver roles at 622. Unemployment is 9.0% and participation is 50.2%, helping explain low SEIFA ranks: IEO decile 3, IER decile 2, IRSD decile 1 and IRSAD decile 2, despite 38.2% university attainment.
Unemployment
7.3%
Labour Force
5,993
Unemployed
435
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.9%
Part-time
29.1%
Participation
50.2%
Employed
4,591
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.2%
Postgraduate
8.8%
Born Overseas
57.9%
Dwellings
3,852
Transport to Work
Livability is practical but car-dependent. Only 4.9% commute by public transport, while 84.4% drive, so daily convenience is higher for households with cars than for transit-reliant residents. Four local schools cover Catholic, Government and Independent options, with ICSEA scores from 934 to 1005; St Bernadette's School leads at 1005 with 333 students, while Albion North and Sunshine North primaries sit at 967 and 966. Safety is the main drawback, with 1,481 offences and 122.9 crimes per 1,000, and IRSAD decile 2 signals below-average advantage.
Drive
84.4%
Public Transport
4.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.7%/yr
(+89 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady, not explosive. The forecast trend is 0.7% a year, or 89 people annually, with the medium scenario rising from 12,719 in 2026 to 13,163 in 2031. Migration is the key engine because overseas inflow averages 235 people a year while internal movement is negative at -120 a year. The shift trajectory is Mixed, with rent growth of 31.2% and real income growth of 25.8%. Gentrification is labelled Early signs with a score of 25, below an aggressive renewal profile, so change is likely gradual.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+235
Net Internal / yr
-120
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +15% since 2011, Net internal outflow -120/yr, Strong overseas inflow +235/yr, COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,481
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
122.9
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 Sunshine North compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunshine North a good suburb to live in?
Sunshine North can suit buyers wanting detached homes and family space, with 82.5% separate houses and a median age of 37. The trade-off is higher crime at 122.9 offences per 1,000 and heavy car use, with 84.4% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Sunshine North?
The median house price in Sunshine North is $742,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 1.1% below the 2022 peak of $750,000, but still 85.5% higher than the 2013 median of $400,000.
What schools are in Sunshine North?
Sunshine North has 4 local schools: Catholic, Government and Independent options. St Bernadette's School has the highest ICSEA at 1005 and 333 enrolments, while the local ICSEA range runs from 934 to 1005.
Is Sunshine North safe?
Safety is a concern compared with lower-crime suburbs. Sunshine North recorded 1,481 offences and a crime rate of 122.9 per 1,000 people, with property and deception offences the largest category at 963 incidents.
Is Sunshine North good for property investment?
It has investment positives, including 30.8% renters, $341 weekly rent and forecast overseas migration of 235 people a year. However, vacancy is 6.8%, which is higher than a tight rental market, so tenant risk needs allowance.
How is Sunshine North's population changing?
Population growth is modest, with a forecast trend of 0.7% a year, or 89 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 13,163 by 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration of 235 people a year despite internal outflow of -120.
What languages are spoken in Sunshine North?
Sunshine North is strongly migrant-shaped, with 57.9% of residents born overseas. Listed language counts include Canton at 236 speakers, Italian at 109, Arabic at 75, Mandarin at 67 and Urdu at 55.
What development is happening in Sunshine North?
There were 29 development applications in the past 12 months, above a quiet infill setting. Recent examples include subdivision activity, including a 25-lot subdivision and a proposed 23-lot commercial factory subdivision.
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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