Sunshine West
More than half of Sunshine West's 18,552 residents were born overseas, while the median age of 38 is 2 years below the national comparison. The housing profile is more family-house oriented than apartment led: 82.6% of dwellings are separate houses versus 3.2% apartments, and 63.8% have 3 bedrooms. Beside Sunshine and Ardeer, the suburb combines a migrant-majority population with a settled base, as 85.0% of residents stayed at the same address. Household income sits at the 41.1st percentile, below the middle of the national distribution, which helps explain its established mortgage-belt character.
Population
18,552
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,416/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$809K
October to December 2025
Sunshine West suits buyers prioritising a conventional family home over apartment living. That mortgage burden is higher than the 24.4% rent-to-income figure, although the mortgage stress flag remains false. The 82.6% separate-house share is substantially higher than the 3.2% apartment share, with 63.8% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 25.4% having 4 or more. Compared with Sunshine's activity-centre setting, Sunshine West is more suited to buyers seeking established family housing, but the household income percentile of 41.1 makes deposit size and borrowing capacity important.
For Buyers
Sunshine West suits buyers prioritising a conventional family home over apartment living. That mortgage burden is higher than the 24.4% rent-to-income figure, although the mortgage stress flag remains false. The 82.6% separate-house share is substantially higher than the 3.2% apartment share, with 63.8% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 25.4% having 4 or more. Compared with Sunshine's activity-centre setting, Sunshine West is more suited to buyers seeking established family housing, but the household income percentile of 41.1 makes deposit size and borrowing capacity important.
For Investors
Investors get a meaningful tenant base, with 28.4% of households renting, but outright ownership is higher at 39.8%, pointing to a mixed-tenure market rather than a renter-dominated one. Weekly rent is $346 and vacancy is 7.8%, while rent growth reached 30.8%. Sixteen development applications in 12 months, including two-lot and nine-lot subdivisions, point to ongoing infill activity without evidence of a large construction surge. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which can support rental demand because new arrivals often enter the rental market first.
Development Activity
Total DAs
37
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+18.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Sunshine West
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Ardeer South Primary School
Glengala Primary School
St Paul's School
St Peter's School
Marian College
Demographics
Sunshine West has a migrant-majority profile: 54.3% of residents were born overseas, 32.7 percentage points above the national comparison. Vietnamese ancestry is recorded for 3,601 people, ahead of English ancestry at 1,944 and Chinese ancestry at 1,350. The median age is 38, or 2 years below national, while the average household size is 2.8, which is 0.3 above national and consistent with the suburb's family housing mix. Christianity counts 8,441 people, Buddhism 2,183 and no religion 4,096. Compared with nearby Sunshine and Ardeer, the key social feature is cultural breadth anchored by a high 85.0% same-address rate, so diversity coexists with residential stability.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.6%
Houses
14.2%
Townhouse
3.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure remains relatively settled: 39.8% own outright, 30.0% have a mortgage and 28.4% rent. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 63.8%, ahead of 4-plus-bedroom dwellings at 25.4%. Compared with the 3.2% apartment share, the 82.6% separate-house share supports family demand, although the 27.7% mortgage-to-income ratio is higher than the 24.4% rent-to-income ratio.
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$346
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$565
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
522
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.7%
Couples with children
30.9%
Couples, no children
22.8%
Single parent
4,821
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Sunshine West's largest recorded industry at 15.9% and 690 workers, followed by transport at 8.9% and 386, education at 8.4% and 365, retail at 8.3% and 359, and professional or technical work at 8.2% and 357. The occupation mix is similarly broad, led by 1,249 professionals, 1,101 labourers and 1,036 machinery or drivers. Participation is 53.1%, full-time employment 59.6% and unemployment 8.7%, while household income of $1,416 weekly sits at the 41.1st percentile. Compared with higher-ranked areas, SEIFA results are low: IRSD is decile 1, IRSAD decile 2, IEO decile 3 and IER decile 2. Those results point to economic need despite a meaningful professional base.
Unemployment
8.7%
Labour Force
8,211
Unemployed
715
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.6%
Part-time
33.3%
Participation
53.1%
Employed
7,496
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.8%
Postgraduate
8.3%
Born Overseas
54.3%
Dwellings
6,217
Transport to Work
Daily travel is car-led: 67.5% drive, compared with 4.0% using public transport, while 21.2% work from home. Sunshine West has 6 schools, providing 4 primary and 2 secondary options, split evenly between government and Catholic sectors. Families should check enrolment zones for the exact address because school access can differ across the suburb. Recorded crime was 1,387 offences, or 74.8 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences the largest category at 834. Social conditions sit below higher-ranked areas, with IRSAD at decile 2 and IRSD at decile 1. The established housing pattern supports family routines, but car dependence makes proximity to services more important than in better-served inner suburbs.
Drive
67.5%
Public Transport
4.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
21.2%
Population Forecast
+0.56%/yr
(+57 people/yr)
EstablishedSunshine West's outlook is established and measured rather than high-growth: the annual trend is 0.56%, with a Stable trajectory and 6.9% population change across the wider area over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, fitting the suburb's 54.3% overseas-born share. Affordability is marked Improving, moving from 63.3 in 2011 to 48.2 in 2021, while real income growth reached 39.7% and rent growth 30.8%. Gentrification signals are mixed, with a score of 10 labelled Not gentrifying, while the shift score is 45 and labelled Active. Compared with faster-expanding growth corridors, this points to incremental change through established housing, infill and migration rather than a rapid population surge.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+344
Net Internal / yr
-247
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -247/yr, Strong overseas inflow +344/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,387
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
74.8
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 Sunshine West compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunshine West a good suburb to live in?
Sunshine West suits households seeking established detached housing, with 82.6% of dwellings separate houses and 63.8% containing 3 bedrooms. The trade-offs are car dependence, with 67.5% driving, and lower socioeconomic scores of IRSAD decile 2 and IRSD decile 1.
What schools are in Sunshine West?
Sunshine West has 6 schools, including 4 primary and 2 secondary options, with 3 government and 3 Catholic schools. The sector mix is evenly divided, but enrolment zones should be checked for the exact address because access can differ across the suburb.
Is Sunshine West safe?
Recorded crime was 1,387 offences, equal to 74.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 834 cases, compared with 217 crimes against the person. That profile means property security deserves attention, while local conditions can vary by street and time.
How is Sunshine West's population changing?
Sunshine West has 18,552 residents today. Across the wider area, the forecast trend is 0.56% annually and population change is 6.9% over 10 years, with Overseas migration the primary driver. The overseas-born share is 54.3%, above the national comparison, while the forecast trajectory is Stable rather than rapid.
What languages are spoken in Sunshine West?
The main recorded language categories include Greek at 418 people, Canton at 219, Macedon at 203, Arabic at 188 and Mandarin at 168. Vietnamese ancestry is also prominent at 3,601 people. The overseas-born share is 54.3%, above the national comparison, reinforcing the suburb's migrant-majority character.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Sunshine West on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map