Thomastown
Thomastown's standout trait is scale without rapid growth: 20,234 people live across 14.74 sq km, yet the forecast trend is -0.43% a year. Compared with nearby Lalor and Epping, it reads as an older, more settled northern suburb because 84.4% of homes are separate houses and 44.3% are owned outright. The migrant majority is also central: 54.2% were born overseas, 32.6 percentage points above the national share, while household income sits in the 26.8 percentile. Crime is a watch point at 107.7 incidents per 1,000 residents.
Population
20,234
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,225/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
21
Median House
$720K
Apr-Jun 2024
For homebuyers, Thomastown suits households wanting detached stock below many inner-north prices: the median house price is $720,000, after rising 84.6% from 2013 and sitting 2.6% below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak. Choice is family-oriented because 84.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 64.0% have 3 bedrooms. The trade-off is affordability pressure for borrowers: the typical mortgage is $1,690 a month and mortgage costs equal 31.9% of income, higher than the 28.6% rent burden.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Thomastown suits households wanting detached stock below many inner-north prices: the median house price is $720,000, after rising 84.6% from 2013 and sitting 2.6% below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak. Choice is family-oriented because 84.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 64.0% have 3 bedrooms. The trade-off is affordability pressure for borrowers: the typical mortgage is $1,690 a month and mortgage costs equal 31.9% of income, higher than the 28.6% rent burden.
For Investors
Investors face a yield story with clear caution signs. Renters make up 29.7% of households and the median rent is $350 a week, while rents grew 26.4% through the forecast shift period. Demand is supported by overseas migration averaging +423 people a year, higher than the -407 internal outflow in the opposite direction. However, the 6.9% vacancy rate is elevated and 20 development applications in 12 months point to fresh stock, so leasing risk matters more than simple headline affordability.
Development Activity
Total DAs
34
Last 12 Months
21
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+110.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Thomastown iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Thomastown East Primary School
Prep-6 · 331 students
St Clare's School
Prep-6 · 319 students
St John XXIII Primary School
Prep-6 · 228 students
Thomastown West Primary School
Prep-6 · 204 students
Thomastown Primary School
Prep-6 · 176 students
Demographics
Demographically, Thomastown is migrant-majority rather than simply outer-suburban. Some 54.2% of residents were born overseas, 32.6 percentage points above the national figure, with Italian 2,798, English 1,945, Macedonian 1,899 and Greek 1,547 among the largest ancestries. The median age is 39, 1.0 year below the national benchmark, and university attainment is 34.2%, 4.1 points above national. Arabic 1,021, Macedon 764 and Italian 664 speakers help explain the suburb's multilingual retail and school catchments.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.4%
Houses
9.5%
Townhouse
6.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing market is detached and mature, not apartment-led. Separate houses account for 84.4% of dwellings, compared with 6.1% apartments and 9.5% semi-detached homes, so family buyers dominate turnover. Prices have moved from $390,000 in 2013 to $720,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 84.6% gain and 4.5% CAGR over 14 years. Ownership is unusually settled for a middle-ring suburb: 44.3% own outright, higher than the 26.0% with a mortgage, which helps explain slower churn and strong attachment to older 3-bedroom stock.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$502
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.9%
Unoccupied
545
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.9% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.4%
Couples, no children
16,468
Total families
Economy & Employment
Thomastown's economy is broad but income-constrained. Healthcare is the largest local worker industry at 18.4% or 855 people, followed by construction at 10.2%, manufacturing at 8.7%, retail at 8.6% and education at 8.1%. Occupations tilt practical, with 1,201 labourers, 916 machinery or driver workers and 1,112 professionals. Household income ranks at the 26.8 percentile, while SEIFA places advantage and disadvantage low nationally: IRSD is decile 1 and IRSAD decile 2. Participation is 46.7% because 7,712 residents are not in the labour force.
Unemployment
8.8%
Labour Force
9,644
Unemployed
850
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.7%
Part-time
30.8%
Participation
46.7%
Employed
7,291
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.2%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
54.2%
Dwellings
7,339
Transport to Work
Livability is practical rather than transit-led. Commuting is car-heavy, with 84.9% driving compared with 6.1% using public transport and 2.0% walking or cycling, so daily convenience depends on road access. Schools are a strength for primary years: 8 local schools span ICSEA 926 to 1062, led by Thomastown East Primary at 1062, St Clare's School at 1043 and St John XXIII Primary at 1035 across Government and Catholic sectors. Safety is the constraint, with 107.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and IRSAD decile 2 nationally.
Drive
84.9%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.43%/yr
(-89 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is weak for an established suburb. The trend forecast is -0.43% a year, or -89 people annually, with the medium path easing from 20,252 in 2026 to 19,804 in 2031. The reason is churn: overseas migration is the primary driver at +423 people a year, but internal migration averages -407, so gains are almost cancelled. The shift profile is aging, with seniors up 4.4 points and the working-age share down 2.0 points. Gentrification is low, scored 10 and labelled Not gentrifying, below suburbs undergoing renewal.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+423
Net Internal / yr
-407
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -407/yr, Strong overseas inflow +423/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,179
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
107.7
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 Thomastown compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thomastown a good suburb to live in?
Thomastown can be a good fit if you value established houses, local schools and multicultural services. It has 84.4% separate houses, 8 schools and a median age of 39, but buyers should weigh the 107.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and car-heavy commuting.
What is the median house price in Thomastown?
The median house price in Thomastown is $720,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 2.6% below the Jan-Mar 2024 peak of $739,000, after a longer rise from $390,000 in 2013.
What schools are in Thomastown?
Thomastown has 8 local schools. The highest ICSEA entries are Thomastown East Primary School at 1062, St Clare's School at 1043 and St John XXIII Primary School at 1035, with Government and Catholic options.
Is Thomastown safe?
Thomastown records 2,179 offences, equal to 107.7 crimes per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 1,279, so safety checks should include street-level trends and property security.
Is Thomastown good for property investment?
Thomastown has investor appeal through a $350 weekly median rent and 29.7% renting households, but the 6.9% vacancy rate is a caution. Rents have grown 26.4%, while overseas migration adds an average 423 people a year.
How is Thomastown's population changing?
Thomastown is projected to edge lower rather than grow quickly. The trend is -0.43% a year, or -89 people annually, with the medium forecast moving from 20,252 in 2026 to 19,804 in 2031.
What languages are spoken in Thomastown?
Many households use a language other than English because 54.2% of residents were born overseas. The largest listed language groups include Arabic 1,021, Macedon 764, Italian 664, Greek 628 and Punjabi 423 speakers.
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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