Thornbury
Thornbury combines a dense inner-north setting with an educated, established population: 19,005 residents live across 5.13 square kilometres, or 3,702.7 people per square kilometre. The median age is 37, three years below the national figure, while 57.8% hold a university qualification, 27.7 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby Preston and Northcote, Thornbury sits in the same close-in inner-north market context. Its 42.3% renter share and 10.2% vacancy rate make turnover and apartment living more visible than in a conventional family suburb, because density supports smaller households and varied tenure.
Population
19,005
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,971/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
69
Median House
$1.5M
October to December 2025
Houses account for 51.4% of dwellings, while apartments are 24.5% and semi-detached homes 23.4%, so buyers can trade land for a smaller footprint. Two-bedroom homes make up 35.6% and three-bedroom homes 35.9%, giving Thornbury a stronger medium-density profile than a detached-house-only market. Prices are 2.8% below the Jul-Sep 2025 peak, although the current median remains 102.3% above the 2013 level. Dwelling type matters because owners-corporation fees, renovation needs and parking can materially change total holding costs.
For Buyers
Houses account for 51.4% of dwellings, while apartments are 24.5% and semi-detached homes 23.4%, so buyers can trade land for a smaller footprint. Two-bedroom homes make up 35.6% and three-bedroom homes 35.9%, giving Thornbury a stronger medium-density profile than a detached-house-only market. Prices are 2.8% below the Jul-Sep 2025 peak, although the current median remains 102.3% above the 2013 level. Dwelling type matters because owners-corporation fees, renovation needs and parking can materially change total holding costs.
For Investors
Thornbury has a large tenant base, with 42.3% of dwellings rented compared with 27.4% owned outright. Weekly rent is $391, while vacancy is 10.2%, an important variable because available stock can lengthen letting periods and moderate rent competition. The development pipeline recorded 65 applications in 12 months, signalling ongoing subdivision and small-unit activity rather than a static housing mix; one recent example involved 2 two-bedroom units. Rent growth of 36.1% supports the long-run case for rental demand, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Apartments and semi-detached homes together represent 47.9% of dwellings, close to the 51.4% separate-house share, so investors should compare maintenance, parking and tenant appeal by property type rather than relying only on the suburb median.
Development Activity
Total DAs
94
Last 12 Months
69
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+360.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Thornbury
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Virtual School Victoria
Penders Grove Primary School
St Mary's School
Thornbury Primary School
Wales Street Primary School
Demographics
Thornbury's demographic profile is younger and more tertiary-educated than the national average: the median age is 37, three years below national, and 57.8% have a university qualification, 27.7 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 27.4%, 5.8 points above the national share, while average household size is 2.3, or 0.2 below national. English ancestry is recorded by 5,648 people, followed by Irish at 2,729, Italian at 2,400 and Greek at 2,063. Greek is the most common reported non-English language, with 695 speakers. Couples with children represent 43.1% of families, compared with 40.7% couples without children. A 72.6% same-address share, above the 27.4% turnover rate, reinforces an established base beside Northcote and Preston.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
51.4%
Houses
23.4%
Townhouse
24.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Renting is higher than outright ownership, at 42.3% compared with 27.4%, while 29.2% hold a mortgage. Houses comprise 51.4%, compared with 24.5% apartments and 23.4% semi-detached homes. Two- and three-bedroom dwellings lead at 35.6% and 35.9%, because the compact, established form supports terraces, units and renovated smaller lots alongside detached houses.
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $391.
$525
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $798 · units $520
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,042
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
909
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.1%
Couples with children
40.7%
Couples, no children
14.3%
Single parent
4,773
Total families
Economy & Employment
Thornbury has a service-led labour market: healthcare accounts for 17.4% of employment, professional and technical work 15.4%, education 14.0%, public administration 8.6% and retail 5.8%. Professionals number 4,350 and managers 1,750, ahead of clerical and administrative workers at 1,230, matching the suburb's 57.8% university-educated population. Labour-force participation is 71.2%, full-time employment 59.6% and unemployment 4.7%, while household income ranks at the 74.1 percentile. The socioeconomic pattern is uneven: education and occupation sit in decile 9, IRSAD is also decile 9, but economic resources are decile 4 and disadvantage is decile 7.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
11,539
Unemployed
537
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
34.1%
Participation
71.2%
Employed
11,002
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.8%
Postgraduate
17.9%
Born Overseas
27.4%
Dwellings
7,992
Transport to Work
Thornbury supports practical inner-north living, with 6 local schools spanning 4 primary, 1 secondary and 1 primary/secondary setting; 5 are government and 1 is Catholic. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address, since boundaries can cut across the suburb. Daily travel is mixed: 50.3% work from home, compared with 35.9% who drive to work, 5.5% using public transport and 6.4% walking or cycling. That pattern suits households with flexible work, although car access matters more than public or active travel options. The IRSAD score is in decile 9, above the national midpoint, while recorded crime is 73.0 offences per 1,000 residents, including 1,033 property and deception offences out of 1,388 total. Safety decisions should consider street, building security and time of day because property offences form the largest category.
Drive
35.9%
Public Transport
5.5%
Walk / Cycle
6.4%
Work from Home
50.3%
Population Forecast
+0.54%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedThornbury is an established market with a measured growth profile. The annual trend is 0.54%, and population change across the wider area is 8.5% over 10 years, a steadier trajectory than high-growth fringe areas. Overseas migration is the primary driver, consistent with an overseas-born share of 27.4% and demand supported by continued arrivals. The shift profile labels the trajectory Stable, with rent growth of 36.1% and real income growth of 32.0%. Gentrification signals are mixed: one measure scores 45 and calls the stage Active, while another scores 24 and labels it Early signs. A 2.9% COVID dip was followed by 3.9% recovery.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+298
Net Internal / yr
-101
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +11% since 2011, Net internal outflow -101/yr, Strong overseas inflow +298/yr, COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,388
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
73.0
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 Thornbury compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Thornbury?
Thornbury has 6 local schools covering 4 primary settings, 1 secondary school and 1 primary/secondary provider. The mix is 5 government schools and 1 Catholic school, so families should compare the exact address with current enrolment zones.
Is Thornbury safe?
Recorded crime was 73.0 offences per 1,000 residents, with 1,388 total offences and 1,033 property and deception offences. That rate should be compared with current local benchmarks, while address-level checks remain important because building security and street conditions can differ.
Is Thornbury good for property investment?
Thornbury has 42.3% renting, $391 weekly rent and 10.2% vacancy, so tenant demand and available stock both need careful modelling. Rent growth of 36.1% and 65 development applications support the case, while renting is higher than outright ownership at 27.4%.
How is Thornbury's population changing?
The wider area's population change is 8.5% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 0.54%. The trajectory is Stable and overseas migration is the primary driver, while the 37 median age remains 3 years below the national figure.
What development is occurring in Thornbury?
There were 65 development applications in 12 months. Activity includes subdivision and construction of 2 two-bedroom units, pointing to incremental infill that is more visible than in a static housing mix.
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.
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