Toongabbie
A 148.76 sq km footprint supports only 1,085 residents, giving Toongabbie a low density of 7.3 people per sq km. The housing pattern is unusually detached, with 99.2% separate houses, while the median age of 39 sits 1.0 year below the national figure. Compared with nearby Traralgon, this points to a more spacious, car-oriented setting suited to households wanting land and family-sized homes rather than apartment living. Household income sits at the 60.8th percentile nationally, and 82.9% of residents stayed at the same address, reinforcing a stable but lightly populated community profile.
Local council: Baw Baw (43% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
1,085
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,732/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$624K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Buyers get a strongly detached format: 52.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 41.6% have 4 or more, while 99.2% are separate houses. Mortgage repayments are listed at $1,400 per month, and mortgage costs equal 18.7% of household income. The 54.4% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 39.3% owned outright share, so borrowing households shape demand. This mix matters because buyers are mainly choosing established family housing, with fewer low-maintenance alternatives than in compact town-centre markets.
For Buyers
Buyers get a strongly detached format: 52.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 41.6% have 4 or more, while 99.2% are separate houses. Mortgage repayments are listed at $1,400 per month, and mortgage costs equal 18.7% of household income. The 54.4% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 39.3% owned outright share, so borrowing households shape demand. This mix matters because buyers are mainly choosing established family housing, with fewer low-maintenance alternatives than in compact town-centre markets.
For Investors
Toongabbie's investor case is shaped by a $270 weekly rent, a 12.4% vacancy rate and only 3.6% of households renting. Compared with a tightly held rental market, the vacancy figure signals that leasing demand may be uneven, so purchase selection and property management matter more than headline rent. The 99.2% separate-house share supports a clear family-home format, while 6 development applications in the past 12 months indicate some activity without a large construction pipeline. Rent growth of 40.0% has been strong, but the wider growth outlook is 1.55% annually and is driven primarily by overseas migration. That combination is better suited to a patient investor than a strategy relying on rapid turnover or immediate redevelopment uplift.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
8
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+166.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Toongabbie
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Toongabbie Primary School
Demographics
Toongabbie's median age is 39, just 1.0 year below the national comparison, while university attainment at 17.3% is 12.8 percentage points below the national rate. Overseas-born residents make up 5.3%, 16.3 points below the national comparison, consistent with an English, Irish and Scottish ancestry profile of 421, 131 and 112 people respectively. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 589 people, followed by Christianity at 372. Household size averages 2.7, 0.2 above the national figure, and couples with children account for 46.1% of families, compared with 41.8% couples without children. Stability is a defining feature because 82.9% stayed at the same address, while turnover was 17.1%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.2%
Houses
0.8%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-led: 54.4% of dwellings are mortgaged, 39.3% owned outright and only 3.6% rented. Compared with the more compact housing context around Traralgon, Toongabbie is overwhelmingly detached, with 99.2% separate houses and 0.8% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom stock represents 52.3%, and 4-plus-bedroom homes 41.6%, helping explain the suburb's appeal to established households but limiting apartment choice.
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$270
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$782
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.4%
Unoccupied
52
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.1%
Couples with children
41.8%
Couples, no children
12.5%
Single parent
304
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 20.6% or 68 workers, followed by construction at 15.2% or 50. Utilities, public administration and education each contribute 8.2% and 27 workers, making the industry base broader than a single trade-led economy. Occupationally, trades lead with 107 people, ahead of professionals at 70, labourers at 64, clerical and administrative workers at 62, and managers at 55. Labour-force participation is 61.4%, unemployment is 3.8% and 57.5% of employed residents work full time. The presence of 43 people employed away from the suburb suggests commuting remains part of the model, while healthcare, construction and public services provide the main employment anchors. Household income at the 60.8th percentile is above the midpoint nationally, supporting moderate purchasing capacity.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
526
Unemployed
20
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.5%
Part-time
34.0%
Participation
61.4%
Employed
506
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
5.3%
Dwellings
371
Transport to Work
Toongabbie suits residents comfortable with car travel and low-density living. Drivers account for 80.9% of journeys to work, compared with 1.1% using public transport and 2.7% walking or cycling; 10.8% work from home. One local government primary school provides local primary access, while families should check enrolment zones and nearby secondary options against the exact address. Recorded crime totalled 50 incidents, equal to 46.1 per 1,000 residents, with 31 justice procedures offences, 11 property and deception offences and 8 crimes against the person. Volunteering is 18.6%, and 4.0% of residents need assistance. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, the practical trade-off is more space and privacy but greater reliance on a car.
Drive
80.9%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
10.8%
Growth Outlook
Growth is positive but not uniform. The annual trend is 1.55%, and overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is labelled Mixed rather than a straight acceleration. Population change across the wider area is 26.1% over 10 years, but the gentrification score is 35 and remains at the Early signs stage. Rent growth of 40.0% is a stronger signal than the 0.6 percentage-point fall in the young share, while the senior share rose 1.4 points. Affordability was broadly stable, moving from 51.5 in 2011 to 50.4 in 2021, and real income growth reached 16.3%. Compared with a mature area with no incoming demand, Toongabbie's momentum is more credible, but the mixed trajectory argues for gradual change rather than a sudden transformation.
Population trend: Baw Baw council area
About 43% of Toongabbie sits in Baw Baw; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Toongabbie's.
Residents 2025
62,784
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
50
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
46.1
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 Toongabbie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toongabbie a good suburb to live in?
Toongabbie may suit households seeking detached housing, space and a quieter setting. It has 99.2% separate houses, a median age of 39 and 80.9% car-driver commuting, so it is better matched to buyers with cars than residents wanting frequent public transport. Public transport use is 1.1%, and local services should be checked against the exact address.
What schools are in Toongabbie?
Toongabbie Primary School is the local government primary option. Families should confirm enrolment zones and nearby secondary choices for the exact address, particularly because 80.9% of workers drive and only 1.1% use public transport. School access is best assessed by street and catchment, not just the suburb name.
Is Toongabbie safe?
Recorded crime was 50 incidents, or 46.1 per 1,000 residents. Justice procedures offences accounted for 31 incidents, followed by property and deception offences at 11 and crimes against the person at 8. These figures are not a guarantee of conditions at every address, so buyers should also consider the immediate street and property setting.
How is Toongabbie's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is 26.1% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 1.55%. Overseas migration is the primary driver. The trajectory is Mixed, and the gentrification score is 35 at the Early signs stage, so change is occurring without a clear rapid-redevelopment pattern. The young share fell 0.6 points while the senior share rose 1.4 points, suggesting gradual ageing alongside growth.
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).
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