Toongabbie
With 99.2% of dwellings being separate houses and a 12.4% vacancy rate, Toongabbie is one of those small rural VIC towns where land is plentiful but renters are rare. The population of 1,085 is spread across 148.76 km2, giving a density of just 7.3 people per km2, far below the national average. House prices reached $638,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, rising from $234,000 in 2013, a 172.6% gain over 14 years. Household income sits at the 60.8th percentile nationally, and 82.9% of residents stayed in the same address for the past five years, pointing to a deeply settled, stable community.
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
4
Median House
$638K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price of $638,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024 reflects a market that has grown at 7.4% per year since 2013 (from $234,000). The peak of $660,000 was reached in Oct-Dec 2023, and the current price sits 3.3% below that peak. With 99.2% of stock being separate houses, buyers have very little choice of dwelling type. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most metro markets. Four-bedroom-plus homes make up 41.6% of stock, which is higher than the national mix, making the suburb well-suited to families looking for space at a lower price point than metro VIC.
For Buyers
The median house price of $638,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024 reflects a market that has grown at 7.4% per year since 2013 (from $234,000). The peak of $660,000 was reached in Oct-Dec 2023, and the current price sits 3.3% below that peak. With 99.2% of stock being separate houses, buyers have very little choice of dwelling type. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most metro markets. Four-bedroom-plus homes make up 41.6% of stock, which is higher than the national mix, making the suburb well-suited to families looking for space at a lower price point than metro VIC.
For Investors
The rental market is thin: only 3.7% of dwellings are rented, far below the national average, and weekly rent sits at $270. Against the $638,000 median, that implies a gross yield around 2.2%. The vacancy rate of 12.4% is high and signals limited rental demand, making this a predominantly owner-occupier market where property is held for lifestyle or capital growth rather than income. Development activity is modest at 4 applications in the past 12 months, predominantly subdivision permits. The price CAGR of 7.4% over 14 years is the strongest investment argument, though national and state comparisons suggest this reflects broad regional VIC land appreciation rather than unique local demand drivers.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Toongabbie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Toongabbie Primary School
Prep-6 · 55 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, suggesting a relatively younger profile than comparable regional towns. Only 5.3% of residents were born overseas, which is 16.3 percentage points below the national average, indicating a predominantly locally-born population. Ancestry reflects strong Anglo-Celtic heritage: English (421), Irish (131) and Scottish (112) top the list. University qualifications stand at 17.3%, which is 12.8 percentage points below national, consistent with a blue-collar and agricultural regional profile. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure, and couples with children (363) outnumber couples without children (258) among the suburb's 882 families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.2%
Houses
0.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership rates are striking compared to national norms: 40.4% own their home outright and 55.9% hold a mortgage, leaving just 3.7% renting. This high outright-ownership share typically signals a long-established community where households have had time to pay down debt. Virtually all dwellings (99.2%) are separate houses, with semi-detached at just 0.8% and no apartment stock recorded. Bedroom sizes skew large: 41.6% have four or more bedrooms and 52.3% have three bedrooms. The price history shows a steady climb from $234,000 in 2013 to $638,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 172.6% total increase. Rent-to-income at 15.6% is low, well below the 30% stress level, consistent with affordable rents relative to local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wk
$270
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
29.3%
Couples, no children
882
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 20.6% of the local workforce (68 workers), followed by Construction at 15.2% (50 workers) and three sectors tied at 8.2%: Utilities, Public Admin and Education. By occupation, Professionals lead with 70 workers, followed closely by Labourers (64), Clerical/Admin (62) and Managers (55), showing a mixed blue-collar and white-collar workforce. The unemployment rate is 4.1%, slightly above the national average, and the full-time employment rate of 62.9% is moderate. The participation rate is 56.4%, below national, because 265 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the rural lifestyle nature of the area. Household income at the 60.8th percentile nationally sits above median but is not exceptional.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.9%
Part-time
33.0%
Participation
56.4%
Employed
463
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
5.3%
Dwellings
371
Transport to Work
Transport in Toongabbie is almost entirely car-dependent: 90.7% commute as car drivers, compared to just 1.3% using public transport and 3.0% walking or cycling, consistent with a low-density rural area at 7.3 people per km2. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset. The crime rate of 46.1 incidents per 1,000 residents covers 50 total offences, led by justice procedures offences (31) and property and deception offences (11). The rent-to-income ratio of 15.6% and mortgage-to-income of 18.7% are both well below stress thresholds, making housing costs manageable relative to income. The volunteering rate of 18.6% is above the national average, reflecting the community engagement typical of smaller rural towns.
Drive
90.7%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
N/A
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 suits buyers seeking space and stability. Household income sits at the 60.8th percentile nationally, mortgage costs are only 18.7% of income (well below the 30% stress threshold), and 82.9% of residents have not moved in the past 5 years. The trade-offs are limited public transport and a 12.4% vacancy rate suggesting thin services.
What is the median house price in Toongabbie?
The median house price is $638,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024. Prices peaked at $660,000 in Oct-Dec 2023 and have eased 3.3% since. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400. The suburb has grown 172.6% from its 2013 price of $234,000.
What schools are in Toongabbie?
No schools are recorded within the Toongabbie boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby towns. Locally, 17.3% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.8 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the regional and vocational character of the area.
Is Toongabbie safe?
Toongabbie recorded 50 total offences, giving a crime rate of 46.1 per 1,000 residents. The largest category is justice procedures offences (31 incidents), followed by property and deception offences (11) and crimes against the person (8). These figures are based on a small population of 1,085, so rates can shift significantly with a handful of incidents.
Is Toongabbie good for property investment?
The 14-year price CAGR of 7.4% (from $234,000 to $638,000) is the main investment argument. However, rental demand is very low at 3.7% renter share, the vacancy rate is 12.4%, and weekly rent of $270 implies a gross yield around 2.2% against the $638,000 median. It suits buy-and-hold capital growth investors more than income-focused landlords.
How is Toongabbie's population changing?
No population forecast data is available for Toongabbie in this dataset. The current population is 1,085 across 148.76 km2. Resident stability is high: 82.9% of people stayed at the same address, and the annual turnover rate is just 17.1%, lower than most comparable regional towns.
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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