Trafalgar
A detached-house market and an aging trajectory shape Trafalgar more than apartment demand. The suburb has 4,349 residents, a median age of 41, and 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses, giving it a family-home profile compared with nearby Moe and Yarragon. Median age is 1 year above the national comparison, while 22.2% of residents hold university qualifications, 7.9 percentage points below the national figure. With 40.3% of homes owned outright, 37.1% mortgaged and 21.3% rented, long-term owners form a larger base than renters. That tenure mix supports established neighbourhood stability, while a 1.3% annual growth trend points to measured rather than rapid change.
Population
4,349
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,448/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$615K
October to December 2025
Trafalgar suits buyers seeking a conventional house and yard, because 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.3% contain 3 bedrooms, with another 33.9% offering 4 or more. A typical mortgage is listed at $1,432 per month, while mortgage costs equal 22.8% of household income, below a high-stress profile. Buyers should still compare streets carefully, as the 67.92 square kilometre suburb includes both established housing and semi-detached stock.
For Buyers
Trafalgar suits buyers seeking a conventional house and yard, because 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.3% contain 3 bedrooms, with another 33.9% offering 4 or more. A typical mortgage is listed at $1,432 per month, while mortgage costs equal 22.8% of household income, below a high-stress profile. Buyers should still compare streets carefully, as the 67.92 square kilometre suburb includes both established housing and semi-detached stock.
For Investors
Trafalgar offers a lower-entry regional rental market, with a median rent of $300 per week and 21.3% of households renting. The 7.2% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly constrained rental market, so investors may need to compete on property condition and tenant appeal rather than rely on scarcity. Rents have grown 50.0%, supporting the long-term income case, while rent costs represent 20.7% of household income, below the 22.8% mortgage measure. Only 4 development matters were recorded over 12 months, and balanced migration plus a gentrification score of 7, classified as Not gentrifying, point to steady demand rather than a rapid repricing cycle.
Development Activity
Total DAs
20
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Trafalgar
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Joseph's School
Trafalgar Primary School
Trafalgar High School
Demographics
Trafalgar has an older and more locally anchored profile than the national pattern. Its median age of 41 is 1 year above the national comparison, while 81.3% of residents stayed at the same address over the reference period. University attainment is 22.2%, 7.9 percentage points below national, and 10.3% of residents were born overseas, 11.3 points below national. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts are 1,891, 493 and 485 respectively, while no religion and Christianity account for 2,205 and 1,736 people. The average household size is 2.4, 0.1 below national, consistent with 40.6% of families being couples without children. These figures support an aging trajectory rather than a highly mobile, student-led market.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.7%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Trafalgar's housing market has delivered substantial long-term growth but limited recent escalation. Tenure is weighted toward ownership, with 40.3% owned outright and 37.1% mortgaged, compared with 21.3% rented. The 93.7% separate-house share is far higher than the 0.3% apartment share, and the 51.3% concentration of 3-bedroom homes reinforces the suburb's family-oriented housing pattern.
Mortgage / mo
$1,432
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$728
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
130
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.2%
Couples with children
40.6%
Couples, no children
18.4%
Single parent
1,171
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Trafalgar's largest industry at 19.9%, followed by education at 13.6%, construction at 12.0%, public administration at 8.8% and manufacturing at 6.9%. This mix supports local services and practical employment because it combines care, education, trades and government-linked work rather than relying on one sector. The leading occupations are professionals at 338 people, trades at 295 and labourers at 236, with community and personal service plus clerical and administrative roles each at 234. Unemployment is 3.5% and participation is 57.2%. Household income of $1,448 per week sits at the 43.9th percentile, below the national midpoint. SEIFA results are mixed: education and occupation rank in decile 6, while education and occupation disadvantage is decile 4, IRSD is decile 5 and IRSAD is decile 4, indicating average resources but pockets of disadvantage.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
1,986
Unemployed
70
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.2%
Part-time
35.5%
Participation
57.2%
Employed
1,916
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
10.3%
Dwellings
1,656
Transport to Work
Daily life in Trafalgar is strongly car-dependent: 76.9% of commuters drive, compared with 0.9% using public transport, while 12.7% work from home. That transport pattern reflects a 67.92 square kilometre suburb with a density of 64.0 people per square kilometre, so households should plan around private vehicle access. Families have 3 local schools across government and Catholic sectors, including primary and secondary options; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Recorded crime was 321 offences, or 73.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences numbered 183, higher than crimes against the person at 79 and justice procedures offences at 38. The IRSAD decile is 4 and the IRSD decile is 5, below higher-resource locations, while a 19.1% volunteering rate indicates meaningful local participation.
Drive
76.9%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.6%
Work from Home
12.7%
Population Forecast
+1.3%/yr
(+112 people/yr)
EstablishedTrafalgar's established forecast points to measured expansion rather than a rapid population surge. The annual trend is 1.3%, with Balanced migration as the primary driver, so growth is likely to depend on a mix of local moves and broader regional demand. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.2 percentage points and the working share down 3.8 points. Population change across the wider area is 18.2% over 10 years, higher than a static-market outlook, while real income growth is 16.2%. Gentrification is rated Not gentrifying with a score of 7, although the separate shift indicator is 48 and marked Active. Together, these measures suggest gradual household change and improving capacity to pay, without a clear premium-market transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+18
Net Internal / yr
+34
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +20% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
321
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
73.8
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 Trafalgar compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trafalgar a good suburb to live in?
Trafalgar can suit households wanting detached housing, local schools and a quieter regional setting. About 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses, the median age is 41, and 76.9% of commuters drive. Compared with larger regional centres, daily services and transport choices are more limited, so car access is important.
What schools are in Trafalgar?
Trafalgar has 3 local schools: Trafalgar Primary School, Trafalgar High School and St Joseph's School. The mix includes government primary and secondary education plus a Catholic primary option. School access depends on the exact address, so families should confirm enrolment zones before purchasing or signing a lease.
Is Trafalgar safe?
Trafalgar recorded 321 offences at a rate of 73.8 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 183 incidents, higher than crimes against the person at 79. Safety can vary by street and time, so buyers and renters should inspect the immediate area and review current local incidents.
Is Trafalgar good for property investment?
Trafalgar has a moderate investment case, with a $300 weekly median rent, 21.3% of households renting and 7.2% vacancy. Rents have grown 50.0%, but the vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market. The 1.3% annual growth trend and gentrification score of 7 favour steady holding strategies over speculative growth.
How is Trafalgar's population changing?
The wider-area forecast records an annual growth trend of 1.3% and identifies migration as Balanced. Trafalgar's trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.2 percentage points and the working share down 3.8 points. Population change across the wider area is 18.2% over 10 years, indicating growth alongside a gradual shift toward older households.
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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