Tullamarine
Sitting beside Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine pairs a modest $724,500 median house price with a 192.9 per 1,000 crime rate that runs well above what its 6,733 residents would expect, and the airport context helps explain both. Household income lands in the 40.4th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 3 to 4 across all four SEIFA indexes, placing it in the lower half of the country for advantage. The housing stock is dominated by detached and semi-detached homes (59.4% and 39.7%) with almost no apartments at 0.9%, and 35.8% of residents were born overseas, 14.2 points above the national figure. The median age of 39 sits one year below national, yet the suburb is aging, with the senior share up 4.5 points over the decade.
Population
6,733
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,404/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$724K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $724,500 median sits below Melbourne's metropolitan average, and prices have actually eased 4.7% from the 2022 peak of $760,000, giving patient buyers some room to negotiate. The stock suits families rather than downsizers: 59.4% are separate houses and 39.7% semi-detached, while apartments make up just 0.9%, so a unit purchase is barely an option here. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 58.5%, with two-bedroom at 24.1% and four-plus at 15.1%, pointing to standard family homes rather than large estates. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.5%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 40.4th percentile. Outright owners at 32.9% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 31.7%, a sign of an established owner base rather than a wave of recent buyers.
For Buyers
The $724,500 median sits below Melbourne's metropolitan average, and prices have actually eased 4.7% from the 2022 peak of $760,000, giving patient buyers some room to negotiate. The stock suits families rather than downsizers: 59.4% are separate houses and 39.7% semi-detached, while apartments make up just 0.9%, so a unit purchase is barely an option here. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 58.5%, with two-bedroom at 24.1% and four-plus at 15.1%, pointing to standard family homes rather than large estates. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.5%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 40.4th percentile. Outright owners at 32.9% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 31.7%, a sign of an established owner base rather than a wave of recent buyers.
For Investors
A 35.4% renter share and weekly rent of $355 give landlords a working tenant pool, and against the $724,500 median that rent implies a gross yield near 2.5%, stronger than inner-Melbourne premium markets though still modest. The 8.3% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market would show, hinting at softer demand than the airport-adjacent location might suggest. Rent has grown 25.4% over the period, which supports income returns more than the flat 0.0% annual population trend does. Demand drivers are split: net overseas migration adds 115 residents a year while internal migration removes 136, leaving little natural growth. Development activity is light at 11 applications in 12 months, several of them small two-lot subdivisions rather than new dwelling supply, so the investment case here rests on yield and rent escalation rather than capital growth or new stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
22
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+83.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tullamarine iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Tullamarine Primary School
Prep-6 · 206 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is one year below the national figure, but the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.5 points while the working-age share fell 2.8 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 35.8%, which is 14.2 points above national, giving the suburb a strongly migrant character. Ancestry leans European, led by English (1,508), Italian (988), Irish (519) and Greek (408), and the top non-English languages are Arabic (242), Italian (151) and Greek (120). University qualifications sit at 29.3%, which is 0.8 points below national, a notably lower share than wealthier inner suburbs. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national. Christianity dominates with 4,031 residents, followed by Islam (309) and Hinduism (150), reflecting the migrant mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
59.4%
Houses
39.7%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits almost evenly: 32.9% own outright, 31.7% carry a mortgage and 35.4% rent, an unusually balanced spread for a detached-house suburb. The stock is 59.4% separate houses and 39.7% semi-detached, leaving apartments at just 0.9%, so this is firmly a low-rise family market. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 58.5% and two-bedroom 24.1%, while four-plus homes are 15.1%. The median house price rose from $395,000 in 2013 to $724,500 by mid-2024, an 83.4% gain over the period at a 4.4% compound annual rate, though it sits 4.7% below the 2022 peak of $760,000. Mortgage-to-income at 28.5% and rent-to-income at 25.3% both stay under stress thresholds, which is consistent with affordable detached housing relative to household incomes in the 40.4th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$355
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$726
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.3%
Unoccupied
255
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.3%
Couples, no children
5,111
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors: Healthcare leads at 13.4% (262 workers), Construction follows at 12.8% (250) and Education at 10.6% (207), with Transport at 9.1% (178) and Professional/Tech at 7.5% (146). The Transport share is higher than most suburbs, a direct effect of the adjacent airport and freight precinct. By occupation, Clerical/Admin (510) and Professionals (497) lead, followed by Community/Personal (369) and Managers (342). Unemployment runs at 6.6%, above the national average, and participation is just 53.8%, held down by 2,078 residents not in the labour force in an aging population. SEIFA places the suburb at decile 3 for IER and IRSD and decile 4 for IEO and IRSAD, all in the lower half nationally, with real incomes up only 6.2% over the decade.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
3,717
Unemployed
196
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.7%
Part-time
26.7%
Participation
53.8%
Employed
2,874
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.3%
Postgraduate
6.2%
Born Overseas
35.8%
Dwellings
2,810
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 89.2% of residents drive to work while only 2.3% take public transport and 2.7% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and a reflection of the airport-edge, low-density layout at 899 people per square kilometre. The crime rate of 192.9 per 1,000 is high, with property and deception offences (921 of 1,299 incidents) the dominant category, consistent with a transit and freight zone where opportunistic theft is common. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSAD, the lower half of the national advantage scale, and 8.5% of residents (540 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 7.2%, below stronger community suburbs. No schools are recorded inside the 7.49 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
89.2%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
0.0%/yr
EstablishedPopulation is effectively flat: annual growth registers 0.0% and the 10-year change is just 4.9%, classifying Tullamarine as an established, slow-growth suburb. The current 6,667 residents remain below the pre-COVID level of 6,835 after a 3.0% dip, having recovered only 0.6% off the low. Medium forecasts hold the population near 6,665 through 2031, so almost no expansion is expected. Overseas migration of 115 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 136. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, which fits a suburb sitting at decile 3 to 4 advantage with stable demographics and no upward pressure. Affordability improved slightly from 50.5% in 2011 to 48.4% in 2021, a modest gain compared with markets where prices have run ahead of incomes.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+115
Net Internal / yr
-136
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -136/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,299
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
192.9
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 Tullamarine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tullamarine a good suburb to live in?
Tullamarine offers affordable detached housing with a $724,500 median, well below Melbourne's metro average, and 59.4% of homes are separate houses. The trade-offs are a high crime rate of 192.9 per 1,000 and a SEIFA position in decile 3 to 4, the lower half nationally. It suits families wanting space near the airport.
What is the median house price in Tullamarine?
The median house price is $724,500 as of mid-2024, sitting 4.7% below the 2022 peak of $760,000. Over the longer run prices rose 83.4% from $395,000 in 2013, a 4.4% compound annual rate. Weekly rent averages $355 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,733.
What schools are in Tullamarine?
No schools are recorded inside the 7.49 square kilometre Tullamarine boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local share of university-qualified residents is 29.3%, which is 0.8 points below the national figure, a modest education profile.
Is Tullamarine safe?
Tullamarine records a crime rate of 192.9 per 1,000 residents, which is high for metropolitan Melbourne. Of 1,299 total offences, 921 are property and deception crimes, the dominant category. The pattern is typical of a suburb bordering an airport and freight precinct where opportunistic theft is common.
Is Tullamarine good for property investment?
Rent of $355 a week against a $724,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, stronger than premium inner suburbs but modest. The 8.3% vacancy rate signals soft demand, and 0.0% annual population growth means returns depend on rent escalation, which rose 25.4% over the period, rather than capital growth.
How is Tullamarine's population changing?
Population growth is 0.0% annually with a 4.9% rise over 10 years. The current 6,667 residents remain below the pre-COVID 6,835 after a 3.0% dip. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.5 points and the working-age share down 2.8 points over the decade, driven by overseas migration of 115 a year.
What languages are spoken in Tullamarine?
About 35.8% of residents were born overseas, 14.2 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Arabic (242 speakers), Italian (151) and Greek (120) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strongly migrant European and Middle Eastern resident 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), 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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