Westmeadows
House prices in Westmeadows nearly doubled over the past decade, rising 98.1% from $386,500 in 2013 to a current median of $765,500, a 5.0% compound annual rate. Yet the suburb sits squarely in the middle nationally, with household income in the 51.1st percentile and SEIFA advantage scores in decile 4 on three of four indexes. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, at 76.9% separate houses against just 0.8% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 61.2%. Born-overseas residents reach 30.0%, which is 8.4 points above the national figure, giving the 6,502-person suburb a more migrant character than its modest income percentile would suggest.
Population
6,502
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,564/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$766K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $765,500 median house price (Apr-Jun 2024) keeps Westmeadows affordable relative to inner Melbourne, and the price has effectively peaked at this level after climbing from $662,500 in early 2024. Buyers are almost always buying a house rather than an apartment, since 76.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.8% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 61.2% of stock and four-plus bedroom homes another 25.8%, so the market suits families rather than singles. Affordability is the draw: average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and no mortgage stress flag is recorded. Outright owners (34.5%) and mortgage holders (39.4%) together mean roughly three in four dwellings are owner-occupied, higher than the 26.0% renting.
For Buyers
The $765,500 median house price (Apr-Jun 2024) keeps Westmeadows affordable relative to inner Melbourne, and the price has effectively peaked at this level after climbing from $662,500 in early 2024. Buyers are almost always buying a house rather than an apartment, since 76.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.8% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 61.2% of stock and four-plus bedroom homes another 25.8%, so the market suits families rather than singles. Affordability is the draw: average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and no mortgage stress flag is recorded. Outright owners (34.5%) and mortgage holders (39.4%) together mean roughly three in four dwellings are owner-occupied, higher than the 26.0% renting.
For Investors
With 26.0% of dwellings rented and weekly rent of $360, Westmeadows offers landlords a gross yield near 2.4% against the $765,500 median, modest but typical for detached outer-Melbourne stock. Rent grew 23.7% over the measured period, faster than capital values lately, and the 5.5% vacancy rate points to a slightly loose rental market rather than acute shortage. Demand is underpinned by overseas migration, the primary driver, adding about 204 residents a year to the wider area, though net internal migration runs at minus 244, so the population is churning rather than surging. Development is thin at 8 applications in 12 months, which limits new supply and supports existing values. The investment case rests on the long-run 5.0% CAGR and rent escalation more than yield, given growth is essentially flat.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
7
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+600.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Westmeadows iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Westmeadows Primary School
Prep-6 · 463 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, but the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.2 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.7 points. University qualifications reach 26.2%, which is 3.9 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades, clerical and care roles rather than professional ones. The migrant mix is pronounced, with 30.0% born overseas, 8.4 points above national. Ancestry leans English (1,552) and Italian (859), and the top non-English languages are Arabic (175), Italian (119) and Greek (62). Average household size is 2.5, exactly the national average, and couples with children (1,876 families) outnumber couples without children (1,297), a family-heavy profile that fits the detached three-bedroom housing stock. Islam (719 residents) is a notable second religion behind Christianity (3,325).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.9%
Houses
22.3%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-dominated: 39.4% carry a mortgage, 34.5% own outright and only 26.0% rent, so nearly three-quarters of dwellings are owner-occupied, above the renting share. The stock is 76.9% separate houses and 22.3% semi-detached, with apartments at just 0.8%, which keeps the market detached and family-oriented. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 61.2% and four-plus bedroom homes 25.8%, while one and two-bedroom homes are scarce at 13.0% combined. The median house price rose from $386,500 in 2013 to $765,500 by Apr-Jun 2024, a 98.1% gain at 5.0% compound annual growth, though it has plateaued at the current peak. Both stress measures stay comfortable: mortgage-to-income at 25.6% and rent-to-income at 23.0% both sit below the 30% threshold, reflecting how affordable the suburb remains relative to median Melbourne prices.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (Apr-Jun 2024)
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$360
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$694
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
140
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.0%
Couples, no children
5,187
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in services and trades rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 14.0% (254 workers), Construction follows at 13.2% (240) and Education at 12.8% (232), with Transport at 8.4% and Public Admin at 8.3%. By occupation, Professionals (477) and Clerical/Admin (471) are close to even, followed by Community/Personal (351), Managers (300) and Labourers (292), a broad spread that explains why university qualifications sit 3.9 points below national. Unemployment is elevated at 7.7% and participation is low at 53.5%, partly because 1,967 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA reads decile 4 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO but decile 5 on IER (economic resources), the one index above the bottom half, because the high owner-occupier base lifts household resource measures even where education and income lag.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
9,707
Unemployed
516
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
26.9%
Participation
53.5%
Employed
2,667
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.2%
Postgraduate
5.5%
Born Overseas
30.0%
Dwellings
2,419
Transport to Work
Westmeadows is heavily car-dependent: 90.7% of commuters drive, well above the national average, while only 3.0% use public transport and 1.4% walk or cycle, reflecting an outer-Melbourne setting at 1,342 residents per km2. The crime rate is 70.4 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (230 of 458 total) the dominant category, followed by justice procedures (90) and crimes against the person (80), a profile weighted toward property crime rather than violence. No schools are recorded inside the 4.84 km2 suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSAD, the middle of the national distribution, and 9.2% of residents need daily assistance, slightly elevated and consistent with the aging trajectory.
Drive
90.7%
Public Transport
3.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.01%/yr
(-2 people/yr)
EstablishedWestmeadows is an established, slow-growth suburb: the annual population trend is essentially flat at minus 0.01%, and the 10-year change was a modest 5.4%. Overseas migration is the only positive driver, adding about 204 residents a year, but it is offset by net internal outflow of 244, leaving little natural expansion. Medium forecasts hold the wider area broadly steady through 2031 rather than projecting meaningful growth. The gentrification score is just 10 of a possible range, classed as not gentrifying, which fits a suburb where real income grew only 2.3% over the decade and affordability barely moved, from 55.7% in 2011 to 54.7% in 2021. The aging trajectory, with the senior share up 6.2 points, reinforces a stable rather than transforming demographic outlook.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+204
Net Internal / yr
-244
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -244/yr, Strong overseas inflow +204/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
458
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
70.4
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 Westmeadows compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Westmeadows a good suburb to live in?
Westmeadows sits mid-pack nationally, scoring decile 4 on IRSAD with household income in the 51.1st percentile. Its appeal is affordability and a family-friendly detached housing stock at 76.9% separate houses. The trade-offs are heavy car dependence, with 90.7% driving, and a crime rate of 70.4 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Westmeadows?
The median house price is $765,500 as of Apr-Jun 2024, up 98.1% from $386,500 in 2013, a 5.0% compound annual rate. Weekly rent averages $360 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Westmeadows?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.84 km2 Westmeadows boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area skews family-heavy, with 1,876 couple-with-children families and three-bedroom homes making up 61.2% of dwellings.
Is Westmeadows safe?
Westmeadows records a crime rate of 70.4 per 1,000 residents, with 458 offences in total. Property and deception offences dominate at 230, while crimes against the person are lower at 80, so the profile is weighted toward property crime rather than violence.
Is Westmeadows good for property investment?
Rent of $360 a week against a $765,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.4%, modest for detached stock, and the 5.5% vacancy rate signals a slightly loose rental market. Rent grew 23.7% over the period and overseas migration adds about 204 residents a year, but flat population growth means returns lean on the 5.0% long-run CAGR.
How is Westmeadows's population changing?
The annual population trend is essentially flat at minus 0.01%, with a modest 5.4% rise over 10 years. Overseas migration adds about 204 residents a year but is offset by net internal outflow of 244. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.2 points over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Westmeadows?
About 30.0% of residents were born overseas, 8.4 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Arabic (175 speakers), Italian (119), Greek (62) and Urdu (43) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strongly migrant 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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