Williamstown North
A compact 1.79 sq km footprint supports 1,622 residents at 903.8 people per sq km, while a median age of 42 sits 2 years above the national benchmark. Household income reaches the 82.4th percentile, yet the 10.7% vacancy rate and 137.5 offences per 1,000 people create a more complex picture than income alone. The housing mix is led by semi-detached homes at 42.2%, followed by separate houses at 38.9%. Compared with a broader Williamstown or Newport search, this smaller market makes tenure, vacancy and street-level checks more consequential, especially along an aging trajectory.
Local council: Hobsons Bay
Population
1,622
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,166/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$1.3M
October to December 2025
A $2,383 monthly mortgage equals 25.4% of household income, with mortgage stress flagged false, while weekly rent is $400 and rent-to-income is 18.5%. Buyers get a less conventional stock mix: 42.2% semi-detached, 38.9% separate houses and 18.9% apartments, with 3-bedroom homes making up 48.9%. That mix can widen choice for downsizers and smaller households, but price recovery from 2023 remains incomplete. Compared with the 2013 entry point, the long-run 2.8% CAGR still points to a materially higher ownership hurdle.
For Buyers
A $2,383 monthly mortgage equals 25.4% of household income, with mortgage stress flagged false, while weekly rent is $400 and rent-to-income is 18.5%. Buyers get a less conventional stock mix: 42.2% semi-detached, 38.9% separate houses and 18.9% apartments, with 3-bedroom homes making up 48.9%. That mix can widen choice for downsizers and smaller households, but price recovery from 2023 remains incomplete. Compared with the 2013 entry point, the long-run 2.8% CAGR still points to a materially higher ownership hurdle.
For Investors
Investors face a 37.0% renting share, $400 weekly median rent and a 10.7% vacancy rate, a high-vacancy profile that can lengthen leasing decisions even when tenant demand is present. Rent-to-income is 18.5% and rent stress is not flagged, supporting a manageable position for existing renters, although vacancy means headline yield should not be read as guaranteed. Rent growth of 45.2% is higher than the 7.9% population change across the wider area over 10 years, so price and rent performance have not moved in lockstep. Development activity totalled 12 applications in 12 months, including 2-lot subdivisions and expanded commercial use. The established market's 0.6% annual trend is driven by overseas migration, which may support demand without implying rapid turnover.
Development Activity
Total DAs
17
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+500.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$7K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Williamstown North has a median age of 42, 2 years above the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.3, 0.2 below the national figure. University attainment is 44.8%, or 14.7 percentage points above the national benchmark, while the overseas-born share is 26.6%, 5.0 points higher than nationally. English ancestry leads at 567 people, followed by Scottish at 205, Irish at 204 and Italian at 104; Greek is the only recorded language count at 12. No religion is reported by 778 residents and Christianity by 680. The household mix helps explain the aging trajectory: couples without children account for 37.1%, couples with children 46.4% and one-parent families 14.8%. Compared with a younger, larger-household profile, these smaller households and higher age point to steady demand for manageable dwellings and local services.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
38.9%
Houses
42.2%
Townhouse
18.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Property values have moved unevenly. Tenure is split between 24.5% owned outright, 36.9% with a mortgage and 37.0% renting, so the suburb has a substantial mobile and debt-exposed segment. Three-bedroom homes account for 48.9%, while 0-1 bedroom dwellings are 15.2%, 2-bedroom homes 19.1% and 4-plus homes 16.8%. Semi-detached dwellings at 42.2% are higher than separate houses at 38.9%, with apartments at 18.9%. Compared with the 2013 baseline, ownership now costs materially more, even though values remain below the peak.
Mortgage / mo
$2,383
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$400
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$963
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.7%
Unoccupied
78
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.4%
Couples with children
37.1%
Couples, no children
14.8%
Single parent
420
Total families
Economy & Employment
Household income sits at the 82.4th percentile, consistent with a skilled employment base, but the labour market is not frictionless: participation is 67.3%, unemployment 5.7% and 54 people are unemployed within a labour force of 944. Professional/Tech is the largest industry at 12.5% and 80 workers, followed by Healthcare at 11.9% and 76, Education at 11.0% and 70, Construction at 10.8% and 69, and Finance at 8.0% and 51. Occupations are led by Professionals at 249 and Managers at 138, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 120, Community/Personal at 102 and Sales at 92. Full-time employment is 60.6%, with 539 full-time and 285 part-time workers. SEIFA results sit above the midpoint: IEO decile 9, IER decile 8, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9. The high education and advantage scores help explain income strength, while the 5.7% unemployment rate shows that advantage is not uniform.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
944
Unemployed
54
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.6%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
67.3%
Employed
890
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.8%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
26.6%
Dwellings
651
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented and home-based: 47.0% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.9% using public transport and 3.9% walking or cycling, while 43.0% work from home. That pattern can suit households with flexible work and vehicles, but it makes local connectivity worth checking at the exact address. Recorded crime totals 223 offences, including 127 property and deception offences, 26 public order and security offences, 26 justice procedures offences and 23 drug offences; the rate is 137.5 per 1,000 people, so safety deserves more than a simple suburb label. IRSAD and IRSD both sit in decile 9, with IEO at 9 and IER at 8, placing disadvantage measures above the national midpoint. Families should check enrolment zones and nearby government, Catholic and independent options around Williamstown and Newport, because school catchments can cross the 1.79 sq km suburb boundary. Compared with a fully walkable inner suburb, the transport profile places more weight on planning trips and services.
Drive
47.0%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
43.0%
Growth Outlook
Williamstown North has an established growth profile rather than a rapid expansion pattern. The annual trend is 0.6%, with Overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 7.9% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share has increased 5.2 percentage points, the young share has fallen 2.7 points and the working share has declined 3.0 points. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage with a score of 24, so renewal pressure is present but not yet dominant. The area absorbed a COVID dip of 4.3% and recorded a 4.9% recovery. Compared with a high-growth corridor, the 0.6% pace points to gradual change, with overseas migration and demographic aging shaping demand more than rapid population expansion.
Population trend: Hobsons Bay council area
Williamstown North sits in the Hobsons Bay council area. These are the council area's residents, not Williamstown North's.
Residents 2025
97,031
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
223
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
137.5
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 Williamstown North compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Williamstown North a good suburb to live in?
Williamstown North can suit buyers who value a compact setting, professional employment and work-from-home capacity. The median age is 42, 43.0% work from home and household income is at the 82.4th percentile, but the 137.5 per 1,000 crime rate and car-oriented travel profile deserve careful street-level checking.
What schools are in Williamstown North?
School access should be checked against the exact address because enrolment zones can cross the 1.79 sq km suburb boundary. Compare nearby government, Catholic and independent options in Williamstown and Newport, and confirm current intake rules before relying on a school choice.
Is Williamstown North safe?
Safety is mixed rather than reducible to a simple yes or no. There were 223 recorded offences at a rate of 137.5 per 1,000 people, including 127 property and deception offences. Buyers and renters should compare the immediate street, lighting, parking and travel patterns before deciding.
Is Williamstown North good for property investment?
Williamstown North may suit investors seeking an established market with 37.0% renters, $400 weekly rent and 12 development applications across 12 months. The 10.7% vacancy rate is high, so leasing assumptions need a buffer. Overseas migration drives a 0.6% annual growth trend, while rent growth has reached 45.2%.
How is Williamstown North's population changing?
Population change is gradual and aging-led. The suburb has 1,622 residents today, while the wider area's 10-year population change is 7.9% and the annual trend is 0.6%. The senior share rose 5.2 percentage points, the young share fell 2.7 points and overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Compared with a rapid-growth profile, change is measured.
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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