Bundoora (Vic.)
VICBundoora (Vic.) is a stable suburb in VIC with 28,068 residents.
- SAL code
- 20399
- SA2
- 209011196
- Population
- 28,068
Bundoora (Vic.), VIC had 28,068 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area roughly steady over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,000 a month. Around 68.8% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 36.5%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 76.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 85 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Bundoora (Vic.), VIC at a glance
Bundoora is an established middle-ring suburb ~15 km north-east of Melbourne CBD, straddling the Banyule, Whittlesea and Darebin LGAs. Two universities (La Trobe and RMIT Bundoora), the Polaris and Uni Hill retail nodes, and the Route 86 tram terminus give it a campus-meets-suburbia feel. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Bundoora is a mixed dwelling suburb — older 3- and 4-bedroom brick houses on standard lots through the residential pockets, and newer townhouses and apartments around the University Hill and Polaris precincts. Plenty Gardens, Bundoora Park (with the Bundoora Park Farm) and Gresswell Forest anchor recreation. Polaris Shopping Centre and Uni Hill Factory Outlets cover daily retail; Northland is ~10 min by car. The Route 86 tram runs the length of Plenty Road from Bundoora RMIT to the CBD (~1 hour); Macleod and Watsonia stations on the Hurstbridge line are ~5-10 min by car. Notable schools include Parade College (Catholic boys, Plenty Road), Loyola College on the Watsonia border, and Bundoora Secondary College. La Trobe University's main campus dominates the south of the suburb. In short: a practical middle-ring option with university energy, decent retail and tram access — busier and more transient than the family-only suburbs around it.
For investors
Bundoora is a yield-modest, supply-deep market with a student-rental tilt. Median house $900,000 with $590/wk rent → ~3.4% gross yield; median unit $515,000 with $500/wk rent → ~5.04% gross yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month growth +4.23% houses, +3.00% units. 340 house + 165 unit sales in the past 12 months — a deep, liquid market. Days-on-market 26 (houses) / 33 (units); vacancy ~1.75%.
Strengths
- Deep transaction market (~505 sales/yr across houses + units) — easy to enter and exit at scale.
- Unit yields ~5.04% supported by La Trobe + RMIT Bundoora student-rental demand (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Major long-cycle infrastructure pipeline: La Trobe University City of the Future ($5B, 20,000+ jobs) plus a planned Suburban Rail Loop station at Bundoora.
- Diversified dwelling stock (houses, townhouses, apartments) gives multiple entry points and value-add options.
Trade-offs
- House gross yield ~3.4% is below metro Melbourne average — capital-growth dependent rather than cashflow.
- Three-LGA split (Banyule, Whittlesea, Darebin) means rates, planning rules and capital works programs vary block to block — diligence required.
- Higher tenant churn than non-university suburbs; vacancy ~1.75% and 26-33 days-on-market reflect a market that turns over rather than holds.
- 12-month house growth +4.23% trails several outer-Melbourne corridors over the same window (Your Investment Property May 2026).
What's coming
Banyule's 2025-2029 Plan and Budget continues funding for Bundoora Community Hall and corridor renewal along Plenty Road. The bigger story is structural: La Trobe University City of the Future is a $5B, multi-decade redevelopment of the campus into a research, health and residential precinct, and a Suburban Rail Loop station at Bundoora is in the early-works pipeline. The $82M La Trobe Health Clinic is due to complete mid-2026.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a connected middle-ring suburb with university energy, retail and tram access, if you accept the busier feel. For investors: a deep, liquid market with stronger unit yields than house yields and a long-dated infrastructure tailwind.
Population
?28,068
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+0.4%
3yr: +5.3% · 10yr: +2.0%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,668/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.4%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
7
4 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?17
9 long day, 4 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?85
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?81
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Bundoora - East (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Bundoora (Vic.) suburb alone is ~28,068 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,890 to 10,339 over 24 years, averaging 0.6% per year.
Schools
7 in suburbSector
4 public · 3 private
Type
3 primary · 2 secondary · 1 K-12 · 1 special
Total enrolment
4,380
Avg per school
626
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.3%Almost entirely detached houses (76.1%), mixed tenure (68.8% own or mortgage), built for families (45% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
22 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 17.1% | 2.94 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 16.0% | 2.76 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 14.8% | 2.55 km² |
| GRZ5 | General Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 14.2% | 2.45 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 8.4% | 1.45 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 6.5% | 1.13 km² |
| SUZ3 | Special Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 6.0% | 1.03 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 3.6% | 0.63 km² |
| GRZ4 | General Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 2.2% | 0.38 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 2.0% | 0.34 km² |
| GRZ6 | General Residential Zone Schedule 6Residential | 1.9% | 0.32 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 1.8% | 0.31 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.8% | 0.15 km² |
| PUZ3 | Public Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.7% | 0.11 km² |
| CA | CAOther | 0.6% | 0.11 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.6% | 0.10 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.6% | 0.10 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.5% | 0.09 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.5% | 0.09 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.5% | 0.08 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.3% | 0.04 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 0.2% | 0.04 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.