Dandenong
VICDandenong is a stable suburb in VIC with 30,127 residents.
- SAL code
- 20707
- SA2
- 212041563
- Population
- 30,127
Dandenong, VIC had 30,127 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 33. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,517 a month. Around 43.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 52.7%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 41.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 28 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
Dandenong, VIC at a glance
Dandenong is a major south-east Melbourne activity centre ~29 km from the CBD in the City of Greater Dandenong. It's a true multicultural commercial hub — Lonsdale Street shops, Dandenong Market, the Drum Theatre, and a regional train interchange — with a mix of older detached houses and a fast-rising apartment / townhouse pipeline tied to the Revitalising Central Dandenong program. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council-pipeline context.
For homebuyers
Dandenong feels less like a dormitory suburb and more like its own small city. The CBD strip along Lonsdale Street carries the day-to-day shopping, the Dandenong Market is a weekly anchor for fresh produce and food from across the world, and the Drum Theatre (226 Lonsdale St) handles the cultural side. Stock is a mix: older 1950s-60s weatherboards and brick veneers on standard lots, plus a growing wave of townhouses and apartments around the activity centre. Dandenong railway station is the interchange for the Pakenham, Cranbourne and Gippsland V/Line services, putting Flinders Street roughly 45-55 minutes away. Dandenong Plaza and Dandenong Hospital sit within the CBD; Westfield Fountain Gate is ~10 minutes east. Heritage Hill Museum + Gardens and Greaves Reserve handle the green-space side. In short: an affordable, transport-rich, multicultural foothold close to the south-east jobs corridor, with quality-of-life trade-offs to weigh.
For investors
Dandenong is a yield-light, redevelopment-leveraged play. Median house ~$765,000 against ~$530/week rent gives a ~3.6-3.7% gross yield (Your Investment Property + propertyvalue.com.au, May 2026); units sit around $425-480K with stronger 12-month growth (~5-9%, htag/Woodards Mar 2026). Days-on-market ~31-48 for houses, vacancy ~1.28%. ~305 unit sales and a deep house market in the past 12 months — easy to enter, slower to flip.
Strengths
- Major activity centre — train interchange (Pakenham + Cranbourne + Gippsland V/Line) and the Lonsdale Street CBD anchor leasing demand.
- Unit segment showing healthier 12-month growth (~5-9%, htag/Woodards Mar 2026) than houses.
- $290M Victorian Government Revitalising Central Dandenong program already ~$700M deployed; first-stage construction (supermarket, food market hall, residential) starting 2025/26.
- Tight vacancy (~1.28%) and ~305 unit sales in 12 months supports both leasing and resale liquidity.
Trade-offs
- Gross yield on houses ~3.6-3.7% (May 2026 sources) — well below regional VIC and outer-Melbourne growth-corridor benchmarks.
- SEIFA IRSAD on the lower end (Greater Dandenong LGA historically among Melbourne's most disadvantaged); tenant due diligence matters.
- Long days-on-market (~31-48 for houses) signals a slower house resale cycle than tight inner-Melbourne markets.
- Heavy apartment + townhouse pipeline tied to Central Dandenong masterplan (470+ new dwellings in stage one alone) could compress unit yield mid-decade.
What's coming
City of Greater Dandenong's 2025-26 Budget carries a $119.9M capital works program, including the Dandenong Wellbeing Centre and infrastructure renewal. Development Victoria's Revitalising Central Dandenong masterplan moves into delivery in 2025/26 — first stage covers a supermarket, food market hall and residential alongside a redeveloped Little India precinct, with 470+ new dwellings, a hotel, offices, education and entertainment uses across the wider plan.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an affordable, transport-rich activity centre with genuine cultural depth, if you're comfortable with the SEIFA + density profile. For investors: a unit-led growth + redevelopment play rather than a yield play.
Population
?30,127
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+1.4%
3yr: +9.3% · 10yr: +3.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,267/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
33
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?16.9%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
9
6 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?31
14 long day, 11 OSHC, 3 family
Parks & green space
?28
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?205
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 — Dandenong - North (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Dandenong suburb alone is ~30,127 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 16,806 to 23,327 over 24 years, averaging 1.4% per year.
Schools
9 in suburbSector
6 public · 3 private
Type
6 primary · 2 secondary · 1 special
Total enrolment
5,262
Avg per school
585
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 4.8%Mostly detached houses (41.5%), rental-heavy (52.7% renting), built for families (44% are 2 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
20 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 38.7% | 4.41 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 9.5% | 1.08 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 8.3% | 0.95 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 6.2% | 0.71 km² |
| CDZ2 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 2Business | 6.0% | 0.68 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 5.5% | 0.63 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 3.8% | 0.43 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 3.5% | 0.40 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 3.2% | 0.36 km² |
| RGZ2 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 2Residential | 3.1% | 0.35 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 2.6% | 0.30 km² |
| CDZ1 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 1Business | 2.2% | 0.25 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 1.7% | 0.20 km² |
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 1.6% | 0.18 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.3% | 0.15 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 1.1% | 0.13 km² |
| PUZ3 | Public Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.7% | 0.07 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.4% | 0.05 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.2% | 0.02 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.