Dandenong North
VICDandenong North is a declining suburb in VIC with 22,550 residents.
- SAL code
- 20708
- SA2
- 212041312
- Population
- 22,550
Dandenong North, VIC had 22,550 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.1% decline 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 $1,733 a month. Around 68.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 34.9%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 85.6% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 26 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 North, VIC at a glance
Dandenong North is a multicultural, established suburb ~30 km southeast of Melbourne CBD in the City of Greater Dandenong. Housing is a mix of older post-war homes, modern townhouses and a notable share of public stock; the Monash Freeway runs across the suburb's northern edge. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Dandenong North suits buyers who want established Melbourne housing within reach of the Monash and the Princes Highway, without paying inner-southeast prices. Streets are a mix of 1960s/70s brick-veneer houses on bigger-than-average lots and newer townhouse infill. The 20-hectare Tirhatuan Park (two lakes, wetlands, the Dandenong Creek Trail through it) is the headline recreation anchor; the Dandenong Creek Trail extends north toward the Eastlink corridor. The closest train is Dandenong station (~4-5 km, on the Cranbourne / Pakenham lines and V/Line); Yarraman is similar. Stud Park (Rowville) and Dandenong Plaza are the nearest large shopping hubs. School-wise the suburb is unusually deep — Lyndale Secondary College (~1,200 students, one of Victoria's largest single campuses), Wooranna Park Primary (an internationally-cited innovative-pedagogy school) and several other government primaries. In short: an established, multicultural family suburb with strong school options and easy freeway access, but no walk-up rail station.
For investors
Dandenong North is a growth-oriented, supply-constrained Melbourne market with modest yield. Median house $792,000 against $550/wk rent gives a 3.73% gross yield (units $595K / $490 = 4.60%) per Your Investment Property (May 2026). 12-month house growth +5.18%; quarterly +0.51%. 266 house and 67 unit sales over 12 months — a deep, liquid market. Days-on-market 24 (houses), 22 (units).
Strengths
- Liquid market — 266 house + 67 unit sales over 12 months makes entry / exit straightforward.
- Steady recent capital growth (~+5.2% YoY houses, Your Investment Property May 2026) on Melbourne metropolitan land.
- Older stock on larger lots opens townhouse / duplex value-add plays as the council's medium-density framework matures.
- School depth (Lyndale Secondary, Wooranna Park Primary) supports tenant demand from migrant + family households.
Trade-offs
- Yields are modest (~3.7% houses) — a growth play, not a cashflow play.
- Greater Dandenong ranks as one of Victoria's most disadvantaged LGAs on IRSD (ABS 2021); tenant-quality due diligence matters.
- No walk-up train station — the suburb is car-dependent; rail riders rely on Dandenong (~4-5 km) or feeder buses.
- Quarterly house growth has slowed to +0.51% (YIP May 2026), suggesting near-term momentum is cooling.
What's coming
City of Greater Dandenong's 2025/26 capital works program totals $119.9M. The Dandenong Wellbeing Centre is under construction (opening 2027) and the Dandenong New Arts project is progressing. Just south, Development Victoria's Revitalising Central Dandenong + Capital Alliance's $2bn 'Second City' / Little India precinct broke ground in 2025/26 — a supermarket, food market hall and residential delivery alongside Little India. These don't sit inside the suburb but materially lift the activity centre Dandenong North feeds into.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a settled, multicultural family suburb with strong schools and freeway access, on a large activity-centre upgrade. For investors: a liquid Melbourne growth play with modest yield and a major neighbouring revitalisation tailwind.
Population
?22,550
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-1.1%
3yr: +3.8% · 10yr: -0.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,436/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?2/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?8.6%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
5
4 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?12
3 long day, 3 OSHC, 2 family
Parks & green space
?26
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?98
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 North suburb alone is ~22,550 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 23,088 to 23,391 over 24 years, averaging 0.1% per year.
Schools
5 in suburbSector
4 public · 1 private
Type
4 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
2,058
Avg per school
412
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 5.1%Almost entirely detached houses (85.6%), mixed tenure (68.7% own or mortgage), built for families (56% 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
11 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 47.7% | 4.52 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 17.6% | 1.66 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 11.9% | 1.12 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 9.9% | 0.93 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 7.0% | 0.66 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 2.1% | 0.20 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.8% | 0.17 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 1.1% | 0.11 km² |
| NRZ2 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.6% | 0.06 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.1% | 0.01 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.