Thomastown
VICThomastown is a declining suburb in VIC with 20,234 residents.
- SAL code
- 22504
- SA2
- 209041223
- Population
- 20,234
- LGA
- Whittlesea
Thomastown, VIC had 20,234 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.7% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 39. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,690 a month. Around 67.8% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 42.7%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 84.4% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 34 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
Thomastown, VIC at a glance
Thomastown is an established working-class suburb ~16 km north of Melbourne CBD in the City of Whittlesea, on the Mernda train line. Post-war housing on standard lots dominates, with strong Italian, Macedonian, Greek, Lebanese and Vietnamese communities shaping the High Street strip. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council context.
For homebuyers
Thomastown is a practical, multicultural pocket of Melbourne's middle-north, with weatherboard and brick post-war stock on solid blocks and a handful of newer infill townhouses east of the rail line. Thomastown Station puts you ~35-40 minutes from Melbourne Central on the Mernda line, with Lalor and Keon Park stations either side. The High Street shopping strip parallels the station and is the everyday hub; bigger shops sit at Edgars Road and Main Street, with Bundoora's Uni Hill and Northland Shopping Centre a short drive away. Thomastown Recreation Reserve, Main Street Reserve and HR Uren Reserve anchor sport and community use; Thomastown Secondary College and Thomastown West Primary sit alongside each other on Main Street. The M80 Ring Road is on the doorstep for car commuters heading to Tullamarine, the CBD or the eastern arc. In short: an affordable, well-connected northern suburb with strong cultural character, train-line access and redevelopment slowly working through the older stock.
For investors
Thomastown is a long-hold market with moderate yield and steady volume. Median house $774,000 against $530/week rent gives a 3.71% gross yield; units $551,000 / $480/week gives 4.75% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month growth +7.50% houses, +10.20% units; quarterly +1.84% / +1.24%. Days-on-market 29 (houses), 33 (units). 280 house sales and 91 unit sales over the past 12 months — a deep, liquid market for the size.
Strengths
- Train-line suburb on the Mernda line — Thomastown Station is a structural demand anchor for both tenants and owner-occupiers.
- Deep transaction market (~371 sales/yr across houses + units, Your Investment Property May 2026) — easy to enter and exit at scale.
- Units outperforming on both yield (4.75%) and 12-month growth (+10.20%) — a clearer cashflow option than the houses (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Older post-war stock on standard lots leaves room for duplex / townhouse value-add as planning controls allow.
Trade-offs
- House yields modest (3.71%) — not a positive-cashflow buy without a value-add angle (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Days-on-market sit at 29-33 days — slower turnover than tighter inner-Melbourne suburbs, so price discovery takes longer.
- Median house growth +7.50% over 12 months trails several outer-Melbourne corridors; the play here is cashflow-with-stability rather than headline growth (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Industrial precinct to the south-west of the suburb means location and street selection matter more than headline median.
What's coming
City of Whittlesea's 2025-26 Budget allocates $117M to capital works municipality-wide, including completion of The Boulevard streetscape upgrade in Thomastown. The proposed 2026-27 Budget adds another $115M, with road resurfacing, playground and landscaping programs continuing across the suburb. Mernda-line service patterns and the broader North East Link works flow through to Thomastown commute times.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an affordable, train-connected northern suburb with strong community character. For investors: a steady long-hold with deeper unit yields and modest house growth — cashflow-with-stability, not a speculative play.
Population
?20,234
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-2.7%
3yr: +3.2% · 10yr: -4.0%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,225/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
39
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?8.8%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
6
5 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?16
6 long day, 4 OSHC, 2 family
Parks & green space
?34
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?125
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?234
Whittlesea · Feb 2026
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 — Thomastown (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Thomastown suburb alone is ~20,234 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 22,546 to 20,595 over 24 years, averaging -0.4% per year.
Schools
8 in suburbSector
6 public · 2 private
Type
7 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
2,160
Avg per school
270
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 1.2%Almost entirely detached houses (84.4%), mixed tenure (67.8% own or mortgage), built for families (64% 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
14 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 30.4% | 4.49 km² |
| GRZ5 | General Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 28.1% | 4.14 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 11.3% | 1.66 km² |
| GRZ4 | General Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 7.7% | 1.14 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 5.1% | 0.75 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 4.3% | 0.63 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 3.2% | 0.47 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 2.6% | 0.38 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 2.3% | 0.34 km² |
| SUZ4 | Special Use Zone Schedule 4Special use | 2.0% | 0.30 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.2% | 0.17 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.0% | 0.14 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.6% | 0.08 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.4% | 0.05 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.