Thornbury
VICThornbury is a stable suburb in VIC with 19,005 residents.
- SAL code
- 22508
- SA2
- 206021112
- Population
- 19,005
Thornbury, VIC had 19,005 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.2% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,200 a month. Around 55.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 41.9%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 51.8% 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
Thornbury, VIC at a glance
Thornbury sits in Melbourne's inner north, ~7 km from the CBD in the City of Darebin. Period weatherboards and Edwardian brick on standard-size lots dominate the older streets, with apartment infill clustered along High Street and St Georges Road. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Thornbury reads as a denser, older inner-north suburb where the village feel does most of the work. High Street is the spine — independent cafes, the Croxton Park Hotel, vintage shops, the Thornbury Theatre — with St Georges Road carrying the Route 11 tram straight into the CBD. Thornbury station on the Mernda line is a ~25-minute ride to Flinders Street; Route 86 trams run along High Street. Penders Park and the Darebin and Merri Creek trails anchor weekend recreation. Wales Street Primary (IB-accredited, full capacity at 615 students in 2025 with a state-funded gym + library upgrade in build) and Thornbury Primary (Steiner + mainstream streams) are the school standouts; Northcote High zone overlaps the southern blocks. The dwelling stock leans period houses with steady apartment infill near the activity centres. In short: a walkable, transport-rich inner-north suburb with strong cafe + tram culture and entrenched competition for period stock.
For investors
Thornbury is a low-yield, capital-growth-leaning market with very tight supply. Median house $1,450,000 against $680/week rent gives a ~2.94% gross yield; units sit at $652,500 / $490 with a ~4.57% gross yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). Unit growth has run ~7.85% over 12 months versus ~1.05% for houses. Days-on-market 54 and vacancy ~1.08% (SQM March 2026); average hold period stretches to ~10.9 years, so listing flow is thin and competition for well-located stock is steady rather than frenetic.
Strengths
- Inner-ring location with two tram routes plus Mernda-line rail — durable tenant demand from CBD + university commuters.
- Vacancy ~1.08% and stock-on-market 0.28% (SQM March 2026) point to persistent leasing tightness.
- Long ~10.9-year hold period plus auction clearance ~66.7% imply a stable, owner-occupier-driven market that resists distressed selling.
- Unit segment growing ~7.85% over 12 months at ~4.57% gross yield offers a more cashflow-friendly entry than houses.
Trade-offs
- House gross yield ~2.94% (Your Investment Property May 2026) — negative-gearing territory at current rates.
- Days-on-market 54 (SQM March 2026) is slower than tighter outer-ring markets; transactions take patience.
- House capital growth ~1.05% over 12 months has lagged the unit segment and broader Melbourne — recent compression worth noting.
- Activity Centre uplift will skew new supply toward apartments along High Street + St Georges Road, likely capping unit growth even as it lifts house scarcity.
What's coming
Planning Victoria finalised the Thornbury activity centre framework on 31 March 2026, lifting permitted heights along High Street and St Georges Road and applying a new Built Form Overlay plus a streamlined approval pathway. Developers contribute $11,350 per new home into local infrastructure. Darebin's 2025/26-2034/35 Capital Works Program continues investment across the Thornbury cluster; Wales Street Primary's gym, library and classroom upgrade is state-funded and in delivery.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a tightly held inner-north suburb where you pay for transport, cafes and period character. For investors: a low-yield, long-hold market with a tighter unit segment and apartment supply pipeline to watch.
Population
?19,005
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+2.2%
3yr: +5.8% · 10yr: +5.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,971/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?7.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
6
5 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?17
9 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?26
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?115
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 — Thornbury (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Thornbury suburb alone is ~19,005 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 17,056 to 20,234 over 24 years, averaging 0.7% per year.
Schools
7 in suburbSector
5 public · 2 private
Type
5 primary · 1 secondary · 1 K-12
Total enrolment
6,102
Avg per school
872
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 2.5%Predominantly detached houses (51.8%), mixed tenure (55.9% own or mortgage).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
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. Source when available: Vicmap Planning — Bushfire Prone Area + Vicmap flood overlays.
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
16 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 20.8% | 1.07 km² |
| HCTZ1 | HCTZ1Other | 18.0% | 0.92 km² |
| HCTZ2 | HCTZ2Other | 16.7% | 0.85 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 15.1% | 0.78 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 9.9% | 0.51 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 5.8% | 0.30 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 3.0% | 0.16 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 3.0% | 0.15 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 2.6% | 0.13 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 2.5% | 0.13 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.9% | 0.05 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.7% | 0.04 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.4% | 0.02 km² |
| MUZ1 | Mixed Use Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.2% | 8,170 m² |
| PUZ3 | Public Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.1% | 5,471 m² |
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.