- The two states with most suburbs on the list are Queensland and Victoria
- The criteria has a strong focus on owner-occupiers and freestanding homes
- Some suburbs had as much as three months inventory
Well Money Homes has commissioned research to identify the top 20 family housing markets in Australia, defining a “family suburb” as:
- Having a median house price between $200,000 and $1.5 million,
- No more than 200 kilometres from a capital city CBD,
- Having a minimum of 70% owner-occupiers accounting for the local population,
- Having a minimum of 60% freestanding houses accounting for the local dwellings,
- Having at least 2.5 people per household, on average, and
- Having a SEIFA education score of at least 6.
The top 20 are then ranked based on change in inventory levels over the previous three months.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics ranks Australian areas by relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage, with the acronym standing for Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas.
The education and occupation score looks at, well, education and occupation. A score of at least 6 means it is in the top half of the country for educational and occupational status.
Well Money did note that while these suburbs are good for a family, they aren’t guaranteed to rise in price or outperform the market. “Sophisticated data analysis has found these locations are good places for typical families to live right now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have strong price growth in the future,” said the report.
Top 20 suburbs to start a family
| Rank | State | Suburb | Postcode | Median house price | Increase in inventory levels over past 3 months |
| 1 | QLD | Barellan Point | 4306 | $807,000 | +3.3 months |
| 2 | SA | Willunga | 5172 | $607,500 | +3.3 months |
| 3 | QLD | Mons | 4556 | $1,100,000 | +3.2 months |
| 4 | WA | Boya | 6056 | $620,000 | +3.0 months |
| 5 | QLD | Nudgee | 4014 | $855,000 | +2.8 months |
| 6 | VIC | Gisborne | 3437 | $1,050,000 | +2.7 months |
| 7 | VIC | Junortoun | 3551 | $750,000 | +2.6 months |
| 8 | VIC | Silvan | 3795 | $1,395,000 | +2.5 months |
| 9 | QLD | Camp Mountain | 4520 | $1,300,000 | +2.5 months |
| 10 | QLD | Newport | 4020 | $1,350,000 | +2.4 months |
| 11 | VIC | Selby | 3159 | $1,000,000 | +2.3 months |
| 12 | WA | Warwick | 6024 | $630,000 | +2.3 months |
| 13 | SA | West Lakes Shore | 5020 | $842,000 | +2.2 months |
| 14 | WA | Edgewater | 6027 | $630,000 | +1.9 months |
| 15 | NSW | Bolwarra Heights | 2320 | $940,000 | +1.9 months |
| 16 | VIC | Torquay | 3228 | $1,330,000 | +1.9 months |
| 17 | ACT | Curtin | 2605 | $1,421,000 | +1.8 months |
| 18 | QLD | Black Mountain | 4563 | $950,000 | +1.8 months |
| 19 | NSW | Saratoga | 2251 | $1,300,000 | +1.7 months |
| 20 | VIC | Viewbank | 3084 | $1,270,000 | +1.7 months |
A quick wrap
Queensland and Victoria seem to be the states to reside in, according to the list, with six suburbs each from the states making the top 20. Western Australia had three in the list, with two in New South Wales and South Australia each, and one in the Australian Capital Territory.
Well Money CEO Scott Spencer said this data was good news for buyers looking for a place to settle with family because: “Over the past three months, inventory levels have increased in all the suburbs, which means there’s more stock on market, buyers have more options and downward pressure is being placed on prices, which should translate into discounts sooner or later.”
Suburb by suburb breakdown
Barellan Point
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $807,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 0.0 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.3 months |
| Inventory level – change | +3.3 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,726 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 88% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 99% |
| SEIFA education score | 6 |
Willunga
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $607,500 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.1 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 4.4 months |
| Inventory level – change | +3.3 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,360 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 85% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 99% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Mons
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,100,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.0 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 4.2 months |
| Inventory level – change | +3.2 months |
| Average household weekly income | $2,238 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 88% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 97% |
| SEIFA education score | 10 |
Boya
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $620,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 0.8 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.8 months |
| Inventory level – change | +3.0 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,919 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 92% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 100% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Nudgee
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $855,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.3 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 4.1 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.8 months |
| Average household weekly income | $2,091 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 75% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 92% |
| SEIFA education score | 9 |
Gisborne
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,050,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 2.5 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 5.3 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.7 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,863 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 83% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 88% |
| SEIFA education score | 9 |
Junortoun
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $750,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 0.7 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.3 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.6 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,819 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 96% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 97% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Silvan
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,395,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 0.7 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.2 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.5 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,698 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 89% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 99% |
| SEIFA education score | 7 |
Camp Mountain
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,300,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 2.7 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 5.1 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.5 months |
| Average household weekly income | $2,419 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 90% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 98% |
| SEIFA education score | 10 |
Newport
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,350,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 3.2 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 5.6 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.4 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,990 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 89% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 95% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Selby
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,000,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.2 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.6 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.3 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,835 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 94% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 99% |
| SEIFA education score | 9 |
Warwick
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $630,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 2.6 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 4.9 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.3 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,586 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 81% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 93% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
West Lakes Shore
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $842,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.0 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.2 months |
| Inventory level – change | +2.2 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,498 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 84% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 65% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Edgewater
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $630,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 4.0 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 5.9 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.9 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,830 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 83% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 96% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Bolwarra Heights
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $940,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.7 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.6 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.9 months |
| Average household weekly income | $2,147 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 89% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 97% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Torquay
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,330,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.8 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.7 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.9 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,757 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 76% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 87% |
| SEIFA education score | 10 |
Curtin
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,421,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 0.9 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 2.7 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.8 months |
| Average household weekly income | $2,255 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 74% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 84% |
| SEIFA education score | 10 |
Black Mountain
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $950,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.4 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.2 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.8 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,260 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 88% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 97% |
| SEIFA education score | 7 |
Saratoga
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,300,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.6 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 3.3 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.7 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,638 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 84% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 95% |
| SEIFA education score | 8 |
Viewbank
| Indicator | Result |
| Median house price | $1,270,000 |
| Inventory level – February 2022 | 1.0 months |
| Inventory level – May 2022 | 2.7 months |
| Inventory level – change | +1.7 months |
| Average household weekly income | $1,746 |
| Owner-occupier share of local population | 87% |
| Freestanding house share of local population | 90% |
| SEIFA education score | 9 |
