Meadow Heights VIC 3048
Meadow Heights is a suburb in Victoria, 21 km from Melbourne CBD, around 32 minutes by car. Population is 14,890; the median age is 34 and the median household income is $66,248 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $346 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,460. The area shows high aircraft noise risk and high crime risk. Of 2 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Meadow Heights a good suburb?
Meadow Heights scores a C (43/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on community.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 78/100 · 21.1 km · 32 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $670K
Moderate crime risk
Fire 36/100 · Crime 63/100 · Flood 30/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 34 · 14,890 residents
Liveability Rating
43 / 100 · Ranked #518 in VICEach bar is Meadow Heights's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Meadow Heights?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
43 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMeadow Heights's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $670,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$670,000
12% below its 5 neighbours (median $758,000)
Based on 176 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 56 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $512K
- 3 bed 130 sales $651K
- 4 bed 29 sales $755K
- 6 bed 5 sales $866K
Units
$560,000
Based on 34 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 13 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $500K
- 3 bed 26 sales $570K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Meadow Heights are currently listed at around $655,000 on average. Based on 58 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$655K
58 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$595K
14 units listed in the last 6 months.
72 of the suburb's 4,256 dwellings (1.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Meadow Heights rent for around $550 a week on average, based on 56 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$550/wk
4% below its 5 neighbours (median $575/wk)
56 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$520/wk
20 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
76 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,358 rented homes (5.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025130 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 23% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3048.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $655,000 median
$520/week ($27,000 a year) on a $595,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
6 active Airbnb listings: 1 whole home and 5 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.0% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Meadow Heights safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Meadow Heights sits in the moderate band, with 760 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 18% on the prior year.
760 offences
17.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202532 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Aircraft Noise
ANEF Contour Details
Moderate impact — noise insulation required
Noticeable aircraft noise
Schools
Two schools serve Meadow Heights, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Bethal Primary School leads the pack.
- • 659 students across 2 schools (avg 330)
- • ICSEA 919-941, median 930 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Meadow Heights Primary School (400 students)
Primary
Walkability
Meadow Heights is very walkable on foot — at 78/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Meadow Heights.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 169.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 160.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 96.3 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.4 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Meadow Heights.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 54%
- Premises covered
- 5,114
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Hume: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 30 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 2 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Meadow Heights is home to about 14,900 residents, with a median age of 34, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $66,000 a year, with unemployment at 12.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
14,890
Median Age
34
Median Household Income
$66,248/yr
Census Median Rent
$346/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,460/mo
Avg Household Size
3.3
Median Personal Income
$22,984/yr
Unemployment Rate
12.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.5%
Total Dwellings
4,256
Owner-Occupier Rate
68.1%
Houses
82.2%
Rental Stress
27.2%
Mortgage Stress
26.4%
Work From Home
14.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
321 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 20 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,300 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 46.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 23.5%
- Employment Rate
- 37.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 38.0%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,161 residents (7.8%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 13,877 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
11% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (479 of 4,420).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 877 people work here; 4,420 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.2 jobs per working resident. At least 80% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,715 a year through Hume based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 78%
- Parks and recreation 16%
- Infrastructure and transport 5%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Hume
In the year to August 2026, 3,063 new dwellings were approved across Hume. That mix is 2,610 houses and 453 units.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 3.9 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
From the Macleod monitoring station, 14.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Melbourne Airport, 7.7 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 138 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 21.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 518 mm
- 81 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 12 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.0°C
- 1 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
24 facilities within 5 km- 1.5 kmPulp, Paper and Paperboard ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 1.7 kmCorrugated Paperboard and Paperboard Container ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Hydrochloric acid
- 1.8 kmBasic Organic Chemical ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Methanol · Ethanol
- 2.3 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Oxides of Nitrogen
- 2.3 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3048, 38 of 12,556 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.2% (522 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3048, 2,021 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,640 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 80 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
1 first-home grant was paid in postcode 3048 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 233, in 2004-05.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 6 across postcode 3048.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $670,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Basem Abdo Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Basem Abdo | 64.7% | 35.3% | +2.3 |
| 2022 | Maria Vamvakinou | 62.4% | 37.6% | +7.2 |
| 2019 | Maria Vamvakinou | 68.8% | 31.2% | +0.9 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Iwan Walters Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Iwan Walters ALP | 51.2% | 56.9% | 43.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Meadow Heights?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 14,890 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #2 in Melbourne suburbs with the largest Muslim community
- #2 in Where the Turkish community lives in Melbourne
- #5 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Arabic is spoken at home
- #5 in Where the Iraqi community lives in Melbourne
- #6 in Where the Lebanese community lives in Melbourne
- #8 in Highest-yielding Melbourne suburbs (houses)
- #11 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Urdu is spoken at home
- #14 in Where the Pakistani community lives in Melbourne
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Compare Meadow Heights to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Meadow Heights
Is Meadow Heights a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Meadow Heights is moderate (63/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Meadow Heights?
Meadow Heights has a low recorded bushfire history (36/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (30/100). Part of it sits inside an aircraft noise contour. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Meadow Heights a good place to live?
Meadow Heights has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (43/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Meadow Heights?
Meadow Heights, VIC had a population of 14,890 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Meadow Heights, VIC?
The postcode for Meadow Heights, VIC is 3048.
How far is Meadow Heights from Melbourne?
Meadow Heights is 21 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 32 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Meadow Heights?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Meadow Heights was $66,248 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Meadow Heights?
The median advertised rent in Meadow Heights is $550 a week for houses (56 listings) and $520 a week for units (20 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Meadow Heights?
The median age of residents in Meadow Heights was 34 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Meadow Heights at risk of bushfire?
Meadow Heights has a low recorded bushfire history (36/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Meadow Heights?
There are 2 schools inside the Meadow Heights boundary: 1 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Meadow Heights walkable?
Meadow Heights scores 78/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Meadow Heights?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Meadow Heights (Macleod) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 3.9 µg/m³. That puts Meadow Heights below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Meadow Heights?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Meadow Heights, Melbourne Airport (7.7 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6°C, 518 mm of rain a year over 81 rainy days, and 12 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Meadow Heights?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Meadow Heights belong to?
Meadow Heights sits within the Hume local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Meadow Heights?
The average residential rates bill through Hume is $1,715 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Meadow Heights?
Across Hume, 3,063 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Meadow Heights in?
Meadow Heights sits within the federal Division of Calwell, currently held by Basem Abdo (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.