Sunshine North VIC 3020
Sunshine North is a suburb in Victoria, 16 km from Melbourne CBD, around 29 minutes by car. Population is 12,047; the median age is 37 and the median household income is $72,748 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb grew 3.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $341 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Sunshine North is characterised by high crime risk. Of 6 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Sunshine North a good suburb?
Sunshine North scores a C (47/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools and transit, weaker on safety and community.
Above the state average
6 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 16% in VIC
Very walkable
Walkability 62/100 · 15.5 km · 29 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $785K
High crime risk
Fire 29/100 · Crime 82/100 · Flood 53/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 37 · 12,047 residents
Liveability Rating
47 / 100 · Ranked #470 in VICEach bar is Sunshine North's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Sunshine North?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
47 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSunshine North's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $785,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$785,000
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $771,500)
Based on 195 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 133 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $736K
- 3 bed 118 sales $759K
- 4 bed 47 sales $850K
- 5 bed 12 sales $858K
Units
$498,500
3% below its 6 neighbours (median $515,000)
Based on 36 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 19 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 23 sales $455K
- 3 bed 9 sales $596K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Sunshine North are currently listed at around $760,000 on average. Based on 127 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$760K
127 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$560K
15 units listed in the last 6 months.
142 of the suburb's 3,862 dwellings (3.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Sunshine North rent for around $580 a week on average, based on 77 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$580/wk
In line with its 6 neighbours (median $580/wk)
77 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$510/wk
13% above its 4 neighbours (median $450/wk)
10 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
87 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,189 rented homes (7.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025134 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 22% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3020.
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$580/week ($30,000 a year) on a $760,000 median
$510/week ($27,000 a year) on a $560,000 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
41 active Airbnb listings: 25 whole homes and 16 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.6% 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 Sunshine North safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Sunshine North sits in the high band, with 1,187 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 10% on the prior year.
1,187 offences
9.9% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202599 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 5 of them fatal
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
Noticeable aircraft noise
Schools
Six schools serve Sunshine North, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Albion North Primary School and St Bernadette's School lead the pack.
- • 912 students across 5 schools (avg 182)
- • Sectors: 4 Government, 1 Catholic, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 934-1043, median 967 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Bernadette's School (333 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
2.9% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Sunshine North is somewhat walkable on foot — at 62/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Sunshine North.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 161.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 135.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 101.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.6 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 Sunshine North.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 21%
- Premises covered
- 5,983
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
Brimbank: 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 25 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Sunshine North is home to about 12,000 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $73,000 a year, with unemployment at 8.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
12,047
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$72,748/yr
Census Median Rent
$341/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$28,392/yr
Unemployment Rate
8.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.3%
Total Dwellings
3,862
Owner-Occupier Rate
69.2%
Houses
82.2%
Rental Stress
24.4%
Mortgage Stress
28.6%
Work From Home
18.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
54 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 23 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,139 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 39.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 23.7%
- Employment Rate
- 49.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 45.2%
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.
991 residents (8.2%) 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 11,352 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
17% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (827 of 4,961).
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 4,982 people work here; 4,961 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
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 $1,847 a year through Brimbank based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 49%
- Industrial 31%
- Infrastructure and transport 13%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Commercial 3%
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: Brimbank
In the year to August 2026, 670 new dwellings were approved across Brimbank. That mix is 233 houses and 437 units. Approvals are up 39.7% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 979 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 439 homes
- Projects firmly planned 366 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 174 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
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
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 18.9 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0.
From the Footscray monitoring station, 5.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 7.4 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 54 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 10.5 km
- Annual rainfall
- 534 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°C
- 2 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
10 facilities within 5 km- 1.0 kmPaint and Coatings ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Ethylbenzene
- 2.2 kmWaste Remediation and Materials Recovery ServicesTop reported: Zinc and compounds · Lead & compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
- 2.2 kmOther Structural Metal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Manganese & compounds · Chromium (III) compounds · Copper & compounds
- 2.5 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.7 kmOil and Fat ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 3020, 300 of 33,629 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.5% (1,530 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3020, 4,666 rooftop-solar systems totalling 32.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 16,700 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 310 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.
52 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3020 in 2025-26, rank 28 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 333, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 25 across postcode 3020.
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 $785,000 this is $35,000 above 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 Daniel Mulino Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Daniel Mulino | 72.0% | 28.0% | +5.5 |
| 2022 | Daniel Mulino | 66.5% | 33.5% | +1.6 |
| 2019 | Daniel Mulino | 64.2% | 35.8% | +5.6 |
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 Natalie Suleyman Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Natalie Suleyman ALP | 59.6% | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| 2018 | Natalie Suleyman ALP | 59.7% | 71.5% | 28.5% |
| 2014 | Natalie Suleyman ALP | 56.4% | 67.5% | 32.5% |
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 Sunshine North?
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 12,047 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
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
St Albans VIC 3021
Keilor East VIC 3033
Avondale Heights VIC 3034
Braybrook VIC 3019
Sunshine VIC 3020
Albion VIC 3020
Compare Sunshine North 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 Sunshine North
Is Sunshine North a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Sunshine North is high (82/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Sunshine North?
Sunshine North has a low recorded bushfire history (29/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (53/100). 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 Sunshine North a good place to live?
Sunshine North has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (47/100), 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 Sunshine North?
Sunshine North, VIC had a population of 12,047 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Sunshine North, VIC?
The postcode for Sunshine North, VIC is 3020.
How far is Sunshine North from Melbourne?
Sunshine North is 16 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 29 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Sunshine North?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Sunshine North was $72,748 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 Sunshine North?
The median advertised rent in Sunshine North is $580 a week for houses (77 listings) and $510 a week for units (10 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Sunshine North?
The median age of residents in Sunshine North was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Sunshine North at risk of bushfire?
Sunshine North has a low recorded bushfire history (29/100). 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 Sunshine North?
There are 6 schools inside the Sunshine North boundary: 3 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Sunshine North walkable?
Sunshine North scores 62/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Sunshine North?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Sunshine North, Essendon Airport (7.4 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 534 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Sunshine North?
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 Sunshine North belong to?
Sunshine North sits within the Brimbank local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Sunshine North?
The average residential rates bill through Brimbank is $1,847 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Sunshine North?
Across Brimbank, 670 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 39.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Sunshine North in?
Sunshine North sits within the federal Division of Fraser, currently held by Daniel Mulino (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.