Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Northcote

Northcote is an inner-northern Melbourne suburb centred on High Street and the Westgarth precinct. Its tree-lined streets mix Victorian and Edwardian terraces, weatherboard cottages and low-rise apartment conversions, and the population of 25,276 has a median age of 37. The community is a blend of long-term locals, young professionals and many couple families, with most homes owner-occupied alongside a substantial rented sector.

Day-to-day life is shaped by High Street’s cafés, independent shops, bars and live-music venues, and the restored Northcote Town Hall hosts community events. Green corridors beside the Merri Creek, small parks and sporting reserves provide outdoor recreation, and regular trams plus a local train station make getting around straightforward. Several council and state projects — from housing renewals to local facility and transport upgrades — are influencing the suburb’s amenities. Whether Northcote suits you depends on what you value in an inner-northern suburb.

Compared with what a typical household in Northcote earned at the last Census, buying a house sits well above local incomes: the median house price of $1,520,000 is about 12.8 times a typical local annual household income as recorded at the most recent Census. The median unit price of $567,500 is about 4.8 times that annual income. Looking at renting, a house rent of $850 a week would take roughly 37.2% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, which is a sizeable share, while a unit rent of $510 a week would take about 22.3%, a moderate share. If you are mainly deciding between renting and buying, those rent shares and price multiples are the most relevant figures to consider against local incomes at the last Census.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

In Northcote over the past 12 months, house values rose 5.1% and house rents increased 7.9%. Both are solid rises, and the rent a house earns has outpaced its price increase this year.

Units moved differently: unit values fell 4.2%, a moderate decline, while unit rents nudged up 2.0%, a modest rise. Those figures mean the house side showed stronger movement on both price and rent, whereas units saw falling values alongside only modest rent growth; whether that pattern suits your objectives depends on your goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.