Australia’s hottest family-friendly suburbs revealed

Property experts have picked the hottest family-friendly suburbs across Australia, where a good sense of community, schooling and amenity are proving to be a popular lure. 

The inaugural realestate.com.au Hot 100 – assembled by industry professionals – has uncovered the locations across the country which have the best prospects for 2023 and the years ahead. 

From areas a mere stone’s throw to CBDs, to those close to the beach without the huge price tag, here are some of the expert’s top picks for snapping up an ideal abode to raise a family.

NSW’s hottest family-friendly suburbs

1. Quakers Hill

Rich in diversity and multiculturalism, Quakers Hill is a popular family-friendly suburb with a mix of good private and public schools, in addition to its accessibility. 

Ben Plohl, from BFP Property Buyers, said a key factor to Quakers Hill’s popularity was its affordability when compared to other areas of the Hills District.

“I think it’s been a very popular suburb for quite some time. And I think it was something that’s happened over the last couple of years,” he said.

“I think really the main drawcards is, it’s just on the cusp, or just on the outskirts of some really desirable areas.” 

With some high-valued suburbs in the Hills District a mere 10 minutes away, Mr Plohl said Quakers Hill offered the Hills lifestyle without paying premium house prices.

Quakers Hill’s median house price is $1,040,000, while the median unit price is $750,000.

“Your typical three bed, one bath, one car … is probably your most common sort of configuration (on) 500 to 550 square metre blocks. You can get larger, you get smaller, and there’s also quite a lot of townhouses in the suburb,” Mr Plohl said.

2. Frenchs Forrest

Frenchs Forest in the northwest of Sydney made buyers advocate and propertybuyer.com.au chief executive officer Rich Harvey’s Hottest 100 pick for its excellent schooling and amenity. 

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Schools in Frenchs Forrest are a big drawcard for families. Picture: realestate.com.au

Schools including Oxford Falls Grammar School, Christian School of Belrose, and Stella Maris College were among the diverse mix of schools offering high-quality education, he said.

He said Frenchs Forrest was a high or medium-density area, which was safe, with very low crime rates.

Garigal National Park, with its waterways and boat ramp, in addition to the new Northern Beaches Hospital, were other strong attractions.

The median house price in Frenchs Forrest was $2.06 million. 

Mr Harvey said houses in the area comprised mostly of freestanding homes, with block sizes of 700 to 1000sqm

“There’s a lot of old post-war homes that need renovating,” he said.

“We’re seeing a huge opportunity for knockdowns, rebuild. They are really good size blocks to raise a family.”

Victoria’s hottest family-friendly suburbs

3. Belmont

Families, investors and upgraders were flocking to Belmont, one of Geelong’s oldest suburbs.  

Buyer’s agent Miriam Sandkuhler from Property Mavens selected the suburb – located about 6km south of the Geelong CBD – for its high amenity and convenient location. 

“Belmont saw a big expansion after World War II and is dominated by detached housing in residential streets with only a small industrial area,” she said.

“Belmont offers some great detached housing often on generous blocks, in quiet residential streets a relatively short drive to the centre of town and the train station.”

Belmont’s median house price is $740,000, while the median unit price is $560,000.

4. Highett

Prospective buyers in Highett can enjoy a beachside suburb lifestyle without the price tag – some $700,000 less than some neighbouring beachside suburbs, according to Ms Sandkuhler. 

“Highett features high amenity streets, good local schools and shopping, close to the beach, golf courses and Southland shopping centre,” she said.

“Highett is close to a cluster of leading private schools in nearby Brighton and Mentone and is also close to the well-regarded Sandringham Secondary College.”

Located 15km from the CBD, Highett has a median house price of $1.45 million and a unit median price of $655,000. 

Queensland’s hottest family-friendly suburbs 

5. Bracken Ridge

Deemed a more affordable option than other suburbs closer to the city is among the reasons Pete Wargent from BuyersBuyers chose Bracken Ridge as a Hot 100 locale. 

With multiple schools and a TAFE close by, Bracken Ridge was a reasonable and realistic location to raise a family, he said. 

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Bracken Ridge QLD is gentrifying, according to experts. Picture: realestate.com.au

“Bracken Ridge was traditionally a lower socio-demographic area, however, it is gentrifying and improving all the time,” he said.

“And it’s less than 20km from the heart of the city, so not too far to commute if required.”

The median house price is $780,000 and the median unit price is $450,000.

Weatherboard Queenslanders or low-set brick homes on blocks ranging from 400 to 600sqm, were popular buys amongst families, Mr Wargent said.

6. Petrie

Quiet streets, a broad choice of housing, picturesque parks and good schools are proving to be a strong lure for buyers in the increasingly popular Moreton Bay suburb of Petrie. 

Buyer’s agent Kate Hill from Adviseable selected Petrie as a Hot 100 suburb in part due to it being a “connector suburb” between north Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

“It has really good access to sort of the job nodes in those areas,” she said.

“It’s got good local schools. There’s also that new university campus – The Sunny Coast University campus that is being built and has good access to shopping. So really it’s just everything that families like and need.”

Housing price growth has been on an upward trend for the past 10-plus years, Ms Hill said.

The median house price is $713,250 and the median unit price is $390,000.

WA’s hottest family-friendly suburb

7. Wembley

Positioned between the city and the coast, Wembley has become an increasingly popular Perth suburb where locals are surrounded by an array of cafes, good schools and colleges, parks and sporting facilities. 

Mr Wargent said would-be buyers have a choice of entry-level homes on block sizes of 450sqm plus.

Wembley’s median house price is $1,475,000. 

Article source: Queensland Property Investor