Cranbourne East
Cranbourne East barely existed before the 2010s and now houses 24,679 residents, a 1,386% population expansion across ten years that places it among Casey LGA's fastest greenfield builds. Median age of 31 runs nine years below the national 40, and 59.4% of dwellings carry four or more bedrooms against a 0.4% apartment share. The migrant overlay is heavier than its western neighbour Cranbourne North: 48.2% of residents were born overseas, 26.6 percentage points above the Australian rate, with 4,000 reporting Indian ancestry and 1,208 Filipino. House values at $712,500 land roughly $7,500 below Cranbourne North, about $90,000 under Berwick's established stock, and $200,000 above Hampton Park to the northwest.
Population
24,679
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,912/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$712K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $712,500 median sits 1.7% below the January 2024 peak of $725,000 but 82.7% above the 2013 baseline of $390,000, a compound annual rate of 4.4% over 14 years. Stock skews unambiguously family: 88.6% separate houses, 11.0% semi-detached townhouses (higher than Cranbourne North's 4.5% reflecting newer estate density), and 59.4% with four-plus bedrooms versus 29.9% three-bedroom. Mortgage repayments average $2,000 monthly against household income of $1,912 weekly, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below Victoria's 30% stress threshold. Compared with Berwick's older middle-ring product, four-bedroom homes here trade roughly $90,000 cheaper at the cost of newer-estate streetscapes and limited mature tree canopy.
For Buyers
The $712,500 median sits 1.7% below the January 2024 peak of $725,000 but 82.7% above the 2013 baseline of $390,000, a compound annual rate of 4.4% over 14 years. Stock skews unambiguously family: 88.6% separate houses, 11.0% semi-detached townhouses (higher than Cranbourne North's 4.5% reflecting newer estate density), and 59.4% with four-plus bedrooms versus 29.9% three-bedroom. Mortgage repayments average $2,000 monthly against household income of $1,912 weekly, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below Victoria's 30% stress threshold. Compared with Berwick's older middle-ring product, four-bedroom homes here trade roughly $90,000 cheaper at the cost of newer-estate streetscapes and limited mature tree canopy.
For Investors
Gross rental yield works out to 2.9% at $400 weekly rent against the $712,500 median, modestly higher than Cranbourne North's 2.8% but well under established Frankston yields near 4%. The 4.3% vacancy rate runs above Melbourne's 1.5% metropolitan benchmark, signalling tenant supply still catching estate completions. Renters occupy 24.6% of homes versus 59.4% mortgaged owner-occupiers, a heavier owner-occupier tilt than Cranbourne North's 57.5%. Twelve development applications lodged over 12 months suggest measured rather than flooding supply, lower than Clyde North's 82 in the same window. The investor case rests on demographic tailwinds: population is forecast to grow 5.96% annually through 2031, adding 929 residents per year, primarily driven by 430 net internal migrants from inner Melbourne trading apartments for land.
Development Activity
Total DAs
24
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+500.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cranbourne East iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Casey Grammar School
Prep-12 · 1127 students
St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 711 students
Casey Fields Primary School
Prep-6 · 1043 students
Cranbourne East Primary School
Prep-6 · 999 students
Cranbourne East Secondary College
7-12 · 2110 students
Demographics
Median age 31 sits nine years below the national 40, signalling first-buyer families rather than aging households. University attainment of 35.1% runs 5 percentage points above the Australian average, tracking Cranbourne North's tertiary base and above Hampton Park's 22%. The migrant share dominates the cultural composition: 48.2% of residents were born overseas, with 4,000 reporting Indian ancestry and 1,208 Filipino, alongside 1,427 Punjabi speakers, 332 Malayalam, 325 Sinhalese, 322 Hindi and 291 Gujarati. Religious affiliation skews Christian at 8,740 followers, Hindu at 2,632, the second-largest grouping unusual for outer-Melbourne suburbs and closer to Clyde North's profile than to traditionally Anglo Berwick. Average household size of 3.3 exceeds the national 2.5 by 0.8 people, consistent with multigenerational South Asian and Filipino households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.6%
Houses
11.0%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The dwelling mix tells a newer-estate story: 88.6% separate houses, 11.0% semi-detached townhouses (notably higher than Cranbourne North's lower-density older releases), and 0.4% apartments. Bedroom distribution leans heavily to four-plus at 59.4% versus three-bedroom at 29.9%, with two-bedroom and smaller barely 10.7% combined. The 15-quarter price history climbs from a $390,000 trough in 2013 to a $725,000 peak in early 2024 before cooling 1.7% to the current $712,500 median, an 82.7% lifetime appreciation. Ownership tenure splits 59.4% mortgaged, 24.6% renting and 16.0% owned outright, more mortgage-loaded than the Australian split closer to 35% mortgaged and 31% outright. Price-to-income ratio of 7.2 sits below Berwick's 8.2 and matches Cranbourne North's comparable corridor metric.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$773
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
320
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.0%
Couples, no children
21,744
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs 24.7% of working residents at 1,815 jobs, well above Manufacturing's 10.3% and Retail's 8.2%, reflecting Casey Hospital's pull from neighbouring Berwick. Construction (8.1%) and Transport (7.8%) round out the top five sectors. Professionals lead occupations at 1,642 workers, narrowly above Community/Personal Service at 1,629 and Machinery/Drivers at 1,357, an unusually deep blue-collar tail compared with Berwick's professional-heavy mix. Unemployment runs 6.0% versus Victoria's 4.2% state average, with 64.8% of employed working full-time. SEIFA scores cluster mid-range: IRSAD decile 6, IER decile 8, IEO decile 6 and IRSD decile 6, a more balanced profile than Cranbourne North's spread between IER 7 and IRSAD 4. Household income reaches the 71st national percentile at $1,912 weekly through dual-earner structures.
Unemployment
8.9%
Labour Force
12,473
Unemployed
1,109
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.8%
Part-time
29.2%
Participation
61.5%
Employed
10,384
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.1%
Postgraduate
10.3%
Born Overseas
48.2%
Dwellings
7,170
Transport to Work
Five schools service the suburb, an unusually deep set spanning sectors: Casey Grammar (Independent, ICSEA 1099, 1,127 enrolment) anchors the top, followed by St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary (1073, 711), Casey Fields Primary (Government, 1027, 1,043), Cranbourne East Primary (Government, 1006, 999) and Cranbourne East Secondary College (Government, 983, 2,110). Primary ICSEA scores run above the 1,000 national benchmark while the secondary college sits 17 points below. Crime is 49.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, lower than Cranbourne North's 54 and Clyde North's 54.7, with 563 property and deception offences leading 267 crimes against the person. Transport is car-dependent: 88.9% drive, just 3.1% use public transport despite Cranbourne line proximity, and 0.9% walk or cycle. IRSAD decile 6 ranks the suburb in the 60th percentile of Australian socio-economic advantage, above Hampton Park's decile 2 and below Berwick's decile 8.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
3.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+5.96%/yr
(+929 people/yr)
High GrowthForecast growth runs 5.96% annually, adding 929 residents per year through 2031 to lift population from 16,348 to 20,992 on the medium projection, though the current 24,679 count already exceeds 2026 model assumptions by roughly 8,000, indicating actuals running ahead of trend. Internal migration drives the trajectory at 430 net annual arrivals versus 136 overseas, the inverse of Cranbourne North where overseas migration leads, reflecting Cranbourne East's pull on Melbourne households trading inner-ring units for greenfield houses. Real income growth has run 86.9% over the past decade alongside the 1,386% population expansion, an unusual combination signalling household formation by upper-middle-income migrants rather than displacement. Gentrification score reads 0 with a 'Rejuvenating' shift trajectory, classifying the suburb as new development rather than turnover.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+136
Net Internal / yr
+430
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,220
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
49.4
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cranbourne East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cranbourne East a good suburb to live in?
Cranbourne East suits families wanting newer four-bedroom homes at $712,500 within a 60-minute commute to Melbourne CBD via the Cranbourne train line. The suburb ranks IRSAD decile 6 (60th percentile) for socio-economic advantage and houses 24,679 residents with median age 31, nine years below the national 40. Trade-offs include car dependency at 88.9% and crime of 49 per 1,000 residents, slightly lower than Cranbourne North's 54.
What is the median house price in Cranbourne East?
The median house price is $712,500 as of Apr-Jun 2024, sitting 1.7% below the $725,000 peak from Jan-Mar 2024 and 82.7% above the 2013 trough of $390,000. Compound annual growth has averaged 4.4% over 14 years. Cranbourne East runs roughly $7,500 below Cranbourne North, $90,000 below Berwick and $200,000 above Hampton Park in the Casey LGA price ladder.
What schools are in Cranbourne East?
Five schools operate in Cranbourne East across three sectors: Casey Grammar (Independent, ICSEA 1099, 1,127 students), St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary (1073, 711), Casey Fields Primary (Government, 1027, 1,043), Cranbourne East Primary (Government, 1006, 999) and Cranbourne East Secondary College (Government, 983, 2,110). Four schools score above the 1,000 national ICSEA benchmark, while the secondary college sits 17 points below.
Is Cranbourne East safe?
Cranbourne East recorded 1,220 criminal incidents over the latest 12 months, working out to 49.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences dominated at 563 cases (46% of total), followed by 267 crimes against the person and 260 justice procedures matters. Public order offences sat at 75 incidents. The rate is lower than Cranbourne North's 54 per 1,000 and Clyde North's 55, moderate for outer Melbourne growth corridors.
Is Cranbourne East good for property investment?
Gross rental yield works out to about 2.9% at $400 weekly rent against the $712,500 median, with vacancy at 4.3% and 12 development applications lodged over 12 months suggesting controlled supply. Population is forecast to grow 5.96% annually through 2031, adding 929 residents per year, driven by 430 net internal migrants annually trading inner-Melbourne apartments for land. Capital growth potential outweighs yield, lower than Frankston's 4% gross but with stronger demographic tailwinds.
How is Cranbourne East's population changing?
Population reached 24,679, up from a near-zero base a decade ago, a 1,386% expansion that ranks among the fastest greenfield builds in Casey LGA. Forecasts project 5.96% annual growth through 2031, adding 929 residents per year. Internal migration contributes 430 net annual arrivals while overseas adds 136, the inverse pattern from Cranbourne North where overseas migration leads, reflecting heavier pull on Melbourne households trading up to land.
What languages are spoken in Cranbourne East?
Forty-eight percent of Cranbourne East residents were born overseas, 26.6 percentage points above the national average. Punjabi leads home languages at 1,427 speakers, followed by Malayalam (332), Sinhalese (325), Hindi (322) and Gujarati (291). Indian ancestry registers 4,000 residents and Filipino 1,208, with Hinduism the second-largest religion at 2,632 followers, reflecting strong South Asian and Filipino settlement into the suburb's family estate stock.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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