East Melbourne
Its 4,896 residents have a median age of 42, 66.8% university attainment and household income at the 89.2nd percentile, supporting a highly educated, affluent profile. The 55.6% work-from-home rate fits a compact, professional neighbourhood, while 26.3% vacancy points to a fluid housing market. Compared with nearby Richmond or Collingwood, buyers should focus on East Melbourne's apartment concentration and premium pricing rather than expect a conventional family-house market.
Population
4,896
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,345/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
131
Median House
$3.1M
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
East Melbourne suits buyers prioritising a central apartment or terrace-style dwelling over a detached house. Smaller formats dominate because 42.0% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 28.0% have 0 or 1 bedroom. Mortgage costs are 23.5% of household income, compared with rent at 20.5%, so affordability depends more on the entry price and dwelling type than repayment stress.
For Buyers
East Melbourne suits buyers prioritising a central apartment or terrace-style dwelling over a detached house. Smaller formats dominate because 42.0% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 28.0% have 0 or 1 bedroom. Mortgage costs are 23.5% of household income, compared with rent at 20.5%, so affordability depends more on the entry price and dwelling type than repayment stress.
For Investors
East Melbourne has a renter-majority profile, with 53.2% renting versus 18.0% with a mortgage, and weekly rent is $480. The 26.3% vacancy rate is the key risk because abundant available stock can weaken rent competition and lengthen letting periods, even after rent growth of 14.3%. Demand is supported by a professional workforce, overseas migration as the primary driver and a 0.23% annual growth trend, but the established setting limits expansion upside. Development activity is notable at 134 applications in 12 months, although the examples are planning or building changes rather than confirmed new dwelling supply. Investors should prioritise well-located apartments with manageable owners corporation costs because 74.0% of homes are apartments.
Development Activity
Total DAs
240
Last 12 Months
131
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+27.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$9.6M
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
East Melbourne's median age is 42, which is 2.0 years above the national comparison, while 66.8% of residents hold a university qualification, 36.7 percentage points higher than nationally. Overseas-born residents account for 29.1%, 7.5 points above the national measure. English, Irish and Scottish are the largest reported ancestries at 1,867, 877 and 678 people, while no religion is recorded for 2,494 people versus 1,778 for Christianity. Mandarin and Italian lead the listed language counts at 48 and 33. Household size averages 1.8, 0.7 below the national comparison, because 71.6% of families are couples without children. Residential turnover is 36.4%, leaving 63.6% in the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
3.2%
Houses
22.6%
Townhouse
74.0%
Apartment
Tenure
East Melbourne's housing cycle is expensive but uneven. Tenure is renter-led: 53.2% rent, 27.2% own outright and 18.0% hold a mortgage. Compared with a detached-house market, the 74.0% apartment share and 42.0% two-bedroom share create a denser, smaller-home profile, while the 1.8 average household size reinforces demand for compact dwellings.
Mortgage / mo
$2,383
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $480.
$650
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $1,100 · units $690
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,532
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
26.3%
Unoccupied
857
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.3%
Couples with children
71.6%
Couples, no children
7.0%
Single parent
1,199
Total families
Economy & Employment
East Melbourne's economic base is highly professional. Professional/Tech accounts for 22.9% of jobs, followed by Healthcare at 16.5%, Education at 10.2%, Finance at 8.3% and Public Admin at 7.5%. The occupation mix is led by 1,514 Professionals and 617 Managers, helping explain personal weekly income of $1,532 and household income of $2,345, at the 89.2nd percentile nationally. Labour force participation is 69.0%, unemployment is 3.1% and full-time employment is 68.0%, indicating solid attachment to work. SEIFA IEO, IRSD and IRSAD all sit in decile 10, while IER sits in decile 4; that contrast suggests exceptional education and occupation outcomes alongside more uneven economic resources, consistent with 53.2% renting.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
3,181
Unemployed
100
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.0%
Part-time
27.0%
Participation
69.0%
Employed
3,081
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
66.8%
Postgraduate
23.7%
Born Overseas
29.1%
Dwellings
2,380
Transport to Work
East Melbourne's compact setting supports varied daily routines, although the recorded travel mix is unusual: 15.8% walked or cycled, 6.7% used public transport and 20.7% drove, while 55.6% worked from home. That work-from-home share is higher than each listed travel mode, so proximity and home-based work shape livability more than commuting volume. Safety needs attention: 958 offences equate to 195.7 per 1,000 people, with property and deception offences at 618, higher than crimes against the person at 151. Socioeconomic advantage is strong, with IRSAD and IRSD both in decile 10, but the crime profile means residents should consider building security and active street conditions.
Drive
20.7%
Public Transport
6.7%
Walk / Cycle
15.8%
Work from Home
55.6%
Population Forecast
+0.23%/yr
(+12 people/yr)
EstablishedEast Melbourne is an established, slow-growth market: the annual trend is 0.23%, while population change across the wider area is -0.1% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, but the shift is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 8.0 percentage points and the working share down 6.2 points. Gentrification is not the current story: the score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Rent growth of 14.3% and real-income growth of 6.3% provide support for established owners, yet the unrecovered COVID dip of -8.4% and limited land for expansion keep the outlook measured. Compared with a fast-growth outer suburb, East Melbourne's attraction is stability and amenity rather than population scale.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+150
Net Internal / yr
-70
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
958
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
195.7
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 East Melbourne compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in East Melbourne?
East Melbourne has 0 schools within its suburb boundary. Families should check current enrolment zones and nearby options against the exact address, because boundaries can cross suburb lines. The absence of a local school is a practical factor to weigh alongside the suburb's compact 1.86 square kilometre footprint.
Is East Melbourne safe?
Safety is mixed rather than uniformly low risk. There were 958 recorded offences, equal to 195.7 per 1,000 people; property and deception offences accounted for 618, higher than the 151 crimes against the person. Residents and landlords should treat entry security, lighting and building access as practical priorities.
Is East Melbourne good for property investment?
Investment appeal comes from 53.2% renting, $480 weekly rent and overseas migration as the primary growth driver. Risks are material: vacancy is 26.3%, annual growth is 0.23% and 74.0% of homes are apartments, so competition and apartment-specific costs matter. A further 134 development applications in 12 months increase the need to check each project's effect on local supply.
How is East Melbourne's population changing?
East Melbourne has 4,896 residents today. Change is subdued: the annual trend is 0.23%, while population change across the wider area is -0.1% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 8.0 points and the working share down 6.2 points. Overseas migration is the primary driver, so arrivals may offset ageing without creating a fast-growth profile.
What development is occurring in East Melbourne?
Development activity is high at 134 applications in 12 months, but the visible examples concern planning permit conditions, vertical flashing and signage rather than confirmed dwelling numbers. For buyers or investors, check each proposal's status, timing and likely effect on apartment supply. This matters in a market where 74.0% of homes are apartments and vacancy is 26.3%.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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