Elsternwick
With 41.4% of dwellings in apartments and a density of 4,182.8 people per square kilometre, Elsternwick feels more urban than its 2.6 square kilometre footprint suggests. The suburb has 10,887 residents, a median age of 38, and household income at the 84th percentile. Its 60.8% university attainment is 30.7 percentage points above the national comparison, while 30.5% were born overseas. Compared with the larger-lot character of nearby Caulfield, Elsternwick is more apartment-led, with compact housing and established local services shaping daily life.
Population
10,887
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,209/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
57
Median House
$2.2M
October to December 2025
Elsternwick suits buyers who value centrality and apartment choice, but the entry price is premium. Separate houses account for 38.3% of dwellings, versus 41.4% apartments and 19.3% semi-detached homes, so the stock is more compact than a conventional family suburb. Two-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 37.7%, followed by three-bedroom homes at 29.4%. Mortgage repayments represent 25.1% of household income, while 31.0% own their homes outright, helping higher-income households compete despite the median price.
For Buyers
Elsternwick suits buyers who value centrality and apartment choice, but the entry price is premium. Separate houses account for 38.3% of dwellings, versus 41.4% apartments and 19.3% semi-detached homes, so the stock is more compact than a conventional family suburb. Two-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 37.7%, followed by three-bedroom homes at 29.4%. Mortgage repayments represent 25.1% of household income, while 31.0% own their homes outright, helping higher-income households compete despite the median price.
For Investors
Investor conditions are mixed rather than uniformly defensive. Renting accounts for 39.0% of households and weekly rent is $441, supporting a substantial tenant base, while the 11.4% vacancy rate is high compared with a tightly supplied market and may lengthen leasing times. Rents have grown 25.7%, which can improve income potential, but that uplift needs to be weighed against vacancy risk. There were 53 development applications in 12 months, so ongoing planning activity may affect street-by-street competition. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, giving demand a broader base than the 26.9% resident turnover rate alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
61
Last 12 Months
57
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+2750.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Elsternwick
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Adass Israel School
Leibler Yavneh College
Sholem Aleichem College
St Joseph's School
Demographics
Elsternwick's demographic profile is highly educated and internationally connected. Median age is 38, which is 2 years below the national comparison, while 60.8% of residents hold university qualifications, 30.7 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 30.5%, 8.9 points above the national figure, helping explain the presence of Greek, Russian, French, Mandarin and Italian languages. Average household size is 2.3, or 0.2 below national, consistent with the 42.6% share of couples without children and a strong apartment presence. English, Irish and Scottish are the largest named ancestries, while no religion is recorded by 4,629 people, above Christianity at 3,270.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
38.3%
Houses
19.3%
Townhouse
41.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Elsternwick's housing market combines premium pricing with a compact tenure mix. Apartments make up 41.4% of dwellings and separate houses 38.3%, a sharper contrast with the larger-lot pattern associated with nearby Caulfield. Renting is prominent at 39.0%, compared with 31.0% owning outright and 28.6% paying a mortgage. Two-bedroom homes lead at 37.7%, while 13.2% are studios or one-bedroom dwellings, supporting demand from smaller households and professionals.
Mortgage / mo
$2,400
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $441.
$600
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $900 · units $600
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,206
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
581
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.8%
Couples with children
42.6%
Couples, no children
12.1%
Single parent
2,800
Total families
Economy & Employment
Elsternwick has an affluent, knowledge-heavy employment base. Professional and technology work leads local industries at 19.1% and 904 workers, followed by healthcare at 15.7% and 743, education at 11.1% and 526, finance at 7.6% and 362, and retail at 7.0% and 332. Professionals number 2,419 and managers 1,157, helping explain household income at the 84th percentile. Labour-force participation is 69.4%, unemployment is 3.5%, and full-time employment is 62.5%. SEIFA places education and occupation in decile 10, disadvantage in decile 9, and economic resources in decile 6, so the IER result is lower than the suburb's other strong rankings.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
6,272
Unemployed
221
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.5%
Part-time
31.8%
Participation
69.4%
Employed
6,051
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.8%
Postgraduate
17.2%
Born Overseas
30.5%
Dwellings
4,526
Transport to Work
Daily life is suited to compact households and hybrid workers. Working from home is reported by 52.1%, while 35.7% drive as car commuters, 5.7% use public transport and 4.5% walk or cycle, so access needs vary by routine. Four schools are located in the suburb: 1 Catholic primary campus and 3 independent schools, including 2 Pri/Sec settings and 2 primary schools overall. Check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across the suburb. Safety requires nuance: 787 recorded offences equal 72.3 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 546. IRSAD is in decile 10, above lower-decile areas, supporting strong access to services and amenity.
Drive
35.7%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
4.5%
Work from Home
52.1%
Population Forecast
+0.74%/yr
(+95 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive. The annual trend is 0.74%, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 10.8% over 10 years. The forecast shift is labelled Mixed; recorded affordability measures are 41.9% in 2011 and 35.7% in 2021, while rents rose 25.7%. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage, with a score of 25, and the suburb recovered from a 3.9% COVID dip with 5.6% recovery. Compared with faster-growth areas, this established profile points to gradual change shaped by migration, price pressure and limited land.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+236
Net Internal / yr
-108
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +14% since 2011, Net internal outflow -108/yr, Strong overseas inflow +236/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
787
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
72.3
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 Elsternwick compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Elsternwick?
Four schools are located locally: 1 Catholic primary school and 3 independent schools. The independent group includes 2 Pri/Sec settings and 2 primary schools overall. Check the exact address and enrolment zone before deciding, because school access can vary across nearby streets.
Is Elsternwick safe?
Safety is mixed rather than simple. The recorded crime rate is 72.3 offences per 1,000 residents, with 787 total offences and 546 property and deception offences. Those figures describe recorded incidents, so compare the exact street and property type before making a decision.
Is Elsternwick good for property investment?
It may suit investors who can tolerate leasing variability. Renting is 39.0%, weekly rent is $441 and vacancy is 11.4%, while rents have grown 25.7%. There were 53 development applications in 12 months, so returns depend on balancing tenant demand against competition and ongoing planning activity.
How is Elsternwick's population changing?
Population change is gradual but positive across the wider area. The annual trend is 0.74%, 10-year population change is 10.8%, and overseas migration is the primary driver. The forecast trajectory is Mixed, while gentrification is at the Early signs stage with a score of 25, suggesting change without a rapid-growth profile.
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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