Keilor East
Detached houses define Keilor East: 80.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.8% are apartments, giving it a lower-density family profile than many middle-ring Melbourne suburbs. Compared with nearby Essendon and Niddrie, the suburb leans more car-based and house-focused, with 89.9% of commuters driving. The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, while household income sits at the 71.4th percentile. That matters because strong incomes and low apartment supply help support a $1,057,500 median house price.
Population
15,078
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,911/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
65
Median House
$1.1M
Apr-Jun 2024
Keilor East suits buyers seeking land, larger homes and relative stability rather than apartment convenience. The median house price is $1,057,500, at the current peak after rising 88.8% from $560,000 in 2013. Housing costs look manageable for many owners because mortgage payments absorb 26.2% of income, below typical stress thresholds. Stock is family-sized: 56.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 35.1% have 4 or more, while apartments are only 0.8%. The trade-off is transport, with 89.9% driving to work.
For Buyers
Keilor East suits buyers seeking land, larger homes and relative stability rather than apartment convenience. The median house price is $1,057,500, at the current peak after rising 88.8% from $560,000 in 2013. Housing costs look manageable for many owners because mortgage payments absorb 26.2% of income, below typical stress thresholds. Stock is family-sized: 56.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 35.1% have 4 or more, while apartments are only 0.8%. The trade-off is transport, with 89.9% driving to work.
For Investors
Keilor East is a lower-renter market, with only 19.3% renting compared with owner-heavy shares of 47.3% owned outright and 33.4% mortgaged. Median rent is $406 per week and rent-to-income is 21.2%, so affordability pressure is not extreme. Vacancy is 6.0%, which is higher than a tight rental market and may soften near-term letting power. However, 39 development applications in 12 months and overseas migration averaging 126 people a year provide some demand support, even as internal migration averages -8.
Development Activity
Total DAs
87
Last 12 Months
65
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+400.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Keilor East iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School
Prep-12 · 2913 students
St Peter's School
Prep-6 · 561 students
Keilor Heights Primary School
Prep-6 · 254 students
Essendon Keilor College
7-12 · 697 students
Demographics
Keilor East has an older and relatively educated population. The median age is 43, which is 3.0 years above the national benchmark, and 40.6% hold a university qualification, 10.5 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 30.0%, 8.4 points above national, reflected in Italian ancestry at 3,688 people, English at 3,008 and Greek at 1,115. Italian is spoken by 581 residents and Greek by 357. Household size is 2.6, only 0.1 above national, because family homes are balanced by many older couples.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.6%
Houses
18.4%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Rather than the apartment mix found around Essendon station, Keilor East is a house market: 80.6% separate houses, 18.4% semi-detached homes and just 0.8% apartments. The median house price reached $1,057,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, equal to its peak, after a 4.6% compound annual rise over 14 years from $560,000 in 2013. Ownership is higher than renting, with 47.3% owned outright, 33.4% mortgaged and 19.3% renting. This supports price resilience because turnover pressure is lower in owner-occupied streets.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$406
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$759
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
349
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.8%
Couples, no children
12,802
Total families
Economy & Employment
Keilor East's workforce is broad but tilted to stable service sectors. Healthcare accounts for 14.1% of workers, Education 13.0%, Construction 11.7%, Professional/Tech 10.5% and Public Admin 7.5%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,757 people, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 1,116 and Managers at 998. Unemployment is 4.9% and full-time work is 65.4% of employed residents. SEIFA sits consistently above the midpoint, with IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all in decile 7, because incomes and education are solid without reaching elite inner-east levels.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
4,728
Unemployed
84
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
29.7%
Participation
55.0%
Employed
6,506
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.6%
Postgraduate
8.6%
Born Overseas
30.0%
Dwellings
5,450
Transport to Work
Keilor East is livable for households that value schools, space and road access more than rail commuting. Public transport commuting is only 2.5%, below many train-line suburbs, while 89.9% drive. School choice is a strength: 4 local schools span ICSEA 1004 to 1173, led by Independent Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School at 1173, Catholic St Peter's School at 1085 and Government Keilor Heights Primary School at 1049. Safety is moderate, with 599 offences and 39.7 crimes per 1,000 people; property and deception offences make up 367 cases. IRSAD decile 7 adds above-average socio-economic support.
Drive
89.9%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.55%/yr
(+86 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth in Keilor East is steady rather than explosive. The trend forecast is 0.55% a year, or about 86 people annually, with the medium path rising from 15,703 in 2026 to 16,131 in 2031. Overseas migration is the main driver, averaging 126 net people a year, while internal migration is lower at -8. The shift profile is Mixed: rents rose 31.6%, real incomes rose 21.5% and population changed 13.7% over 10 years. The gentrification score is 4 and the stage is Not gentrifying, because renewal is incremental rather than wholesale.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+126
Net Internal / yr
-8
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +13% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
599
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
39.7
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 Keilor East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keilor East a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for households wanting space and schools. Keilor East has 80.6% separate houses, 4 local schools and a median age of 43, which points to a settled family and older-owner profile. It is less suited to rail-dependent commuters because 89.9% drive to work.
What is the median house price in Keilor East?
The median house price in Keilor East is $1,057,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is the suburb's recorded peak and is 88.8% higher than the $560,000 level recorded in 2013, equal to 4.6% compound annual growth over 14 years.
What schools are in Keilor East?
Keilor East has 4 listed schools. Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School leads on ICSEA at 1173, followed by St Peter's School at 1085, Keilor Heights Primary School at 1049 and Essendon Keilor College at 1004.
Is Keilor East safe?
Keilor East recorded 599 offences, equal to 39.7 crimes per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences are the main category with 367 incidents, followed by justice procedures at 96 and crimes against the person at 91.
Is Keilor East good for property investment?
Keilor East is more of a capital-stability market than a high-yield renter market. Only 19.3% of homes are rented, median rent is $406 per week and vacancy is 6.0%. The stronger positives are the $1,057,500 median house price peak and 39 recent development applications.
How is Keilor East's population changing?
Keilor East is forecast to grow slowly, at 0.55% or about 86 people a year. The medium projection rises from 15,703 residents in 2026 to 16,131 in 2031, with overseas migration adding 126 people annually and internal migration averaging -8.
What development is happening in Keilor East?
There were 39 development applications recorded over 12 months, including planning permits and a two lot subdivision application. That level is above a quiet infill market and fits the suburb's gradual renewal pattern rather than large-scale apartment change.
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.
Explore Keilor East on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map