Oakleigh East
Almost half of Oakleigh East residents, 48.7%, were born overseas, which is 27.1 points above the national figure, yet the housing stock stays firmly suburban with 69.0% separate houses. That split defines the suburb: a globally sourced population living in a family-oriented detached-house grid 16km southeast of Melbourne. The median age of 35 sits 5.0 years below national, and university qualifications reach 55.4%, 25.3 points above national, because the local mix of Chinese, Greek and Italian heritage families and Monash-adjacent professionals skews young and educated.
Population
6,804
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,951/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
42
Median House
$1.2M
October to December 2025
Three-bedroom homes dominate at 54.2% and 4-plus bedroom homes add 27.7%, so buyers seeking a true family house have deep supply, unlike apartment-heavy inner suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.2%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household income only in the 73.2nd percentile. That affordability headroom, combined with the price pullback, makes Oakleigh East more accessible than its seven-figure median first suggests.
For Buyers
Three-bedroom homes dominate at 54.2% and 4-plus bedroom homes add 27.7%, so buyers seeking a true family house have deep supply, unlike apartment-heavy inner suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.2%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household income only in the 73.2nd percentile. That affordability headroom, combined with the price pullback, makes Oakleigh East more accessible than its seven-figure median first suggests.
For Investors
The 8.1% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market would show, a caution flag pointing to softer near-term demand. Rent-to-income for tenants sits at 21.8%, well below the 30% stress line, so rents have room to rise without pushing tenants into stress. Development activity is modest at 31 applications over 12 months, including proposed rooming houses and small infill, rather than large new supply that would pressure prices.
Development Activity
Total DAs
52
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+600.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Oakleigh East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Amsleigh Park Primary School
Christ Our Holy Redeemer School
Demographics
The median age of 35 is 5.0 years below the national figure, marking a younger profile than most established suburbs. Overseas-born residents reach 48.7%, which is 27.1 points above national, and the ancestry mix is genuinely layered: Chinese (1,059), English (1,022), Greek (944) and Italian (710) all register strongly, a legacy of postwar Mediterranean settlement now overlaid with newer Asian migration. The top non-English languages are Greek (362 speakers), Mandarin (288) and Italian (154), confirming that dual heritage. University qualifications at 55.4% run 25.3 points above national, while average household size of 2.6 sits 0.1 above national, consistent with the 2,127 couple-with-children families that anchor the suburb. Christianity leads religion at 3,192 residents, with Hinduism (477) reflecting the more recent migration wave.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.0%
Houses
23.7%
Townhouse
7.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is balanced three ways: 31.7% own outright, 32.0% carry a mortgage and 36.3% rent, a healthy mix without the debt-free skew of older suburbs. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 69.0% separate houses, with semi-detached at 23.7% and apartments just 7.2%, so density stays low at 3,306 residents per square km. Three-bedroom homes account for 54.2% and 4-plus bedroom 27.7%, leaving small dwellings scarce. Mortgage-to-income at 27.2% and rent-to-income at 21.8% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, so the suburb carries its seven-figure prices without widespread housing stress.
Mortgage / mo
$2,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$425
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$822
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.1%
Unoccupied
219
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.0%
Couples with children
35.8%
Couples, no children
16.3%
Single parent
1,794
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in services: Healthcare leads at 16.8% (444 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 13.6% (358) and Education at 12.7% (335), with Retail at 8.2% and Construction at 6.8%. That Healthcare and Education weight reflects proximity to Monash University and the nearby medical precinct, which draw clinical and teaching staff to live close by. By occupation, Professionals dominate at 1,106, ahead of Clerical/Admin (462) and Managers (441), aligning with the 55.4% university qualification rate that runs 25.3 points above national. Unemployment sits at 5.7% with a 61.3% participation rate and a 63.0% full-time rate, while 1,724 residents are not in the labour force, a figure inflated by the student-age cohort tied to the universities rather than retirees, given the median age of 35 sits below national.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
3,758
Unemployed
200
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.6%
Part-time
34.3%
Participation
65.7%
Employed
3,558
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.4%
Postgraduate
19.5%
Born Overseas
48.7%
Dwellings
2,464
Transport to Work
Oakleigh East is car-dependent, with 85.7% driving to work and only 6.1% using public transport, well below transit-rich inner suburbs, while 2.8% walk or cycle. That reliance reflects the low-density detached layout at 3,306 residents per square km and limited rail access. The crime rate of 35.0 per 1,000 residents covers 238 recorded offences, of which property and deception offences make up 150, the dominant category, with crimes against the person at 38, a profile weighted toward property rather than violent crime. No schools are recorded inside the 2.06 square km boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off offset by the high 55.4% university qualification rate, 25.3 points above national, signalling strong education engagement. Volunteering runs at 10.4%.
Drive
56.1%
Public Transport
4.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
34.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
238
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.0
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 Oakleigh East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oakleigh East a good suburb to live in?
Oakleigh East suits families, with 69.0% separate houses and a younger median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below national. University qualifications reach 55.4%, 25.3 points above national.
What schools are in Oakleigh East?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.06 square km Oakleigh East boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 55.4%, which is 25.3 points above the national figure.
Is Oakleigh East safe?
Oakleigh East recorded 238 offences for a crime rate of 35.0 per 1,000 residents. The profile leans toward property crime, with property and deception offences at 150, the largest category, while crimes against the person were lower at 38, pointing to fewer violent incidents.
How is Oakleigh East's population changing?
Oakleigh East has 6,804 residents with a younger median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below national. Turnover is high at 31.3%, meaning about a third of residents moved within the period, while overseas-born residents at 48.7% sit 27.1 points above national, reflecting ongoing migration.
What languages are spoken in Oakleigh East?
About 48.7% of residents were born overseas, 27.1 points above national. The most common non-English languages are Greek (362 speakers), Mandarin (288) and Italian (154), reflecting both postwar Mediterranean settlement and newer Chinese migration into the suburb.
How much development is happening in Oakleigh East?
There were 31 development applications lodged over the past 12 months, a modest level. Recent examples include proposed rooming houses and small infill work rather than large new estates, so supply growth is incremental against a stock that is already 69.0% separate houses.
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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