Moving to Canterbury VIC 3126
What the official numbers say about living in Canterbury — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $3,212,500 for a median house or $1,040,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 53% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $515 a week, against a median household income of $2,877 a week.
About 79% of homes are owner-occupied and 19% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Canterbury shrank 1% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (7,894 → 7,800 people).
Around 77% of households are families, averaging 2.7 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, England, India; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, Greek.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Canterbury sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (43% of workers), while 50% work from home.
Nearest train station: Canterbury, 400 m east.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 47: Willow Grove, 1.1 km south.
Nearest railway halt: Box Hill, 4.5 km north-east.
Nearest bus interchange: Box Hill Station, 4.1 km east.
Nearest ferry wharf: Como Landing, 6.4 km west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 17.3 km south.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 10 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 77 schools · 126 cafes & restaurants · 11 supermarkets · 57 parks — see them all on the Canterbury profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Strathcona Girls' Grammar 700 m · Canterbury Girls' Secondary College 700 m · Camberwell High School 800 m · Canterbury Primary School 1 km · Fintona Girls' School 1.1 km · Siena College 1.2 km · Balwyn Primary School 1.2 km · Camberwell Grammar School 1.3 km
Groceries: IGA 450 m · Woolworths 1.4 km · Woolworths 1.6 km · Aldi 1.7 km · Coles Local 1.8 km · Coles 1.8 km · IGA 2.4 km · Foodworks 2.6 km
Parks and reserves: Chaucer Cresent Reserve 150 m · Canterbury Gardens 250 m · Warburton Road Reserve 400 m · Shrublands Creek Reserve 650 m · Brinsley Road Reserve 750 m · Colville Reserve 850 m · Shenley Ground 900 m · Riversdale Park 950 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Canterbury, most often seen first: Noisy Miner · Rainbow Lorikeet · Little Raven · Australian Magpie · Common Myna · Pacific Black Duck.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Canterbury, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury here | 7,800 | $3,212,500 | 10/10 | 18% |
| Camberwell | 21,965 | $2,600,000 | 10/10 | 14% |
| Balwyn | 13,495 | $2,868,000 | 10/10 | 13% |
| Deepdene | 2,101 | $3,633,000 | 10/10 | 14% |
| Surrey Hills | 13,655 | $2,271,000 | 10/10 | 19% |
| Hawthorn East | 14,834 | $2,585,000 | 10/10 | 12% |
| Mont Albert | 4,948 | $2,428,000 | 10/10 | 17% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Boroondara — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Kooyong — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3126 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Canterbury profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Canterbury has a median sale price of $3,212,500 (2024 sales), and a unit $1,040,000. Renters pay a median $515 a week, and about 19% of homes here are rented.
The population fell 1% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 7,894 people to 7,800. It sits about 10 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Canterbury station is roughly 0.4 km away. Local government is Boroondara council, and the federal seat is Kooyong.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Canterbury vs Balwyn · Canterbury vs Surrey Hills.
Nearby guides: Camberwell · Balwyn · Deepdene · Surrey Hills · Hawthorn East · Mont Albert.
Keep an eye on Canterbury
One email when this data meaningfully changes — new census figures, prices, rankings. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.