Moving to Chelsea VIC 3196
What the official numbers say about living in Chelsea — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,210,000 for a median house or $695,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 109% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $375 a week, against a median household income of $1,683 a week.
About 66% of homes are owner-occupied and 32% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
Chelsea grew 16% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (7,223 → 8,347 people).
Around 61% of households are families, averaging 2.2 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, India; most spoken languages besides English: Greek, Russian, Mandarin.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Chelsea sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 8 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (59% of workers), while 37% work from home.
Nearest train station: Chelsea, 450 m south-west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 8.1 km north.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 30 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 15 schools · 35 cafes & restaurants · 8 supermarkets · 26 parks · 5 beaches — see them all on the Chelsea profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: St Joseph’s School 600 m · Chelsea Primary School 600 m · Edithvale Primary School 1.5 km · Chelsea Heights Primary School 1.7 km · Bonbeach Primary School 1.9 km · Cornish College 2.5 km · Aspendale Gardens Primary School 3 km · Patterson Lakes Primary School 3 km
Groceries: NQR 500 m · Woolworths 600 m · Chelsea Heights IGA 1.5 km · IGA Friendly Grocer 1.9 km · Woolworths 2.8 km · Goodfellows Carrum Village Foodstore 2.9 km · ALDI 3 km · Coles 3 km
Parks and reserves: Chelsea Recreation Reserve 350 m · Chelsea Park 600 m · Victory Park 650 m · Woolepe Bushland Reserve 700 m · Chelsea Bicentennial Park 750 m · Beazley Reserve 1 km · Mary Bell Park 1 km · Longbeach Trail Park 1.1 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Chelsea, most often seen first: Common Myna · Common Starling · Little Raven · Pacific Black Duck · Chestnut Teal · Australasian Purple Swamphen.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Chelsea, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea here | 8,347 | $1,210,000 | 8/10 | 9% |
| Bonbeach | 6,855 | $1,025,000 | 8/10 | 12% |
| Edithvale | 6,276 | $1,310,000 | 9/10 | 9% |
| Chelsea Heights | 5,393 | $932,500 | 8/10 | 11% |
| Carrum | 4,239 | $1,040,000 | 7/10 | 11% |
| Aspendale Gardens | 6,427 | $1,210,500 | 9/10 | 10% |
| Patterson Lakes | 7,793 | $1,385,000 | 9/10 | 9% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Kingston (Vic.) — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Isaacs — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3196 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Chelsea profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Chelsea has a median sale price of $1,210,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $695,000. Renters pay a median $375 a week, and about 32% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 16% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 7,223 people to 8,347. It sits about 30 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Chelsea station is roughly 0.5 km away. Local government is Kingston (Vic.) council, and the federal seat is Isaacs.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Chelsea vs Bonbeach · Chelsea vs Edithvale.
Nearby guides: Bonbeach · Edithvale · Chelsea Heights · Carrum · Aspendale Gardens · Patterson Lakes.
Keep an eye on Chelsea
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