Moving to Doncaster VIC 3108
What the official numbers say about living in Doncaster — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,480,500 for a median house or $625,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 48% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $450 a week, against a median household income of $1,592 a week.
About 65% of homes are owner-occupied and 31% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Doncaster grew 37% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (18,227 → 25,020 people).
Around 71% of households are families, averaging 2.4 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, Malaysia, Hong Kong; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, Greek.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Doncaster sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 9 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (57% of workers), while 36% work from home.
Nearest train station: Box Hill, 3.8 km south.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 56: Elgar Road, 3.6 km south.
Nearest railway halt: Box Hill, 1.7 km south.
Nearest bus interchange: Doncaster Shopping Centre, 200 m north.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 20.9 km west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 14 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 52 schools · 75 cafes & restaurants · 12 supermarkets · 90 parks — see them all on the Doncaster profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Doncaster Primary School 550 m · St Gregory the Great Primary School 600 m · Doncaster Secondary College 1.2 km · Birralee Primary School 1.3 km · Box Hill North Primary School 1.7 km · Koonung Secondary College 2 km · Templestowe College 2.1 km · Doncaster Gardens Primary School 2.1 km
Groceries: Coles 200 m · Woolworths 250 m · No 1 Asian Supermarket 650 m · Orlando's 1.5 km · Woolworths 1.7 km · ALDI 1.7 km · ALDI 2.1 km · Jackson Court Corner Store Asian Grocery 2.1 km
Parks and reserves: Lawford Street Reserve 400 m · Winbrook Reserve 500 m · J.W. Thomson Reserve 500 m · Brendan Reserve 600 m · Hepburn Reserve 600 m · Hanke Road Reserve 650 m · Carawatha Reserve 700 m · Burgundy Reserve 800 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Doncaster, most often seen first: Little Raven · Noisy Miner · Rainbow Lorikeet · Pacific Black Duck · Australian Magpie · Common Myna.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Doncaster, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doncaster here | 25,020 | $1,480,500 | 9/10 | 11% |
| Box Hill North | 12,337 | $1,340,000 | 9/10 | 12% |
| Mont Albert North | 5,609 | $1,572,500 | 10/10 | 17% |
| Templestowe Lower | 14,098 | $1,362,000 | 9/10 | 15% |
| Templestowe | 16,966 | $1,650,000 | 10/10 | 25% |
| Box Hill | 14,353 | $1,705,000 | 7/10 | 12% |
| Bulleen | 11,219 | $1,300,000 | 9/10 | 16% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Manningham — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Menzies — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3108 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Doncaster profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Doncaster has a median sale price of $1,480,500 (2024 sales), and a unit $625,000. Renters pay a median $450 a week, and about 31% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 37% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 18,227 people to 25,020. It sits about 14 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Box Hill station is roughly 3.8 km away. Local government is Manningham council, and the federal seat is Menzies.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Doncaster vs Box Hill North · Doncaster vs Templestowe Lower.
Nearby guides: Box Hill North · Mont Albert North · Templestowe Lower · Templestowe · Box Hill · Bulleen.
Keep an eye on Doncaster
One email when this data meaningfully changes — new census figures, prices, rankings. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.