Moving to East Melbourne VIC 3002
What the official numbers say about living in East Melbourne — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $3,650,000 for a median house or $725,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 97% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $480 a week, against a median household income of $2,345 a week.
About 45% of homes are owner-occupied and 53% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
East Melbourne grew 4% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (4,714 → 4,896 people).
Around 50% of households are families, averaging 1.8 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, China; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Italian, Greek.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), East Melbourne sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (22% of workers), while 56% work from home.
Nearest train station: Jolimont, 350 m south.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 11: Jolimont Station, 350 m south.
Nearest bus interchange: Southern Cross Coach Terminal, 2.8 km west.
Nearest ferry wharf: Berth 5, 1.4 km south-west.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 12.3 km north-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 2 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 103 schools · 1,677 cafes & restaurants · 66 supermarkets · 155 parks · 1 beach — see them all on the East Melbourne profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Collingwood English Language School 600 m · Holmes Grammar School 1.1 km · Richmond West Primary School 1.1 km · Collingwood Alternative School 1.2 km · Collingwood College 1.3 km · Sacred Heart Primary School 1.3 km · Academy of Mary Immaculate 1.3 km · Abbotsford Primary School 1.4 km
Groceries: IGA 400 m · Aunt Maggies 800 m · Foodworks 850 m · Wing Chong Asian Supermarket 1000 m · Coles 1 km · Woolworths 1.1 km · Sika Supermarket 1.1 km · Aldi 1.1 km
Parks and reserves: Fitzroy Gardens 300 m · Powlett Reserve 350 m · Jolimont Reserve 450 m · Darling Square 450 m · Weedon Reserve 650 m · Wellington Park 700 m · Treasury Gardens 700 m · Oxford Street Park 700 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around East Melbourne, most often seen first: Common Myna · Rainbow Lorikeet · Magpie-lark · Rock Dove · Noisy Miner · Silver Gull.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to East Melbourne, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Melbourne here | 4,896 | $3,650,000 | 10/10 | 14% |
| Collingwood | 9,179 | $1,184,000 | 9/10 | 4% |
| Fitzroy | 10,431 | $1,750,000 | 9/10 | 6% |
| Cremorne | 2,158 | $1,237,500 | 10/10 | 4% |
| Richmond | 28,587 | $1,395,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Abbotsford | 9,088 | $1,232,500 | 10/10 | 9% |
| Melbourne | 54,941 | — | 10/10 | 9% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Melbourne — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Melbourne — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3002 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full East Melbourne profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in East Melbourne has a median sale price of $3,650,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $725,000. Renters pay a median $480 a week, and about 53% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 4% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 4,714 people to 4,896. It sits about 2 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Jolimont station is roughly 0.4 km away. Local government is Melbourne council, and the federal seat is Melbourne.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: East Melbourne vs Collingwood · East Melbourne vs Fitzroy.
Nearby guides: Collingwood · Fitzroy · Cremorne · Richmond · Abbotsford · Melbourne.
Keep an eye on East Melbourne
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