Moving to Elsternwick VIC 3185
What the official numbers say about living in Elsternwick — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,953,000 for a median house or $714,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 49% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $441 a week, against a median household income of $2,209 a week.
About 60% of homes are owner-occupied and 39% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
Elsternwick grew 11% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (9,774 → 10,887 people).
Around 61% of households are families, averaging 2.3 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, South Africa; most spoken languages besides English: Greek, Russian, Mandarin.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Elsternwick sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (38% of workers), while 52% work from home.
Nearest train station: Elsternwick, 500 m west.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 46: Orrong Road, 50 m north-west.
Nearest bus interchange: Chadstone Shopping Centre, 6.8 km east.
Nearest ferry wharf: St Kilda - Williamstown Ferry, 4.3 km north-west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 13.2 km south-east.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 9 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 84 schools · 159 cafes & restaurants · 16 supermarkets · 41 parks · 4 beaches — see them all on the Elsternwick profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Adass Israel School 200 m · St Joseph's Primary School 300 m · Wesley College Elsternwick Campus 550 m · Sholem Aleichem College 550 m · Leibler Yavneh College 800 m · Elsternwick Primary School 950 m · Caulfield Grammar School (Shelford Campus) 1 km · Caulfield Grammar School (Caulfield Campus) 1 km
Groceries: GloHealth 250 m · IGA 1.3 km · Aldi 1.3 km · Foodworks 1.4 km · Woolworths 1.4 km · Elwood Supermarket 1.4 km · Foodworks 1.6 km · IGA 2.1 km
Parks and reserves: Hopetoun Gardens 350 m · Elsternwick Station Reserve 450 m · Lewis Reserve 950 m · Elsternwick Park 1.2 km · Aileen Avenue Park 1.2 km · J.T. Berkley Reserve 1.3 km · Gardenvale Park 1.3 km · Greenmeadows Gardens 1.4 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Elsternwick, most often seen first: Rainbow Lorikeet · Little Raven · Common Myna · Noisy Miner · Rock Dove · Australian Magpie.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Elsternwick, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsternwick here | 10,887 | $1,953,000 | 10/10 | 8% |
| Gardenvale | 1,019 | $1,810,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Ripponlea | 1,532 | $1,805,000 | 10/10 | 10% |
| Balaclava | 5,392 | $1,377,500 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Caulfield | 5,748 | $2,335,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Caulfield South | 12,328 | $1,800,000 | 10/10 | 8% |
| St Kilda East | 12,571 | $1,690,500 | 10/10 | 11% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Glen Eira — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Macnamara — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3185 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Elsternwick profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Elsternwick has a median sale price of $1,953,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $714,000. Renters pay a median $441 a week, and about 39% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 11% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 9,774 people to 10,887. It sits about 9 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Elsternwick station is roughly 0.5 km away. Local government is Glen Eira council, and the federal seat is Macnamara.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Elsternwick vs Balaclava · Elsternwick vs Caulfield.
Nearby guides: Gardenvale · Ripponlea · Balaclava · Caulfield · Caulfield South · St Kilda East.
Keep an eye on Elsternwick
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