Moving to Elwood VIC 3184
What the official numbers say about living in Elwood — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $2,075,000 for a median house or $655,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 47% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $415 a week, against a median household income of $2,096 a week.
Who you'll be living with
Elwood grew 4% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (14,638 → 15,153 people).
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, United States; most spoken languages besides English: Spanish, Greek, Italian.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Elwood sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (37% of workers), while 52% work from home.
Nearest train station: Ripponlea, 900 m north-east.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 40: Scott Street, 650 m east.
Nearest bus interchange: Southern Cross Coach Terminal, 7.7 km north-west.
Nearest ferry wharf: St Kilda - Williamstown Ferry, 2.6 km north-west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 14.8 km south-east.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 8 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 72 schools · 166 cafes & restaurants · 12 supermarkets · 46 parks · 6 beaches — see them all on the Elwood profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Elwood College 200 m · Elwood Primary School 200 m · St Columba's Primary School 550 m · Yesodei HaTorah College 800 m · Adass Israel School Glen Eira Road Campus 1.1 km · St Kilda Primary School 1.2 km · Sholem Aleichem College 1.3 km · Mount Scopus Memorial College Gandel Besen House Campus 1.5 km
Groceries: Elwood Supermarket 450 m · Foodworks 600 m · IGA 950 m · Woolworths 1.4 km · Coles 1.4 km · Coles 1.5 km · Woolworths 1.5 km · GloHealth 1.6 km
Parks and reserves: School Park 100 m · Elwood Community House Reserve 250 m · Clarke Reserve 300 m · W.E. Dickson Reservation 400 m · E C Mitty Reserve 400 m · F L Dawkins Reserve 500 m · J.T. Berkley Reserve 600 m · Point Ormond Reserve 850 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Elwood, most often seen first: Rainbow Lorikeet · Common Myna · Little Raven · Rock Dove · Noisy Miner · Silver Gull.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Elwood, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elwood here | 15,153 | $2,075,000 | 10/10 | 12% |
| Ripponlea | 1,532 | $1,805,000 | 10/10 | 10% |
| Balaclava | 5,392 | $1,377,500 | 10/10 | 7% |
| St Kilda | 19,490 | $1,515,000 | 10/10 | 8% |
| Elsternwick | 10,887 | $1,953,000 | 10/10 | 8% |
| St Kilda East | 12,571 | $1,690,500 | 10/10 | 11% |
| Windsor | 7,273 | $1,432,500 | 10/10 | 6% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Port Phillip — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Macnamara — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3184 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Elwood profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Elwood has a median sale price of $2,075,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $655,000. Renters pay a median $415 a week.
The population grew 4% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 14,638 people to 15,153. It sits about 8 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Ripponlea station is roughly 0.9 km away. Local government is Port Phillip council, and the federal seat is Macnamara.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Elwood vs Balaclava · Elwood vs St Kilda.
Nearby guides: Ripponlea · Balaclava · St Kilda · Elsternwick · St Kilda East · Windsor.
Keep an eye on Elwood
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