Moving to Pakenham VIC 3810
What the official numbers say about living in Pakenham — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $655,000 for a median house or $490,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 87% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $351 a week, against a median household income of $1,664 a week.
About 66% of homes are owner-occupied and 31% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Pakenham grew 59% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (34,038 → 54,118 people).
Around 76% of households are families, averaging 2.8 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: India, England, Sri Lanka; most spoken languages besides English: Punjabi, Sinhalese, Mandarin.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Pakenham sits around the national average (decile 4 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (78% of workers), while 19% work from home.
Nearest train station: Pakenham, 1.3 km south-east.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 34.6 km west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 53 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 14 schools · 15 cafes & restaurants · 5 supermarkets · 13 parks — see them all on the Pakenham profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: ECG College Pakenham 150 m · St Patrick's Primary School 350 m · Pakenham Secondary College 450 m · Pakenham Consolidated School 1.1 km · Beaconhills College Pakenham Campus 1.2 km · Pakenham Springs Primary School 1.6 km · Lakeside College 2 km · Pakenham Hills Primary School 2 km
Groceries: Coles 750 m · Woolworths 900 m · Ritchies 1 km · Aldi 2 km · Foodworks 2.4 km
Parks and reserves: P.B. Ronald Park 750 m · Finch Court Reserve 800 m · William Bruce Ronald Reserve 850 m · Barring buluk Park 900 m · Atkins Road Reserve 1.2 km · Burke Park 1.2 km · McGarvie Crescent Playground 1.3 km · Ron Andrews Park 1.4 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Pakenham, most often seen first: Little Raven · Common Myna · Australian Magpie · Magpie-lark · Pacific Black Duck · Common Starling.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Pakenham, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakenham here | 54,118 | $655,000 | 4/10 | 15% |
| Officer South | 1,159 | $772,500 | 9/10 | 3% |
| Officer | 18,503 | $718,000 | 8/10 | 23% |
| Nar Nar Goon | 1,023 | — | 4/10 | 2% |
| Nar Nar Goon North | 819 | $324,000 | 8/10 | 25% |
| Beaconsfield Upper | 2,997 | $1,010,000 | 10/10 | 56% |
| Beaconsfield | 7,267 | $990,000 | 9/10 | 31% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Cardinia — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of La Trobe — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3810 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Pakenham profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Pakenham has a median sale price of $655,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $490,000. Renters pay a median $351 a week, and about 31% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 59% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 34,038 people to 54,118. It sits about 53 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Pakenham station is roughly 1.3 km away. Local government is Cardinia council, and the federal seat is La Trobe.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Pakenham vs Officer · Pakenham vs Clyde North.
Nearby guides: Officer South · Officer · Nar Nar Goon · Nar Nar Goon North · Beaconsfield Upper · Beaconsfield.
Keep an eye on Pakenham
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