Moving to Southbank VIC 3006
What the official numbers say about living in Southbank — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $411 a week, against a median household income of $1,926 a week.
About 31% of homes are owner-occupied and 68% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
Southbank grew 101% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (11,235 → 22,631 people).
Around 44% of households are families, averaging 1.8 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: India, China, Malaysia; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Spanish, Hindi.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Southbank sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (20% of workers), while 49% work from home.
Nearest train station: Flinders Street, 850 m north-east.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 116: City Road, 200 m south-west.
Nearest bus interchange: Southern Cross Coach Terminal, 1.3 km north-west.
Nearest ferry wharf: Crown Landing, 550 m north-west.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 12.4 km north-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 1 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 85 schools · 1,599 cafes & restaurants · 52 supermarkets · 131 parks · 4 beaches — see them all on the Southbank profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School 400 m · South Melbourne Primary School 900 m · Montague School 1.3 km · Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School 1.4 km · Mac.Robertson Girls' High School 1.5 km · Melbourne Grammar School 1.5 km · Ozford College 1.6 km · South Melbourne Park Primary School 1.7 km
Groceries: Woolworths Metro 350 m · IGA 450 m · IGA X-press + Liquor 500 m · Aldi 700 m · Woolworths 750 m · Coles 750 m · Dae Bark Mart 750 m · Foodworks 800 m
Parks and reserves: Boyd Community Park 100 m · Linear Park 450 m · Dodds St Linear Park 500 m · Grant Street Reserve 550 m · Sturt Street Reserve 550 m · Southbank Garden 550 m · Miles and Dodds Reserve 550 m · Enterprize Park 650 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Southbank, most often seen first: Common Myna · Rainbow Lorikeet · Silver Gull · Magpie-lark · Rock Dove · Little Raven.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Southbank, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southbank here | 22,631 | — | 10/10 | 3% |
| Melbourne | 54,941 | — | 10/10 | 9% |
| South Melbourne | 11,548 | $1,532,500 | 10/10 | 6% |
| Docklands | 15,495 | — | 10/10 | 2% |
| Albert Park | 6,044 | $2,225,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| West Melbourne | 8,025 | $1,231,000 | 10/10 | 2% |
| East Melbourne | 4,896 | $3,650,000 | 10/10 | 14% |
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 Macnamara — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3006 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Southbank profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $411 a week, and about 68% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 101% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 11,235 people to 22,631. It sits about 1 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Flinders Street station is roughly 0.8 km away. Local government is Melbourne council, and the federal seat is Macnamara.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Southbank vs Melbourne · Southbank vs South Melbourne.
Nearby guides: Melbourne · South Melbourne · Docklands · Albert Park · West Melbourne · East Melbourne.
Keep an eye on Southbank
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