Moving to Sunshine VIC 3020
What the official numbers say about living in Sunshine — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $820,000 for a median house or $470,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 70% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $340 a week, against a median household income of $1,566 a week.
About 57% of homes are owner-occupied and 41% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Sunshine grew 7% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (8,838 → 9,445 people).
Around 67% of households are families, averaging 2.6 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: Vietnam, India, Nepal; most spoken languages besides English: Vietnamese, Nepali, Cantonese.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Sunshine sits around the national average (decile 4 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (59% of workers), while 29% work from home.
Nearest train station: Sunshine, 200 m west.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 49: Central Park Avenue, 4.3 km north-east.
Nearest bus interchange: Sunshine Station, 200 m west.
Nearest ferry wharf: Spotswood, 7.2 km south-east.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 9 km north-east.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 12 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 46 schools · 43 cafes & restaurants · 21 supermarkets · 59 parks — see them all on the Sunshine profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception School 200 m · Sunshine Primary School 500 m · Sunshine Harvester Primary School 1.1 km · Hester Hornbrook Academy Sunshine Campus 1.1 km · Caroline Chisholm Catholic College 1.3 km · St Theresa's School 1.5 km · Sunshine College North Campus 1.6 km · Sunshine Heights Primary School 1.6 km
Groceries: Roshan 300 m · Sunshine Fresh Fruit Market 350 m · African Groceries 350 m · Sunshine Fruit Market 400 m · Tài Phát 450 m · Thuận Hưng 450 m · Bình Hưng 450 m · Vạn Hưng 500 m
Parks and reserves: Kevin Wheelahan Gardens 300 m · Dickson Street Reserve 300 m · R T Pollard Gardens 400 m · Leith Avenue Reserve 600 m · Sunvale Community Park 600 m · Tom O'Brien Park 750 m · J.R. Parsons Reserve 800 m · Lowe Crescent Reserve 800 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Sunshine, most often seen first: Little Raven · Common Myna · Eurasian Blackbird · Common Starling · Red Wattlebird · Rainbow Lorikeet.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Sunshine, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine here | 9,445 | $820,000 | 4/10 | 6% |
| Albion | 4,334 | $735,000 | 3/10 | 4% |
| Braybrook | 9,682 | $725,500 | 2/10 | 6% |
| Sunshine North | 12,047 | $750,000 | 2/10 | 3% |
| Sunshine West | 18,552 | $685,000 | 2/10 | 2% |
| Brooklyn | 1,979 | $810,000 | 7/10 | 3% |
| Ardeer | 3,170 | $680,000 | 2/10 | 6% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Brimbank — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Fraser — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3020 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Sunshine profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Sunshine has a median sale price of $820,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $470,000. Renters pay a median $340 a week, and about 41% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 7% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 8,838 people to 9,445. It sits about 12 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Sunshine station is roughly 0.2 km away. Local government is Brimbank council, and the federal seat is Fraser.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Sunshine vs Albion · Sunshine vs Braybrook.
Nearby guides: Albion · Braybrook · Sunshine North · Sunshine West · Brooklyn · Ardeer.
Keep an eye on Sunshine
One email when this data meaningfully changes — new census figures, prices, rankings. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.