Caulfield North vs St Kilda East

St Kilda East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 37 in Caulfield North. In Caulfield North, most households own their home. In St Kilda East, about half of households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Caulfield North: a median of $1.92 million, against $1.6 million in St Kilda East, and rent is higher there too. St Kilda East is closer to the city centre: 9 km, against 11 km. On these figures, St Kilda East tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Caulfield North has more separate houses rather than flats (36% vs 19%)
  • St Kilda East has more childcare (10 vs 3)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

St Kilda East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,600,000 vs $1,921,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (9 km vs 11 km)
  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 86/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (81% vs 64%)
  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 86/100)
  • But Caulfield North has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 10%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Caulfield North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (10.7% vs -4.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.9% vs 5.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Caulfield North and St Kilda East drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Walkability 86 / 99
Caulfield North — Walkability: 86/100 St Kilda East — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 38 / 40
Caulfield North — Safety: 38/100 St Kilda East — Safety: 40/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Caulfield North — Low fire risk: 100/100 St Kilda East — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 66 / 52
Caulfield North — Low flood risk: 66/100 St Kilda East — Low flood risk: 52/100

Demographics

Caulfield North has more residents (16,903 vs 12,571); Caulfield North skews older (37 vs 34).

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Population 16,903
+26% vs other
 12,571
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.7% -4.0%
Median age 37 34
Median household income $114,660/yr
+8% vs other
 $105,040/yr
Median weekly rent $422/wk
+6% vs other
 $396/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
0-4 5.2% / 5.8%
Caulfield North — 0-4: 5.2% St Kilda East — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 10.6% / 10.6%
Caulfield North — 5-14: 10.6% St Kilda East — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 4.9% / 4.3%
Caulfield North — 15-19: 4.9% St Kilda East — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 7.9% / 6.5%
Caulfield North — 20-24: 7.9% St Kilda East — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 18.1% / 24.6%
Caulfield North — 25-34: 18.1% St Kilda East — 25-34: 24.6%
35-44 13.2% / 17.2%
Caulfield North — 35-44: 13.2% St Kilda East — 35-44: 17.2%
45-54 11.1% / 11.8%
Caulfield North — 45-54: 11.1% St Kilda East — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 9.8% / 8.6%
Caulfield North — 55-64: 9.8% St Kilda East — 55-64: 8.6%
65-74 10.6% / 6.3%
Caulfield North — 65-74: 10.6% St Kilda East — 65-74: 6.3%
75-84 5.2% / 2.9%
Caulfield North — 75-84: 5.2% St Kilda East — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ 3.4% / 1.3%
Caulfield North — 85+: 3.4% St Kilda East — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caulfield North 43.5% lone person
Caulfield North — Lone Person: 43.5% Caulfield North — Couple Families: 37.0% Caulfield North — Group Household: 8.8% Caulfield North — One Parent Families: 9.2% Caulfield North — Other Families: 1.5%
St Kilda East 53.4% lone person
St Kilda East — Lone Person: 53.4% St Kilda East — Couple Families: 26.1% St Kilda East — Group Household: 11.7% St Kilda East — One Parent Families: 7.4% St Kilda East — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield North 41.1% renting
Caulfield North — Owned Outright: 32.3% Caulfield North — Mortgage: 26.7% Caulfield North — Renting: 41.1%
St Kilda East 49.9% renting
St Kilda East — Owned Outright: 21.0% St Kilda East — Mortgage: 29.1% St Kilda East — Renting: 49.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Bachelor Degree 28.2% / 26.2%
Caulfield North — Bachelor Degree: 28.2% St Kilda East — Bachelor Degree: 26.2%
Postgraduate Degree 12.4% / 11.0%
Caulfield North — Postgraduate Degree: 12.4% St Kilda East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 8.1%
Caulfield North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% St Kilda East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Certificate III & IV 4.6% / 7.0%
Caulfield North — Certificate III & IV: 4.6% St Kilda East — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 3.5%
Caulfield North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% St Kilda East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.2%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
England 2.7% / 3.9%
Caulfield North — England: 2.7% St Kilda East — England: 3.9%
China 4.8% / 0.8%
Caulfield North — China: 4.8% St Kilda East — China: 0.8%
South Africa 3.8% / 1.5%
Caulfield North — South Africa: 3.8% St Kilda East — South Africa: 1.5%
India 2.8% / 2.3%
Caulfield North — India: 2.8% St Kilda East — India: 2.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / 2.2%
Caulfield North — New Zealand: 1.4% St Kilda East — New Zealand: 2.2%
Ireland — / 1.1%
Caulfield North — Ireland: not among its largest St Kilda East — Ireland: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield North 39.6% flats / apartments
Caulfield North — Flats / Apartments: 39.6% Caulfield North — Houses: 36.2% Caulfield North — Townhouses: 24.2%
St Kilda East 66.6% flats / apartments
St Kilda East — Flats / Apartments: 66.6% St Kilda East — Houses: 19.0% St Kilda East — Townhouses: 14.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Median house price $1,921,500 $1,600,000
Median unit price $571,250 $565,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 57 sales
 25 days
from 41 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
1 bed $392K / $356K
Caulfield North — 1 bed: $392K (56 sales) St Kilda East — 1 bed: $356K (102 sales)

56 vs 102 sales

2 bed $595K / $600K
Caulfield North — 2 bed: $595K (135 sales) St Kilda East — 2 bed: $600K (222 sales)

135 vs 222 sales

3 bed $950K / $1.02M
Caulfield North — 3 bed: $950K (26 sales) St Kilda East — 3 bed: $1.02M (30 sales)

26 vs 30 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
2 bed $1.28M / $1.11M
Caulfield North — 2 bed: $1.28M (12 sales) St Kilda East — 2 bed: $1.11M (27 sales)

12 vs 27 sales

3 bed $1.64M / $1.66M
Caulfield North — 3 bed: $1.64M (50 sales) St Kilda East — 3 bed: $1.66M (37 sales)

50 vs 37 sales

4 bed $2.15M / $2.02M
Caulfield North — 4 bed: $2.15M (28 sales) St Kilda East — 4 bed: $2.02M (13 sales)

28 vs 13 sales

5 bed $3.34M / $2.75M
Caulfield North — 5 bed: $3.34M (10 sales) St Kilda East — 5 bed: $2.75M (5 sales)

10 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Residential 85%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 6% 10%
Parks and recreation 6% 5%
Commercial 3% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Caulfield North St Kilda East
New dwellings approved 617
across Glen Eira
same for both
Approvals change year on year -69%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Houses 3.3%
$1,200/wk on $1.91M
 3.5%
$925/wk on $1.38M
Units 5.9%
$650/wk on $575K
 5.4%
$620/wk on $600K

Ranking within VIC

Caulfield North St Kilda East
House price Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Income Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Schools Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 2% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC

Liveability

St Kilda East is more walkable (99 vs 86).

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Grade A
same for both
Score 77/100 74/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

St Kilda East carries more flood risk (48 vs 34).

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
60/100
Flood Low
34/100
 Moderate
48/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Inside the suburb 6 9
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 2.1 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.1% 2.7%

Schools in Caulfield North

  • Oakwood School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Caulfield Junior College Government · Primary at peers
  • Caulfield Grammar School - Shelford Campus Independent · Combined
  • Melbourne Grammar School - Grimwade Campus Independent · Combined
  • Shelford Girls' Grammar Independent · Combined
  • MacKillop Specialist School - MacKillop Education Caulfield Catholic · Combined · Special school

Schools in St Kilda East

  • Caulfield Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Beth Rivkah Ladies College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Yeshivah College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Ripponlea Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Adass Israel School - Glen Eira Road Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 19 1
Parks & reserves 4
same for both
Childcare 3 10
GPs 5 4
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0

Mobility

Caulfield North sits further from the CBD (11 km vs 9 km).

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Walkability score 86/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 11 km
+18% vs other
 9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 17 min
Public transport score 82/100
Tram · Bus
 81/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 395.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 181.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.9%
postcode 3161
 1.8%
postcode 3183
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 10
postcode 3161
 7
postcode 3183

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Worked from Home 47.0% / 47.1%
Caulfield North — Worked from Home: 47.0% St Kilda East — Worked from Home: 47.1%
Car (driver) 41.0% / 36.8%
Caulfield North — Car (driver): 41.0% St Kilda East — Car (driver): 36.8%
Train 4.2% / 3.6%
Caulfield North — Train: 4.2% St Kilda East — Train: 3.6%
Walked Only 2.4% / 4.1%
Caulfield North — Walked Only: 2.4% St Kilda East — Walked Only: 4.1%
Tram / Light Rail 1.7% / 3.4%
Caulfield North — Tram / Light Rail: 1.7% St Kilda East — Tram / Light Rail: 3.4%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 2.3%
Caulfield North — Car (passenger): 2.2% St Kilda East — Car (passenger): 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (47.1%).

Setting

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Elevation 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.9 km
4.2 km to a named beach
 2.4 km
2.5 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 4%
7,741 premises
 3%
7,114 premises

Climate

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Caulfield North St Kilda East
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Glen Eira
same for both

Federal electorate

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Division Macnamara
same for both
Member Josh Burns
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Caulfield North St Kilda East
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Caulfield North

Apartments Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

St Kilda East

Apartments Coastal Inner Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caulfield North

Caulfield North vs Malvern East Caulfield North vs Elsternwick Caulfield North vs Malvern Caulfield North vs Armadale Caulfield North vs Caulfield Caulfield North vs Caulfield East

Other comparisons with St Kilda East

St Kilda East vs St Kilda St Kilda East vs Prahran St Kilda East vs Elsternwick St Kilda East vs Armadale St Kilda East vs Windsor St Kilda East vs Balaclava
Full data on Caulfield North Full data on St Kilda East
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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