Caulfield vs Elsternwick

Elsternwick is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Caulfield. In both, most households own their home. In Elsternwick, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Elsternwick: a median of $2 million, against $1.81 million in Caulfield, though rent is higher in Caulfield. Elsternwick is closer to the city centre: 10.7 km, against 12.8 km. On these figures, Caulfield tends to suit older residents, while Elsternwick suits people living alone.

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

Elsternwick

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Caulfield has cheaper houses ($1,810,000 vs $2,000,000)
  • Elsternwick has cheaper units ($621,500 vs $731,500)

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

Elsternwick

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (10.7 km vs 12.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Caulfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 16%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Caulfield returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.6% vs 2.4%)
  • Elsternwick returns a higher gross yield on units (4.8% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Caulfield and Elsternwick 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 Elsternwick
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 Elsternwick
Walkability 86 / 92
Caulfield — Walkability: 86/100 Elsternwick — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 34 / 31
Caulfield — Safety: 34/100 Elsternwick — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Caulfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Elsternwick — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 82 / 68
Caulfield — Low flood risk: 82/100 Elsternwick — Low flood risk: 68/100

Demographics

Elsternwick has more residents (10,887 vs 5,748); Caulfield skews older (42 vs 38).

Caulfield Elsternwick
Population 5,748 10,887
+89% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% +5.2%
Median age 42 38
Median household income $111,436/yr $114,868/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $475/wk
+7% vs other
 $441/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caulfield Elsternwick
0-4 4.6% / 5.1%
Caulfield — 0-4: 4.6% Elsternwick — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 10.8% / 11.8%
Caulfield — 5-14: 10.8% Elsternwick — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 4.9% / 5.5%
Caulfield — 15-19: 4.9% Elsternwick — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 6.7% / 5.5%
Caulfield — 20-24: 6.7% Elsternwick — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 13.8% / 17.0%
Caulfield — 25-34: 13.8% Elsternwick — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 12.3% / 14.1%
Caulfield — 35-44: 12.3% Elsternwick — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 12.5% / 13.5%
Caulfield — 45-54: 12.5% Elsternwick — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 10.1% / 11.2%
Caulfield — 55-64: 10.1% Elsternwick — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 12.5% / 9.1%
Caulfield — 65-74: 12.5% Elsternwick — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 7.0% / 4.8%
Caulfield — 75-84: 7.0% Elsternwick — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 5.0% / 2.4%
Caulfield — 85+: 5.0% Elsternwick — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caulfield 37.2% lone person
Caulfield — Lone Person: 37.2% Caulfield — Couple Families: 41.6% Caulfield — One Parent Families: 12.0% Caulfield — Group Household: 7.2% Caulfield — Other Families: 2.0%
Elsternwick 45.3% lone person
Elsternwick — Lone Person: 45.3% Elsternwick — Couple Families: 36.6% Elsternwick — One Parent Families: 10.1% Elsternwick — Group Household: 6.9% Elsternwick — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield 32.8% renting
Caulfield — Owned Outright: 38.7% Caulfield — Mortgage: 28.5% Caulfield — Renting: 32.8%
Elsternwick 39.6% renting
Elsternwick — Owned Outright: 31.4% Elsternwick — Mortgage: 29.0% Elsternwick — Renting: 39.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Caulfield Elsternwick
Bachelor Degree 26.7% / 27.1%
Caulfield — Bachelor Degree: 26.7% Elsternwick — Bachelor Degree: 27.1%
Postgraduate Degree 8.9% / 10.7%
Caulfield — Postgraduate Degree: 8.9% Elsternwick — Postgraduate Degree: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 7.8%
Caulfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Elsternwick — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 5.9%
Caulfield — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% Elsternwick — Certificate III & IV: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 4.4%
Caulfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Elsternwick — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).

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 Elsternwick
South Africa 5.7% / 1.9%
Caulfield — South Africa: 5.7% Elsternwick — South Africa: 1.9%
England 2.2% / 4.0%
Caulfield — England: 2.2% Elsternwick — England: 4.0%
China 2.5% / 1.2%
Caulfield — China: 2.5% Elsternwick — China: 1.2%
New Zealand 1.6% / 2.0%
Caulfield — New Zealand: 1.6% Elsternwick — New Zealand: 2.0%
India 2.3% / 1.3%
Caulfield — India: 2.3% Elsternwick — India: 1.3%
Ireland 0.9% / 1.4%
Caulfield — Ireland: 0.9% Elsternwick — Ireland: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield 39.9% houses
Caulfield — Houses: 39.9% Caulfield — Flats / Apartments: 22.2% Caulfield — Townhouses: 37.9%
Elsternwick 38.2% houses
Elsternwick — Houses: 38.2% Elsternwick — Flats / Apartments: 42.5% Elsternwick — Townhouses: 19.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Caulfield Elsternwick
Median house price $1,810,000 $2,000,000
Median unit price $731,500 $621,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 11 sales
 25 days
from 43 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 Elsternwick
2 bed $950K / $1.12M
Caulfield — 2 bed: $950K (7 sales) Elsternwick — 2 bed: $1.12M (6 sales)

7 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.69M / $1.79M
Caulfield — 3 bed: $1.69M (18 sales) Elsternwick — 3 bed: $1.79M (46 sales)

18 vs 46 sales

4 bed $1.95M / $2.4M
Caulfield — 4 bed: $1.95M (20 sales) Elsternwick — 4 bed: $2.4M (27 sales)

20 vs 27 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 Elsternwick
1 bed $389K / $385K
Caulfield — 1 bed: $389K (17 sales) Elsternwick — 1 bed: $385K (41 sales)

17 vs 41 sales

2 bed $640K / $644K
Caulfield — 2 bed: $640K (44 sales) Elsternwick — 2 bed: $644K (100 sales)

44 vs 100 sales

3 bed $1.25M / $1.24M
Caulfield — 3 bed: $1.25M (28 sales) Elsternwick — 3 bed: $1.24M (25 sales)

28 vs 25 sales

Zoning mix

Caulfield Elsternwick
Residential 82% 87%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 5%
Commercial 5% 7%
Parks and recreation 0% 1%
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 Elsternwick
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 Elsternwick
Houses 3.6%
$1,232/wk on $1.77M
 2.4%
$1,000/wk on $2.2M
Units 3.9%
$600/wk on $800K
 4.8%
$642/wk on $702K

Ranking within VIC

Caulfield Elsternwick
House price Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Income Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 81% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Caulfield Elsternwick
Grade A+
same for both
Score 88/100 86/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Elsternwick carries more flood risk (32 vs 18).

Caulfield Elsternwick
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
66/100
 Moderate
69/100
Flood Low
18/100
 Low
32/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Caulfield Elsternwick
Inside the suburb 0 7
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 1.4 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.1% 3.1%

Schools in Caulfield

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Elsternwick

  • Adass Israel School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Sholem Aleichem College Independent · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Leibler Yavneh College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Adass Israel School - Orrong Road Campus Independent · Combined
  • Sholem Aleichem College - Senior Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Caulfield Elsternwick
Supermarkets 1 2
Cafes & restaurants 21 19
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 3 17
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 3 5
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 4
Fuel stations 1 2

Mobility

Caulfield sits further from the CBD (12.8 km vs 10.7 km).

Caulfield Elsternwick
Walkability score 86/100 92/100
Distance to Melbourne 12.8 km
+16% vs other
 10.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min 22 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 107.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 221.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 3162
 2.6%
postcode 3185
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 18
postcode 3162
 13
postcode 3185

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 Elsternwick
Worked from Home 46.6% / 51.5%
Caulfield — Worked from Home: 46.6% Elsternwick — Worked from Home: 51.5%
Car (driver) 42.5% / 35.3%
Caulfield — Car (driver): 42.5% Elsternwick — Car (driver): 35.3%
Train 3.7% / 5.6%
Caulfield — Train: 3.7% Elsternwick — Train: 5.6%
Walked Only 1.8% / 3.4%
Caulfield — Walked Only: 1.8% Elsternwick — Walked Only: 3.4%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 2.0%
Caulfield — Car (passenger): 2.5% Elsternwick — Car (passenger): 2.0%
Tram / Light Rail 1.8% / 0.6%
Caulfield — Tram / Light Rail: 1.8% Elsternwick — Tram / Light Rail: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.5%).

Setting

Caulfield Elsternwick
Elevation 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.7 km
4.5 km to a named beach
 2.0 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Caulfield Elsternwick
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
2,832 premises
 4%
5,640 premises

Climate

Caulfield Elsternwick
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 Elsternwick
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Caulfield Elsternwick
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Glen Eira
same for both

Federal electorate

Caulfield Elsternwick
Division Macnamara Goldstein
Member Josh Burns Tim Wilson
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Caulfield Elsternwick
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Caulfield

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Elsternwick

Apartments Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caulfield

Caulfield vs Caulfield North Caulfield vs Caulfield South Caulfield vs Glen Huntly Caulfield vs Caulfield East

Other comparisons with Elsternwick

Elsternwick vs Brighton Elsternwick vs Caulfield North Elsternwick vs Elwood Elsternwick vs St Kilda East Elsternwick vs Caulfield South Elsternwick vs Ripponlea
Full data on Caulfield Full data on Elsternwick
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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