Chelsea vs Edithvale

In both, most households own their home. In Chelsea, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Edithvale: a median of $1.3 million, against $1.15 million in Chelsea, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Chelsea tends to suit 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

Edithvale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 66/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (50% vs 35%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 48%)
  • But Chelsea has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Chelsea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,145,250 vs $1,300,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Chelsea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($375/wk vs $429/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Chelsea is more walkable (85/100 vs 73/100)
  • Edithvale sits closer to the CBD (36.9 km vs 38.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Chelsea

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 1)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 15%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (65% vs 50%)
  • But Edithvale carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 66/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Chelsea and Edithvale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Chelsea Edithvale
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.

Chelsea Edithvale
Walkability 85 / 73
Chelsea — Walkability: 85/100 Edithvale — Walkability: 73/100
Safety 34 / 65
Chelsea — Safety: 34/100 Edithvale — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Chelsea — Low fire risk: 100/100 Edithvale — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 33 / 26
Chelsea — Low flood risk: 33/100 Edithvale — Low flood risk: 26/100

Demographics

Chelsea has more residents (8,347 vs 6,276); Edithvale has higher household incomes ($109,252 vs $87,516).

Chelsea Edithvale
Population 8,347
+25% vs other
 6,276
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% +8.1%
Median age 41 40
Median household income $87,516/yr $109,252/yr
+25% vs other
Median weekly rent $375/wk $429/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chelsea Edithvale
0-4 6.4% / 6.3%
Chelsea — 0-4: 6.4% Edithvale — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 10.7% / 12.7%
Chelsea — 5-14: 10.7% Edithvale — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 3.6% / 5.2%
Chelsea — 15-19: 3.6% Edithvale — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 3.9% / 4.7%
Chelsea — 20-24: 3.9% Edithvale — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 14.4% / 13.1%
Chelsea — 25-34: 14.4% Edithvale — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 15.7% / 15.8%
Chelsea — 35-44: 15.7% Edithvale — 35-44: 15.8%
45-54 13.8% / 14.8%
Chelsea — 45-54: 13.8% Edithvale — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 11.4% / 12.5%
Chelsea — 55-64: 11.4% Edithvale — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 9.9% / 7.6%
Chelsea — 65-74: 9.9% Edithvale — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 6.4% / 5.4%
Chelsea — 75-84: 6.4% Edithvale — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 3.7% / 2.0%
Chelsea — 85+: 3.7% Edithvale — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chelsea 47.2% lone person
Chelsea — Lone Person: 47.2% Chelsea — Couple Families: 33.1% Chelsea — One Parent Families: 14.4% Chelsea — Group Household: 3.9% Chelsea — Other Families: 1.3%
Edithvale 35.8% lone person
Edithvale — Lone Person: 35.8% Edithvale — Couple Families: 42.7% Edithvale — One Parent Families: 16.9% Edithvale — Group Household: 3.5% Edithvale — Other Families: 1.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chelsea 32.7% renting
Chelsea — Owned Outright: 29.7% Chelsea — Mortgage: 37.6% Chelsea — Renting: 32.7%
Edithvale 25.4% renting
Edithvale — Owned Outright: 33.2% Edithvale — Mortgage: 41.4% Edithvale — Renting: 25.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Chelsea Edithvale
Bachelor Degree 16.9% / 18.1%
Chelsea — Bachelor Degree: 16.9% Edithvale — Bachelor Degree: 18.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 12.9%
Chelsea — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Edithvale — Certificate III & IV: 12.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 9.9%
Chelsea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Edithvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.2% / 5.1%
Chelsea — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2% Edithvale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.8%
Chelsea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Edithvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

Chelsea Edithvale
England 4.8% / 4.4%
Chelsea — England: 4.8% Edithvale — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.6%
Chelsea — New Zealand: 1.9% Edithvale — New Zealand: 1.6%
India 1.4% / 0.7%
Chelsea — India: 1.4% Edithvale — India: 0.7%
China 0.8% / 1.0%
Chelsea — China: 0.8% Edithvale — China: 1.0%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.7%
Chelsea — Scotland: 0.9% Edithvale — Scotland: 0.7%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.9%
Chelsea — South Africa: 0.7% Edithvale — South Africa: 0.9%
Philippines 0.9% / —
Chelsea — Philippines: 0.9% Edithvale — Philippines: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chelsea 34.7% houses
Chelsea — Houses: 34.7% Chelsea — Flats / Apartments: 41.8% Chelsea — Townhouses: 23.5%
Edithvale 50.5% houses
Edithvale — Houses: 50.5% Edithvale — Flats / Apartments: 31.9% Edithvale — Townhouses: 17.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Chelsea Edithvale
Median house price $1,145,250 $1,300,000
Median unit price $687,500 $737,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 43 sales
 23 days
from 50 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.

Chelsea Edithvale
2 bed $670K / $660K
Chelsea — 2 bed: $670K (105 sales) Edithvale — 2 bed: $660K (45 sales)

105 vs 45 sales

3 bed $875K / $922K
Chelsea — 3 bed: $875K (32 sales) Edithvale — 3 bed: $922K (25 sales)

32 vs 25 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.

Chelsea Edithvale
2 bed $965K / $971K
Chelsea — 2 bed: $965K (12 sales) Edithvale — 2 bed: $971K (12 sales)

12 vs 12 sales

3 bed $1.1M / $1.26M
Chelsea — 3 bed: $1.1M (56 sales) Edithvale — 3 bed: $1.26M (51 sales)

56 vs 51 sales

4 bed $1.38M / $1.44M
Chelsea — 4 bed: $1.38M (16 sales) Edithvale — 4 bed: $1.44M (28 sales)

16 vs 28 sales

Zoning mix

Chelsea Edithvale
Residential 76% 74%
Parks and recreation 15% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 10%
Other and special use 0% 6%
Commercial 3% 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

Chelsea Edithvale
New dwellings approved 465
across Kingston (Vic.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -36%
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.

Chelsea Edithvale
Houses 3.3%
$750/wk on $1.18M
 3.6%
$800/wk on $1.15M
Units 4.4%
$570/wk on $671K
 4.3%
$595/wk on $722K

Ranking within VIC

Chelsea Edithvale
House price Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Income Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Schools Higher than 60% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 80% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC

Liveability

Edithvale scores higher overall (72 vs 61); Chelsea is more walkable (85 vs 73).

Chelsea Edithvale
Grade B A
Score 61/100 72/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Chelsea carries more crime risk (66 vs 35).

Chelsea Edithvale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
66/100
 Low
35/100
Flood Moderate
67/100
 High
74/100
Coastal erosion Low
16/100
 Low
29/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Chelsea Edithvale
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Chelsea

  • Chelsea Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Oakwood School-Oakwood School VCAL Campus Government · Secondary
  • Westall Secondary College-LEEP Chelsea Government · Secondary

Schools in Edithvale

  • Edithvale Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Chelsea Edithvale
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 18 6
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 8 3
GPs 3 1
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 0 1

Mobility

Chelsea sits further from the CBD (38.9 km vs 36.9 km).

Chelsea Edithvale
Walkability score 85/100 73/100
Distance to Melbourne 38.9 km
+5% vs other
 36.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 45 min 43 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 79.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 82.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3196
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3196
same for both

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.

Chelsea Edithvale
Car (driver) 55.3% / 54.0%
Chelsea — Car (driver): 55.3% Edithvale — Car (driver): 54.0%
Worked from Home 36.6% / 38.3%
Chelsea — Worked from Home: 36.6% Edithvale — Worked from Home: 38.3%
Train 2.7% / 3.5%
Chelsea — Train: 2.7% Edithvale — Train: 3.5%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 2.5%
Chelsea — Car (passenger): 2.7% Edithvale — Car (passenger): 2.5%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.1%
Chelsea — Walked Only: 1.5% Edithvale — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.3%).

Setting

Chelsea Edithvale
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 825 m
810 m to a named beach
 759 m
753 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Chelsea Edithvale
Connectivity score 87/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the curb
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
4,870 premises
 40%
3,262 premises

Climate

Chelsea Edithvale
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)

Chelsea Edithvale
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.98 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Chelsea Edithvale
Average residential rate $1,940/yr
same for both
Council Kingston (Vic.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Chelsea Edithvale
Division Dunkley Isaacs
Member Jodie Belyea Mark Dreyfus
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chelsea Edithvale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chelsea

Apartments Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks Premium Townhouses Trains Transport Hub Urban

Edithvale

Apartments Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks Premium Trains Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chelsea

Chelsea vs Bonbeach Chelsea vs Chelsea Heights

Other comparisons with Edithvale

Edithvale vs Aspendale Edithvale vs Aspendale Gardens Edithvale vs Chelsea Heights
Full data on Chelsea Full data on Edithvale
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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