Docklands vs Port Melbourne

Docklands is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 42 in Port Melbourne. In Docklands, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Port Melbourne, most households own their home, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in Port Melbourne: a median of $668,000, against $580,000 in Docklands, and rent is higher there too. Docklands is closer to the city centre: 2.8 km, against 5.9 km. On these figures, Docklands tends to suit renters, young adults, and share households.

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

Port Melbourne

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (30 vs 15)
  • is already more of a family suburb (41% vs 24%)

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

First-home buyers

Docklands

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($586,000 vs $1,500,000)
  • has cheaper units ($580,000 vs $667,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Docklands

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (69% vs 44%)
  • has cheaper rent ($411/wk vs $540/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Docklands

ahead on 4 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (17% vs 3%)
  • sits closer to the CBD (2.8 km vs 5.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (9 min vs 14 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Port Melbourne

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 2)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 6%)
  • But Docklands is more walkable (96/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Docklands

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (41.3% vs 9.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.3% vs 5.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Docklands Port Melbourne
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.

Docklands Port Melbourne
Walkability 96 / 68
Docklands — Walkability: 96/100 Port Melbourne — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 5 / 11
Docklands — Safety: 5/100 Port Melbourne — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Docklands — Low fire risk: 100/100 Port Melbourne — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 14 / 63
Docklands — Low flood risk: 14/100 Port Melbourne — Low flood risk: 63/100

Demographics

Port Melbourne rents higher ($540/wk vs $411/wk); Port Melbourne skews older (42 vs 32).

Docklands Port Melbourne
Population 15,495 17,633
+14% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +41.3% +9.0%
Median age 32 42
Median household income $101,764/yr $123,344/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $411/wk $540/wk
+31% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Docklands Port Melbourne
0-4 4.5% / 4.7%
Docklands — 0-4: 4.5% Port Melbourne — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 3.3% / 9.0%
Docklands — 5-14: 3.3% Port Melbourne — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 1.6% / 3.9%
Docklands — 15-19: 1.6% Port Melbourne — 15-19: 3.9%
20-24 10.1% / 4.0%
Docklands — 20-24: 10.1% Port Melbourne — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 39.0% / 15.4%
Docklands — 25-34: 39.0% Port Melbourne — 25-34: 15.4%
35-44 18.7% / 17.7%
Docklands — 35-44: 18.7% Port Melbourne — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 9.0% / 16.5%
Docklands — 45-54: 9.0% Port Melbourne — 45-54: 16.5%
55-64 7.8% / 12.7%
Docklands — 55-64: 7.8% Port Melbourne — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 4.5% / 9.5%
Docklands — 65-74: 4.5% Port Melbourne — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 1.3% / 5.2%
Docklands — 75-84: 1.3% Port Melbourne — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 0.3% / 1.4%
Docklands — 85+: 0.3% Port Melbourne — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (39.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Docklands 59.2% lone person
Docklands — Lone Person: 59.2% Docklands — Couple Families: 18.7% Docklands — Group Household: 13.7% Docklands — One Parent Families: 5.7% Docklands — Other Families: 2.8%
Port Melbourne 52.1% lone person
Port Melbourne — Lone Person: 52.1% Port Melbourne — Couple Families: 29.2% Port Melbourne — Group Household: 5.6% Port Melbourne — One Parent Families: 11.7% Port Melbourne — 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.

Docklands 68.8% renting
Docklands — Owned Outright: 12.7% Docklands — Mortgage: 18.5% Docklands — Renting: 68.8%
Port Melbourne 44.4% renting
Port Melbourne — Owned Outright: 26.4% Port Melbourne — Mortgage: 29.2% Port Melbourne — Renting: 44.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Docklands Port Melbourne
Bachelor Degree 31.8% / 24.1%
Docklands — Bachelor Degree: 31.8% Port Melbourne — Bachelor Degree: 24.1%
Postgraduate Degree 17.5% / 10.3%
Docklands — Postgraduate Degree: 17.5% Port Melbourne — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.9%
Docklands — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Port Melbourne — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Certificate III & IV 5.1% / 7.2%
Docklands — Certificate III & IV: 5.1% Port Melbourne — Certificate III & IV: 7.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 3.5%
Docklands — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Port Melbourne — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.8%).

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.

Docklands Port Melbourne
India 14.5% / 0.8%
Docklands — India: 14.5% Port Melbourne — India: 0.8%
China 12.9% / 1.5%
Docklands — China: 12.9% Port Melbourne — China: 1.5%
England 1.9% / 4.9%
Docklands — England: 1.9% Port Melbourne — England: 4.9%
New Zealand 2.1% / 2.5%
Docklands — New Zealand: 2.1% Port Melbourne — New Zealand: 2.5%
Malaysia 2.5% / 0.9%
Docklands — Malaysia: 2.5% Port Melbourne — Malaysia: 0.9%
Greece — / 1.7%
Docklands — Greece: not among its largest Port Melbourne — Greece: 1.7%
Italy — / 0.9%
Docklands — Italy: not among its largest Port Melbourne — Italy: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Docklands 98.0% flats / apartments
Docklands — Flats / Apartments: 98.0% Docklands — Townhouses: 1.4% Docklands — Houses: 0.5%
Port Melbourne 50.2% flats / apartments
Port Melbourne — Flats / Apartments: 50.2% Port Melbourne — Townhouses: 43.9% Port Melbourne — Houses: 6.0%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Docklands Port Melbourne
Median house price $586,000 $1,500,000
Median unit price $580,000 $667,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 85 days
from 8 sales
 24 days
from 115 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.

Docklands Port Melbourne
1 bed $408K / $490K
Docklands — 1 bed: $408K (263 sales) Port Melbourne — 1 bed: $490K (93 sales)

263 vs 93 sales

2 bed $638K / $741K
Docklands — 2 bed: $638K (437 sales) Port Melbourne — 2 bed: $741K (182 sales)

437 vs 182 sales

3 bed $1.2M / $1.67M
Docklands — 3 bed: $1.2M (70 sales) Port Melbourne — 3 bed: $1.67M (32 sales)

70 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Port Melbourne has more commercially zoned land (47% vs 26%); Port Melbourne has more industrially zoned land (13% vs 0%).

Docklands Port Melbourne
Other and special use 62% 2%
Commercial 26% 47%
Residential 0% 20%
Industrial 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 10%
same for both
Parks and recreation 2% 9%
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

Docklands Port Melbourne
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
 891
across Port Phillip
Approvals change year on year +195% +4175%

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.

Docklands Port Melbourne
Houses 3.2%
$865/wk on $1.43M
 3.5%
$1,025/wk on $1.51M
Units 6.3%
$730/wk on $605K
 5.5%
$780/wk on $735K

Ranking within VIC

Docklands Port Melbourne
House price — Higher than 93% of VIC
Income Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 57% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 16% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 38% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC

Liveability

Docklands is more walkable (96 vs 68).

Docklands Port Melbourne
Grade B A
Score 68/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Docklands carries more flood risk (86 vs 37).

Docklands Port Melbourne
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
89/100
Flood High
86/100
 Low
37/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
76/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 42
within 5 km
 36
within 5 km

Schools

Docklands Port Melbourne
Inside the suburb 2 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 2.6 km
 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 4.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.0% 1.9%

Schools in Docklands

  • Docklands Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Docklands Primary School-Bundha Campus Government · Primary

Schools in Port Melbourne

  • Port Melbourne Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Port Melbourne Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Albert Park College-Environmental Arts Hub Government · Secondary
  • Port Phillip Specialist School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Docklands Port Melbourne
Supermarkets 10 4
Cafes & restaurants 130 55
Parks & reserves 15 30
Childcare 6 8
GPs 2 7
Pharmacies 4 3
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 4
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 1 4
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Port Melbourne sits further from the CBD (5.9 km vs 2.8 km).

Docklands Port Melbourne
Walkability score 96/100 68/100
Distance to Melbourne 2.8 km 5.9 km
+111% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 14 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 707.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 654.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.2%
postcode 3008
 2.9%
postcode 3207
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 1
postcode 3008
 7
postcode 3207

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.

Docklands Port Melbourne
Worked from Home 52.3% / 52.1%
Docklands — Worked from Home: 52.3% Port Melbourne — Worked from Home: 52.1%
Car (driver) 18.7% / 33.9%
Docklands — Car (driver): 18.7% Port Melbourne — Car (driver): 33.9%
Tram / Light Rail 12.3% / 2.6%
Docklands — Tram / Light Rail: 12.3% Port Melbourne — Tram / Light Rail: 2.6%
Walked Only 8.6% / 4.4%
Docklands — Walked Only: 8.6% Port Melbourne — Walked Only: 4.4%
Train 4.7% / 0.6%
Docklands — Train: 4.7% Port Melbourne — Train: 0.6%
Bicycle 1.3% / 2.9%
Docklands — Bicycle: 1.3% Port Melbourne — Bicycle: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.3%).

Setting

Docklands Port Melbourne
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
3.1 km to a named beach
 792 m
813 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Docklands Port Melbourne
Connectivity score 78/100 73/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
11,299 premises
 18%
12,195 premises

Climate

Docklands Port Melbourne
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Docklands Port Melbourne
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Docklands Port Melbourne
Average residential rate $2,345/yr $1,765/yr
Council Melbourne Port Phillip

Federal electorate

Docklands Port Melbourne
Division Melbourne Macnamara
Member Sarah Witty Josh Burns
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Docklands Port Melbourne
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Docklands

Apartments Cafe Culture Coastal Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

Port Melbourne

Apartments Beach Coastal Easy Commute Inner Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Docklands

Docklands vs Melbourne Docklands vs Southbank Docklands vs South Melbourne Docklands vs West Melbourne Docklands vs South Wharf

Other comparisons with Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne vs Yarraville Port Melbourne vs Newport Port Melbourne vs South Melbourne Port Melbourne vs West Melbourne Port Melbourne vs Albert Park Port Melbourne vs Spotswood
Full data on Docklands Full data on Port Melbourne
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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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