East Melbourne vs Richmond

Richmond is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 42 in East Melbourne. In East Melbourne, about half of households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Richmond, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in East Melbourne: a median of $688,000, against $520,000 in Richmond, and rent is higher there too. East Melbourne is closer to the city centre: 2.5 km, against 4.4 km. On these figures, East Melbourne tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Richmond suits young adults 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

Richmond

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (13 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 2)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (16% vs 3%)

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

First-home buyers

Richmond

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,330,000 vs $2,675,000)
  • has cheaper units ($520,000 vs $687,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Richmond

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($441/wk vs $480/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

East Melbourne

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (8 min vs 13 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

East Melbourne

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 11%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (97% vs 84%)
  • But Richmond has more GPs (14 vs 2)

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

  • East Melbourne returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.5% vs 3.9%)
  • Richmond returns a higher gross yield on units (6.2% vs 5.7%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

East Melbourne Richmond
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.

East Melbourne Richmond
Walkability 97 / 100
East Melbourne — Walkability: 97/100 Richmond — Walkability: 100/100
Safety 5 / 9
East Melbourne — Safety: 5/100 Richmond — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
East Melbourne — Low fire risk: 100/100 Richmond — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 86 / 56
East Melbourne — Low flood risk: 86/100 Richmond — Low flood risk: 56/100

Demographics

Richmond has more residents (28,587 vs 4,896); East Melbourne skews older (42 vs 34).

East Melbourne Richmond
Population 4,896 28,587
+484% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.4% +3.2%
Median age 42 34
Median household income $121,940/yr
+4% vs other
 $116,740/yr
Median weekly rent $480/wk
+8% vs other
 $441/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

East Melbourne Richmond
0-4 2.2% / 3.7%
East Melbourne — 0-4: 2.2% Richmond — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 3.6% / 6.0%
East Melbourne — 5-14: 3.6% Richmond — 5-14: 6.0%
15-19 1.9% / 2.8%
East Melbourne — 15-19: 1.9% Richmond — 15-19: 2.8%
20-24 5.6% / 7.7%
East Melbourne — 20-24: 5.6% Richmond — 20-24: 7.7%
25-34 23.4% / 31.5%
East Melbourne — 25-34: 23.4% Richmond — 25-34: 31.5%
35-44 16.1% / 16.4%
East Melbourne — 35-44: 16.1% Richmond — 35-44: 16.4%
45-54 11.3% / 11.4%
East Melbourne — 45-54: 11.3% Richmond — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 13.5% / 9.3%
East Melbourne — 55-64: 13.5% Richmond — 55-64: 9.3%
65-74 13.3% / 6.5%
East Melbourne — 65-74: 13.3% Richmond — 65-74: 6.5%
75-84 6.6% / 3.4%
East Melbourne — 75-84: 6.6% Richmond — 75-84: 3.4%
85+ 2.4% / 1.4%
East Melbourne — 85+: 2.4% Richmond — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

East Melbourne 66.6% lone person
East Melbourne — Lone Person: 66.6% East Melbourne — Couple Families: 14.9% East Melbourne — Group Household: 10.9% East Melbourne — One Parent Families: 5.4% East Melbourne — Other Families: 2.1%
Richmond 52.9% lone person
Richmond — Lone Person: 52.9% Richmond — Couple Families: 19.7% Richmond — Group Household: 15.9% Richmond — One Parent Families: 8.9% Richmond — Other Families: 2.5%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

East Melbourne 54.1% renting
East Melbourne — Owned Outright: 27.6% East Melbourne — Mortgage: 18.3% East Melbourne — Renting: 54.1%
Richmond 56.0% renting
Richmond — Owned Outright: 19.2% Richmond — Mortgage: 24.8% Richmond — Renting: 56.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

East Melbourne Richmond
Bachelor Degree 33.7% / 31.8%
East Melbourne — Bachelor Degree: 33.7% Richmond — Bachelor Degree: 31.8%
Postgraduate Degree 18.5% / 11.8%
East Melbourne — Postgraduate Degree: 18.5% Richmond — Postgraduate Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 7.4%
East Melbourne — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Richmond — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Certificate III & IV 4.1% / 6.4%
East Melbourne — Certificate III & IV: 4.1% Richmond — Certificate III & IV: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.9% / 4.0%
East Melbourne — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9% Richmond — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.7%).

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.

East Melbourne Richmond
England 4.4% / 3.7%
East Melbourne — England: 4.4% Richmond — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 2.9% / 2.9%
East Melbourne — New Zealand: 2.9% Richmond — New Zealand: 2.9%
Vietnam — / 4.3%
East Melbourne — Vietnam: not among its largest Richmond — Vietnam: 4.3%
China 2.0% / 1.7%
East Melbourne — China: 2.0% Richmond — China: 1.7%
Malaysia 1.3% / 0.9%
East Melbourne — Malaysia: 1.3% Richmond — Malaysia: 0.9%
Greece — / 1.7%
East Melbourne — Greece: not among its largest Richmond — Greece: 1.7%
Italy 0.9% / —
East Melbourne — Italy: 0.9% Richmond — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

East Melbourne 74.3% flats / apartments
East Melbourne — Flats / Apartments: 74.3% East Melbourne — Townhouses: 22.5% East Melbourne — Houses: 3.2%
Richmond 53.7% flats / apartments
Richmond — Flats / Apartments: 53.7% Richmond — Townhouses: 30.7% Richmond — Houses: 15.6%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

East Melbourne Richmond
Median house price $2,675,000 $1,330,000
Median unit price $687,500 $520,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 21 sales
 23 days
from 181 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.

East Melbourne Richmond
3 bed $2.9M / $1.5M
East Melbourne — 3 bed: $2.9M (15 sales) Richmond — 3 bed: $1.5M (132 sales)

15 vs 132 sales

4 bed $3.05M / $2M
East Melbourne — 4 bed: $3.05M (8 sales) Richmond — 4 bed: $2M (25 sales)

8 vs 25 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.

East Melbourne Richmond
1 bed $538K / $410K
East Melbourne — 1 bed: $538K (54 sales) Richmond — 1 bed: $410K (251 sales)

54 vs 251 sales

2 bed $842K / $640K
East Melbourne — 2 bed: $842K (44 sales) Richmond — 2 bed: $640K (266 sales)

44 vs 266 sales

3 bed $1.7M / $1.13M
East Melbourne — 3 bed: $1.7M (9 sales) Richmond — 3 bed: $1.13M (27 sales)

9 vs 27 sales

Zoning mix

East Melbourne Richmond
Residential 29% 62%
Parks and recreation 41% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 10%
Commercial 11% 13%
Industrial 0% 5%
Other and special use 2% 3%
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

East Melbourne Richmond
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
 1,675
across Yarra
Approvals change year on year +195% +646%

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.

East Melbourne Richmond
Houses 4.5%
$1,600/wk on $1.85M
 3.9%
$980/wk on $1.31M
Units 5.7%
$800/wk on $730K
 6.2%
$672/wk on $560K

Ranking within VIC

East Melbourne Richmond
House price Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Income Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 64% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 100% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 61% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC

Liveability

East Melbourne scores higher overall (89 vs 75).

East Melbourne Richmond
Grade A+ A
Score 89/100 75/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Richmond carries more flood risk (44 vs 14).

East Melbourne Richmond
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
91/100
Flood Low
14/100
 Moderate
44/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 21
within 5 km
 17
within 5 km

Schools

East Melbourne Richmond
Inside the suburb 0 13
Rated above peers 0 4
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 1.5 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 2.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 3.0%

Schools in East Melbourne

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

Schools in Richmond

  • Bindjiroo Yaluk Community School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Melbourne Girls College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Richmond West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Yarra Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Richmond High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Trinity Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

East Melbourne Richmond
Supermarkets 1 6
Cafes & restaurants 28 104
Parks & reserves 15 24
Childcare 2 19
GPs 2 14
Pharmacies 6 8
Hospitals 2 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 6
Fuel stations 1 4
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

East Melbourne Richmond
Walkability score 97/100 100/100
Distance to Melbourne 2.5 km 4.4 km
+76% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 8 min 13 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 583.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 678.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.5%
postcode 3002
 3.0%
postcode 3121
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 3002
 7
postcode 3121

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.

East Melbourne Richmond
Worked from Home 55.1% / 51.8%
East Melbourne — Worked from Home: 55.1% Richmond — Worked from Home: 51.8%
Car (driver) 20.5% / 27.4%
East Melbourne — Car (driver): 20.5% Richmond — Car (driver): 27.4%
Walked Only 13.2% / 7.4%
East Melbourne — Walked Only: 13.2% Richmond — Walked Only: 7.4%
Tram / Light Rail 4.4% / 4.6%
East Melbourne — Tram / Light Rail: 4.4% Richmond — Tram / Light Rail: 4.6%
Train 2.3% / 4.2%
East Melbourne — Train: 2.3% Richmond — Train: 4.2%
Bicycle 2.5% / 2.8%
East Melbourne — Bicycle: 2.5% Richmond — Bicycle: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.1%).

Setting

East Melbourne Richmond
Elevation 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.8 km
4.8 km to a named beach
 5.2 km

NBN connectivity

East Melbourne Richmond
Connectivity score 74/100 83/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 19%
5,012 premises
 36%
20,694 premises

Climate

East Melbourne Richmond
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)

East Melbourne Richmond
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

East Melbourne Richmond
Average residential rate $2,345/yr $1,937/yr
Council Melbourne Yarra

Federal electorate

East Melbourne Richmond
Division Melbourne
same for both
Member Sarah Witty
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

East Melbourne

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

Richmond

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with East Melbourne

East Melbourne vs Melbourne East Melbourne vs Carlton East Melbourne vs Fitzroy East Melbourne vs Collingwood

Other comparisons with Richmond

Richmond vs Melbourne Richmond vs South Yarra Richmond vs Kew Richmond vs Hawthorn Richmond vs Collingwood Richmond vs Abbotsford
Full data on East Melbourne Full data on Richmond
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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