Essendon vs Essendon West

In both, most households own their home. In Essendon West, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Essendon: a median of $1.75 million, against $1.39 million in Essendon West, though rent is higher in Essendon West. On these figures, Essendon tends to suit people living alone, while Essendon West suits 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

  • Essendon has more childcare (18 vs 0)
  • Essendon West carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 65/100)

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

  • Essendon has cheaper units ($495,000 vs $850,500)
  • Essendon West has cheaper houses ($1,390,000 vs $1,755,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Essendon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($380/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Essendon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (97/100 vs 69/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Essendon

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (8 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (53% vs 33%)
  • is more walkable (97/100 vs 69/100)
  • But Essendon West carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 65/100)

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

Investors

Essendon West

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (8.3% vs 3.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 2.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Essendon Essendon West
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.

Essendon Essendon West
Walkability 97 / 69
Essendon — Walkability: 97/100 Essendon West — Walkability: 69/100
Safety 35 / 56
Essendon — Safety: 35/100 Essendon West — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Essendon — Low fire risk: 100/100 Essendon West — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 70 / 32
Essendon — Low flood risk: 70/100 Essendon West — Low flood risk: 32/100

Demographics

Essendon has more residents (21,240 vs 1,559); Essendon West rents higher ($450/wk vs $380/wk).

Essendon Essendon West
Population 21,240
+93% vs other
 1,559
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.1% +8.3%
Median age 39
same for both
Median household income $110,864/yr $121,576/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk $450/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Essendon Essendon West
0-4 4.1% / 5.1%
Essendon — 0-4: 4.1% Essendon West — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 10.9% / 12.2%
Essendon — 5-14: 10.9% Essendon West — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 5.8% / 7.5%
Essendon — 15-19: 5.8% Essendon West — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 7.5% / 7.1%
Essendon — 20-24: 7.5% Essendon West — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 15.5% / 11.2%
Essendon — 25-34: 15.5% Essendon West — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 13.8% / 12.8%
Essendon — 35-44: 13.8% Essendon West — 35-44: 12.8%
45-54 14.3% / 17.2%
Essendon — 45-54: 14.3% Essendon West — 45-54: 17.2%
55-64 12.4% / 10.8%
Essendon — 55-64: 12.4% Essendon West — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 8.8% / 8.0%
Essendon — 65-74: 8.8% Essendon West — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 4.5% / 5.5%
Essendon — 75-84: 4.5% Essendon West — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 2.5% / 3.0%
Essendon — 85+: 2.5% Essendon West — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Essendon 40.9% couple families
Essendon — Couple Families: 40.9% Essendon — Lone Person: 42.2% Essendon — One Parent Families: 10.1% Essendon — Group Household: 5.3% Essendon — Other Families: 1.5%
Essendon West 50.5% couple families
Essendon West — Couple Families: 50.5% Essendon West — Lone Person: 31.7% Essendon West — One Parent Families: 13.0% Essendon West — Group Household: 4.1% Essendon West — Other Families: 0.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Essendon 36.5% renting
Essendon — Owned Outright: 33.2% Essendon — Mortgage: 30.4% Essendon — Renting: 36.5%
Essendon West 26.6% renting
Essendon West — Owned Outright: 37.3% Essendon West — Mortgage: 36.1% Essendon West — Renting: 26.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Essendon Essendon West
Bachelor Degree 22.9% / 18.7%
Essendon — Bachelor Degree: 22.9% Essendon West — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 9.3%
Essendon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Essendon West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Certificate III & IV 8.1% / 9.1%
Essendon — Certificate III & IV: 8.1% Essendon West — Certificate III & IV: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 8.5% / 6.7%
Essendon — Postgraduate Degree: 8.5% Essendon West — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 2.8%
Essendon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Essendon West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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.

Essendon Essendon West
India 3.0% / 1.9%
Essendon — India: 3.0% Essendon West — India: 1.9%
Italy 2.4% / 1.8%
Essendon — Italy: 2.4% Essendon West — Italy: 1.8%
England 1.8% / 1.9%
Essendon — England: 1.8% Essendon West — England: 1.9%
China 1.3% / 1.5%
Essendon — China: 1.3% Essendon West — China: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.0%
Essendon — New Zealand: 1.3% Essendon West — New Zealand: 1.0%
Vietnam 1.1% / 1.2%
Essendon — Vietnam: 1.1% Essendon West — Vietnam: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Essendon 47.2% houses
Essendon — Houses: 47.2% Essendon — Townhouses: 19.6% Essendon — Flats / Apartments: 33.2%
Essendon West 67.8% houses
Essendon West — Houses: 67.8% Essendon West — Townhouses: 32.7% Essendon West — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Essendon Essendon West
Median house price $1,755,000 $1,390,000
Median unit price $495,000 $850,500
Median land price $1,615,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 185 sales
 24 days
from 6 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.

Essendon Essendon West
2 bed $545K / $660K
Essendon — 2 bed: $545K (220 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $660K (5 sales)

220 vs 5 sales

3 bed $835K / $910K
Essendon — 3 bed: $835K (24 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales)

24 vs 7 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.

Essendon Essendon West
2 bed $1.03M / $1.32M
Essendon — 2 bed: $1.03M (34 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $1.32M (5 sales)

34 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.51M / $1.07M
Essendon — 3 bed: $1.51M (100 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $1.07M (11 sales)

100 vs 11 sales

4 bed $2M / $1.57M
Essendon — 4 bed: $2M (118 sales) Essendon West — 4 bed: $1.57M (12 sales)

118 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Essendon Essendon West
Residential 79% 58%
Parks and recreation 7% 36%
Infrastructure and transport 7%
same for both
Commercial 5% 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

Essendon Essendon West
New dwellings approved 702
across Moonee Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year +82%
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.

Essendon Essendon West
Houses 2.7%
$835/wk on $1.6M
 3.9%
$790/wk on $1.05M
Units 5.3%
$550/wk on $538K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Essendon Essendon West
House price Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Income Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools Higher than 43% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 91% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 76% of VIC —

Liveability

Essendon is more walkable (97 vs 69).

Essendon Essendon West
Grade A
same for both
Score 76/100 77/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Essendon West carries more flood risk (68 vs 30); Essendon carries more crime risk (65 vs 44).

Essendon Essendon West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood Low
30/100
 Moderate
68/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Essendon Essendon West
Inside the suburb 7 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 5.4 km
 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 5.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.7% 4.2%

Schools in Essendon

  • St Therese's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Buckley Park College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Essendon Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Columba's College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Essendon Keilor College-Senior Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Essendon West

  • St Bernard's College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Essendon Essendon West
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 22 0
Parks & reserves 14 9
Childcare 18 0
GPs 8 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 3
same for both

Mobility

Essendon Essendon West
Walkability score 97/100 69/100
Distance to Melbourne 10.7 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 24 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 623.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 67.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3040
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 16
postcode 3040
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.

Essendon Essendon West
Car (driver) 46.0% / 52.0%
Essendon — Car (driver): 46.0% Essendon West — Car (driver): 52.0%
Worked from Home 40.6% / 38.8%
Essendon — Worked from Home: 40.6% Essendon West — Worked from Home: 38.8%
Train 5.1% / 2.9%
Essendon — Train: 5.1% Essendon West — Train: 2.9%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 3.4%
Essendon — Car (passenger): 3.0% Essendon West — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only 1.9% / 0.8%
Essendon — Walked Only: 1.9% Essendon West — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bus 0.8% / 1.2%
Essendon — Bus: 0.8% Essendon West — Bus: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.0%).

Setting

Essendon Essendon West
Elevation 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.0 km
same for both

NBN connectivity

Essendon Essendon West
Connectivity score 81/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
11,330 premises
 3%
718 premises

Climate

Essendon Essendon West
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)

Essendon Essendon West
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 18.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Essendon Essendon West
Average residential rate $2,027/yr
same for both
Council Moonee Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Essendon Essendon West
Division Maribyrnong
same for both
Member Jo Briskey
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Essendon Essendon West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Essendon

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

Essendon West

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Quiet River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Essendon

Essendon vs Moonee Ponds Essendon vs Brunswick West Essendon vs Pascoe Vale South Essendon vs Strathmore Essendon vs Niddrie Essendon vs Aberfeldie

Other comparisons with Essendon West

Essendon West vs Keilor East Essendon West vs Maribyrnong Essendon West vs Avondale Heights Essendon West vs Niddrie Essendon West vs Aberfeldie
Full data on Essendon Full data on Essendon West
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or