Keilor East vs Essendon West

Essendon West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 43 in Keilor East. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Essendon West: a median of $1.39 million, against $1.11 million in Keilor East, and rent is higher there too. Essendon West is closer to the city centre: 10.7 km, against 17.6 km. On these figures, Keilor East tends to suit 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

Keilor East

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (24 vs 9)

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

First-home buyers

Keilor East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($630,000 vs $850,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,115,000 vs $1,390,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Keilor East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($406/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Essendon West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (10.7 km vs 17.6 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Keilor East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)
  • But Essendon West has more units and townhouses to downsize into (33% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Keilor East 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.

Keilor East 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.

Keilor East Essendon West
Walkability 66 / 69
Keilor East — Walkability: 66/100 Essendon West — Walkability: 69/100
Safety 55 / 56
Keilor East — Safety: 55/100 Essendon West — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 70 / 100
Keilor East — Low fire risk: 70/100 Essendon West — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 54 / 32
Keilor East — Low flood risk: 54/100 Essendon West — Low flood risk: 32/100

Demographics

Keilor East has more residents (15,078 vs 1,559); Essendon West has higher household incomes ($121,576 vs $99,372).

Keilor East Essendon West
Population 15,078
+90% vs other
 1,559
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.9% +8.3%
Median age 43 39
Median household income $99,372/yr $121,576/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $406/wk $450/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Keilor East Essendon West
0-4 5.4% / 5.1%
Keilor East — 0-4: 5.4% Essendon West — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 12.2% / 12.2%
Keilor East — 5-14: 12.2% Essendon West — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 5.8% / 7.5%
Keilor East — 15-19: 5.8% Essendon West — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 4.9% / 7.1%
Keilor East — 20-24: 4.9% Essendon West — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 10.9% / 11.2%
Keilor East — 25-34: 10.9% Essendon West — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 12.9% / 12.8%
Keilor East — 35-44: 12.9% Essendon West — 35-44: 12.8%
45-54 14.2% / 17.2%
Keilor East — 45-54: 14.2% Essendon West — 45-54: 17.2%
55-64 10.9% / 10.8%
Keilor East — 55-64: 10.9% Essendon West — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 9.8% / 8.0%
Keilor East — 65-74: 9.8% Essendon West — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 9.6% / 5.5%
Keilor East — 75-84: 9.6% Essendon West — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 3.4% / 3.0%
Keilor East — 85+: 3.4% Essendon West — 85+: 3.0%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Keilor East 51.4% couple families
Keilor East — Couple Families: 51.4% Keilor East — Lone Person: 27.5% Keilor East — One Parent Families: 16.9% Keilor East — Group Household: 2.8% Keilor East — 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.

Keilor East 19.3% renting
Keilor East — Owned Outright: 47.3% Keilor East — Mortgage: 33.4% Keilor East — Renting: 19.3%
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.

Keilor East Essendon West
Bachelor Degree 15.2% / 18.7%
Keilor East — Bachelor Degree: 15.2% Essendon West — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 11.4% / 9.1%
Keilor East — Certificate III & IV: 11.4% Essendon West — Certificate III & IV: 9.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 9.3%
Keilor East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Essendon West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.1% / 6.7%
Keilor East — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1% Essendon West — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.8%
Keilor East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Essendon West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Keilor East Essendon West
Italy 5.7% / 1.8%
Keilor East — Italy: 5.7% Essendon West — Italy: 1.8%
Vietnam 2.7% / 1.2%
Keilor East — Vietnam: 2.7% Essendon West — Vietnam: 1.2%
India 2.0% / 1.9%
Keilor East — India: 2.0% Essendon West — India: 1.9%
England 1.2% / 1.9%
Keilor East — England: 1.2% Essendon West — England: 1.9%
China 1.2% / 1.5%
Keilor East — China: 1.2% Essendon West — China: 1.5%
Greece 1.9% / —
Keilor East — Greece: 1.9% Essendon West — Greece: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Keilor East 80.6% houses
Keilor East — Houses: 80.6% Keilor East — Townhouses: 18.4% Keilor East — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
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

Keilor East Essendon West
Median house price $1,115,000 $1,390,000
Median unit price $630,000 $850,500
Median land price $1,027,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 174 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.

Keilor East Essendon West
2 bed $622K / $660K
Keilor East — 2 bed: $622K (13 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $660K (5 sales)

13 vs 5 sales

3 bed $740K / $910K
Keilor East — 3 bed: $740K (9 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales)

9 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.

Keilor East Essendon West
2 bed $670K / $1.32M
Keilor East — 2 bed: $670K (12 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $1.32M (5 sales)

12 vs 5 sales

3 bed $995K / $1.07M
Keilor East — 3 bed: $995K (147 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $1.07M (11 sales)

147 vs 11 sales

4 bed $1.25M / $1.57M
Keilor East — 4 bed: $1.25M (105 sales) Essendon West — 4 bed: $1.57M (12 sales)

105 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Keilor East Essendon West
Residential 50% 58%
Parks and recreation 28% 36%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 7%
Industrial 6% 0%
Other and special use 2% 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

Keilor East 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.

Keilor East Essendon West
Houses 3.6%
$750/wk on $1.09M
 3.9%
$790/wk on $1.05M
Units 5.2%
$600/wk on $605K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Keilor East Essendon West
House price Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Income Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools Higher than 8% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 70% of VIC —

Liveability

Essendon West scores higher overall (77 vs 52).

Keilor East Essendon West
Grade B A
Score 52/100 77/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Keilor East carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 0); Essendon West carries more flood risk (68 vs 46).

Keilor East Essendon West
Bushfire Low
30/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
68/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Keilor East Essendon West
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Victoria University Footscray Park, 7.5 km
 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 5.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 4.2%

Schools in Keilor East

  • Essendon Keilor College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Peter's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Keilor Heights Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Essendon West

  • St Bernard's College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Keilor East Essendon West
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 24 9
Childcare 8 0
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 6 3

Mobility

Keilor East sits further from the CBD (17.6 km vs 10.7 km).

Keilor East Essendon West
Walkability score 66/100 69/100
Distance to Melbourne 17.6 km
+39% vs other
 10.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 359.5
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 1.0%
postcode 3033
 1.7%
postcode 3040
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 24
postcode 3033
 16
postcode 3040

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.

Keilor East Essendon West
Car (driver) 58.6% / 52.0%
Keilor East — Car (driver): 58.6% Essendon West — Car (driver): 52.0%
Worked from Home 33.6% / 38.8%
Keilor East — Worked from Home: 33.6% Essendon West — Worked from Home: 38.8%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 3.4%
Keilor East — Car (passenger): 3.9% Essendon West — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Train 2.2% / 2.9%
Keilor East — Train: 2.2% Essendon West — Train: 2.9%
Bus 0.7% / 1.2%
Keilor East — Bus: 0.7% Essendon West — Bus: 1.2%
Walked Only 0.8% / 0.8%
Keilor East — Walked Only: 0.8% Essendon West — Walked Only: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.6%).

Setting

Keilor East Essendon West
Elevation 70 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.4 km 10.0 km

NBN connectivity

Keilor East Essendon West
Connectivity score 79/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 15%
6,757 premises
 3%
718 premises

Climate

Keilor East 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)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Keilor East

Middle-Ring Parks Quiet

Essendon West

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Quiet River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Keilor East

Keilor East vs Avondale Heights Keilor East vs Sunshine North Keilor East vs Airport West Keilor East vs Keilor Keilor East vs Niddrie Keilor East vs Kealba

Other comparisons with Essendon West

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

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