St Kilda East vs Elsternwick

St Kilda East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 38 in Elsternwick. In both, about half of households are people living alone. In St Kilda East, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. In Elsternwick, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Elsternwick: a median of $2 million, against $1.6 million in St Kilda East, and rent is higher there too. St Kilda East is closer to the city centre: 9 km, against 10.7 km. On these figures, St Kilda East tends to suit renters, young adults, and 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

Elsternwick

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (38% vs 19%)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 10)
  • But St Kilda East has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 7)

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

First-home buyers

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,600,000 vs $2,000,000)
  • has cheaper units ($565,000 vs $621,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (50% vs 40%)
  • has cheaper rent ($396/wk vs $441/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

St Kilda East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (17 min vs 22 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (81% vs 62%)
  • But Elsternwick has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 10%)

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

Investors

St Kilda East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 2.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.4% vs 4.8%)
  • But Elsternwick is growing faster (5.2% vs -4.0%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

St Kilda East Elsternwick
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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Walkability 99 / 92
St Kilda East — Walkability: 99/100 Elsternwick — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 40 / 31
St Kilda East — Safety: 40/100 Elsternwick — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
St Kilda East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Elsternwick — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 52 / 68
St Kilda East — Low flood risk: 52/100 Elsternwick — Low flood risk: 68/100

Demographics

Elsternwick skews older (38 vs 34); Elsternwick rents higher ($441/wk vs $396/wk).

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Population 12,571
+13% vs other
 10,887
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.0% +5.2%
Median age 34 38
Median household income $105,040/yr $114,868/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $396/wk $441/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
0-4 5.8% / 5.1%
St Kilda East — 0-4: 5.8% Elsternwick — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 10.6% / 11.8%
St Kilda East — 5-14: 10.6% Elsternwick — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 4.3% / 5.5%
St Kilda East — 15-19: 4.3% Elsternwick — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 6.5% / 5.5%
St Kilda East — 20-24: 6.5% Elsternwick — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 24.6% / 17.0%
St Kilda East — 25-34: 24.6% Elsternwick — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 17.2% / 14.1%
St Kilda East — 35-44: 17.2% Elsternwick — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 11.8% / 13.5%
St Kilda East — 45-54: 11.8% Elsternwick — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 8.6% / 11.2%
St Kilda East — 55-64: 8.6% Elsternwick — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 6.3% / 9.1%
St Kilda East — 65-74: 6.3% Elsternwick — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 2.9% / 4.8%
St Kilda East — 75-84: 2.9% Elsternwick — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 1.3% / 2.4%
St Kilda East — 85+: 1.3% Elsternwick — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Kilda East 53.4% lone person
St Kilda East — Lone Person: 53.4% St Kilda East — Couple Families: 26.1% St Kilda East — Group Household: 11.7% St Kilda East — One Parent Families: 7.4% St Kilda East — Other Families: 1.4%
Elsternwick 45.3% lone person
Elsternwick — Lone Person: 45.3% Elsternwick — Couple Families: 36.6% Elsternwick — Group Household: 6.9% Elsternwick — One Parent Families: 10.1% Elsternwick — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

St Kilda East 49.9% renting
St Kilda East — Owned Outright: 21.0% St Kilda East — Mortgage: 29.1% St Kilda East — Renting: 49.9%
Elsternwick 39.6% renting
Elsternwick — Owned Outright: 31.4% Elsternwick — Mortgage: 29.0% Elsternwick — Renting: 39.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
England 3.9% / 4.0%
St Kilda East — England: 3.9% Elsternwick — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 2.2% / 2.0%
St Kilda East — New Zealand: 2.2% Elsternwick — New Zealand: 2.0%
India 2.3% / 1.3%
St Kilda East — India: 2.3% Elsternwick — India: 1.3%
South Africa 1.5% / 1.9%
St Kilda East — South Africa: 1.5% Elsternwick — South Africa: 1.9%
Ireland 1.1% / 1.4%
St Kilda East — Ireland: 1.1% Elsternwick — Ireland: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

Qualifications

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

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Bachelor Degree 26.2% / 27.1%
St Kilda East — Bachelor Degree: 26.2% Elsternwick — Bachelor Degree: 27.1%
Postgraduate Degree 11.0% / 10.7%
St Kilda East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.0% Elsternwick — Postgraduate Degree: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 7.8%
St Kilda East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Elsternwick — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Certificate III & IV 7.0% / 5.9%
St Kilda East — Certificate III & IV: 7.0% Elsternwick — Certificate III & IV: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 4.4%
St Kilda East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Elsternwick — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Kilda East 66.6% flats / apartments
St Kilda East — Flats / Apartments: 66.6% St Kilda East — Houses: 19.0% St Kilda East — Townhouses: 14.4%
Elsternwick 42.5% flats / apartments
Elsternwick — Flats / Apartments: 42.5% Elsternwick — Houses: 38.2% Elsternwick — Townhouses: 19.3%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Median house price $1,600,000 $2,000,000
Median unit price $565,000 $621,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 41 sales
 25 days
from 43 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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
1 bed $356K / $385K
St Kilda East — 1 bed: $356K (102 sales) Elsternwick — 1 bed: $385K (41 sales)

102 vs 41 sales

2 bed $600K / $644K
St Kilda East — 2 bed: $600K (222 sales) Elsternwick — 2 bed: $644K (100 sales)

222 vs 100 sales

3 bed $1.02M / $1.24M
St Kilda East — 3 bed: $1.02M (30 sales) Elsternwick — 3 bed: $1.24M (25 sales)

30 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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
2 bed $1.11M / $1.12M
St Kilda East — 2 bed: $1.11M (27 sales) Elsternwick — 2 bed: $1.12M (6 sales)

27 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.66M / $1.79M
St Kilda East — 3 bed: $1.66M (37 sales) Elsternwick — 3 bed: $1.79M (46 sales)

37 vs 46 sales

4 bed $2.02M / $2.4M
St Kilda East — 4 bed: $2.02M (13 sales) Elsternwick — 4 bed: $2.4M (27 sales)

13 vs 27 sales

5 bed $2.75M / $2.95M
St Kilda East — 5 bed: $2.75M (5 sales) Elsternwick — 5 bed: $2.95M (9 sales)

5 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Residential 85% 87%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 5%
Commercial 0% 7%
Parks and recreation 5% 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

St Kilda East Elsternwick
New dwellings approved 617
across Glen Eira
same for both
Approvals change year on year -69%
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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Houses 3.5%
$925/wk on $1.38M
 2.4%
$1,000/wk on $2.2M
Units 5.4%
$620/wk on $600K
 4.8%
$642/wk on $702K

Ranking within VIC

St Kilda East Elsternwick
House price Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Income Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 9% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Elsternwick scores higher overall (86 vs 74).

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Grade A A+
Score 74/100 86/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

St Kilda East carries more flood risk (48 vs 32).

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
60/100
 Moderate
69/100
Flood Moderate
48/100
 Low
32/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Inside the suburb 9 7
Rated above peers 1 3
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.9 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 3.1%

Schools in St Kilda East

  • Caulfield Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Beth Rivkah Ladies College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Yeshivah College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Ripponlea Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Adass Israel School - Glen Eira Road Campus Independent · Combined

Schools in Elsternwick

  • Adass Israel School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Sholem Aleichem College Independent · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Leibler Yavneh College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Adass Israel School - Orrong Road Campus Independent · Combined
  • Sholem Aleichem College - Senior Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 19
Parks & reserves 4 3
Childcare 10 17
GPs 4 2
Pharmacies 0 5
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 2

Mobility

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Walkability score 99/100 92/100
Distance to Melbourne 9 km 10.7 km
+19% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min 22 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 181.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 221.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.8%
postcode 3183
 2.6%
postcode 3185
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 7
postcode 3183
 13
postcode 3185

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.

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Worked from Home 47.1% / 51.5%
St Kilda East — Worked from Home: 47.1% Elsternwick — Worked from Home: 51.5%
Car (driver) 36.8% / 35.3%
St Kilda East — Car (driver): 36.8% Elsternwick — Car (driver): 35.3%
Train 3.6% / 5.6%
St Kilda East — Train: 3.6% Elsternwick — Train: 5.6%
Walked Only 4.1% / 3.4%
St Kilda East — Walked Only: 4.1% Elsternwick — Walked Only: 3.4%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 2.0%
St Kilda East — Car (passenger): 2.3% Elsternwick — Car (passenger): 2.0%
Tram / Light Rail 3.4% / 0.6%
St Kilda East — Tram / Light Rail: 3.4% Elsternwick — Tram / Light Rail: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.5%).

Setting

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.5 km to a named beach
 2.0 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
7,114 premises
 4%
5,640 premises

Climate

St Kilda East Elsternwick
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)

St Kilda East Elsternwick
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Glen Eira
same for both

Federal electorate

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Division Macnamara Goldstein
Member Josh Burns Tim Wilson
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

St Kilda East Elsternwick
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

St Kilda East

Apartments Coastal Inner Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

Elsternwick

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

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Kilda East

St Kilda East vs St Kilda St Kilda East vs Caulfield North St Kilda East vs Prahran St Kilda East vs Armadale St Kilda East vs Windsor St Kilda East vs Balaclava

Other comparisons with Elsternwick

Elsternwick vs Brighton Elsternwick vs Caulfield North Elsternwick vs Elwood Elsternwick vs Caulfield South Elsternwick vs Caulfield Elsternwick vs Ripponlea
Full data on St Kilda East Full data on Elsternwick
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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