St Kilda vs Elwood

In both, most homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In St Kilda, most households rent. In Elwood, about half of households rent. Units cost more in Elwood: a median of $622,000, against $500,000 in St Kilda, and rent is higher there too. St Kilda is closer to the city centre: 7.2 km, against 10 km. On these figures, St Kilda tends to suit young adults, people living alone, 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • St Kilda has more childcare (11 vs 8)
  • Elwood is already more of a family suburb (32% vs 17%)

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

First-home buyers

St Kilda

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,360,000 vs $2,090,000)
  • has cheaper units ($500,000 vs $621,750)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Kilda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($381/wk vs $415/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

St Kilda

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 5%)
  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 22 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (7.2 km vs 10 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • St Kilda has more GPs (9 vs 4)
  • Elwood carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

St Kilda and Elwood 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 Elwood
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 Elwood
Walkability 96 / 96
St Kilda — Walkability: 96/100 Elwood — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 6 / 30
St Kilda — Safety: 6/100 Elwood — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
St Kilda — Low fire risk: 100/100 Elwood — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 57 / 36
St Kilda — Low flood risk: 57/100 Elwood — Low flood risk: 36/100

Demographics

St Kilda has more residents (19,490 vs 15,153); Elwood has higher household incomes ($108,992 vs $92,508).

St Kilda Elwood
Population 19,490
+22% vs other
 15,153
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.7% -2.5%
Median age 36 38
Median household income $92,508/yr $108,992/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $381/wk $415/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Kilda Elwood
0-4 2.8% / 4.6%
St Kilda — 0-4: 2.8% Elwood — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 3.9% / 8.4%
St Kilda — 5-14: 3.9% Elwood — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 2.1% / 3.4%
St Kilda — 15-19: 2.1% Elwood — 15-19: 3.4%
20-24 6.1% / 4.8%
St Kilda — 20-24: 6.1% Elwood — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 30.4% / 21.8%
St Kilda — 25-34: 30.4% Elwood — 25-34: 21.8%
35-44 19.3% / 18.7%
St Kilda — 35-44: 19.3% Elwood — 35-44: 18.7%
45-54 13.4% / 15.8%
St Kilda — 45-54: 13.4% Elwood — 45-54: 15.8%
55-64 11.4% / 11.7%
St Kilda — 55-64: 11.4% Elwood — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 6.9% / 6.9%
St Kilda — 65-74: 6.9% Elwood — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 2.9% / 2.8%
St Kilda — 75-84: 2.9% Elwood — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 0.8% / 1.0%
St Kilda — 85+: 0.8% Elwood — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Kilda 70.4% lone person
St Kilda — Lone Person: 70.4% St Kilda — Couple Families: 11.6% St Kilda — Group Household: 10.9% St Kilda — One Parent Families: 5.7% St Kilda — Other Families: 1.4%
Elwood 57.8% lone person
Elwood — Lone Person: 57.8% Elwood — Couple Families: 23.4% Elwood — Group Household: 8.7% Elwood — One Parent Families: 8.7% Elwood — Other Families: 1.3%
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 62.0% renting
St Kilda — Owned Outright: 14.6% St Kilda — Mortgage: 23.4% St Kilda — Renting: 62.0%
Elwood 52.2% renting
Elwood — Owned Outright: 21.2% Elwood — Mortgage: 26.6% Elwood — Renting: 52.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

St Kilda Elwood
Bachelor Degree 27.5% / 29.0%
St Kilda — Bachelor Degree: 27.5% Elwood — Bachelor Degree: 29.0%
Postgraduate Degree 12.4% / 11.9%
St Kilda — Postgraduate Degree: 12.4% Elwood — Postgraduate Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 8.8%
St Kilda — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Elwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Certificate III & IV 9.0% / 6.9%
St Kilda — Certificate III & IV: 9.0% Elwood — Certificate III & IV: 6.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.0%
St Kilda — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Elwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.0%).

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 Elwood
England 5.5% / 5.1%
St Kilda — England: 5.5% Elwood — England: 5.1%
New Zealand 3.2% / 2.3%
St Kilda — New Zealand: 3.2% Elwood — New Zealand: 2.3%
Ireland 2.5% / 1.2%
St Kilda — Ireland: 2.5% Elwood — Ireland: 1.2%
India 2.4% / 1.0%
St Kilda — India: 2.4% Elwood — India: 1.0%
Italy 1.0% / 0.9%
St Kilda — Italy: 1.0% Elwood — Italy: 0.9%
China 1.1% / —
St Kilda — China: 1.1% Elwood — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Kilda 83.6% flats / apartments
St Kilda — Flats / Apartments: 83.6% St Kilda — Townhouses: 10.9% St Kilda — Houses: 5.5%
Elwood 72.2% flats / apartments
Elwood — Flats / Apartments: 72.2% Elwood — Townhouses: 13.6% Elwood — Houses: 14.2%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

St Kilda Elwood
Median house price $1,360,000 $2,090,000
Median unit price $500,000 $621,750
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 19 sales
 23 days
from 58 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 Elwood
2 bed $1.15M / $1.44M
St Kilda — 2 bed: $1.15M (15 sales) Elwood — 2 bed: $1.44M (20 sales)

15 vs 20 sales

3 bed $1.3M / $2.09M
St Kilda — 3 bed: $1.3M (12 sales) Elwood — 3 bed: $2.09M (53 sales)

12 vs 53 sales

4 bed $1.88M / $2.83M
St Kilda — 4 bed: $1.88M (5 sales) Elwood — 4 bed: $2.83M (23 sales)

5 vs 23 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 Elwood
1 bed $400K / $428K
St Kilda — 1 bed: $400K (227 sales) Elwood — 1 bed: $428K (135 sales)

227 vs 135 sales

2 bed $590K / $680K
St Kilda — 2 bed: $590K (254 sales) Elwood — 2 bed: $680K (287 sales)

254 vs 287 sales

3 bed $790K / $942K
St Kilda — 3 bed: $790K (18 sales) Elwood — 3 bed: $942K (26 sales)

18 vs 26 sales

Zoning mix

St Kilda Elwood
Residential 56% 74%
Parks and recreation 19% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 10%
Commercial 8% 2%
Other and special use 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 Elwood
New dwellings approved 891
across Port Phillip
same for both
Approvals change year on year +4175%
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 Elwood
Houses 3.2%
$830/wk on $1.36M
 3.1%
$1,325/wk on $2.19M
Units 5.5%
$600/wk on $570K
 5.1%
$635/wk on $649K

Ranking within VIC

St Kilda Elwood
House price Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (units) Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC

Liveability

St Kilda Elwood
Grade B
same for both
Score 60/100 63/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Elwood carries more flood risk (64 vs 43); St Kilda carries more crime risk (94 vs 70).

St Kilda Elwood
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
64/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
54/100
 Low
33/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

St Kilda Elwood
Inside the suburb 4
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 3
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 4.4 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 5.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.0% 2.2%

Schools in St Kilda

  • St Kilda Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cheder Levi Yitzchok Inc Independent · Combined below peers
  • St Kilda Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Michael's Grammar School Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in Elwood

  • Yesodei HaTorah College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Elwood College Government · Secondary below peers
  • Elwood Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Columba's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

St Kilda Elwood
Supermarkets 4 2
Cafes & restaurants 78 23
Parks & reserves 14 11
Childcare 11 8
GPs 9 4
Pharmacies 6 3
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3
same for both
Fuel stations 2 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Elwood sits further from the CBD (10 km vs 7.2 km).

St Kilda Elwood
Walkability score 96/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 7.2 km 10 km
+39% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 22 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 79/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 700.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 232.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3182
 2.0%
postcode 3184
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 3182
 8
postcode 3184

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 Elwood
Worked from Home 47.1% / 51.5%
St Kilda — Worked from Home: 47.1% Elwood — Worked from Home: 51.5%
Car (driver) 30.7% / 35.4%
St Kilda — Car (driver): 30.7% Elwood — Car (driver): 35.4%
Tram / Light Rail 7.4% / 1.9%
St Kilda — Tram / Light Rail: 7.4% Elwood — Tram / Light Rail: 1.9%
Walked Only 5.9% / 2.9%
St Kilda — Walked Only: 5.9% Elwood — Walked Only: 2.9%
Train 3.3% / 3.2%
St Kilda — Train: 3.3% Elwood — Train: 3.2%
Bicycle 2.5% / 2.6%
St Kilda — Bicycle: 2.5% Elwood — Bicycle: 2.6%

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

Setting

St Kilda Elwood
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 845 m
852 m to a named beach
 721 m
1.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

St Kilda Elwood
Connectivity score 76/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
16,356 premises
 3%
9,418 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

St Kilda Elwood
Average residential rate $1,765/yr
same for both
Council Port Phillip
same for both

Federal electorate

St Kilda Elwood
Division Macnamara
same for both
Member Josh Burns
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

St Kilda

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

Elwood

Apartments Coastal Inner Parks Professionals River Trams Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Kilda

St Kilda vs Melbourne St Kilda vs St Kilda East St Kilda vs Windsor St Kilda vs Albert Park St Kilda vs Balaclava St Kilda vs Middle Park

Other comparisons with Elwood

Elwood vs Brighton Elwood vs Elsternwick Elwood vs Balaclava Elwood vs Ripponlea
Full data on St Kilda Full data on Elwood
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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