Caulfield North VIC 3161
Caulfield North sits 11 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 20 minutes by car. Census data records 16,903 residents with a median age of 37 and a median household income of $114,660 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 10.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $422 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,500. Caulfield North is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 6 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Caulfield North a good suburb?
Caulfield North scores a A (77/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices.
Mixed results
6 schools · 1 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 86/100 · 11 km · 20 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.92M · Less affordable than 98% of VIC
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 62/100 · Flood 34/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 37 · 16,903 residents
Liveability Rating
77 / 100 · Ranked #85 in VICEach bar is Caulfield North's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Caulfield North?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
77 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataCaulfield North's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $571,000, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$571,250
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $582,500)
Based on 224 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 119 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 56 sales $392K
- 2 bed 135 sales $595K
- 3 bed 26 sales $950K
Houses
$1,921,500
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $1,947,500)
Based on 104 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 57 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 12 sales $1.28M
- 3 bed 50 sales $1.64M
- 4 bed 28 sales $2.15M
- 5 bed 10 sales $3.34M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Caulfield North are currently listed at around $1.91 million on average. Based on 74 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.91M
74 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$575K
98 units listed in the last 6 months.
172 of the suburb's 6,773 dwellings (2.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Caulfield North rent for around $1,200 a week on average, based on 25 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,200/wk
16% above its 6 neighbours (median $1,035/wk)
25 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$650/wk
5% above its 7 neighbours (median $620/wk)
124 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
149 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,784 rented homes (5.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025102 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3161.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,200/week ($62,000 a year) on a $1.91 million median
$650/week ($34,000 a year) on a $575,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
51 active Airbnb listings: 44 whole homes and 7 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.6% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Caulfield North safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Caulfield North sits in the moderate band, with 874 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 7% on the prior year.
874 offences
6.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202562 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Six schools serve Caulfield North, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Oakwood School leads the pack.
- • 1,158 students across 2 schools (avg 579)
- • Sectors: 3 Independent, 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 968-1160, median 1064 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Oakwood School (622 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 2.1 kmMonash CaulfieldMonash University · 198 courses
- 5.3 kmHawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne UniversitySwinburne University of Technology · 402 courses
- 6.8 kmMelbourne C.Q.U CampusCentral Queensland University · 59 courses
5.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Caulfield North is very walkable on foot — at 86/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 4 parks and 19 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Caulfield North.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 395.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 361.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 299.3 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.6 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Caulfield North.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 4%
- Premises covered
- 7,741
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Glen Eira: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 44 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Caulfield North is home to about 16,900 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $115,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
16,903
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$114,660/yr
Census Median Rent
$422/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,500/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$59,488/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.4%
Total Dwellings
6,773
Owner-Occupier Rate
58.9%
Houses
36.2%
Rental Stress
19.1%
Mortgage Stress
26.2%
Work From Home
47.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
47 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 38 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,699 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 59.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 69.3%
- Employment Rate
- 63%
- Completed Year 12
- 67.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,483 residents (8.8%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 16,031 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
24% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,124 of 8,973).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,577 a year through Glen Eira based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 85%
- Parks and recreation 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Commercial 3%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 62.6 ha
- General Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 12.9 ha
and 3 smaller changes
Land in this suburb moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Glen Eira
In the year to August 2026, 617 new dwellings were approved across Glen Eira. That mix is 221 houses and 396 units. Approvals are down 68.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 539 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 431 homes
- Projects firmly planned 60 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 48 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 7.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
From the Brighton monitoring station, 5.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Moorabbin Airport, 13.7 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 44 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.9 km
- 4.2 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 644 mm
- 94 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.0°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.9°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
9 facilities within 5 km- 1.2 km
- 1.3 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.3 km
- 1.5 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.1 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3161, 301 of 10,454 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.7% (487 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 7.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3161, 817 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,815 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 78 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3161 in 2025-26. The most was 98, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
12 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $571,250 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Josh Burns Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Josh Burns | 61.8% | 38.2% | -0.4 |
| 2022 | Josh Burns | 62.2% | 37.8% | -7.3 |
| 2019 | Josh Burns | 56.2% | 43.8% | -5.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by David Southwick Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | David Southwick LP | 52.1% | 47.9% | 52.1% |
| 2018 | David Southwick LP | 50.3% | 49.7% | 50.3% |
| 2014 | David Southwick LP | 51.7% | 45.1% | 54.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Caulfield North?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 16,903 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Malvern East VIC 3145
St Kilda East VIC 3183
Elsternwick VIC 3185
Malvern VIC 3144
Armadale VIC 3143
Caulfield VIC 3162
Compare Caulfield North to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Caulfield North
Is Caulfield North a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Caulfield North is moderate (62/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Caulfield North?
Caulfield North has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (34/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Caulfield North a good place to live?
Caulfield North has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (77/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Caulfield North?
Caulfield North, VIC had a population of 16,903 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Caulfield North, VIC?
The postcode for Caulfield North, VIC is 3161.
How far is Caulfield North from Melbourne?
Caulfield North is 11 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 20 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Caulfield North?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Caulfield North was $114,660 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Caulfield North?
The median advertised rent in Caulfield North is $1,200 a week for houses (25 listings) and $650 a week for units (124 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Caulfield North?
The median age of residents in Caulfield North was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Caulfield North?
There are 6 schools inside the Caulfield North boundary: 1 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Caulfield North walkable?
Caulfield North scores 86/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Caulfield North?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Caulfield North (Brighton) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.6 µg/m³. That puts Caulfield North below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Caulfield North?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Caulfield North, Moorabbin Airport (13.7 km away), summer days average 26°C, winter nights 6.9°C, 644 mm of rain a year over 94 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Caulfield North?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Caulfield North belong to?
Caulfield North sits within the Glen Eira local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Caulfield North?
The average residential rates bill through Glen Eira is $1,577 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Caulfield North?
Across Glen Eira, 617 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 68.9% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Caulfield North in?
Caulfield North sits within the federal Division of Macnamara, currently held by Josh Burns (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.