Clayton VIC 3168
Clayton is a suburb in Victoria, 22 km from Melbourne CBD, around 29 minutes by car. Population is 18,988; the median age is 28 and the median household income is $77,688 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 40% nationally. Population fell 1.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $400 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,000. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 5 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Clayton a good suburb?
Clayton scores a B (55/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools, prices, and safety.
Below the state average
5 schools · Bottom 22% in VIC
Very walkable
Walkability 97/100 · 22.1 km · 29 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.36M · Less affordable than 93% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 85/100 · Flood 34/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 28 · 18,988 residents
Liveability Rating
55 / 100 · Ranked #359 in VICEach bar is Clayton's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Clayton?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
55 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataClayton's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $550,000, about 3% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$550,000
24% below its 8 neighbours (median $720,000)
Based on 219 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 26 days — median across 90 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 31 sales $375K
- 2 bed 126 sales $532K
- 3 bed 48 sales $820K
- 4 bed 9 sales $965K
Houses
$1,365,000
24% above its 8 neighbours (median $1,103,500)
Based on 123 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 56 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 8 sales $1.2M
- 3 bed 63 sales $1.28M
- 4 bed 17 sales $1.43M
- 5 bed 7 sales $1.21M
- 6 bed 6 sales $1.58M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Clayton are currently listed at around $945,000 on average. Based on 80 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$945K
80 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$544K
94 units listed in the last 6 months.
174 of the suburb's 6,126 dwellings (2.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Clayton rent for around $700 a week on average, based on 127 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$700/wk
4% below its 8 neighbours (median $730/wk)
127 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$550/wk
7% below its 7 neighbours (median $590/wk)
146 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
273 rentals advertised against an estimated 3,859 rented homes (7.1%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025108 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3168.
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$700/week ($36,000 a year) on a $945,000 median
$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $544,000 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
105 active Airbnb listings: 56 whole homes and 49 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.7% 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 Clayton safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Clayton sits in the high band, with 2,119 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 3% on the prior year.
2,119 offences
3.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202592 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 5 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
Five schools serve Clayton, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,010 students across 3 schools (avg 337)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1064-1127, median 1082 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: John Monash Science School (656 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 0.0 kmMonash ClaytonMonash University · 383 courses
- 7.8 kmDeakin University, Melbourne Burwood CampusDeakin University · 204 courses
- 8.8 kmMonash CaulfieldMonash University · 198 courses
17.3% 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
Clayton is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 97/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 11 supermarkets, 21 parks and 81 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Clayton.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 590.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 462.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 276.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.2 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 40 min wait
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 Clayton.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 49%
- Premises covered
- 10,841
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
Monash: 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 41 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Clayton is home to about 19,000 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 28 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $78,000 a year, with unemployment at 9.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
18,988
Median Age
28
Median Household Income
$77,688/yr
Census Median Rent
$400/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,000/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$30,888/yr
Unemployment Rate
9.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
22.3%
Total Dwellings
6,126
Owner-Occupier Rate
37.0%
Houses
35.4%
Rental Stress
26.8%
Mortgage Stress
30.9%
Work From Home
23.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
107 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 41 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 3,719 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 27.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 28.3%
- Employment Rate
- 54.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 70.5%
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.
6,473 residents (34.1%) 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 18,291 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
14% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,333 of 9,425).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 31,769 people work here; 9,425 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 3.4 jobs for every working resident. At least 70% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,697 a year through Monash based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Commercial 48%
- Infrastructure and transport 24%
- Industrial 12%
- Other and special use 11%
- Residential 4%
- Parks and recreation 1%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- General Residential Zone → Precinct Zone · GC247, Jul 2026 150.8 ha
- Residential Growth Zone → Precinct Zone · GC247, Jul 2026 75.4 ha
- General Residential Zone → Precinct Zone · C176mona, Jul 2026 60.2 ha
- Special Use Zone → Precinct Zone · C176mona, Jul 2026 44.4 ha
and 8 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: Monash
In the year to August 2026, 1,233 new dwellings were approved across Monash. That mix is 616 houses and 617 units. Approvals are down 3.8% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 1,278 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 29 homes
- Projects firmly planned 546 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 121 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 582 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 6.3 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.
PM10 averaged 20.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.98 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Dandenong monitoring station, 9.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Moorabbin Airport, 7.5 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 88 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 10.1 km
- 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
21 facilities within 5 km- 0.6 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 0.8 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 1.1 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.2 kmPaint and Coatings ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Acetone · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 1.4 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3168, 343 of 17,333 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 6.2% (1,066 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3168, 1,173 rooftop-solar systems totalling 10.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 8,602 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 95 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.
1 first-home grant was paid in postcode 3168 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 138, in 2007-08.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
32 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 55 across postcode 3168.
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 $550,000 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 Clare O'Neil Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Clare O'Neil | 66.9% | 33.1% | +5.3 |
| 2022 | Clare O'Neil | 64.2% | 35.8% | -3.1 |
| 2019 | Clare O'Neil | 55.9% | 44.1% | -1.7 |
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 Steve Dimopoulos Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Steve Dimopoulos ALP | 63.5% | 63.5% | 36.5% |
| 2018 | Steve Dimopoulos ALP | 53.6% | 65.8% | 34.2% |
| 2014 | Steve Dimopoulos ALP | 58.2% | 58.2% | 41.8% |
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 Clayton?
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 18,988 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.
Featured in
- #4 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Gujarati is spoken at home
- #6 in Where the Bangladeshi community lives in Melbourne
- #8 in Melbourne suburbs with the largest Hindu community
- #12 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Korean is spoken at home
- #12 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Mandarin is spoken at home
- #14 in Where the Indian community lives in Melbourne
- #14 in Where the Korean community lives in Melbourne
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
Mount Waverley VIC 3149
Springvale VIC 3171
Mulgrave VIC 3170
Clayton South VIC 3169
Oakleigh South VIC 3167
Clarinda VIC 3169
Compare Clayton to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Clayton
Is Clayton a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Clayton is high (85/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Clayton?
Clayton 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 Clayton a good place to live?
Clayton has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (55/100), 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 Clayton?
Clayton, VIC had a population of 18,988 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Clayton, VIC?
The postcode for Clayton, VIC is 3168.
How far is Clayton from Melbourne?
Clayton is 22 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 29 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Clayton?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Clayton was $77,688 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 Clayton?
The median advertised rent in Clayton is $700 a week for houses (127 listings) and $550 a week for units (146 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Clayton?
The median age of residents in Clayton was 28 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Clayton?
There are 5 schools inside the Clayton boundary: 1 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Clayton walkable?
Clayton scores 97/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally 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 Clayton?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Clayton (Dandenong) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.8 µg/m³. That puts Clayton 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 Clayton?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Clayton, Moorabbin Airport (7.5 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 Clayton?
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 Clayton belong to?
Clayton sits within the Monash local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Clayton?
The average residential rates bill through Monash is $1,697 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Clayton?
Across Monash, 1,233 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 3.8% 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 Clayton in?
Clayton sits within the federal Division of Hotham, currently held by Clare O'Neil (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
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.