Doncaster VIC 3108
Doncaster sits 18 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 24 minutes by car. Census data records 25,020 residents with a median age of 40 and a median household income of $82,784 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 19.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $450 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. Doncaster is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 4 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Doncaster a good suburb?
Doncaster scores a A (81/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Above the state average
4 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 4% in VIC
Very walkable
Walkability 92/100 · 17.7 km · 24 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.5M · Less affordable than 96% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 76/100 · Flood 35/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 40 · 25,020 residents
Liveability Rating
81 / 100 · Ranked #53 in VICEach bar is Doncaster's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Doncaster?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
81 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataDoncaster's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.5 million, about 1% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,500,000
In line with its 8 neighbours (median $1,536,750)
Based on 333 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 206 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 13 sales $1.01M
- 3 bed 90 sales $1.38M
- 4 bed 162 sales $1.5M
- 5 bed 56 sales $1.81M
- 6 bed 9 sales $1.51M
Units
$551,125
17% below its 8 neighbours (median $665,000)
Based on 290 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 185 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 44 sales $378K
- 2 bed 184 sales $550K
- 3 bed 51 sales $820K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Doncaster are currently listed at around $1.45 million on average. Based on 260 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.45M
260 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$575K
156 units listed in the last 6 months.
416 of the suburb's 9,937 dwellings (4.2%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Doncaster rent for around $900 a week on average, based on 111 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$900/wk
In line with its 8 neighbours (median $880/wk)
111 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$695/wk
4% above its 3 neighbours (median $668/wk)
62 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
173 rentals advertised against an estimated 3,190 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 3108.
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$900/week ($47,000 a year) on a $1.45 million median
$695/week ($36,000 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: 37 whole homes and 14 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.3% 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 Doncaster safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Doncaster sits in the high band, with 1,921 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 7% on the prior year.
1,921 offences
7.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202556 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Four schools serve Doncaster, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Birralee Primary School and Doncaster Secondary College lead the pack.
- • 2,547 students across 4 schools (avg 637)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1067-1163, median 1132 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Doncaster Secondary College (1,157 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 7.3 kmDeakin University, Melbourne Burwood CampusDeakin University · 204 courses
- 9.2 kmHawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne UniversitySwinburne University of Technology · 402 courses
3.7% 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
Doncaster is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 92/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 4 supermarkets, 36 parks and 27 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Doncaster.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 782.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 569.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 344.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.9 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 Doncaster.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 24%
- Premises covered
- 13,123
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
Manningham: 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 58 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Doncaster is home to about 25,000 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $83,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
25,020
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$82,784/yr
Census Median Rent
$450/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$37,388/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
14.8%
Total Dwellings
9,937
Owner-Occupier Rate
67.9%
Houses
53.1%
Rental Stress
28.3%
Mortgage Stress
31.4%
Work From Home
35.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
50 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 55 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 3,027 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 42.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 38.3%
- Employment Rate
- 53.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 60.9%
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.
2,709 residents (10.8%) 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 23,875 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
20% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,332 of 11,549).
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 10,195 people work here; 11,549 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.9 per resident). At least 9% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $2,000 a year through Manningham based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 75%
- Infrastructure and transport 9%
- Parks and recreation 8%
- Commercial 8%
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: Manningham
In the year to August 2026, 486 new dwellings were approved across Manningham. That mix is 241 houses and 245 units. Approvals are down 2.1% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 1,596 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 51 homes
- Projects firmly planned 1,058 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 112 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 375 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 Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
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
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
From the Box Hill monitoring station, 4.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Scoresby Research Institute, 15.0 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 115 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 16.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 777 mm
- 105 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.9°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.3°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
2 facilities within 5 km- 3.0 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 3.2 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3108, 677 of 20,122 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.8% (962 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3108, 2,128 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,415 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 201 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.
3 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3108 in 2025-26, rank 155 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 125, in 2011-12.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
40 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 $1,500,000 this is $750,000 above 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 Gabriel Ng Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Gabriel Ng | 51.1% | 48.9% | +0.7 |
| 2022 | Keith Wolahan | 49.3% | 50.7% | -6.3 |
| 2019 | Kevin Andrews | 42.5% | 57.5% | -0.3 |
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 Matthew Guy Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Matthew Guy LP | 52.1% | 44.1% | 55.9% |
| 2018 | Matthew Guy LP | 52.2% | 44.2% | 55.8% |
| 2014 | Matthew Guy LP | 56.2% | 39.5% | 60.5% |
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 Doncaster?
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 25,020 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
Doncaster East VIC 3109
Balwyn North VIC 3104
Templestowe VIC 3106
Templestowe Lower VIC 3107
Box Hill North VIC 3129
Bulleen VIC 3105
Compare Doncaster 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 Doncaster
Is Doncaster a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Doncaster is high (76/100, 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 Doncaster?
Doncaster has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (35/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Doncaster a good place to live?
Doncaster has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (81/100), 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 Doncaster?
Doncaster, VIC had a population of 25,020 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Doncaster, VIC?
The postcode for Doncaster, VIC is 3108.
How far is Doncaster from Melbourne?
Doncaster is 18 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 24 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Doncaster?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Doncaster was $82,784 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 Doncaster?
The median advertised rent in Doncaster is $900 a week for houses (111 listings) and $695 a week for units (62 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Doncaster?
The median age of residents in Doncaster was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Doncaster?
There are 4 schools inside the Doncaster boundary: 3 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Doncaster walkable?
Doncaster scores 92/100 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 Doncaster?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Doncaster (Box Hill) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.3 µg/m³. That puts Doncaster below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Doncaster?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Doncaster, Scoresby Research Institute (15 km away), summer days average 26.9°C, winter nights 6.3°C, 777 mm of rain a year over 105 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Doncaster?
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 Doncaster belong to?
Doncaster sits within the Manningham local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Doncaster?
The average residential rates bill through Manningham is $2,000 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Doncaster?
Across Manningham, 486 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 2.1% 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 Doncaster in?
Doncaster sits within the federal Division of Menzies, currently held by Gabriel Ng (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.