Hawthorn East VIC 3123
Hawthorn East sits 12 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 20 minutes by car. Census data records 14,834 residents with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $117,156 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 3.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $415 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,500. Hawthorn East is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 4 schools within the suburb boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Hawthorn East a good suburb?
Hawthorn East scores a A+ (86/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Above the state average
4 schools · 2 above peer schools · Top 16% in VIC
Walkable and central
Walkability 99/100 · 12 km · 20 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $2.21M · Less affordable than 98% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 72/100 · Flood 40/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 36 · 14,834 residents
Liveability Rating
86 / 100 · Ranked #20 in VICEach bar is Hawthorn East's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Hawthorn East?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
86 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataHawthorn East's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $570,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$570,500
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $582,500)
Based on 304 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 178 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 101 sales $370K
- 2 bed 175 sales $641K
- 3 bed 23 sales $1.17M
Houses
$2,207,500
6% below its 7 neighbours (median $2,355,000)
Based on 142 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 96 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 21 sales $1.48M
- 3 bed 59 sales $2.12M
- 4 bed 41 sales $2.73M
- 5 bed 16 sales $3.58M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Hawthorn East are currently listed at around $1.89 million on average. Based on 92 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.89M
92 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$612K
125 units listed in the last 6 months.
217 of the suburb's 6,251 dwellings (3.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Hawthorn East rent for around $992 a week on average, based on 42 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$992/wk
21% below its 6 neighbours (median $1,250/wk)
42 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$575/wk
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $570/wk)
118 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
160 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,550 rented homes (6.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025112 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3123.
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$992/week ($52,000 a year) on a $1.89 million median
$575/week ($30,000 a year) on a $612,000 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
44 active Airbnb listings: 37 whole homes and 7 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.5% 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 Hawthorn East safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Hawthorn East sits in the high band, with 977 incidents recorded in 2026 — down 0.5% on the prior year.
977 offences
0.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202527 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 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
Four schools serve Hawthorn East, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Alia College and Auburn High School lead the pack.
- • 1,875 students across 4 schools (avg 469)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 1130-1165, median 1151 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Auburn High School (849 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 1.7 kmHawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne UniversitySwinburne University of Technology · 402 courses
- 5.6 kmMonash CaulfieldMonash University · 198 courses
- 5.8 kmDeakin University, Melbourne Burwood CampusDeakin University · 204 courses
4.5% 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
Hawthorn East is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 99/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 9 parks and 21 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Hawthorn East.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 116.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 108.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 85.7 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.9 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 6 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 Hawthorn East.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 27%
- Premises covered
- 8,547
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
Boroondara: 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 34 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 2 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Hawthorn East is home to about 14,800 residents, with a median age of 36, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $117,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
14,834
Median Age
36
Median Household Income
$117,156/yr
Census Median Rent
$415/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,500/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$64,688/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.6%
Total Dwellings
6,251
Owner-Occupier Rate
59.2%
Houses
33.1%
Rental Stress
18.4%
Mortgage Stress
25.6%
Work From Home
50.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
92 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 16 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,493 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 66.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 72.5%
- Employment Rate
- 67%
- Completed Year 12
- 69.0%
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.
1,080 residents (7.3%) 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 14,215 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
29% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,466 of 8,462).
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 $2,253 a year through Boroondara based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 76%
- Commercial 9%
- Infrastructure and transport 9%
- Parks and recreation 5%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 20.6 ha
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: Boroondara
In the year to August 2026, 711 new dwellings were approved across Boroondara. That mix is 433 houses and 278 units. Approvals are down 40.4% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 219 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 16 homes
- Projects firmly planned 176 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 16 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 11 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
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 7.3 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 17.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.82 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Alphington monitoring station, 6.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Moorabbin Airport, 17.0 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 51 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 7.8 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.2% of addresses
- 22 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- 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
4 facilities within 5 km- 3.6 km
- 3.7 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 4.7 km
- 5.0 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Oxides of Nitrogen
EV adoption
In postcode 3123, 288 of 10,130 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.3% (537 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3123, 821 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,477 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 72 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 3123 in 2025-26. The most was 91, in 2005-06.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
27 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 $570,500 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 Monique Ryan Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Monique Ryan | 47.6% | 52.4% | +1.4 |
| 2022 | Monique Ryan | 45.8% | 54.2% | -2.2 |
| 2019 | Josh Frydenberg | 43.3% | 56.7% | -6.1 |
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 John Pesutto Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | John Pesutto LP | 51.7% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| 2018 | John Ormond Kennedy ALP | 50.4% | 50.4% | 49.6% |
| 2014 | John Pesutto LP | 54.5% | 41.4% | 58.6% |
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 Hawthorn East?
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 14,834 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
Glen Iris VIC 3146
Kew VIC 3101
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Camberwell VIC 3124
Malvern VIC 3144
Canterbury VIC 3126
Compare Hawthorn East 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 Hawthorn East
Is Hawthorn East a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Hawthorn East is high (72/100, 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 Hawthorn East?
Hawthorn East has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (40/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Hawthorn East a good place to live?
Hawthorn East has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A+ (86/100), 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 Hawthorn East?
Hawthorn East, VIC had a population of 14,834 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Hawthorn East, VIC?
The postcode for Hawthorn East, VIC is 3123.
How far is Hawthorn East from Melbourne?
Hawthorn East is 12 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 Hawthorn East?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Hawthorn East was $117,156 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 Hawthorn East?
The median advertised rent in Hawthorn East is $992 a week for houses (42 listings) and $575 a week for units (118 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Hawthorn East?
The median age of residents in Hawthorn East was 36 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Hawthorn East?
There are 4 schools inside the Hawthorn East boundary: 2 above and 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Hawthorn East walkable?
Hawthorn East scores 99/100 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 Hawthorn East?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Hawthorn East (Alphington) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Hawthorn East 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 Hawthorn East?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Hawthorn East, Moorabbin Airport (17 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 Hawthorn East?
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 Hawthorn East belong to?
Hawthorn East sits within the Boroondara local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Hawthorn East?
The average residential rates bill through Boroondara is $2,253 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Hawthorn East?
Across Boroondara, 711 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 40.4% 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 Hawthorn East in?
Hawthorn East sits within the federal Division of Kooyong, currently held by Monique Ryan (Independent).
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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.