Kew VIC 3101
Kew is a suburb in Victoria, 8 km from Melbourne CBD, around 18 minutes by car. Population is 24,499; the median age is 41 and the median household income is $129,844 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $476 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,000. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 13 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Kew a good suburb?
Kew scores a A (74/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices.
Mixed results
13 schools · 3 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 93/100 · 8.4 km · 18 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $2.45M · Less affordable than 98% of VIC
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 69/100 · Flood 57/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 41 · 24,499 residents
Liveability Rating
74 / 100 · Ranked #119 in VICEach bar is Kew's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Kew?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
74 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataKew's unit market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $665,000, about 5% below where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$665,000
19% above its 11 neighbours (median $558,000)
Based on 95 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 64 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 13 sales $451K
- 2 bed 69 sales $665K
- 3 bed 13 sales $925K
Houses
$2,450,000
11% above its 11 neighbours (median $2,207,500)
Based on 63 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 43 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $1.6M
- 3 bed 22 sales $1.8M
- 4 bed 21 sales $2.88M
- 5 bed 9 sales $2.9M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Kew are currently listed at around $2.49 million on average. Based on 186 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$2.49M
186 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$650K
71 units listed in the last 6 months.
257 of the suburb's 9,069 dwellings (2.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Kew rent for around $1,275 a week on average, based on 62 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,275/wk
29% above its 9 neighbours (median $992/wk)
62 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$682/wk
19% above its 8 neighbours (median $575/wk)
48 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
110 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,666 rented homes (4.1%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202598 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 31% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3101.
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$1,275/week ($66,000 a year) on a $2.49 million median
$682/week ($35,000 a year) on a $650,000 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
45 active Airbnb listings: 33 whole homes and 12 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 Kew safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Kew sits in the moderate band, with 1,499 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 5% on the prior year.
1,499 offences
5.3% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025108 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
13 schools serve Kew, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Genazzano FCJ College and Methodist Ladies' College lead the pack.
- • 10,325 students across 11 schools (avg 939)
- • Sectors: 8 Independent, 4 Catholic, 1 Government
- • ICSEA 1125-1198, median 1154 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Carey Baptist Grammar School (2,564 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 2.4 kmHawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne UniversitySwinburne University of Technology · 402 courses
- 4.8 kmAustralian Catholic University-Melbourne CampusAustralian Catholic University · 137 courses
- 5.9 kmMelbourne C.Q.U CampusCentral Queensland University · 59 courses
4.9% 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
Kew is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 93/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 4 supermarkets, 28 parks and 22 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Kew.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 702.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 562.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 424.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.9 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 Kew.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 18%
- Premises covered
- 12,405
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 59 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Kew is home to about 24,500 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $130,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
24,499
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$129,844/yr
Census Median Rent
$476/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,000/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$58,240/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
13.5%
Total Dwellings
9,069
Owner-Occupier Rate
70.6%
Houses
50.5%
Rental Stress
19.1%
Mortgage Stress
27.7%
Work From Home
46.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
38 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 13 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,590 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 66.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 70.3%
- Employment Rate
- 61.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 66.6%
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.
1,243 residents (5.1%) 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 23,552 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
27% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (3,476 of 12,700).
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 12,422 people work here; 12,700 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident). At least 2% 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 $2,253 a year through Boroondara based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 68%
- Parks and recreation 18%
- Infrastructure and transport 12%
- Commercial 2%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 190.8 ha
- General Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 73.7 ha
- Transport Zone 2 → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 1.4 ha
- Commercial 1 Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 0.7 ha
and 2 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: 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: 664 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 155 homes
- Projects firmly planned 292 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 50 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 167 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, 2.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 14.0 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 73 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 8.4 km
- Annual rainfall
- 534 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°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
5 facilities within 5 km- 2.3 km
- 2.9 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Oxides of Nitrogen
- 3.8 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 4.7 km
- 5.0 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 3101, 613 of 16,708 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.8% (641 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 7.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3101, 1,808 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 10,296 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 163 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 3101 in 2025-26. The most was 101, in 2008-09.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
22 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 $665,000 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 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 Jess Wilson Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jess Wilson LP | 54.0% | 46.0% | 54.0% |
| 2018 | Tim Smith LP | 50.4% | 45.2% | 54.8% |
| 2014 | Tim Smith LP | 57.2% | 39.4% | 60.6% |
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 Kew?
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 24,499 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
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
Richmond VIC 3121
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Balwyn North VIC 3104
Hawthorn East VIC 3123
Balwyn VIC 3103
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Compare Kew 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 Kew
Is Kew a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Kew is moderate (69/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Kew?
Kew has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (57/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Kew a good place to live?
Kew has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (74/100), 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 Kew?
Kew, VIC had a population of 24,499 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Kew, VIC?
The postcode for Kew, VIC is 3101.
How far is Kew from Melbourne?
Kew is 8 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 18 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Kew?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Kew was $129,844 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 Kew?
The median advertised rent in Kew is $1,275 a week for houses (62 listings) and $682 a week for units (48 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Kew?
The median age of residents in Kew was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Kew?
There are 13 schools inside the Kew boundary: 3 above, 3 at, and 3 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Kew walkable?
Kew scores 93/100 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 Kew?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Kew (Alphington) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Kew 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 Kew?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Kew, Essendon Airport (14 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 534 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Kew?
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 Kew belong to?
Kew sits within the Boroondara local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Kew?
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 Kew?
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 Kew in?
Kew sits within the federal Division of Kooyong, currently held by Monique Ryan (Independent).
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.