South Melbourne VIC 3205
South Melbourne is a suburb in Victoria, 4 km from Melbourne CBD, around 10 minutes by car. Population is 11,548; the median age is 39 and the median household income is $109,252 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 5.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $421 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,200. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 4 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is South Melbourne a good suburb?
South Melbourne scores a B (61/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools, prices, and safety.
Below the state average
4 schools · Bottom 12% in VIC
Walkable and central
Walkability 96/100 · 3.8 km · 10 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.62M · Less affordable than 83% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 97/100 · Flood 44/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 39 · 11,548 residents
Liveability Rating
61 / 100 · Ranked #257 in VICEach bar is South Melbourne's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in South Melbourne?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
61 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataSouth Melbourne's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $580,000, about 5% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$580,000
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $570,000)
Based on 272 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 169 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 84 sales $400K
- 2 bed 156 sales $614K
- 3 bed 31 sales $940K
Houses
$1,625,000
8% above its 5 neighbours (median $1,500,000)
Based on 136 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 85 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 54 sales $1.25M
- 3 bed 58 sales $1.8M
- 4 bed 14 sales $2.81M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in South Melbourne are currently listed at around $1.65 million on average. Based on 59 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.65M
59 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$625K
171 units listed in the last 6 months.
230 of the suburb's 5,547 dwellings (4.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in South Melbourne rent for around $1,080 a week on average, based on 34 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,080/wk
5% above its 4 neighbours (median $1,025/wk)
34 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$700/wk
5% below its 3 neighbours (median $740/wk)
129 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
163 rentals advertised against an estimated 3,134 rented homes (5.2%) 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 3205.
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$1,080/week ($56,000 a year) on a $1.65 million median
$700/week ($36,000 a year) on a $625,000 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
214 active Airbnb listings: 193 whole homes and 21 rooms. Whole homes are about 2.8% 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 South Melbourne safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in South Melbourne sits in the high band, with 3,180 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 5% on the prior year.
3,180 offences
5.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202592 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 South Melbourne, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 449 students across 3 schools (avg 150)
- • Sectors: 2 Independent, 1 Catholic, 1 Government
- • ICSEA 983-1154, median 1033 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School (369 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 1.6 kmMelbourne C.Q.U CampusCentral Queensland University · 59 courses
- 1.6 kmRMIT University - 124 Latrobe Street, MelbourneRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology · 438 courses
- 1.6 kmVictoria University City Campus (City Tower)Victoria University · 133 courses
2.6% 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
South Melbourne is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 96/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 11 parks and 85 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside South Melbourne.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 278.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 205.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 167.7 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.2 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 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 South Melbourne.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 42%
- Premises covered
- 10,996
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
Port Phillip: 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 32 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.
South Melbourne is home to about 11,500 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $109,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
11,548
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$109,252/yr
Census Median Rent
$421/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,200/mo
Avg Household Size
1.9
Median Personal Income
$67,964/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
23.9%
Total Dwellings
5,547
Owner-Occupier Rate
43.5%
Houses
4.7%
Rental Stress
20.0%
Mortgage Stress
24.2%
Work From Home
53.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
530 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 127 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 3,046 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 59.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 70.3%
- Employment Rate
- 64.8%
- 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.
948 residents (8.2%) 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 11,066 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
41% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,697 of 6,620).
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 20,937 people work here; 6,620 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 3.2 jobs for every working resident. At least 64% 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 $1,765 a year through Port Phillip based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 50%
- Commercial 36%
- Infrastructure and transport 12%
- Parks and recreation 1%
Proposed rezonings
- Industrial 1 Zone → Commercial 2 Zone · C219port, exhibited Aug 2025 1.1 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: Port Phillip
In the year to August 2026, 891 new dwellings were approved across Port Phillip. That mix is 23 houses and 868 units. Approvals are up 4175.0% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 6,019 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 1,371 homes
- Projects firmly planned 2,668 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 1,664 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 316 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 7.9 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
From the Melbourne CBD monitoring station, 3.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 12.6 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 17 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.8 km
- 1.8 km to a named beach
- 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
29 facilities within 5 km- 1.3 km
- 2.0 kmRail Passenger TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 2.4 kmRail Passenger TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene)
- 2.5 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.5 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3205, 936 of 17,368 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 10.5% (1,831 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 15.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3205, 369 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,883 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 13 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 3205 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 147, in 2013-14.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
75 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 $580,000 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 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 Nina Taylor Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nina Taylor ALP | 61.1% | 61.1% | 38.9% |
| 2018 | Martin Foley ALP | 63.1% | 63.1% | 36.9% |
| 2014 | Martin Foley ALP | 53.0% | 53.0% | 47.0% |
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 South Melbourne?
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 11,548 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
Compare South Melbourne 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 South Melbourne
Is South Melbourne a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in South Melbourne is high (97/100, 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 South Melbourne?
South Melbourne has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (44/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is South Melbourne a good place to live?
South Melbourne has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (61/100), 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 South Melbourne?
South Melbourne, VIC had a population of 11,548 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for South Melbourne, VIC?
The postcode for South Melbourne, VIC is 3205.
How far is South Melbourne from Melbourne?
South Melbourne is 4 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 10 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in South Melbourne?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in South Melbourne was $109,252 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 South Melbourne?
The median advertised rent in South Melbourne is $1,080 a week for houses (34 listings) and $700 a week for units (129 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in South Melbourne?
The median age of residents in South Melbourne was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in South Melbourne?
There are 4 schools inside the South Melbourne boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is South Melbourne walkable?
South Melbourne scores 96/100 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 South Melbourne?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to South Melbourne (Melbourne CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.9 µg/m³. That puts South Melbourne 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 South Melbourne?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to South Melbourne, Essendon Airport (12.6 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 South Melbourne?
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 South Melbourne belong to?
South Melbourne sits within the Port Phillip local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in South Melbourne?
The average residential rates bill through Port Phillip is $1,765 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near South Melbourne?
Across Port Phillip, 891 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 4175.0% 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 South Melbourne in?
South Melbourne 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.