Suburbs Cairnlea

Victoria · Suburb Profile

Cairnlea VIC — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Cairnlea, Victoria. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Cairnlea VIC is 10,038 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Cairnlea is $658 per week ($34,216 per year). Median rent in Cairnlea is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Cairnlea has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Cairnlea has a population density of 2278.2 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Cairnlea is India. The most common religion is Catholic (29% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Vietnamese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairnlea is $1,883.

There were 436 recorded offences in Cairnlea in 2025-25, a rate of 43 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (168 offences).

Cairnlea Map

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📍 Cairnlea, Victoria — 37.7587°S, 144.7905°E

Crime: Low Med High 🏫 Schools (36)

Cairnlea Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

Cairnlea Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$658/wk
$34,216 per year
#6188 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$400/wk
$1,733 per month
#1854 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$1,883/mo
Avg household size: 3.4 · 0.9 per bedroom

Cairnlea Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.2% (4,940) Female 50.8% (5,103)

Population Density

2278.2
people per km²
10,038 people · 4.4 km²

Households

3.4
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$1,998
Family income/wk

Cairnlea Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Cairnlea Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
40.0% 920 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
60.0% 1,381 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Cairnlea Country of Birth

Australia
84.7%
India
5.2%
Bosnia & Herzegovina
2.3%
China
2.2%
Afghanistan
1.3%
Croatia
1.0%
Chile
0.9%
Egypt
0.8%
Fiji
0.8%
Hong Kong
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Cairnlea Religion

Catholic
29.5%
No Religion
23.1%
Buddhism
20.9%
Islam
10.5%
Not stated
5.6%
Eastern Orthodox
4.7%
Christian (other)
3.4%
Hinduism
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Cairnlea Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
80.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
9.3%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Cairnlea Languages Spoken at Home

Vietnamese
52.8%
Other
16.4%
SAL Tot
7.7%
Cantonese
7.7%
Macedon
4.6%
SAL Tagalog
4.3%
IAL Punjabi
3.3%
Arabic
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Cairnlea Employment

💼
Employed full-time
37.3% 2,769 people
⏰
Employed part-time
21.2% 1,576 people
🔍
Unemployed
4.5% 336 people
🏠
Not in labour force
37.0% 2,748 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Cairnlea Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
42.5%
Certificate III/IV
24.3%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.4%
Postgraduate Degree
8.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.4%
Certificate I/II
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Cairnlea Occupation

Professionals
28.0%
Clerical & Administrative
16.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
13.6%
Managers
11.2%
Community & Personal Service
10.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
7.8%
Labourers
6.2%
Sales Workers
6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Cairnlea Field of Study

Management & Commerce
26.2%
Engineering
16.5%
Health
11.8%
Society & Culture
11.7%
Information Technology
6.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.8%
Education
6.6%
Natural & Physical Sciences
5.4%
Architecture & Building
4.9%
Creative Arts
2.7%
Agriculture & Environment
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Cairnlea Dwelling Types

Separate house
92.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
7.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Cairnlea Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.8%
$1-$149/wk
0.4%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
1.4%
$400-$499/wk
3.1%
$500-$649/wk
2.5%
$650-$799/wk
5.2%
$800-$999/wk
5.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
13.7%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
10.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.8%
$4,000+/wk
12.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Cairnlea Marital Status

💍
Married
50.7% 4,109
↔️
Separated
2.8% 228
📋
Divorced
6.8% 554
🕊️
Widowed
3.3% 264
👤
Never married
36.5% 2,957

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Cairnlea Ancestry

Vietnamese
28.9%
Other
20.5%
Chinese
11.9%
Australian
8.9%
Filipino
6.7%
English
6.2%
Maltese
4.1%
Italian
3.3%
Macedonian
3.1%
Indian
3.1%
Greek
2.0%
Croatian
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Cairnlea School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
27.3%
Secondary — Government
24.4%
Secondary — Catholic
12.1%
Primary — Catholic
11.0%
Vocational Education
8.5%
Pre-school
7.8%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
5.1%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Cairnlea Need for Assistance

♿
Needs assistance
6.3% 1,205
✅
No need for assistance
93.7% 18,039

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Cairnlea Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
7.7% 593
—
Not a volunteer
92.3% 7,134

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Cairnlea Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
8.1%
$300-$449/mo
2.5%
$450-$599/mo
2.7%
$600-$799/mo
3.2%
$800-$999/mo
3.1%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
14.1%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
15.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
28.7%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.2%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
9.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Cairnlea How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
74.9%
Did not go to work
12.6%
Car (passenger)
6.7%
Train
2.6%
Truck
1.0%
Walked only
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.5%
Other
0.4%
Bus
0.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Cairnlea Car Ownership

0 vehicles
2.8%
1 vehicle
22.3%
2 vehicles
42.8%
3 vehicles
20.2%
4+ vehicles
11.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Cairnlea Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.6%
2 bedrooms
3.1%
3 bedrooms
30.5%
4 bedrooms
51.0%
5 bedrooms
12.2%
6+ bedrooms
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Cairnlea Population Mobility

6.7%
moved in the last year
24.2%
moved in the last 5 years
6.6%
unemployment rate (Census)
62.1%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Cairnlea Indigenous Population

0.1%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
28
Indigenous residents
19,447
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Cairnlea Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
447
Asthma
399
Diabetes
317
Arthritis
142
Heart disease
120
Kidney disease
92
Stroke
80
Cancer
68
Lung condition
58
Dementia
17

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Cairnlea Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
19.9%
$1-$149/wk
4.3%
$150-$299/wk
8.1%
$300-$399/wk
4.6%
$400-$499/wk
3.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.3%
$650-$799/wk
8.1%
$800-$999/wk
10.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
5.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.0%
$3,500+/wk
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Cairnlea Family Structure

Couple — children under 15
42.1%
Couple — no children under 15
28.0%
Couple — no children
14.4%
One parent — children under 15
7.9%
One parent — no children under 15
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Cairnlea Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.1% 7
🛡️
Current ADF — Reserves
0.0% 3
🏅
Previously served
0.4% 34
👤
Never served
99.4% 7,730

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Cairnlea Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
12.7% 978
—
Did not provide
87.3% 6,713

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Cairnlea Children Ever Born

No children
35.0%
1 child
11.6%
2 children
29.8%
3 children
16.1%
4 children
5.8%
5+ children
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Cairnlea When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
9
1951–1960
25
1961–1970
181
1971–1980
468
1981–1990
1,395
1991–2000
1,134
2001–2010
954
2011–2015
426
2016
88
2017
95
2018
98
2019
103
2020
41
2021
24

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Cairnlea Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.4%
5–14 hours
21.1%
15–29 hours
9.0%
30+ hours
7.8%
Did not do domestic work
41.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Cairnlea Household Size

1 person
10.6%
2 persons
21.7%
3 persons
19.2%
4 persons
25.0%
5 persons
13.2%
6+ persons
10.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Cairnlea Where Residents Moved From

Same address
8,996
Moved from VIC
433
Moved — same area (SA2)
118
Moved from overseas
58
Moved from QLD
11
Moved from NSW
9

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Cairnlea Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
91.0%
Step family — no other children
4.6%
Blended family — no other children
2.6%
Intact family — other children present
1.4%
Other couple — children only
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Cairnlea Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 436 total

Theft
168
Justice Procedures
75
Assault
61
Break & Enter
40
Property Damage
37
Drug Offences
21
Fraud
14
Weapons
8
Public Order
5
Robbery
4
Traffic
2
Other
1

Offence trend by year:

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria — crimestatistics.vic.gov.au

Cairnlea Schools

36
schools nearby
24
government
979
avg ICSEA score
12,152
total students
St Theresa's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 229 students
1076
ICSEA
Albion Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 189 students
1031
ICSEA
St Paul's Kealba Catholic School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 257 students
1025
ICSEA
Cairnlea Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 776 students
1023
ICSEA
St Paul's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 515 students
1015
ICSEA
St Peter Chanel School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 506 students
1012
ICSEA
University Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 229 students
999
ICSEA
Marian College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 856 students
999
ICSEA
Mother of God School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 107 students
995
ICSEA
Deer Park West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 389 students
989
ICSEA
Ardeer Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 139 students
986
ICSEA
St Albans Meadows Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 425 students
984
ICSEA
Holy Eucharist School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 548 students
972
ICSEA
Movelle Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 124 students
969
ICSEA
Jackson School Government
Combined · U · 322 students
969
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 36 schools

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Cairnlea with map →

Cairnlea Rent Prices & Affordability

19%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $2,062/wk
Median Rent $400/wk
Rent-to-Income 19.4%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Cairnlea

≈ $8,935/month
Median rent $400/wk
Left after rent $1,662/wk
Rent share 19.4%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Robinvale
Income: $615/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $180/wk
Melton West
Income: $636/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $80/wk
Woori Yallock
Income: $743/wk Rent: $346/wk Save: $54/wk
Hallam
Income: $602/wk Rent: $361/wk Save: $39/wk
Hadfield
Income: $697/wk Rent: $370/wk Save: $30/wk
Bellfield (Banyule - Vic.)
Income: $722/wk Rent: $375/wk Save: $25/wk
Corio
Income: $537/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $120/wk
Mount Pleasant (Vic.)
Income: $690/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $120/wk

Cairnlea vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

Hampton East
Pop: 5,069 Income: $921/wk Rent: $400/wk
Bell Post Hill
Pop: 5,083 Income: $674/wk Rent: $350/wk
Seddon (Vic.)
Pop: 5,143 Income: $1,274/wk Rent: $460/wk
Lakes Entrance
Pop: 5,145 Income: $514/wk Rent: $252/wk
Sandhurst
Pop: 5,211 Income: $1,093/wk Rent: $530/wk
Wonthaggi
Pop: 5,215 Income: $515/wk Rent: $270/wk

Compare Cairnlea

Cairnlea vs Hampton East →Cairnlea vs Bell Post Hill →Cairnlea vs Seddon (Vic.) →Cairnlea vs Lakes Entrance →

Frequently Asked Questions About Cairnlea

What is the population of Cairnlea VIC?

The population of Cairnlea VIC is 10,038 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 2278.2 people per km².Cairnlea is ranked #641 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Cairnlea?

The median personal income in Cairnlea VIC is $658 per week, or $34,216 per year.The median household income is $2,062 per week.Family income is $1,998 per week.Cairnlea is ranked #6,188 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Cairnlea?

Median rent in Cairnlea VIC is $400 per week ($1,733 per month).Rent represents 19.4% of household income, which is considered affordable.Cairnlea ranks #1,854 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Cairnlea?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairnlea VIC is $1,883. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Cairnlea?

The median age in Cairnlea VIC is 36 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Cairnlea a good suburb to live in?

Cairnlea is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 10,038.The median income is $658/wk, which is below the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 20441. All dollar figures in AUD.