Victoria · Suburb Profile

Emerald VIC — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Emerald VIC is 5,890 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Emerald is $851 per week ($44,252 per year). Median rent in Emerald is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Emerald has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Emerald has a population density of 116.8 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Emerald is England. The most common religion is No Religion (63% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Emerald is $2,000.

There were 265 recorded offences in Emerald in 2025-25, a rate of 45 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (76 offences).

Emerald Map

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Emerald Population

residents (Census 2021)

Emerald Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$851/wk

$44,252 per year

#2753 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$400/wk

$1,733 per month

#1854 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

43years

5 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$2,000/mo

Avg household size: 2.8 · 0.8 per bedroom

Emerald Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.7% (2,927) Female 50.3% (2,962)

Population Density

116.8

people per km²

5,890 people · 50.4 km²

Households

2.8

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$2,399

Family income/wk

Emerald 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)

Emerald Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

43.2% 785 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

56.8% 1,034 dwellings

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

Emerald Country of Birth

Australia

90.1%

England

8.1%

Germany

0.8%

Canada

0.3%

China

0.3%

France

0.2%

India

0.2%

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

Emerald Religion

No Religion

63.3%

Catholic

13.1%

Anglican

10.7%

Not stated

5.5%

Christian (other)

3.1%

Uniting Church

2.1%

Baptist

1.2%

Eastern Orthodox

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Emerald Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

64.5%

Year 10 or equivalent

15.6%

Year 11 or equivalent

14.6%

Year 9 or equivalent

5.3%

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

Emerald Languages Spoken at Home

Other

30.5%

Spanish

16.9%

Japan

11.9%

Mandarin

7.6%

German

7.6%

Greek

6.8%

French

6.8%

Italian

6.8%

IAL Sinhal

5.1%

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

Emerald Employment

💼

Employed full-time

39.5% 1,749 people

⏰

Employed part-time

24.7% 1,091 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.1% 95 people

🏠

Not in labour force

33.7% 1,490 people

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

Emerald Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

35.1%

Bachelor Degree

27.9%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

20.7%

Postgraduate Degree

7.9%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

6.4%

Certificate I/II

1.8%

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

Emerald Occupation

Professionals

27.5%

Technicians & Trade Workers

20.2%

Managers

15.5%

Clerical & Administrative

12.1%

Community & Personal Service

12.1%

Labourers

5.2%

Sales Workers

3.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.6%

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

Emerald Field of Study

Engineering

17.4%

Management & Commerce

15.3%

Society & Culture

13.4%

Health

12.3%

Education

11.9%

Architecture & Building

10.1%

Creative Arts

6.5%

Agriculture & Environment

4.0%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

3.8%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.7%

Information Technology

2.6%

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

Emerald Dwelling Types

Separate house

98.9%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Emerald Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.8%

$1-$149/wk

0.6%

$150-$299/wk

1.2%

$300-$399/wk

1.5%

$400-$499/wk

4.4%

$500-$649/wk

2.7%

$650-$799/wk

5.3%

$800-$999/wk

5.0%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

7.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.3%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.3%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.8%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

12.3%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

11.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

8.3%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

5.5%

$4,000+/wk

15.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Emerald Marital Status

💍

Married

52.8% 2,530

↔️

Separated

2.9% 141

📋

Divorced

9.0% 429

🕊️

Widowed

3.9% 188

👤

Never married

31.4% 1,503

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Emerald Ancestry

English

34.4%

Australian

28.0%

Scottish

9.4%

Irish

8.8%

Other

5.7%

German

3.7%

Dutch

3.6%

Italian

3.0%

Welsh

1.0%

Polish

0.9%

Greek

0.8%

Maltese

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Emerald School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

35.1%

Secondary — Government

21.6%

Vocational Education

13.0%

Pre-school

11.0%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

9.3%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

4.3%

Secondary — Catholic

3.8%

Primary — Catholic

2.0%

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

Emerald Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

5.5% 624

✅

No need for assistance

94.5% 10,726

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

Emerald Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

18.7% 864

—

Not a volunteer

81.3% 3,751

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Emerald Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

6.1%

$300-$449/mo

2.1%

$450-$599/mo

1.1%

$600-$799/mo

2.4%

$800-$999/mo

5.2%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

12.3%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

14.5%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

28.3%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

16.7%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

11.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Emerald How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

74.4%

Did not go to work

16.2%

Car (passenger)

5.1%

Walked only

1.7%

Truck

1.5%

Other

0.4%

Bus

0.4%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.2%

Train

0.2%

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

Emerald Car Ownership

0 vehicles

1.5%

1 vehicle

20.7%

2 vehicles

43.7%

3 vehicles

19.6%

4+ vehicles

14.5%

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

Emerald Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

2.1%

2 bedrooms

8.8%

3 bedrooms

43.2%

4 bedrooms

34.7%

5 bedrooms

9.2%

6+ bedrooms

1.9%

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

Emerald Population Mobility

9.0%

moved in the last year

28.9%

moved in the last 5 years

3.0%

unemployment rate (Census)

65.7%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Emerald Indigenous Population

0.7%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

11,295

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Emerald Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

542

Asthma

244

Arthritis

197

Heart disease

130

Diabetes

125

Lung condition

101

Cancer

Stroke

Kidney disease

Dementia

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

Emerald Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

10.4%

$1-$149/wk

5.0%

$150-$299/wk

6.0%

$300-$399/wk

3.8%

$400-$499/wk

2.9%

$500-$649/wk

3.2%

$650-$799/wk

8.5%

$800-$999/wk

9.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

11.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

7.6%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.7%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

9.7%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

2.5%

$3,500+/wk

3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Emerald Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

42.8%

Couple — no children

26.7%

Couple — no children under 15

21.6%

One parent — children under 15

4.5%

One parent — no children under 15

4.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Emerald Military Service

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.1% 3

🏅

Previously served

2.5% 117

👤

Never served

97.4% 4,514

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Emerald Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.1% 697

—

Did not provide

84.9% 3,919

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Emerald Children Ever Born

No children

29.8%

1 child

10.4%

2 children

32.9%

3 children

19.1%

4 children

6.5%

5+ children

1.4%

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

Emerald When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

104

1961–1970

204

1971–1980

141

1981–1990

130

1991–2000

2001–2010

138

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

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

Emerald Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

21.2%

5–14 hours

32.8%

15–29 hours

16.9%

30+ hours

10.6%

Did not do domestic work

18.5%

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

Emerald Household Size

1 person

17.7%

2 persons

33.9%

3 persons

16.4%

4 persons

20.3%

5 persons

8.8%

6+ persons

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Emerald Where Residents Moved From

Same address

5,130

Moved from VIC

357

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from overseas

Moved from QLD

Moved from SA

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

Emerald Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

88.6%

Step family — no other children

6.3%

Blended family — no other children

3.1%

Other couple — children only

1.1%

Intact family — other children present

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Emerald Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 265 total

Theft

Assault

Property Damage

Justice Procedures

Break & Enter

Fraud

Other

Weapons

Public Order

Drug Offences

Offence trend by year:

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

Emerald Schools

schools nearby

government

1033

avg ICSEA score

1,065

total students

Emerald Primary School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 445 students

1061

ICSEA

Emerald Secondary College Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 620 students

1005

ICSEA

Dandenong Ranges Steiner School - School Road Campus Independent

Primary

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

View all schools in Emerald with map →

Emerald Rent Prices & Affordability

19%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $2,119/wk

Median Rent $400/wk

Rent-to-Income 18.9%

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

If you earn X in Emerald

Your weekly income

≈ $9,182/month

Median rent $400/wk

Left after rent $1,719/wk

Rent share 18.9%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Allansford

Income: $821/wk Rent: $268/wk Save: $132/wk

Ballarat North

Income: $723/wk Rent: $285/wk Save: $115/wk

Lucknow (Vic.)

Income: $708/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $110/wk

Bendigo

Income: $821/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $110/wk

Kinglake

Income: $788/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $100/wk

Gordon (Vic.)

Income: $844/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $80/wk

Yarragon

Income: $712/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $80/wk

Badger Creek

Income: $683/wk Rent: $323/wk Save: $77/wk

Emerald vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

St Kilda West

Pop: 2,951 Income: $1,314/wk Rent: $385/wk

Heathcote (Vic.)

Pop: 2,962 Income: $490/wk Rent: $255/wk

Woori Yallock

Pop: 2,964 Income: $743/wk Rent: $346/wk

Gowanbrae

Pop: 2,971 Income: $930/wk Rent: $445/wk

Stratford (Vic.)

Pop: 2,980 Income: $719/wk Rent: $290/wk

Lucas

Pop: 2,994 Income: $923/wk Rent: $380/wk

Compare Emerald (Vic.)

Emerald (Vic.) vs St Kilda West →Emerald (Vic.) vs Heathcote (Vic.) →Emerald (Vic.) vs Woori Yallock →Emerald (Vic.) vs Gowanbrae →

Frequently Asked Questions About Emerald

What is the population of Emerald VIC?

The population of Emerald VIC is 5,890 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 116.8 people per km².Emerald is ranked #1,330 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Emerald?

The median personal income in Emerald VIC is $851 per week, or $44,252 per year.The median household income is $2,119 per week.Family income is $2,399 per week.Emerald is ranked #2,753 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Emerald?

Median rent in Emerald VIC is $400 per week ($1,733 per month).Rent represents 18.9% of household income, which is considered affordable.Emerald ranks #1,854 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Emerald?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Emerald VIC is $2,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Emerald?

The median age in Emerald VIC is 43 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Emerald a good suburb to live in?

Emerald is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 5,890.The median income is $851/wk, which is above the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (18.9% 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: 20868. All dollar figures in AUD.