Suburbs South Melbourne

Victoria · Suburb Profile

South Melbourne VIC — Suburb Profile

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

The population of South Melbourne VIC is 11,548 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South Melbourne is $1,307 per week ($67,964 per year). Median rent in South Melbourne is $421 per week ($1,824 per month). South Melbourne has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. South Melbourne has a population density of 5273.3 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South Melbourne is England. The most common religion is No Religion (54% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Melbourne is $2,200.

There were 3,468 recorded offences in South Melbourne in 2025-25, a rate of 300 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1,718 offences).

South Melbourne Map

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📍 South Melbourne, Victoria — 37.8340°S, 144.9563°E

Crime: Low Med High 🏫 Schools (41)

South Melbourne Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

South Melbourne Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$1,307/wk
$67,964 per year
#271 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$421/wk
$1,824 per month
#1501 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
39years
1 years older than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$2,200/mo
Avg household size: 1.9 · 0.9 per bedroom

South Melbourne Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.1% (5,671) Female 50.9% (5,877)

Population Density

5273.3
people per km²
11,548 people · 2.2 km²

Households

1.9
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,073
Family income/wk

South Melbourne 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)

South Melbourne Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
44.8% 1,052 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
55.2% 1,297 dwellings

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

South Melbourne Country of Birth

Australia
82.1%
England
7.6%
China
2.7%
India
2.4%
Greece
1.5%
Indonesia
0.9%
Hong Kong
0.8%
Iran
0.8%
France
0.7%
Germany
0.5%

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

South Melbourne Religion

No Religion
53.9%
Catholic
18.4%
Not stated
8.8%
Anglican
7.2%
Eastern Orthodox
4.5%
Islam
2.9%
Buddhism
2.4%
Christian (other)
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

South Melbourne Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
85.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
5.9%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.8%

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

South Melbourne Languages Spoken at Home

Other
20.1%
Mandarin
19.2%
Greek
16.2%
Spanish
11.6%
Italian
9.8%
Russian
8.3%
Cantonese
7.8%
SAL Tot
7.0%

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

South Melbourne Employment

💼
Employed full-time
50.1% 4,575 people
⏰
Employed part-time
18.2% 1,663 people
🔍
Unemployed
4.0% 364 people
🏠
Not in labour force
27.7% 2,532 people

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

South Melbourne Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
47.3%
Postgraduate Degree
21.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.1%
Certificate III/IV
9.8%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.1%
Certificate I/II
0.9%

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

South Melbourne Occupation

Professionals
46.4%
Managers
22.1%
Clerical & Administrative
11.2%
Community & Personal Service
6.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
6.1%
Sales Workers
4.7%
Labourers
2.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
0.9%

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

South Melbourne Field of Study

Management & Commerce
31.6%
Society & Culture
16.1%
Creative Arts
9.2%
Health
9.0%
Engineering
8.8%
Architecture & Building
5.8%
Information Technology
5.7%
Education
5.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.2%
Agriculture & Environment
1.1%

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

South Melbourne Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)
48.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
40.4%
Separate house
11.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

South Melbourne Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.2%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.8%
$300-$399/wk
3.2%
$400-$499/wk
4.9%
$500-$649/wk
3.2%
$650-$799/wk
3.7%
$800-$999/wk
4.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
5.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.6%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
14.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
4.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.0%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.9%
$4,000+/wk
23.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

South Melbourne Marital Status

💍
Married
32.9% 3,364
↔️
Separated
3.1% 313
📋
Divorced
10.7% 1,090
🕊️
Widowed
4.0% 410
👤
Never married
49.3% 5,035

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

South Melbourne Ancestry

English
26.9%
Australian
19.1%
Other
13.8%
Irish
10.3%
Scottish
8.1%
Chinese
6.3%
Italian
4.3%
Greek
3.5%
German
3.2%
Indian
2.0%
Dutch
1.2%
French
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

South Melbourne School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
32.3%
Secondary — Government
18.3%
Vocational Education
17.3%
Pre-school
13.6%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
8.2%
Secondary — Catholic
4.0%
Primary — Catholic
3.7%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
2.6%

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

South Melbourne Need for Assistance

♿
Needs assistance
5.6% 1,220
✅
No need for assistance
94.4% 20,518

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

South Melbourne Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
16.2% 1,548
—
Not a volunteer
83.8% 8,000

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

South Melbourne Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.0%
$300-$449/mo
2.1%
$450-$599/mo
1.4%
$600-$799/mo
1.5%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
12.2%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
16.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.7%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
17.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

South Melbourne How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
41.2%
Did not go to work
18.7%
Walked only
17.1%
Tram/Light Rail
11.3%
Bicycle
4.5%
Car (passenger)
3.1%
Train
1.2%
Other
1.0%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.7%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.7%
Bus
0.3%
Truck
0.1%

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

South Melbourne Car Ownership

0 vehicles
23.4%
1 vehicle
55.7%
2 vehicles
17.8%
3 vehicles
2.2%
4+ vehicles
0.9%

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

South Melbourne Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
22.4%
2 bedrooms
47.1%
3 bedrooms
24.8%
4 bedrooms
5.0%
5 bedrooms
0.6%
6+ bedrooms
0.1%

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

South Melbourne Population Mobility

25.6%
moved in the last year
57.0%
moved in the last 5 years
5.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
68.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

South Melbourne Indigenous Population

0.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
135
Indigenous residents
21,743
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

South Melbourne Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,139
Asthma
418
Heart disease
241
Arthritis
232
Diabetes
199
Cancer
151
Lung condition
141
Kidney disease
96
Stroke
85
Dementia
34

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

South Melbourne Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.0%
$1-$149/wk
2.7%
$150-$299/wk
3.8%
$300-$399/wk
2.8%
$400-$499/wk
2.7%
$500-$649/wk
2.1%
$650-$799/wk
5.3%
$800-$999/wk
6.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
16.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.3%
$3,500+/wk
11.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

South Melbourne Family Structure

Couple — no children
43.7%
Couple — children under 15
33.2%
Couple — no children under 15
10.1%
One parent — children under 15
6.7%
One parent — no children under 15
6.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

South Melbourne Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.1% 10
🛡️
Current ADF — Reserves
0.2% 17
🏅
Previously served
1.4% 129
👤
Never served
98.4% 9,371

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

South Melbourne Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
11.3% 1,076
—
Did not provide
88.7% 8,448

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

South Melbourne Children Ever Born

No children
57.9%
1 child
13.5%
2 children
19.2%
3 children
7.0%
4 children
2.0%
5+ children
0.4%

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

South Melbourne When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
23
1951–1960
112
1961–1970
254
1971–1980
238
1981–1990
361
1991–2000
505
2001–2010
862
2011–2015
686
2016
162
2017
191
2018
221
2019
241
2020
96
2021
37

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

South Melbourne Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
26.3%
5–14 hours
33.8%
15–29 hours
10.6%
30+ hours
5.1%
Did not do domestic work
24.3%

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

South Melbourne Household Size

1 person
43.1%
2 persons
36.3%
3 persons
10.9%
4 persons
7.5%
5 persons
1.9%
6+ persons
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

South Melbourne Where Residents Moved From

Same address
8,031
Moved from VIC
1,830
Moved — same area (SA2)
488
Moved from overseas
199
Moved from NSW
74
Moved from QLD
59
Moved from WA
23
Moved from ACT
21
Moved from SA
13
Moved from TAS
12
Moved from NT
4

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

South Melbourne Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
92.7%
Step family — no other children
5.7%
Blended family — no other children
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

South Melbourne Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 3,468 total

Theft
1,718
Assault
380
Break & Enter
354
Property Damage
279
Justice Procedures
259
Fraud
173
Drug Offences
134
Weapons
84
Public Order
62
Robbery
19
Other
5
Traffic
1

Offence trend by year:

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

South Melbourne Schools

41
schools nearby
20
government
1088
avg ICSEA score
15,022
total students
Christ Church Grammar School Independent
Primary · Prep-6 · 287 students
1213
ICSEA
MacRobertson Girls High School Government
Secondary · 9-12 · 1,195 students
1186
ICSEA
Melbourne Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,905 students
1177
ICSEA
Wesley College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 3,181 students
1172
ICSEA
Albert Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 430 students
1156
ICSEA
Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 369 students
1154
ICSEA
South Yarra Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 435 students
1152
ICSEA
Middle Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 393 students
1150
ICSEA
South Melbourne Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 502 students
1144
ICSEA
St Kilda Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 314 students
1142
ICSEA
Victorian College Of The Arts Secondary School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 344 students
1141
ICSEA
Port Melbourne Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 697 students
1134
ICSEA
Docklands Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 616 students
1133
ICSEA
Albert Park College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,657 students
1127
ICSEA
South Melbourne Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 402 students
1105
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 41 schools

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

View all schools in South Melbourne with map →

South Melbourne Rent Prices & Affordability

20%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $2,101/wk
Median Rent $421/wk
Rent-to-Income 20.0%

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

If you earn X in South Melbourne

≈ $9,104/month
Median rent $421/wk
Left after rent $1,680/wk
Rent share 20.0%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Gardenvale
Income: $1,087/wk Rent: $301/wk Save: $120/wk
Essendon
Income: $1,067/wk Rent: $380/wk Save: $41/wk
Heidelberg
Income: $1,086/wk Rent: $400/wk Save: $21/wk
St Kilda West
Income: $1,314/wk Rent: $385/wk Save: $36/wk
Moonee Ponds
Income: $1,113/wk Rent: $400/wk Save: $21/wk
Elwood
Income: $1,364/wk Rent: $415/wk Save: $6/wk
Kingsville
Income: $1,202/wk Rent: $355/wk Save: $66/wk
Fairfield (Vic.)
Income: $1,093/wk Rent: $369/wk Save: $52/wk

South Melbourne vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

Romsey
Pop: 5,797 Income: $856/wk Rent: $380/wk
Burnside (Vic.)
Pop: 5,800 Income: $676/wk Rent: $400/wk
Geelong
Pop: 5,811 Income: $865/wk Rent: $370/wk
Leongatha
Pop: 5,869 Income: $641/wk Rent: $270/wk
Kennington
Pop: 5,880 Income: $744/wk Rent: $290/wk
Emerald (Vic.)
Pop: 5,890 Income: $851/wk Rent: $400/wk

Compare South Melbourne

South Melbourne vs Romsey →South Melbourne vs Burnside (Vic.) →South Melbourne vs Geelong →South Melbourne vs Leongatha →

Frequently Asked Questions About South Melbourne

What is the population of South Melbourne VIC?

The population of South Melbourne VIC is 11,548 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 5273.3 people per km².South Melbourne is ranked #484 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South Melbourne?

The median personal income in South Melbourne VIC is $1,307 per week, or $67,964 per year.The median household income is $2,101 per week.Family income is $3,073 per week.South Melbourne is ranked #271 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South Melbourne?

Median rent in South Melbourne VIC is $421 per week ($1,824 per month).Rent represents 20.0% of household income, which is considered affordable.South Melbourne ranks #1,501 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South Melbourne?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Melbourne VIC is $2,200. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South Melbourne?

The median age in South Melbourne VIC is 39 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South Melbourne a good suburb to live in?

South Melbourne is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 11,548.The median income is $1,307/wk, which is above the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.0% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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📊 Australian Average Salary 🏘️ Australian House Prices 🌆 Melbourne Cost of Living

Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22310. All dollar figures in AUD.