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North Melbourne vs West Melbourne

Name: North Melbourne vs West Melbourne — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 2.3 km apart · North Melbourne profile · West Melbourne profile

North Melbourne West Melbourne

North Melbourne and West Melbourne are neighbouring inner-city areas with distinct profiles. West Melbourne is far more transient and international, with 73.9% of residents having moved in the last five years and 53.5% born overseas. North Melbourne has a more established feel, with far higher street connectivity and a higher share of children (11.6%) and seniors (8.2%). Educational outcomes also differ for First Nations residents, with Year 12 completion far higher in North Melbourne at 69.8% compared to 43.9% in West Melbourne.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of residents who have served in the Defence Force. They are effectively alike in many ways, including a typical resident age of 31 and similar weekly household incomes. While both are highly walkable, West Melbourne has far more public transport stops per 1,000 people, though North Melbourne residents enjoy a shorter walk to their nearest stop.

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Where they differ most

Recent movers: 13.9 pts higher in West Melbourne Population: 6,928 larger in North Melbourne Born overseas: 11.3 pts higher in West Melbourne One-parent: 7.9 pts higher in North Melbourne Recent arrivals: 10.0 pts higher in West Melbourne

Demographics & Identity

Population in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +6,928 larger in North Melbourne gap narrowing

14,953 88th pct 8,025 87th pct

Median age in North Melbourne in West Melbourne even gap narrowing

31 yrs 7th pct 31 yrs 7th pct

Age structure

44.4% Young adults (25–44) +13.2 pts ▸ 57.6%

18.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.0 pts 16.5%

17.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.1 pts 14.2%

11.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +4.3 pts 7.3%

8.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.9 pts 4.4%

Marital status

62.7% Never married +1.9 pts ▸ 64.6%

25.1% Married +1.4 pts ▸ 26.6%

7.5% Divorced ◂ +2.1 pts 5.4%

2.5% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 2.5%

2.2% Widowed ◂ +1.3 pts 0.9%

Age & sex structure

North Melbourne West Melbourne

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

49.0% Australia ◂ +7.4 pts 41.6%

7.7% China +3.0 pts ▸ 10.6%

2.6% India +4.3 pts ▸ 6.9%

2.8% Vietnam ◂ +1.0 pts 1.8%

2.3% England +0.2 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.1% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 2.0%

1.1% Philippines +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.6% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Nepal +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% South Africa ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Ancestry

21.8% English ◂ +3.1 pts 18.6%

17.3% Chinese +3.8 pts ▸ 21.2%

17.7% Australian ◂ +3.5 pts 14.3%

9.9% Irish ◂ +1.7 pts 8.2%

7.3% Scottish ◂ +1.5 pts 5.8%

3.4% Indian +3.2 pts ▸ 6.6%

4.5% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.7% Vietnamese ◂ +1.1 pts 2.6%

3.1% German ◂ +0.3 pts 2.8%

1.6% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.4% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

1.2% Dutch even 1.3%

Language

Language used at home

53.5% English only ◂ +5.8 pts 47.7%

9.5% Mandarin +4.1 pts ▸ 13.6%

3.6% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 3.4%

3.1% Vietnamese ◂ +1.0 pts 2.1%

0.8% Hindi +1.6 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.9% Arabic ◂ +1.0 pts 1.0%

1.3% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 1.1%

0.3% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Greek even 0.5%

0.1% Punjabi +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

Religion

Religious affiliation

53.8% No religion even 53.8%

21.1% Christianity +1.1 pts ▸ 22.3%

10.3% Not stated ◂ +1.6 pts 8.8%

7.0% Islam ◂ +4.0 pts 3.0%

2.5% Hinduism +3.3 pts ▸ 5.8%

4.4% Buddhism +0.7 pts ▸ 5.2%

0.5% Other religions +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.3% Judaism even 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +1.17 more in North Melbourne

2.87 41st pct 1.71 23rd pct

Schools ≤3 km in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +13 more in West Melbourne

47 91st pct 60 94th pct

Avg size in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +18 larger in West Melbourne

417 61st pct 435 64th pct

ICSEA in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +12 higher in West Melbourne

1,084 88th pct 1,096 90th pct

Highest year of school

78.7% Year 12 +3.6 pts ▸ 82.3%

3.8% Year 11 +1.0 pts ▸ 4.8%

3.6% Year 10 +0.9 pts ▸ 4.6%

4.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +2.2 pts 2.1%

Highest qualification level

39.0% Bachelor degree +3.9 pts ▸ 42.9%

24.7% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.9 pts 23.8%

9.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.2 pts ▸ 10.3%

7.0% Certificate III / IV +0.4 pts ▸ 7.4%

4.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 4.1%

0.6% Certificate I / II even 0.6%

Field of qualification

15.9% Management & commerce +6.6 pts ▸ 22.5%

15.4% Society & culture ◂ +1.8 pts 13.6%

10.9% Health ◂ +4.0 pts 6.9%

7.9% Engineering & related +2.7 pts ▸ 10.6%

8.9% Creative arts ◂ +0.2 pts 8.6%

8.1% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +2.6 pts 5.5%

5.0% Information technology +2.8 pts ▸ 7.8%

4.5% Architecture & building ◂ +0.4 pts 4.2%

2.8% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.6 pts ▸ 4.4%

4.0% Education ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

1.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$115 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$943 77th pct $1,058 86th pct

Household income in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$71 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$1,717 61st pct $1,788 65th pct

Family income in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$72 higher in North Melbourne gap narrowing

$2,478 81st pct $2,406 78th pct

Household income distribution

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 +4.7 pts ▸ 33.8%

22.6% $650–$1,499 +2.8 pts ▸ 25.4%

19.3% Under $650 ◂ +5.5 pts 13.8%

14.4% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 13.0%

9.4% $3,000–$3,999 +0.1 pts ▸ 9.6%

Personal income distribution

35.1% Under $650 ◂ +6.2 pts 28.9%

26.9% $650–$1,499 +5.3 pts ▸ 32.2%

22.2% $1,500–$2,999 +1.7 pts ▸ 23.9%

6.6% $3,000 or more even 6.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.0% Mental health ◂ +2.6 pts 8.5%

8.0% Asthma ◂ +1.5 pts 6.6%

7.4% Other condition ◂ +1.3 pts 6.1%

3.8% Arthritis ◂ +1.6 pts 2.2%

2.6% Diabetes ◂ +1.0 pts 1.6%

1.8% Heart disease ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

1.4% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

0.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.6% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.3% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.5% None +7.1 pts ▸ 73.6%

17.8% One condition ◂ +3.6 pts 14.2%

4.1% Two conditions ◂ +1.1 pts 3.0%

1.4% Three or more ◂ +0.7 pts 0.7%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +34 larger in North Melbourne

103 86th pct 69 81st pct

Median age in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +5 yrs older in West Melbourne

26 yrs 50th pct 31 yrs 66th pct

Median income in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$308 higher in West Melbourne

$591 45th pct $899 73rd pct

Household income in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$412 higher in North Melbourne

$1,875 57th pct $1,463 40th pct

Family & Households

Household size in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.1 larger in North Melbourne gap steady

2.0 14th pct 1.9 11th pct

Family composition

37.5% Couples without children +16.9 pts ▸ 54.4%

43.5% Couples with children ◂ +9.2 pts 34.3%

15.8% One-parent families ◂ +7.9 pts 7.9%

3.2% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

Household size

35.6% 2 people +5.7 pts ▸ 41.3%

40.1% 1 person ◂ +1.1 pts 39.0%

12.6% 3 people ◂ +0.2 pts 12.4%

8.4% 4 people ◂ +2.7 pts 5.8%

2.3% 5 people ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

1.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$7 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$381 78th pct $388 79th pct

Mortgage in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +$71 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$2,035 73rd pct $2,106 77th pct

People / bedroom in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.10 higher in West Melbourne gap widening

1.00 89th pct 1.10 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

63.7% Rented +1.4 pts ▸ 65.2%

19.8% Owned with a mortgage +0.8 pts ▸ 20.6%

13.2% Owned outright ◂ +1.5 pts 11.8%

2.0% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 1.5%

1.3% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

Types of homes

68.3% Flat or apartment +11.3 pts ▸ 79.6%

26.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +8.2 pts 18.6%

4.2% Separate house ◂ +3.0 pts 1.2%

0.6% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

48.3% 2 bedrooms +0.7 pts ▸ 49.0%

23.9% 1 bedroom +8.3 pts ▸ 32.1%

19.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +5.3 pts 13.8%

4.8% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.1 pts 2.6%

1.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%

1.2% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

Weekly rent distribution

42.1% $350–$549 +12.1 pts ▸ 54.2%

22.8% $200–$349 +3.7 pts ▸ 26.5%

14.4% Under $200 ◂ +10.9 pts 3.5%

12.0% $550–$749 ◂ +2.6 pts 9.4%

5.9% $750 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 4.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.0% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +0.5 pts 32.6%

26.3% $3,000 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 27.4%

27.0% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.3 pts 26.7%

9.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.4 pts 8.1%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +2 more in North Melbourne

51 87th pct 49 87th pct

Stops/1k in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +2.70 more in West Melbourne

3.41 71st pct 6.11 82nd pct

Departures/1k in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +1,249.4 more in West Melbourne

2,347.0 93rd pct 3,596.4 100th pct

PT routes in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +12 more in West Melbourne

8 86th pct 20 86th pct

Stop walk in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +4 longer in West Melbourne

6 36th pct 10 46th pct

Drive to city in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +2 longer in West Melbourne

5 0th pct 7 1st pct

Reach 30 min in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +33,828 more in North Melbourne

33,828 86th pct 0 0th pct

Reach 45 min in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +245,060 more in North Melbourne

284,869 88th pct 39,809 60th pct

Transit to city in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +14 longer in West Melbourne

33 10th pct 47 30th pct

How people get to work

39.0% Worked at home ◂ +0.6 pts 38.4%

18.4% Car (driver) ◂ +2.1 pts 16.3%

12.1% Walked ◂ +0.6 pts 11.6%

1.8% Train +3.3 pts ▸ 5.1%

3.5% Bicycle ◂ +1.2 pts 2.4%

1.4% Car (passenger) +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.5% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

50.8% 1 vehicle +0.3 pts ▸ 51.1%

32.8% No vehicle +3.6 pts ▸ 36.4%

13.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.2 pts 10.6%

2.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.5 pts 1.4%

0.7% 4 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.9% Professional & technical +1.1 pts ▸ 18.0%

15.8% Health care & social assistance ◂ +6.0 pts 9.8%

9.5% Accommodation & food +1.8 pts ▸ 11.3%

11.2% Education & training ◂ +3.4 pts 7.8%

7.2% Retail trade +0.6 pts ▸ 7.8%

4.9% Finance & insurance +2.4 pts ▸ 7.3%

6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.8 pts 5.5%

3.2% Administrative & support +1.7 pts ▸ 4.9%

3.2% Construction +1.0 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.8% Transport & warehousing +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

3.2% Manufacturing ◂ +0.1 pts 3.2%

2.9% Arts & recreation ◂ +0.7 pts 2.2%

Occupations people work in

44.4% Professionals ◂ +4.7 pts 39.7%

12.6% Managers +1.1 pts ▸ 13.7%

10.8% Clerical & administrative +0.7 pts ▸ 11.5%

10.2% Community & personal service ◂ +0.4 pts 9.9%

6.7% Technicians & trades +1.6 pts ▸ 8.3%

5.3% Labourers +1.2 pts ▸ 6.5%

6.0% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 6.1%

2.5% Machinery operators & drivers +0.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

Walkability

Walk score in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.4 higher in North Melbourne

9.6 100th pct 9.2 100th pct

Types ≤15 min in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.1 more in North Melbourne

8.0 100th pct 7.9 99th pct

15-min city in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +1.8 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 98.2% 99th pct

Walk to shops in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +1.8 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 98.2% 99th pct

Walk to transit in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.3 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 99.7% 99th pct

Walk to school in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +2.3 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 97.7% 98th pct

Walk to a park in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 98.4% 85th pct

Walk to health in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +2.2 pts higher in North Melbourne

100.0% 100th pct 97.8% 99th pct

Amenities/1k in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.2 more in North Melbourne

15.1 54th pct 15.0 53rd pct

Intersections/km² in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +780 higher in North Melbourne

1,009 100th pct 229 92nd pct

Mean slope in North Melbourne in West Melbourne +0.9 pts higher in West Melbourne

5.4% 47th pct 6.3% 57th pct

Compare North Melbourne with nearby areas

Parkville Kensington Travancore Docklands West Melbourne Carlton Carlton North South Wharf

Compare West Melbourne with nearby areas

Kensington Port Melbourne Flemington Docklands North Melbourne Footscray Seddon Travancore

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). North Melbourne vs West Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL21966/north-melbourne/vs/SAL22757/west-melbourne