$400 ▲ +11.1%
Higher than 71% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: $360
- 2016: $410
- 2021: $400
Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.
Melbourne · Federal Electorate
Housing & Dwellings in Melbourne
Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.
A massive shift in housing has occurred in Melbourne since 2011, with the share of households renting climbing by 48 percentage points to reach 63%. This change has seen the area move away from detached houses toward a high density of apartments. Most residents now live in flats, and the typical monthly mortgage payment has risen to $2,100.
$400
▲ +11.1%
- $200–$214: 2 areas
- $214–$229: 1 area
- $229–$243: 4 areas
- $243–$257: 7 areas
- $257–$271: 5 areas
- $271–$286: 3 areas
- $286–$300: 2 areas
- $300–$314: 8 areas
- $314–$329: 12 areas
- $329–$343: 5 areas
- $343–$357: 14 areas
- $357–$371: 9 areas
- $371–$386: 14 areas
- $386–$400: 8 areas
- $400–$414: 18 areas
- $414–$429: 8 areas
- $429–$443: 9 areas
- $443–$457: 4 areas
- $457–$471: 1 area
- $471–$486: 3 areas
- $486–$500: 2 areas
- $500–$514: 3 areas
- $514–$529: 0 areas
- $529–$543: 0 areas
- $543–$557: 4 areas
- $557–$571: 2 areas
- $571–$586: 0 areas
- $586–$600: 3 areas
All federal electorate areas, 2021. The marker is Melbourne — higher than 71% of areas.
| Melbourne | $400 |
|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne | $390 |
| Victoria | $370 |
| Australia | $375 |
Housing costs
Rents, mortgages and crowding.
Typical weekly rent is $400, which is a little above the state and national figures. Home loan payments are also higher than most areas, with the usual monthly payment rising $100 since 2011 to reach $2,100.
$2,100 ▲ +5.0%
Higher than 68% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: $2,000
- 2016: $2,000
- 2021: $2,100
Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.
Weekly rent distribution
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is $350–$549 at 45%, followed by $200–$349 (24%) and $550–$749 (15%).
Monthly mortgage distribution
View on map →Melbourne splits fairly evenly between $1,800–$2,999 (31%) and $3,000 or more (31%), with $1,000–$1,799 at 26%.
Owning & renting
How homes are owned or rented.
Renting is far more common here than in the rest of the state, while the share of homes owned outright is among the lowest at this level. The proportion of people who own their home outright fell 32 points since 2011 to just 15.7%.
63.0% ▲ +310.6%
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 15.3%
- 2016: 17.7%
- 2021: 63.0%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.
15.7% ▼ -67.1%
Lower than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 47.6%
- 2016: 44.3%
- 2021: 15.7%
Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).
How homes are owned or rented
View on map →In Melbourne, Rented is the majority at 63%; Owned with a mortgage is next at 18%.
Types of homes
Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.
Apartments make up 70.8% of the market, which helps explain why separate houses are far less common here than across Australia. With only 23.1% of homes having three or more bedrooms, the number of people per bedroom is well above the national figure.
1.00 ▼ -9.1%
Higher than 93% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 1.10
- 2016: 0.80
- 2021: 1.00
Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.
6.1% ▼ -92.7%
Lower than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 83.7%
- 2016: 80.2%
- 2021: 6.1%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.
23.1% ▼ -73.9%
Lower than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 88.4%
- 2016: 86.1%
- 2021: 23.1%
Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.
Types of homes
View on map →In Melbourne, Flat or apartment is the majority at 71%; Townhouse / semi-detached is next at 22%.
Bedrooms per home
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is 2 bedrooms at 49%, followed by 1 bedroom (26%) and 3 bedrooms (18%).
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Housing & Dwellings in Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED233/melbourne/topic/housing-dwellings