Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Burwood East
4 km²
Sitting in the heart of the Whitehorse area, Burwood East is a highly walkable suburb where nearly every home is within a short stroll of parks, shops and schools. It is a multicultural community with a strong international feel, as more than half of its residents were born overseas. The area is noticeably older than the national average and is defined by a highly educated population and a large number of people who own their homes outright. These features combine to create a settled and well-resourced residential pocket of Melbourne.
Burwood East is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
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The community is older than most, with the typical resident aged 41 and a high proportion of seniors—22.3% are aged 65 or over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 13.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.
International diversity is a key feature here, with 52.1% of people born overseas, far above the 27.7% national average. Chinese is the most common ancestry at 30.4%, followed by English and Australian.
Multilingualism is common, as 55.0% of residents use a language other than English at home, far above the national average of 22.3%. Mandarin is the most frequent non-English language, while 11.3% of people speak little or no English.
Christianity is the most common faith at 41.3%, though the number of people reporting no religion has risen significantly since 2011 to reach 37.2%.
Residents are highly qualified, with 39.1% holding a bachelor degree or higher, far above the national figure of 26.3%. This is reflected in the local schools, which have a much higher average advantage score than most areas.
Typical weekly household income is $1,610, which is about the same as the national figure. While typical personal income is much lower than in most areas, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 11 points since 2011.
About 6.2% of people need help with daily activities, which is higher than most areas. However, those reporting a mental health condition are much lower than in other regions.
Volunteering has fallen since 2011 to 12.0%, a figure slightly below the national average. About 12.7% of the community provide unpaid care.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is very small, representing just 0.1% of the community. Personal income for First Nations residents is among the lowest at this level.
Family sizes are slightly larger than usual, with 2.6 people per home. Couples with children make up the largest group at 59.5%, while 22.6% of people live alone.
Home ownership is strong, with 41.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Most homes are large, with 82.2% having three or more bedrooms, though typical weekly rents are much higher than in most areas at $439.
The suburb is well-connected with a high number of public transport stops and departures. Since 2011, working from home has surged from 3.6% to 30.6%, which is well above the national average.
The area has seen a fair amount of movement, with 38.1% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 17.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure.
Professional roles are common, making up 30.6% of occupations. However, the number of adults working or looking for work is well below the national average.
The area is generally advantaged, scoring an 8 out of 10 for overall advantage. It has seen significant recent growth, with the population estimate rising 15.6% since 2021.
The local climate is characterized by an average annual rainfall of 804mm, which is well above the Victorian average of 510mm.
This is a very walkable suburb, with 100% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or school. Almost every resident also lives within 10 minutes of public transport and 15 minutes of groceries.