$421 ▲ +5.5%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: $399
- 2016: $438
- 2021: $421
Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.
South Melbourne · Suburb / Locality
Housing & Dwellings in South Melbourne
Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.
A high proportion of renters defines South Melbourne, where over half of all households do not own their home. This shift toward renting is paired with high living costs, with typical weekly rents and mortgage payments both sitting above the state and national figures.
$421
▲ +5.5%
- $0–$25: 37 areas
- $25–$50: 86 areas
- $50–$75: 199 areas
- $75–$100: 214 areas
- $100–$125: 525 areas
- $125–$150: 343 areas
- $150–$175: 699 areas
- $175–$200: 597 areas
- $200–$225: 1183 areas
- $225–$250: 724 areas
- $250–$275: 1277 areas
- $275–$300: 787 areas
- $300–$325: 1282 areas
- $325–$350: 618 areas
- $350–$375: 935 areas
- $375–$400: 570 areas
- $400–$425: 763 areas
- $425–$450: 288 areas
- $450–$475: 415 areas
- $475–$500: 176 areas
- $500–$525: 204 areas
- $525–$550: 79 areas
- $550–$575: 125 areas
- $575–$600: 70 areas
- $600–$625: 97 areas
- $625–$650: 21 areas
- $650–$675: 54 areas
- $675–$700: 145 areas
All suburb / locality areas, 2021. The marker is South Melbourne — higher than 86% of areas.
Housing costs
Rents, mortgages and crowding.
Typical weekly rent is $421, which is much higher than most areas and a little above the national figure of $375. Home loans are also expensive here, with a typical monthly payment of $2,200, which is a little above the Victorian average.
$2,200 ▼ -12.0%
Higher than 81% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: $2,500
- 2016: $2,167
- 2021: $2,200
Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.
Weekly rent distribution
View on map →In South Melbourne, the largest group is $350–$549 at 41%, followed by $550–$749 (18%) and $200–$349 (16%).
Monthly mortgage distribution
View on map →In South Melbourne, the largest group is $3,000 or more at 36%, followed by $1,800–$2,999 (30%) and $1,000–$1,799 (22%).
Owning & renting
How homes are owned or rented.
Renters make up 54.9% of households, a figure far above the national average of 30.6%. Meanwhile, only 19.0% of homes are owned outright, which is among the lowest proportions for this type of area.
54.9% ▲ +3.7%
Higher than 94% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 52.9%
- 2016: 56.5%
- 2021: 54.9%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.
19.0% ▼ -10.3%
Lower than 91% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 21.1%
- 2016: 18.6%
- 2021: 19.0%
Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).
How homes are owned or rented
View on map →In South Melbourne, Rented is the majority at 55%; Owned with a mortgage is next at 23%.
Types of homes
Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.
Flats and apartments make up 58.6% of homes, while separate houses are very rare at just 4.7%. Because three-plus bedroom homes are far less common than in the rest of Australia, there are more people per bedroom here than the national figure.
0.90 ▼ -18.2%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 1.10
- 2016: 1.00
- 2021: 0.90
Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.
4.7% ▼ -75.9%
Lower than 99% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 19.4%
- 2016: 5.5%
- 2021: 4.7%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.
29.8% ▼ -17.5%
Lower than 99% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 36.1%
- 2016: 31.3%
- 2021: 29.8%
Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.
Types of homes
View on map →In South Melbourne, Flat or apartment is the majority at 59%; Townhouse / semi-detached is next at 36%.
Bedrooms per home
View on map →In South Melbourne, the largest group is 2 bedrooms at 47%, followed by 3 bedrooms (24%) and 1 bedroom (22%).
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for South Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Housing & Dwellings in South Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL22310/south-melbourne/topic/housing-dwellings