$391 —
Higher than 86% of urban centre areas.
- 2016: $351
- 2021: $391
Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.
Melbourne · Urban Centre
Housing & Dwellings in Melbourne
Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.
Fewer people own their homes outright in Melbourne than they did in 2011, as renting has become more common. This shift is mirrored in the costs, where both typical rents and mortgage payments have risen over the last decade. Today, the typical monthly mortgage payment is $2,000, which is much higher than in most other areas.
$391
—
- $0–$21: 2 areas
- $21–$43: 6 areas
- $43–$64: 18 areas
- $64–$86: 38 areas
- $86–$107: 35 areas
- $107–$129: 46 areas
- $129–$150: 25 areas
- $150–$171: 104 areas
- $171–$193: 82 areas
- $193–$214: 143 areas
- $214–$236: 130 areas
- $236–$257: 175 areas
- $257–$279: 114 areas
- $279–$300: 125 areas
- $300–$321: 194 areas
- $321–$343: 101 areas
- $343–$364: 128 areas
- $364–$386: 82 areas
- $386–$407: 92 areas
- $407–$429: 41 areas
- $429–$450: 24 areas
- $450–$471: 32 areas
- $471–$493: 13 areas
- $493–$514: 19 areas
- $514–$536: 14 areas
- $536–$557: 9 areas
- $557–$579: 6 areas
- $579–$600: 15 areas
All urban centre areas, 2021. The marker is Melbourne — higher than 86% of areas.
Housing costs
Rents, mortgages and crowding.
Typical weekly rents are $391, a figure that is much higher than most areas and has risen $40 since 2016. Monthly mortgage payments are also much higher than in most areas, typically costing $2,000 per month.
$2,000 ▲ +8.6%
Higher than 88% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: $1,842
- 2016: $1,831
- 2021: $2,000
Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.
Weekly rent distribution
View on map →In Melbourne, $350–$549 is the majority at 53%; $200–$349 is next at 24%.
Monthly mortgage distribution
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is $1,800–$2,999 at 37%, followed by $1,000–$1,799 (26%) and $3,000 or more (22%).
Owning & renting
How homes are owned or rented.
Renting households rose to 31.0% since 2011, which is a little above the state figure. Meanwhile, the proportion of homes owned outright fell to 29.6%, which is much lower than most areas.
31.0% ▲ +11.2%
Higher than 74% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 27.9%
- 2016: 30.8%
- 2021: 31.0%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.
29.6% ▼ -9.7%
Lower than 76% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 32.8%
- 2016: 30.3%
- 2021: 29.6%
Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).
How homes are owned or rented
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is Owned with a mortgage at 36%, followed by Rented (31%) and Owned outright (30%).
Types of homes
Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.
Separate houses are well below the national figure at 66.1%, as the number of detached homes fell 5.0 points since 2011. This is consistent with a lower-than-usual 71.1% of homes having three or more bedrooms.
0.90 ▼ -18.2%
Higher than 88% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 1.10
- 2016: 0.90
- 2021: 0.90
Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.
66.1% ▼ -7.1%
Lower than 97% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 71.1%
- 2016: 66.2%
- 2021: 66.1%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.
71.1% ▼ -0.9%
Lower than 73% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 71.8%
- 2016: 70.2%
- 2021: 71.1%
Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.
Types of homes
View on map →In Melbourne, Separate house is the majority at 66%; Townhouse / semi-detached is next at 17%.
Bedrooms per home
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is 3 bedrooms at 40%, followed by 4 bedrooms (27%) and 2 bedrooms (21%).
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/ucl/UCL201001/melbourne/topic/housing-dwellings