Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Melton Council
Hillside, 3037
Est. population · Jun 2025
17,320
Growth (1 yr)
+0.8%
Growth (5 yr)
-1.0%
Median age
36
Median income
$2,190/wk
Employment rate
65.7%
Languages at home
36.2%non-English
Most common: Arabic, Punjabi, Macedonian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- Café precinct
Suburb profile
Hillside is a hillside established suburb in Melton Council, with elevated streets and a greener, quieter pace. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street. The suburb has a clear multicultural mix alongside longer-term local households.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Daily life works well on foot, with buses also serving the suburb.
Housing sits above the suburban middle: not the top of the market, but clearly pricier than average. Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Desirability rates excellent overall, led by schools and education, plus community and employment, while growth momentum and safety land closer to the middle of the pack for similar metro suburbs.
At a glance
Hillside snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
17,320
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.3%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#24
among Metro Melbourne · Established
Pop. growth
61st
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
59th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 72.3/100 — Excellent
- State standing
- Top 4% of Victoria's suburbs
- National rank
- 128th in Australia
- State rank
- 50th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #24 among Metro Melbourne · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #37 among Metro Melbourne suburbs
- Data confidence
- 76%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
17,320(June 2025)
+0.8% annual · -1.0% over 5 years · 61th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.8%
- 5-year growth
- -1.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +133
- Change in 5 years
- -170
- Growth rank in VIC
- 61th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~17,600), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 17,331
- Median age
- 36
- Median household income / week
- $2,190
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 183 of 5,529
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,900
- Employment rate
- 65.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4,706 / 510 / 125
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 1,026.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 59th
School list
- Cana Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1039 · 64th percentile · LBOTE 24% · 508 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Parkwood Green Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1014 · 53th percentile · LBOTE 54% · 495 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
5 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Bellevue Hill Preschoolkindergarten
- Goodstart Early Learning Hillsidekindergarten
- Little Munchkins Childcare Centrechildcare
- Little Munchkins Childcare Centrekindergarten
- Parkwood Green Preschoolkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
52 public transport stops in this suburb
- Allenby Rd/Calder Park Dr
- James Ct/Wattle Valley Dr
- Pilgrim Dr/Wattle Valley Dr
- Southbank Walk/Calder Park Dr
- Sydenham-Hillside PS/Wattle Valley Dr
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
323 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 restaurants · 2 cafes · 1 pubs · 2 supermarkets · 2 pharmacies · 4 fast food · 1 bakeries · 15 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 31 parks mapped in suburb, 15 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 52 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 129 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 90/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.12
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.58
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.79
Food & drink(10)
- Banchory BakeryBakery
- Baked since 95Cafe
Wattle Valley Drive
- Coffee TownCafe
- Big RoosterFast food
Unit 4 595 Melton Highway
- Domino'sFast food
Unit 3 595 Melton Highway
- FishbiteFast food
Unit 2 595 Melton Highway
- McDonald'sFast food
585 Melton Highway
- The Sugar Gum HotelPub
2 Gourlay Road, Hillside
- Lokùm Turkish GrillRestaurant
- Sushi SushiRestaurant
Shopping(6)
- FoodaryConvenience store
575 Melton Highway
- UnitedConvenience store
- FoodworksSupermarket
Unit 1 595 Melton Highway
- WoolworthsSupermarket
Community(10)
- Little Munchkins Childcare CentreChildcare
- Banchory Community CentreCommunity centre
- Parkwood Green Community CentreCommunity centre
88 Catherine Drive, Hillside
- Bellevue Hill PreschoolKindergarten
- Goodstart Early Learning HillsideKindergarten
- Little Munchkins Childcare CentreKindergarten
- Parkwood Green PreschoolKindergarten
- Cana Catholic Primary SchoolSchool
46 Banchory Avenue
- Hillside Primary SchoolSchool
23 Wattle Valley Drive
- Parkwood Green Primary SchoolSchool
178-196 Community Hub
Health & services(3)
- Parkwood Green MedicalClinic
1-5 Kate Way
- Direct Chemist OutletPharmacy
- Pharmacy
Sport & outdoors(155)
- Allenby Road ReservePark
- Banchory GreenPark
- Berthon Crescent ReservePark
- Chelsea GardensPark
- John Paul Drive ReservePark
- Kenswick Drive ReservePark
- Lachlans FieldPark
- Longhurst Crescent ReservePark
- Park (11)
- Parkview Place ReservePark
- Parkwood Green ReservePark
- Royal Crescent ReservePark
- Sugar Gum ReservePark
- Sydenham Linear ReservePark
- The OutlookPark
- Warringah ReservePark
- Playground (15)
- Sports centre
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (112)
Transport(33)
33 bus stops
Other(22)
- BottlemartAlcohol
- Bbq
- Bench (6)
- Car wash
- Drinking water
- AmpChargeEV charging
- ChargefoxEV charging
- CFAFire station
- Fitness Station
- Garden (3)
- Banchory Grove News,Lotto & TobaccoNewsagent
- Parking (35)
- Parking Space (36)
- AmpolPetrol station
- UnitedPetrol station
821-899 Melton Highway, Hillside
- Picnic Table (5)
- Post Box
- Public toilets
- Shelter (7)
- The Reject ShopVariety Store
- Waste Basket
- Watering Place
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
19 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Allenby Road ReservePark
- Banchory GreenPark
- Banchory Grove Grassland Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
- Berthon Crescent ReservePark
- Boronia Drive ReservePark
- Chelsea GardensPark
- Hillside Linear ReservePark
- Hillside ReservePark
- John Paul Drive ReservePark
- Kenswick Drive ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 37
- Parks (OSM)
- 31
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 2
- Nearest hospital
- IPC Health Deer Park (9.0 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Parkwood Green MedicalKate WayClinic
- PharmacyPharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 771
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 44.5
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 155 mm · ~19 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 186 mm · ~23 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 14° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 203 mm · ~25 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 9°
- Rainfall
- 207 mm · ~26 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
12 planning-related records
2021· 9 proposals
September 2021
- Advertising/Signage and PPAR-Signage ERECTION AND DISPLAY OF SIGNAGE575 MELTON HIGHWAY HILLSIDE 3037Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of the land with a double-storey dwelling at the rear of a n existing dwelling on the land.50 WATTLE VALLEY DRIVE HILLSIDE 3037Refusal issued by the Resp. Authority
August 2021
- Subdivision - Residential and PPAR-Subdivision of land 2 LOT RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION (PS 902214C)10 CATHERINE DRIVE HILLSIDE 3037Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2021
- Development of land for the purpose of a Neighbourhood Activity Centre (including supermarkets and other retail uses); variation of easements; erection and display of signage; creation of and alterations to access to a Road Zone Category 11-15 BANCHORY AVENUE HILLSIDE 3037Permit issued by the RA
- Change of use of existing building to a Medical Centre (Dentist); and associated buildings and works for alterations, landscaping and erection and display business identification signage.10 GOURLAY ROAD HILLSIDE 3037Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2021
- Buildings and works for the construction of a tall front fence associated with a single dwelling on the land14 Rupicola CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2021
- Multi Unit Residential Development and PPAR-Multi dwelling AMENDMENT TO THE PLANS TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE DWELLINGS AND INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE ALFRESCO AREAS38 CHRIS COURTPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2021
- Development of land for a dwelling in a Melbourne Airport Environs Overlay.6 GLENCAPEL COURT HILLSIDE 3037Lapsed
January 2021
- Use and development of land for a dwelling in the Melbourne Airport Environs Overlay.6 Sinclair AvenuePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 3 proposals
November 2020
- Use of the land as a place of assembly (shisha bar) and construction and display of business identification signage.11/49-69 Royal CrescentPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2020
- Use and development of the land for a Motel (Residential Hotel) with landscaping, a reduction in the car parking requirements, boundary realignment and a two lot subdivision of the land.2 GOURLAY ROAD HILLSIDE 3037Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
January 2020
- Development of two dwellings on the land, use of the land for Accommodation (Community Care Accommodation) and construct buildings and works on land in an Urban Floodway Zone.73 The RegencyRefusal issued by the Resp. Authority
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 2020–2022 · Updated · MapServer through FY 2022–23; newer data needs council/API access
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- External Projects / Developer-Funded activities occurring between 08/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Note that changed conditions may also be in place during 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.MELTON HIGHWAY, BANCHORY AVENUE07 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
- External Projects / Developer-Funded activities occurring between 08/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Weekends 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.MELTON HIGHWAY, BANCHORY AVENUE07 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Hawke
- Member of Parliament
- Sam RAE (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 118,785
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.1%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- 0.0 pp
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 42.4%Labor 57.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.7 km away).
Coalition 41.4%Labor 58.6%
0.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +0.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Hillside (Hawke)Labor 58.5% · Coalition 41.5% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
- Diggers RestLabor 61.0% · Coalition 39.0% TPP (2025)8.1 km away
- Sunbury SouthLabor 58.0% · Coalition 42.0% TPP (2025)10.5 km away
- Sunbury EastLabor 59.5% · Coalition 40.5% TPP (2025)12.3 km away
- Sunbury HeightsLabor 60.2% · Coalition 39.8% TPP (2025)12.4 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Melton Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.