Lilydale is a semi-rural locality near Melbourne, in Yarra Ranges Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. It is set against the Yarra Ranges.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Health access is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for semi-rural and lifestyle localities. Childcare access is strong, with childcare access 100% above the peer median. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 60% below the peer median. Reported crime is elevated relative to comparable places, with reported crime 96% above the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising heritage character and daily services over peace and quiet.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in Victoria (228)
Strengths
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Childcare access is strong
Health-facility access is stronger than in comparable places
Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Reported crime is elevated relative to comparable places
What stands out
Lilydale Beach
Yarra Ranges
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★★★☆☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Lilydale compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$932k
+3.8% change
Median rent
$600/wk
Population (ERP)
18,345
+2.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
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
#72
among Metro Melbourne · Established
Crime rate
70th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
87th
percentile in VIC
Rented dwellings
20%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
66th
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
57.5/100 — Good
State standing
Top 16% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
782nd in Australia
State rank
194th in VIC
Peer rank
#72 among Metro Melbourne · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#124 among Metro Melbourne suburbs
Data confidence
100%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
All types (Sep 2025)
$600
Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
$931,500
Median price change
+3.8%
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
+2.0% annual · +4.8% over 5 years · 87th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.0%
5-year growth
+4.8%
Change in 1 year
+361
Change in 5 years
+834
Growth rank in VIC
87th 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 (~19,150), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
17,348
Median age
40
Median household income / week
$1,764
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
353 of 6,906
Median monthly mortgage
$1,950
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$369
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
34.3% / 46.1% / 19.6%
Employment rate
62.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
21.4% / 1.6% / 60.6%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
5,221 / 1,240 / 9 (+ 61 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
18.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 21.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified18.9% · 29.2% VIC
Diploma qualified11.2% · 9.8% VIC
Trade / vocational21.7% · 14.2% VIC
Year 12 or below48.1% · 46.8% VIC
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce18.5%
Engineering and related technologies17.2%
Society and culture13.6%
Health12%
Education10.6%
Architecture and building10.1%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$61,712
80th percentile in VIC · +5% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$66,006
76th percentile in VIC · +2% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
11.0%
30th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$87,774
61st percentile in VIC · +39% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
9th percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3140 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
11,569
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,249
Median net rent
-$2,043
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,028
Taxable income vs state median
+16%
Salary / wages vs state median
+13%
Rental investment vs state median
-15%
Super vs state median
+9%
Business income vs state median
-18%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
8.3% speak a language other than English at home; 17.8% born overseas
Language at home
15,408 English only · 1,403 other
Non-English at home
8.3%
Born overseas
2,993 (17.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
222 (1.3%)
Australian citizens
15,758
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
29
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Italian116 · 23.6%
Mandarin42 · 8.5%
Hindi32 · 6.5%
Spanish30 · 6.1%
Sinhalese27 · 5.5%
Cantonese20 · 4.1%
Punjabi19 · 3.9%
German18 · 3.7%
Religion
47.7%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 47.7%, while Christianity accounts for 44.5%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
47.7%
38.8%
Christianity
44.5%
40.9%
Other / not stated
7.8%
20.3%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
19.3%
20.5%
Anglican
8.8%
6.5%
Christian (not further defined)
3.7%
2.5%
Uniting Church
3.1%
2.4%
Baptist
2.3%
1.3%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
1,551
Against the person
275
Against property
831
Rate per 1,000 residents
84.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 63 residents
State crime-rate percentile
70.2th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-3.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
367
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
20.01
Most common offence types
B21 Criminal Damage111
B43 Steal From A Retail Store239
B49 Other Theft104
C32 Drug Possession111
E21 Breach Family Violence Order174
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Mount Lilydale Mercy CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1045 · 66th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 1,550 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Lilydale Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1014 · 53th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 221 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
St Patrick's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1052 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 250 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Bimbadeen Heights Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Birmingham Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Coldstream Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Lilydale Heights CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Lilydale High SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Lilydale Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Montrose Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Mooroolbark CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Mooroolbark East Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Rolling Hills Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
3 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Place of worship
St John the Baptist
St Patrick's
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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.
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 (12%)
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
224 planning-related records
2021· 40 proposals
September 2021
Buildings and works to construct a second dwelling and two (2) lot subdivision
76 OLD GIPPSLAND ROAD LILYDALE 3140In progress
Buildings and works to construct an outbuilding, earthworks greater than one metre
23 COMO ROAD LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Buildings and works to construct eight dwellings and creation of access to Transport Zone 2
21 MAROONDAH HIGHWAY LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Use of land for sale and consumption of liquor
28/70-72 CAVE HILL ROAD LILYDALE 3140Lapsed
Buildings and works to construct two dwellings
50-52 ALBERT HILL ROAD LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
August 2021
Use and development of a dwelling, and earthworks greater than one metre
40 ROSEMONT ROAD LILYDALE 3140Withdrawn
Buildings and works to construct a second dwelling
22 WINNETKA DRIVE LILYDALE 3140Refusal issued by a delegate
Eight lot subdivision
13 NICHOLAS STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Use of land for sale and consumption of liquor and car parking dispensation
16-18 WILLIAM STREET EAST LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Use and development of a second dwelling
49 BELLBIRD DRIVE LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Buildings and works to construct eight dwellings
64 CASTELLA STREET LILYDALE 3140Refusal issued by a delegate
Consent to alter the approved development under permit YR2016/434 as per 173 agreement
14 ALEXANDRA ROAD LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to extend an existing dwelling
11 OLINDA PARK RISE LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2021
8 lot subdivision
2C JOHN STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct an outbuilding
54 TRAFALGAR CRESCENT LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct an outbuilding and vegetation removal
4 MANGANS ROAD LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Use and development for store and reduction in car parking requirements
65 QUARRY ROAD LILYDALE 3140Withdrawn
Buildings and works to construct thirteen dwellings
19 MCCOMB STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct thirteen dwellings
17 MCCOMB STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by the RA
Buildings and works to construct two outbuildings
12 Doonside DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to refurbish education facility
40 JONES STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Display of internally illuminated signs
346-348 MAIN STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct seven dwellings and creation of an easement
22 BAKER STREET LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Buildings and works to alter an existing warehouse and car parking dispensation
33 Hightech PlacePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Consent to build inside a building exclusion zone under Section 173 Agreement AS536729C
11 Earlswood PlacePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Use of the land for sale and consumption of Liquor
1 INDUSTRIAL PARK DRIVE LILYDALE 3140Withdrawn
Seven lot subdivision
3A BAKER STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
Buildings and works to construct roof over stairs, extension to an existing building and construct a new building
120 ANDERSON STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Vary restrictive covenant C040707 to allow two dwellings
5 RYRIE COURT LILYDALE 3140NOD issued by a delegate
Buildings and works to construct two new awnings and refurbishment of retail premise
4-18 WILLIAM STREET EAST LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Display of a pylon sign and business identification signs
4-18 WILLIAM STREET EAST LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct an outbuilding and earthworks greater than one metre
103 Old Gippsland RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Creation of an easement
472 Swansea RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to extend an existing dwelling
7 Kyra ClosePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct amenities building
85 COMO ROAD LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
92 lot subdivision in five stages and associated vegetation removal
5 SAINTLY PLACE LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to alter and extend existing dwelling
3 ATHLONE STREET LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works to construct a dwelling
173 NELSON ROAD LILYDALE 3140Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Works to construct a front fence
2 Vance StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Casey
Member of Parliament
Aaron VIOLI (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,351
Turnout (2025)
94.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.5 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 52.9%Labor 47.1%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.0 km away).
Coalition 55.2%Labor 44.8%
2.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: 0.0 pp
Nearest polling places
Lilydale LakeLabor 43.8% · Coalition 56.2% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
LilydaleLabor 45.5% · Coalition 54.5% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
Mount Evelyn WestLabor 45.5% · Coalition 54.5% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
Lilydale WestLabor 48.0% · Coalition 52.0% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
ColdstreamLabor 35.3% · Coalition 64.7% TPP (2025)3.3 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.
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 (12%)