Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Melbourne Council
South Wharf, 3006
Est. population · Jun 2025
76
Growth (1 yr)
+4.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+7.0%
Median age
34
Median income
$2,874/wk
Employment rate
57.1%
Languages at home
53.2%non-English
Most common: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin
2021 Census · usual residence
- Education hub
- Café precinct
- Heritage area
- Cycling
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
South Wharf is a residential smaller community in Melbourne Council with a familiar suburban feel. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix. Families have many nearby school and early-learning options to choose from.
Food and coffee punch above the usual for comparable suburbs, giving the suburb a lived-in social scene. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many comparable suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Buses and trams link the suburb to surrounding neighbourhoods.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. Reported crime has been falling recently.
At a glance
South Wharf snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$620/wk
Population (ERP)
76
+4.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
0.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
100th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
96th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
89th
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
Housing
- All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
- $620
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DFFH rent report and Valuer-General property sales report — Department of Families, Fairness and Housing / Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Sep 2025 (council median) · Updated · Quarterly releases; council median rent fallback where suburb rent unavailable
Population
Estimated resident population
76(June 2025)
+4.1% annual · +7.0% over 5 years · 96th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +4.1%
- 5-year growth
- +7.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +3
- Change in 5 years
- +5
- Growth rank in VIC
- 96th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +3.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 71
- Median age
- 34
- Median household income / week
- $2,874
- Dwelling vacancy
- 0%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 0 of 26
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 57.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 0 / 19
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.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 409
- Against the person
- 37
- Against property
- 325
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 5,381.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 2 residents
- State safety percentile
- 99.7th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -26.8%
Most common offence types
- B322 Non-Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary26
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft32
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle69
- B43 Steal From A Retail Store63
- B49 Other Theft73
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · 2025 · Updated
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 10
- Median school ICSEA (10 schools)
- 1,119
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 89th
School list
- South Melbourne Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1144 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 71% · 502 students · Top SEA quarter 59% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Montague SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 983 · 39th percentile · LBOTE 29% · 16 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Galilee Regional Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1154 · 96th percentile · LBOTE 33% · 369 students · Top SEA quarter 62% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- Victorian College Of The Arts Secondary SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1141 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 33% · 344 students · Top SEA quarter 56% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- Port Phillip Specialist SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 1082 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 31% · 99 students · Top SEA quarter 34% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Docklands Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1133 · 92th percentile · LBOTE 86% · 616 students · Top SEA quarter 54% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
- Albert Park Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1156 · 96th percentile · LBOTE 22% · 430 students · Top SEA quarter 64% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
- Youth2Industry CollegeSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 1033 · 61th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 64 students · Top SEA quarter 22% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
- Port Melbourne Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1101 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 34% · 416 students · Top SEA quarter 43% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
- South Melbourne Park Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1105 · 86th percentile · LBOTE 46% · 402 students · Top SEA quarter 46% · 1.9 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
Public transport
1 public transport stops in this suburb
- Casino/MCEC/Clarendon St #124A
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
111 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
7 restaurants · 4 cafes · 1 pubs · 7 bars · 1 fast food · 1 ev charging
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Good local dining options — 20 food & drink venues nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
- Walkability proxy
- 32/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 56.34
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 281.69
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 14.08
Food & drink(20)
- Bar
- CitizenBar
- Melbourne Cellar DoorBar
- Melbourne Public BarBar
- Plus 5Bar
- Tessie Pearl HotelBar
- The Boatbuilders YardBar
- Café OrrCafe
- Goldfields Café + BarCafe
- Plenary CaféCafe
- Shed CaféCafe
- Fast food
- The General AssemblyPub
- BangPopRestaurant
35 South Wharf Promenade
- Billie's Bites & BarRestaurant
39 Dukes Walk, South Wharf
- Dock 37 Bar & KitchenRestaurant
- Lala's KitchenRestaurant
- Munich BrauhausRestaurant
- Ruby RivieraRestaurant
- The Summit ClubRestaurant
Shopping(1)
- Urban hubConvenience store
Sport & outdoors(1)
- Polly Woodside ParkPark
Entertainment(1)
- PlenaryTheatre
Transport(1)
1 tram stops
Other(40)
- AnchorArtwork
- Artwork
- BuoyArtwork
- Polly WoodsideAttraction
21 South Wharf Promenade
- So Q NailsBeauty salon
- Bench (22)
- Bicycle Parking (10)
- FilaClothes
- PumaClothes
- Superdry outletClothes
- Melbourne Convention CentreConference Centre
2 Clarendon Street
- ChargefoxEV charging
- AerialEvents Venue
17 Dukes Walk, South Wharf
- Cargo HallEvents Venue
- Showtime Events CentreEvents Venue
- Melbourne Exhibition CentreExhibition Centre
- Garden (5)
- Novotel South WharfHotel
7 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf
- Pan Pacific MelbourneHotel
- Ice Cream
- Information (2)
- Mind Peace MassageMassage
- Miniature Golf
- Outdoor Seating (4)
- Parking
- South Wharf DFO Car ParkParking
15 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf
- South Wharf Retail Car ParkParking
- Parking Entrance (7)
- Australia PostPost Box
28 Clarendon Street, Southbank
- Public toilets
- Archie's Arch Support ThongsShoes
- ASICSShoes
- ConverseShoes
- MerrellShoes
- TypoStationery
- Master Ful AlterationsTailor
- Skyline Precinct MelbourneTheme Park
- Business Centre Ticket OfficeTicket
- Waste Basket (4)
- Waste Disposal
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Polly Woodside ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- Nearest hospital
- Eye and Ear on the Park (2.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
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
Roadworks & transport
19 active roadworks / incidents
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 06/11/2025 and 30/11/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.MONTAGUE-WEST GATE OUT RAMP ON05 Nov 2025 – 29 Nov 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 06/11/2025 and 30/11/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.MONTAGUE STREET, LORIMER STREET05 Nov 2025 – 29 Nov 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 06/11/2025 and 30/11/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.MONTAGUE STREET, WEST GATE IN-MONTAGUE RAMP OF05 Nov 2025 – 29 Nov 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 06/11/2025 and 30/11/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.WEST GATE OUT-MONTAGUE RAMP OF, undefined05 Nov 2025 – 29 Nov 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 12/08/2026 and 09/10/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 10:00 PM to 4:30 AM, Weekends 10:00 PM to 4:30 AM. Impact to traffic will be entry/exit ramp lane(s) closed. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 6 to 10 min.MONTAGUE-WEST GATE IN RAMP ON, MONTAGUE STREET11 Aug 2026 – 08 Oct 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 30/01/2025 and 30/09/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, Weekends 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed both directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.WEST GATE FREEWAY, WEST GATE OUT-MONTAGUE RAMP OF29 Jan 2025 – 29 Sep 2026
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) activities occurring between 30/01/2025 and 30/09/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Weekends 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed both directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.WEST GATE FREEWAY, WEST GATE OUT-MONTAGUE RAMP OF29 Jan 2025 – 29 Sep 2026
- Utility Works activities occurring between 02/05/2026 and 15/10/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Nil.CLARENDON STREET, NORMANBY ROAD01 May 2026 – 14 Oct 2026
- Utility Works activities occurring between 02/05/2026 and 15/10/2026 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 northbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Nil.CLARENDON STREET, NORMANBY ROAD01 May 2026 – 14 Oct 2026
- Utility Works activities occurring between 17/03/2026 and 31/10/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, Weekends 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed both directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.NORMANBY ROAD, CLARENDON STREET16 Mar 2026 – 30 Oct 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Heritage
5 heritage places
- CARGO SHEDS & WHARVESNH0891
- CARGO SHEDS & WHARVESNH0891
- DUKE & ORRS DRY DOCKNH1096
- POLLY WOODSIDEYH2116
- ROBUR TEA BUILDINGNH0526
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · 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
- Macnamara
- Member of Parliament
- Josh BURNS (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 114,579
- Turnout (2025)
- 89.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -0.4 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 38.2%Labor 61.8%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1.9 km away).
Coalition 30.3%Labor 69.7%
7.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Southbank NorthLabor 70.2% · Coalition 29.8% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
- Southbank (Macnamara)Labor 76.1% · Coalition 23.9% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- South MelbourneLabor 70.5% · Coalition 29.5% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Docklands (Macnamara)Labor 62.0% · Coalition 38.0% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
- Port MelbourneLabor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)1.7 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)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
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
More in Melbourne Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.