Blackburn, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Blackburn VIC is 14,478 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Blackburn is $942 per week ($48,984 per year). Median rent in Blackburn is $411 per week ($1,781 per month). Blackburn has a median age of 41 years, older than the national median of 38. Blackburn has a population density of 2,454 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Blackburn is China. The most common religion is No religion (45.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Blackburn is $2,208.

There were 1,005 recorded offences in Blackburn in 2025-25, a rate of 69 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (471 offences).

Population
14,478
Census 2021
Median income
$942/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$411/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
41years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Blackburn vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Blackburn is $942 a week, 23% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 207th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $411 a week, $95 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 19.9% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 41, 2 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureBlackburnTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$942/wk$767/wk +23%$766/wk
Household income$2,065/wk$1,687/wk +22%$1,637/wk
Rent$411/wk$316/wk +30%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,208/mo$1,723/mo +28%$1,733/mo
Median age4143 −2 yrs42
Rent share of household income19.9%19.1% +0.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Blackburn, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Blackburn Population

14,478 residents at the 2021 Census.

Blackburn Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$942/wk
$48,984 per year
Ranked 1,691 of 14,663
Median Rent
$411/wk
$1,781 per month
Ranked 1,706 of 14,663
Median Age
41years
3 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,208/mo
Avg household size: 2.5 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Blackburn Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,065/wk
Median rent $411/wk
Rent to income 19.9%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Blackburn against your income

About $8,948 a month
Median rent $411/wk
Left after rent $1,654/wk
Rent share 19.9%

Blackburn Schools

33
schools nearby
23
government
1101
avg ICSEA score
13,947
total students
Blackburn Lake Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 542 students
1170
ICSEA
Laburnum Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 619 students
1159
ICSEA
Beverley Hills Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 811 students
1153
ICSEA
Blackburn Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 440 students
1141
ICSEA
Kerrimuir Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 572 students
1137
ICSEA
St Philip's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 40 students
1137
ICSEA
Mount Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 388 students
1133
ICSEA
St Thomas the Apostle School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 185 students
1130
ICSEA
Orchard Grove Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 592 students
1130
ICSEA
Old Orchard Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 441 students
1127
ICSEA
Box Hill High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,547 students
1123
ICSEA
Whitehorse Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 302 students
1123
ICSEA
Roberts McCubbin Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 303 students
1120
ICSEA
Donvale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 289 students
1120
ICSEA
Our Lady of Sion College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 930 students
1111
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 33 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Blackburn, with a map

Blackburn Map

Blackburn, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Blackburn, Victoria: 37.8215°S, 145.1520°E

Blackburn Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (33)

People in Blackburn

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.8% (7,064) Female 51.2% (7,413)

Population Density

2,454
people per km²
14,478 people · 5.9 km²

Households

2.5
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,668
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
8.2%
India
4.3%
England
2.9%
Malaysia
2.5%
New Zealand
1.1%
Vietnam
0.9%
Hong Kong
0.9%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
10.4%
Cantonese
3.2%
Hindi
1.3%
Punjabi
1.1%
Greek
1.0%
Vietnamese
0.8%
Italian
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
31.3%
Australian
27.1%
Chinese
17.7%
Irish
11.8%
Scottish
10.0%
Indian
4.8%
German
3.8%
Italian
3.7%
Greek
1.8%
Dutch
1.7%
Vietnamese
1.2%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
45.2%
Catholic
17.2%
Anglican
7.2%
Not stated
4.9%
Hinduism
3.5%
Buddhism
3.4%
Uniting Church
3.2%
Christian (other)
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.2%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
50.9% 6,203
Separated
2.0% 247
Divorced
6.8% 831
Widowed
5.3% 642
Never married
35.0% 4,262

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
42.4%
Couple: no children
26.1%
Couple: no children under 15
21.0%
One parent: no children under 15
6.7%
One parent: children under 15
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
27.2%
2 persons
32.1%
3 persons
15.0%
4 persons
18.0%
5 persons
5.7%
6+ persons
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Blackburn

Housing Tenure

Of the 5,561 occupied private dwellings in Blackburn at the 2021 Census, 25.9% were rented, 39.5% owned outright and 32.5% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 65 dwellings
Owned outright
39.5% 2,195 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
32.5% 1,806 dwellings
Rented
25.9% 1,440 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.9% 50 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
75.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
16.9%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
7.0%
2 bedrooms
22.0%
3 bedrooms
38.6%
4 bedrooms
25.5%
5 bedrooms
6.1%
6+ bedrooms
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
9.2%
$300-$449/mo
2.6%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
3.4%
$800-$999/mo
3.7%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
12.7%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
12.9%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
19.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.8%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
21.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.4%
1 vehicle
43.9%
2 vehicles
36.6%
3 vehicles
8.4%
4+ vehicles
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Blackburn

Employment

Employed full-time
38.8% 4,387 people
Employed part-time
23.8% 2,685 people
Unemployed
3.1% 355 people
Not in labour force
34.3% 3,872 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
45.5%
Managers
17.8%
Clerical & Administrative
12.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
7.8%
Community & Personal Service
7.0%
Sales Workers
4.7%
Labourers
3.0%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.2%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
4.5%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
4.4%
$800-$999/wk
5.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.1%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.0%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.2%
$4,000+/wk
21.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
12.0%
$1-$149/wk
5.1%
$150-$299/wk
5.7%
$300-$399/wk
2.6%
$400-$499/wk
2.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.2%
$650-$799/wk
6.9%
$800-$999/wk
8.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.7%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.6%
$3,500+/wk
7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
61.0%
Did not go to work
21.4%
Train
6.7%
Car (passenger)
4.7%
Walked only
2.8%
Bicycle
1.0%
Bus
0.9%
Other
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Truck
0.2%
Tram/Light Rail
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
82.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.5%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
44.0%
Postgraduate Degree
21.0%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.4%
Certificate III/IV
12.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
7.6%
Certificate I/II
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
28.1%
Society & Culture
12.6%
Health
12.1%
Engineering
11.5%
Information Technology
8.5%
Education
7.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
5.6%
Creative Arts
5.4%
Architecture & Building
4.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.1%
Secondary: Government
20.0%
Vocational Education
11.3%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
10.3%
Secondary: Catholic
10.0%
Pre-school
9.7%
Primary: Catholic
5.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.6%
Has need for assistance
4.9%
Need for assistance not stated
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,191
Asthma
521
Arthritis
353
Heart disease
324
Diabetes
316
Cancer
190
Lung condition
150
Stroke
122
Kidney disease
114
Dementia
28

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
15.1% 1,768
Did not provide
84.9% 9,924

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
19.9% 2,332
Not a volunteer
80.1% 9,387

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 11
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 7
Previously served
2.0% 235
Never served
97.8% 11,504

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
38.9%
1 child
13.8%
2 children
29.4%
3 children
13.1%
4 children
3.7%
5+ children
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
50
1951: 1960
185
1961: 1970
253
1971: 1980
291
1981: 1990
525
1991: 2000
487
2001: 2010
1,134
2011: 2015
748
2016
203
2017
197
2018
211
2019
246
2020
76
2021
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

14.6%
moved in the last year
39.2%
moved in the last 5 years
4.5%
unemployment rate (Census)
64.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
11,911
Moved from VIC
1,423
Moved: same area (SA2)
406
Moved from overseas
110
Moved from NSW
28
Moved from QLD
14
Moved from TAS
11
Moved from SA
7
Moved from ACT
5
Moved from WA
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.1%
5: 14 hours
32.7%
15: 29 hours
14.9%
30+ hours
7.8%
Did not do domestic work
21.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
94.3%
Step family: no other children
3.7%
Blended family: no other children
1.6%
Intact family: other children present
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Blackburn Crime Statistics

1,005 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
471
Break & Enter
148
Assault
117
Justice Procedures
100
Property Damage
69
Fraud
39
Drug Offences
23
Public Order
16
Weapons
13
Robbery
6
Traffic
2
Other
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Elliminyt
Income: $804/wk Rent: $290/wk $121/wk less rent
Ballarat Central
Income: $821/wk Rent: $300/wk $111/wk less rent
Haven
Income: $912/wk Rent: $303/wk $108/wk less rent
Nar Nar Goon
Income: $776/wk Rent: $305/wk $106/wk less rent
Nyora (Vic.)
Income: $771/wk Rent: $315/wk $96/wk less rent
Lockwood South
Income: $816/wk Rent: $320/wk $91/wk less rent
Silvan
Income: $805/wk Rent: $350/wk $61/wk less rent
Gembrook
Income: $815/wk Rent: $360/wk $51/wk less rent

Suburbs near Blackburn

The closest suburb to Blackburn is Blackburn North, 1.9 km away.

Blackburn North
1.9 km away · income $822/wk · rent $431/wk
Blackburn South
2.0 km away · income $753/wk · rent $410/wk
Nunawading
2.2 km away · income $839/wk · rent $391/wk
Box Hill (Vic.)
2.3 km away · income $627/wk · rent $381/wk
Box Hill North
2.7 km away · income $747/wk · rent $425/wk
Forest Hill (Vic.)
2.8 km away · income $706/wk · rent $396/wk

Compare Blackburn

Frequently Asked Questions About Blackburn

What is the population of Blackburn VIC?

The population of Blackburn VIC is 14,478 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,454 people per km². Blackburn is ranked #304 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Blackburn?

The median personal income in Blackburn VIC is $942 per week, or $48,984 per year. The median household income is $2,065 per week. Family income is $2,668 per week. Blackburn is ranked #1,691 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Blackburn?

Median rent in Blackburn VIC is $411 per week ($1,781 per month). Rent represents 19.9% of household income, which is considered affordable. Blackburn ranks #1,706 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Blackburn?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Blackburn VIC is $2,208. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Blackburn?

The median age in Blackburn VIC is 41 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Blackburn a good suburb to live in?

Blackburn is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 14,478. The median income is $942/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 20252. All dollar figures in AUD.