Essendon, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Essendon VIC is 21,240 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Essendon is $1,067 per week ($55,484 per year). Median rent in Essendon is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Essendon has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. Essendon has a population density of 3,449 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Essendon is India. The most common religion is Catholic (37.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Italian. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Essendon is $2,275.

There were 1,446 recorded offences in Essendon in 2025-25, a rate of 68 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (729 offences).

Population
21,240
Census 2021
Median income
$1,067/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$380/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
39years
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.

Essendon vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Essendon is $1,067 a week, 39% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 82nd of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $380 a week, $64 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 17.8% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 39, 4 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.
MeasureEssendonTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,067/wk$767/wk +39%$766/wk
Household income$2,132/wk$1,687/wk +26%$1,637/wk
Rent$380/wk$316/wk +20%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,275/mo$1,723/mo +32%$1,733/mo
Median age3943 −4 yrs42
Rent share of household income17.8%19.1% −1.3 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 Essendon, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Essendon Population

21,240 residents at the 2021 Census.

Essendon Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,067/wk
$55,484 per year
Ranked 841 of 14,663
Median Rent
$380/wk
$1,647 per month
Ranked 2,445 of 14,663
Median Age
39years
1 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,275/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.9 per bedroom

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

Essendon Rent Prices & Affordability

18% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $2,132/wk
Median rent $380/wk
Rent to income 17.8%

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

Median rent in Essendon against your income

About $9,239 a month
Median rent $380/wk
Left after rent $1,752/wk
Rent share 17.8%

Essendon Schools

33
schools nearby
16
government
1105
avg ICSEA score
15,887
total students
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 859 students
1161
ICSEA
Moonee Ponds Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 290 students
1145
ICSEA
St Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 374 students
1144
ICSEA
Ascot Vale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 265 students
1140
ICSEA
Essendon Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 387 students
1137
ICSEA
Moonee Ponds West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 289 students
1136
ICSEA
St Monica's Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 512 students
1129
ICSEA
St Margaret's Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 441 students
1125
ICSEA
St Vincent de Paul's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 431 students
1124
ICSEA
Essendon North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 629 students
1116
ICSEA
Strathmore North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 632 students
1116
ICSEA
St Therese's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 529 students
1116
ICSEA
Our Lady of the Nativity School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 364 students
1111
ICSEA
Pascoe Vale South Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 308 students
1108
ICSEA
Aberfeldie Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 374 students
1108
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 Essendon, with a map

Essendon Map

Essendon, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Essendon, Victoria: 37.7492°S, 144.9123°E

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

People in Essendon

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.5% (10,299) Female 51.5% (10,941)

Population Density

3,449
people per km²
21,240 people · 6.2 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$2,946
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

India
3.0%
Italy
2.4%
England
1.8%
China
1.3%
New Zealand
1.3%
Nepal
1.2%
Vietnam
1.1%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Italian
4.3%
Greek
2.4%
Mandarin
1.7%
Vietnamese
1.4%
Arabic
1.3%
Nepali
1.2%
Spanish
1.0%

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

Ancestry

English
26.6%
Australian
23.7%
Italian
16.3%
Irish
13.6%
Scottish
8.2%
Greek
5.0%
Chinese
4.4%
Indian
3.5%
German
3.2%
Maltese
2.6%
Vietnamese
1.7%

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

Catholic
37.0%
No religion
32.0%
Eastern Orthodox
5.2%
Not stated
5.0%
Anglican
4.9%
Hinduism
3.6%
Islam
2.4%
Buddhism
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
45.4% 8,196
Separated
2.8% 509
Divorced
7.1% 1,282
Widowed
4.5% 807
Never married
40.3% 7,273

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.9%
Couple: no children
25.8%
Couple: no children under 15
23.5%
One parent: no children under 15
5.6%
One parent: children under 15
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
32.2%
2 persons
30.0%
3 persons
14.7%
4 persons
15.8%
5 persons
5.9%
6+ persons
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Essendon

Housing Tenure

Of the 8,522 occupied private dwellings in Essendon at the 2021 Census, 35.6% were rented, 32.4% owned outright and 29.7% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.4% 119 dwellings
Owned outright
32.4% 2,760 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
29.7% 2,527 dwellings
Rented
35.6% 3,037 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.9% 80 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
70.7%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
22.8%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
10.9%
2 bedrooms
31.9%
3 bedrooms
31.7%
4 bedrooms
19.7%
5 bedrooms
5.0%
6+ bedrooms
0.7%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.3%
$300-$449/mo
1.9%
$450-$599/mo
1.8%
$600-$799/mo
2.8%
$800-$999/mo
3.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
12.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
14.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
21.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
14.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
19.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
9.0%
1 vehicle
44.5%
2 vehicles
31.9%
3 vehicles
9.2%
4+ vehicles
5.4%

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

Work, income and education in Essendon

Employment

Employed full-time
44.2% 7,358 people
Employed part-time
23.1% 3,838 people
Unemployed
3.1% 523 people
Not in labour force
29.5% 4,911 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
41.2%
Managers
18.7%
Clerical & Administrative
12.7%
Technicians & Trade Workers
9.0%
Community & Personal Service
8.2%
Sales Workers
5.2%
Labourers
3.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.6%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.7%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
4.2%
$500-$649/wk
3.3%
$650-$799/wk
4.1%
$800-$999/wk
4.8%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.9%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.4%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.3%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.5%
$4,000+/wk
22.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.7%
$1-$149/wk
3.9%
$150-$299/wk
4.7%
$300-$399/wk
2.5%
$400-$499/wk
2.4%
$500-$649/wk
2.7%
$650-$799/wk
7.2%
$800-$999/wk
8.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.4%
$3,500+/wk
8.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
63.4%
Did not go to work
18.9%
Train
4.9%
Car (passenger)
4.2%
Walked only
2.7%
Tram/Light Rail
2.3%
Bicycle
1.1%
Other
0.8%
Bus
0.7%
Truck
0.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
80.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
9.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
7.6%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.4%

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
43.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.7%
Postgraduate Degree
16.2%
Certificate III/IV
15.4%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
7.2%
Certificate I/II
1.1%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
28.4%
Society & Culture
13.4%
Health
13.3%
Engineering
10.8%
Education
8.7%
Creative Arts
5.9%
Architecture & Building
5.5%
Information Technology
5.3%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.5%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.1%
Agriculture & Environment
1.2%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
16.7%
Primary: Catholic
16.1%
Secondary: Catholic
15.1%
Secondary: Government
12.2%
Vocational Education
11.6%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
10.7%
Pre-school
10.1%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.5%

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
4.7%
Need for assistance not stated
3.7%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,716
Asthma
818
Arthritis
533
Heart disease
454
Diabetes
393
Cancer
284
Lung condition
239
Stroke
159
Kidney disease
155
Dementia
51

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
14.5% 2,504
Did not provide
85.5% 14,798

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
13.4% 2,317
Not a volunteer
86.6% 14,989

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 9
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 14
Previously served
1.3% 231
Never served
98.5% 17,122

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
44.7%
1 child
11.3%
2 children
26.7%
3 children
13.2%
4 children
3.4%
5+ children
0.7%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
68
1951: 1960
449
1961: 1970
645
1971: 1980
388
1981: 1990
485
1991: 2000
459
2001: 2010
848
2011: 2015
702
2016
240
2017
238
2018
260
2019
283
2020
86
2021
28

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

Population Mobility

16.0%
moved in the last year
42.7%
moved in the last 5 years
4.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
69.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
17,092
Moved from VIC
2,399
Moved: same area (SA2)
514
Moved from overseas
154
Moved from NSW
53
Moved from QLD
41
Moved from WA
22
Moved from SA
15
Moved from ACT
11
Moved from TAS
10
Moved from NT
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
24.5%
5: 14 hours
31.2%
15: 29 hours
12.6%
30+ hours
7.4%
Did not do domestic work
24.3%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
94.3%
Step family: no other children
4.2%
Blended family: no other children
1.3%
Intact family: other children present
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Essendon Crime Statistics

1,446 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
729
Assault
133
Property Damage
112
Break & Enter
111
Drug Offences
97
Fraud
90
Justice Procedures
74
Weapons
72
Public Order
14
Robbery
10
Other
3
Traffic
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

Gardenvale
Income: $1,087/wk Rent: $301/wk $79/wk less rent
Manifold Heights
Income: $984/wk Rent: $310/wk $70/wk less rent
Batesford
Income: $952/wk Rent: $325/wk $55/wk less rent
Highton
Income: $889/wk Rent: $360/wk $20/wk less rent
Nichols Point
Income: $885/wk Rent: $225/wk $155/wk less rent
Quarry Hill
Income: $863/wk Rent: $298/wk $82/wk less rent
East Geelong
Income: $943/wk Rent: $350/wk $30/wk less rent
Newtown (Greater Geelong - Vic.)
Income: $1,001/wk Rent: $360/wk $20/wk less rent

Suburbs near Essendon

The closest suburb to Essendon is Essendon North, 1.4 km away.

Essendon North
1.4 km away · income $1,031/wk · rent $360/wk
Aberfeldie
1.7 km away · income $1,053/wk · rent $440/wk
Moonee Ponds
1.9 km away · income $1,113/wk · rent $400/wk
Strathmore (Vic.)
2.2 km away · income $1,020/wk · rent $450/wk
Pascoe Vale South
2.4 km away · income $953/wk · rent $425/wk
Essendon West
2.6 km away · income $1,040/wk · rent $450/wk

Compare Essendon

Frequently Asked Questions About Essendon

What is the population of Essendon VIC?

The population of Essendon VIC is 21,240 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 3,449 people per km². Essendon is ranked #128 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Essendon?

The median personal income in Essendon VIC is $1,067 per week, or $55,484 per year. The median household income is $2,132 per week. Family income is $2,946 per week. Essendon is ranked #841 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Essendon?

Median rent in Essendon VIC is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Rent represents 17.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Essendon ranks #2,445 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Essendon?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Essendon VIC is $2,275. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Essendon?

The median age in Essendon VIC is 39 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Essendon a good suburb to live in?

Essendon is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 21,240. The median income is $1,067/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (17.8% 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: 20885. All dollar figures in AUD.