Preston, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Preston VIC is 33,790 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Preston is $872 per week ($45,344 per year). Median rent in Preston is $392 per week ($1,699 per month). Preston has a median age of 37 years, younger than the national median of 38. Preston has a population density of 2,962 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Preston is China. The most common religion is No religion (46.1% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Greek. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Preston is $2,000.

There were 6,932 recorded offences in Preston in 2025-25, a rate of 205 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (3,428 offences).

Population
33,790
Census 2021
Median income
$872/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$392/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
37years
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.

Preston vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Preston is $872 a week, 14% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 321st of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $392 a week, $76 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 21.3% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 37, 6 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.
MeasurePrestonTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$872/wk$767/wk +14%$766/wk
Household income$1,844/wk$1,687/wk +9%$1,637/wk
Rent$392/wk$316/wk +24%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,000/mo$1,723/mo +16%$1,733/mo
Median age3743 −6 yrs42
Rent share of household income21.3%19.1% +2.2 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 Preston, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Preston Population

33,790 residents at the 2021 Census.

Preston Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$872/wk
$45,344 per year
Ranked 2,475 of 14,663
Median Rent
$392/wk
$1,699 per month
Ranked 2,239 of 14,663
Median Age
37years
1 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,000/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.9 per bedroom

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

Preston Rent Prices & Affordability

21% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,844/wk
Median rent $392/wk
Rent to income 21.3%

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

Median rent in Preston against your income

About $7,991 a month
Median rent $392/wk
Left after rent $1,452/wk
Rent share 21.3%

Preston Schools

40
schools nearby
24
government
1079
avg ICSEA score
18,457
total students
Northcote Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 303 students
1166
ICSEA
Bell Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 440 students
1165
ICSEA
Brunswick East Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 279 students
1162
ICSEA
St Bernadette's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 191 students
1149
ICSEA
Newlands Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 437 students
1146
ICSEA
Wales Street Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 616 students
1140
ICSEA
Preston West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 670 students
1135
ICSEA
Preston South Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 397 students
1127
ICSEA
Preston Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 646 students
1113
ICSEA
Santa Maria College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 779 students
1110
ICSEA
Holy Spirit School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 129 students
1107
ICSEA
Preston High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,275 students
1104
ICSEA
St Raphael's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 287 students
1096
ICSEA
Thornbury Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 308 students
1093
ICSEA
Sacred Heart School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 117 students
1090
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 40 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 Preston, with a map

Preston Map

Preston, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Preston, Victoria: 37.7418°S, 145.0086°E

Preston Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (40)

People in Preston

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.6% (16,417) Female 51.4% (17,376)

Population Density

2,962
people per km²
33,790 people · 11.4 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$2,345
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
3.0%
Italy
3.0%
Greece
2.8%
India
2.5%
Vietnam
2.2%
England
2.1%
New Zealand
1.9%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Greek
5.7%
Italian
4.6%
Mandarin
3.5%
Vietnamese
2.7%
Arabic
2.3%
Macedonian
1.8%
Cantonese
1.3%

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

Ancestry

English
24.0%
Australian
21.5%
Italian
12.7%
Irish
11.0%
Greek
8.9%
Scottish
8.1%
Chinese
7.1%
German
3.0%
Indian
2.9%
Vietnamese
2.9%
Macedonian
2.8%

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
46.1%
Catholic
19.0%
Eastern Orthodox
9.4%
Not stated
5.6%
Islam
4.8%
Buddhism
3.1%
Anglican
2.5%
Hinduism
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.0%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
36.0% 10,355
Separated
2.8% 791
Divorced
7.5% 2,142
Widowed
4.5% 1,306
Never married
49.2% 14,131

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
41.2%
Couple: no children
28.4%
Couple: no children under 15
16.6%
One parent: no children under 15
8.3%
One parent: children under 15
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.7%
2 persons
33.3%
3 persons
16.5%
4 persons
14.3%
5 persons
4.3%
6+ persons
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Preston

Housing Tenure

Of the 13,645 occupied private dwellings in Preston at the 2021 Census, 40.1% were rented, 27.2% owned outright and 30.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.3% 178 dwellings
Owned outright
27.2% 3,711 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
30.1% 4,110 dwellings
Rented
40.1% 5,472 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 172 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
69.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
17.4%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
13.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
8.9%
2 bedrooms
36.3%
3 bedrooms
39.6%
4 bedrooms
12.4%
5 bedrooms
2.3%
6+ bedrooms
0.5%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.3%
$300-$449/mo
1.6%
$450-$599/mo
1.4%
$600-$799/mo
2.8%
$800-$999/mo
3.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
14.1%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
16.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
24.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
15.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
15.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
13.0%
1 vehicle
47.9%
2 vehicles
28.9%
3 vehicles
7.1%
4+ vehicles
3.2%

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

Work, income and education in Preston

Employment

Employed full-time
41.0% 10,759 people
Employed part-time
24.0% 6,300 people
Unemployed
4.1% 1,065 people
Not in labour force
31.0% 8,142 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
41.6%
Managers
15.0%
Clerical & Administrative
11.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
10.6%
Community & Personal Service
10.0%
Sales Workers
5.1%
Labourers
4.2%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.4%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.7%
$300-$399/wk
2.8%
$400-$499/wk
6.0%
$500-$649/wk
3.7%
$650-$799/wk
5.3%
$800-$999/wk
5.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.0%
$4,000+/wk
13.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.9%
$1-$149/wk
3.3%
$150-$299/wk
6.0%
$300-$399/wk
4.5%
$400-$499/wk
3.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
7.8%
$800-$999/wk
9.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.5%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.6%
$3,500+/wk
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
58.1%
Did not go to work
20.1%
Train
4.1%
Car (passenger)
3.7%
Bicycle
3.6%
Walked only
3.3%
Tram/Light Rail
3.3%
Bus
1.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.8%
Other
0.7%
Truck
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
81.9%
Year 10 or equivalent
7.4%
Year 11 or equivalent
7.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.4%

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
42.1%
Postgraduate Degree
17.1%
Certificate III/IV
16.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.9%
Certificate I/II
1.4%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
19.2%
Society & Culture
17.5%
Creative Arts
13.1%
Health
11.0%
Engineering
9.9%
Education
8.4%
Information Technology
5.4%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.8%
Architecture & Building
4.7%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.3%
Agriculture & Environment
1.6%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.7%
Secondary: Government
19.4%
Vocational Education
17.4%
Pre-school
12.2%
Secondary: Catholic
8.2%
Primary: Catholic
6.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
2.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.8%

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
89.3%
Has need for assistance
6.4%
Need for assistance not stated
4.4%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
3,923
Asthma
1,316
Diabetes
793
Arthritis
743
Heart disease
634
Lung condition
379
Cancer
343
Stroke
279
Kidney disease
272
Dementia
87

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.7% 3,752
Did not provide
86.3% 23,613

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.5% 3,432
Not a volunteer
87.5% 24,004

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 17
Current ADF: Reserves
0.0% 13
Previously served
0.9% 248
Never served
99.0% 27,234

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
50.8%
1 child
13.3%
2 children
23.0%
3 children
9.0%
4 children
2.8%
5+ children
1.1%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
44
1951: 1960
617
1961: 1970
1,471
1971: 1980
1,010
1981: 1990
1,229
1991: 2000
1,197
2001: 2010
1,787
2011: 2015
1,335
2016
377
2017
431
2018
501
2019
499
2020
145
2021
33

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

Population Mobility

16.7%
moved in the last year
43.5%
moved in the last 5 years
5.5%
unemployment rate (Census)
67.4%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
26,702
Moved from VIC
4,050
Moved: same area (SA2)
737
Moved from overseas
242
Moved from QLD
80
Moved from NSW
76
Moved from SA
42
Moved from WA
24
Moved from ACT
19
Moved from TAS
15
Moved from NT
13

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.1%
5: 14 hours
32.5%
15: 29 hours
11.8%
30+ hours
7.0%
Did not do domestic work
25.7%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
93.4%
Step family: no other children
4.3%
Blended family: no other children
1.5%
Intact family: other children present
0.5%
Other couple: children only
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Preston Crime Statistics

6,932 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
3,428
Assault
596
Justice Procedures
582
Break & Enter
553
Property Damage
496
Drug Offences
452
Fraud
424
Weapons
225
Public Order
110
Robbery
56
Other
6
Traffic
4

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

North Bendigo
Income: $707/wk Rent: $285/wk $107/wk less rent
Canadian
Income: $749/wk Rent: $300/wk $92/wk less rent
White Hills (Vic.)
Income: $750/wk Rent: $300/wk $92/wk less rent
Mount Clear
Income: $728/wk Rent: $310/wk $82/wk less rent
Darley
Income: $821/wk Rent: $320/wk $72/wk less rent
Ardeer
Income: $698/wk Rent: $340/wk $52/wk less rent
Lovely Banks
Income: $798/wk Rent: $350/wk $42/wk less rent
Belmont (Vic.)
Income: $802/wk Rent: $350/wk $42/wk less rent

Suburbs near Preston

The closest suburb to Preston is Thornbury, 1.9 km away.

Thornbury
1.9 km away · income $1,042/wk · rent $391/wk
Bellfield (Banyule - Vic.)
2.9 km away · income $722/wk · rent $375/wk
Heidelberg West
3.2 km away · income $612/wk · rent $306/wk
Reservoir (Vic.)
3.3 km away · income $741/wk · rent $360/wk
Northcote
3.5 km away · income $1,166/wk · rent $475/wk
Kingsbury
3.5 km away · income $617/wk · rent $361/wk

Compare Preston (Vic.)

Frequently Asked Questions About Preston

What is the population of Preston VIC?

The population of Preston VIC is 33,790 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,962 people per km². Preston is ranked #28 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Preston?

The median personal income in Preston VIC is $872 per week, or $45,344 per year. The median household income is $1,844 per week. Family income is $2,345 per week. Preston is ranked #2,475 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Preston?

Median rent in Preston VIC is $392 per week ($1,699 per month). Rent represents 21.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Preston ranks #2,239 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Preston?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Preston VIC is $2,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Preston?

The median age in Preston VIC is 37 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Preston a good suburb to live in?

Preston is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 33,790. The median income is $872/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (21.3% 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: 22121. All dollar figures in AUD.