Black Rock (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Black Rock is a bayside suburb on Melbourne's south-eastern shoreline, within the City of Bayside. It draws its name from Black Rock House, a gracious residence built by Charles Ebden in 1856, who borrowed the title from Black Rock near Dublin; the home is listed on the Register of the National Estate. The coastline is the suburb's defining feature, from the burnt-orange cliffs of Red Bluff, coloured by oxidised iron, to the sheltered sands of Half Moon Bay, a setting for yachting since the 1890s. The hull of the colonial vessel HMVS Cerberus was sunk there in 1926 to form a breakwater. Inland, the landmark Black Rock Clock Tower presides over the junction of Beach and Balcombe Roads, while active conservation has preserved much native heathland.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Black Rock (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 98% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1131, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Is Black Rock (Vic.) a good place to live?
There’s no single answer — it depends on what matters to you. So instead of one mystery number, we break it down: a transparent score on each part of life we can back with public data, and an honest “not yet” on the parts we can’t.
Strong on the data we score
A weighted blend of the 2 components we can score for Black Rock (Vic.) from public data. It sits alongside — and reconciles with — the socio-economic Suburb Score above; it is a transparent read, not a complete verdict.
Socio-economic advantage
98/100Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs — the same ABS SEIFA-based Suburb Score (98/100) shown above. Income, education and occupation, as published by the ABS. · ABS SEIFA 2021
Housing affordability
4/100Among the more expensive suburbs
Median weekly rent was $541 at the 2021 Census — more affordable than about 4% of suburbs we can compare. Housing data only, no valuations. · ABS Census 2021
Not yet scored
We’d rather leave these open than publish a number we can’t stand behind. Here’s where each one stands.
- Amenities & accessNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap amenity mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- Green spaceNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap green-space mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- TransportNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap public-transport mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- SchoolsNot scored yet — school performance (ACARA / ICSEA) needs a data-reuse licence cleared before we can publish it.
- SafetyNot scored yet — Australia has no single open crime dataset and safety data carries defamation and legal care, so it is gated pending a go/no-go and will be data-only when added.
- CommunityNot scored yet — we won't reduce community to a number from a proxy. We'd rather leave it open than publish an invented value judgement.
A transparent read on public data, not a verdict — and not a measure of any person or community. See our methodology for how each component is worked out and why some aren’t scored yet.
Black Rock (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,389
- Median age
- 49
- Median weekly household income
- $2,416
- SEIFA score
- 1131
- Local government area
- Bayside (Vic.)
- Coordinates
- -37.9736, 145.0244
Map of Black Rock (Vic.)
© OpenStreetMap contributors · View larger map
Housing & property in Black Rock (Vic.)
What it costs to live in Black Rock (Vic.) and how residents hold their homes, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census.
- Median rent
- $541
- per week
- Median mortgage
- $2,897
- per month
- Owner-occupied
- 81%
- of dwellings
- Rented
- 17%
- of dwellings
The full tenure and dwelling-type breakdown is in the Black Rock (Vic.) demographics section below.
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021. © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. See our methodology.
Black Rock (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Black Rock (Vic.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 31% and 26% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,001 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 755 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,039 | 16% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,979 | 31% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,613 | 25% |
Share of the 6,387 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,234 | 50% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 763 | 31% |
| Rented | 432 | 17% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,393 | 56% |
| Townhouses & semis | 849 | 34% |
| Flats & apartments | 199 | 8% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,485 occupied private dwellings in Black Rock (Vic.).
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,209
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,067
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,582 (26%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 718 (12%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 10 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,772 (75%)
- Labour-force participation
- 61.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 3%
- Employed full-time
- 1,818
- Employed part-time
- 1,160
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Black Rock (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Black Rock (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 25.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 13.2°C). The area receives roughly 800 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.9°C | 15.5°C | 60 mm |
| Feb | 24.9°C | 15°C | 40 mm |
| Mar | 23.4°C | 14.2°C | 51 mm |
| Apr | 19.9°C | 11.6°C | 68 mm |
| May | 16.3°C | 9.6°C | 70 mm |
| Jun | 13.8°C | 7.5°C | 68 mm |
| Jul | 13.2°C | 7.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 13.8°C | 7.3°C | 76 mm |
| Sep | 16.4°C | 8.4°C | 70 mm |
| Oct | 19.3°C | 9.8°C | 84 mm |
| Nov | 21.1°C | 11.7°C | 86 mm |
| Dec | 23.7°C | 13.4°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Share your local knowledge of Black Rock (Vic.)
Lived here or spent time in Black Rock (Vic.)? Add a review or a quick tip. Reviews and tips are moderated before they appear.
Common questions about Black Rock (Vic.)
Is Black Rock (Vic.) a good place to live?
There's no single answer, so we score what the public data can back. On socio-economic advantage and housing affordability, Black Rock (Vic.) rates 67/100 overall (Strong on the data we score). Public transport, schools and safety aren't scored yet — see our methodology for why.
What is the median rent in Black Rock (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, the median weekly rent in Black Rock (Vic.) was $541, and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,897. These are official ABS Census figures — StreetScout publishes housing data only, with no property valuations or agent referrals.
Where is Black Rock (Vic.)?
Black Rock (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia, in the Bayside (Vic.) local government area.
What is the population of Black Rock (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Black Rock (Vic.) had a population of about 6,389.
Is Black Rock (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Black Rock (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1131, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 98 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 98% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Black Rock (Vic.)?
Black Rock (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 19.3°C and overnight lows of about 10.9°C, with roughly 800 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Where Black Rock (Vic.) ranks
Black Rock (Vic.) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.