Kew (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Kew is a leafy, well-to-do suburb of Melbourne, set on a bend of the Yarra River a few kilometres east of the city within the City of Boroondara. The area is part of the country of the Wurundjeri people, and the surrounding parish was given the Woiwurrung name Boroondara, said to mean 'a place of shade'. The suburb itself was named in 1851 by Nicholas Fenwick, who subdivided his land and borrowed the name of Kew in London — much as the nearby riverside district had taken the name Richmond — laying out streets named for British statesmen. It quickly became a sought-after address, and the commercial hub of Kew Junction grew up through the 1850s. Kew is known today for its grand period homes, historic mansions such as Raheen, and a remarkable concentration of established private schools.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Kew (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 1134, 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.
Kew (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 24,499
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $2,497
- SEIFA score
- 1134
- Coordinates
- -37.8015, 145.0411
Kew (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Kew (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 27%, 29% of homes are rented, and 32% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,708 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 3,463 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,998 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 6,590 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,745 | 19% |
Share of the 24,504 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 3,583 | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,628 | 29% |
| Rented | 2,590 | 29% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4,577 | 50% |
| Townhouses & semis | 2,137 | 24% |
| Flats & apartments | 2,324 | 26% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 9,069 occupied private dwellings in Kew (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $476
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,000
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,301
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,120
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 7,505 (32%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 6,455 (27%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 92 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 16,245 (83%)
- Labour-force participation
- 63.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Employed full-time
- 7,475
- Employed part-time
- 4,483
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 Kew (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Kew (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.9°C). The area receives roughly 724 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 14.1°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 13.3°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 20°C | 10.5°C | 62 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8.4°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm |
| Jul | 12.9°C | 6.1°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 13.7°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 65 mm |
| Oct | 19.6°C | 8.8°C | 76 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 10.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 12.6°C | 66 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Kew (Vic.)
Where is Kew (Vic.)?
Kew (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Kew (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Kew (Vic.) had a population of about 24,499.
Is Kew (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Kew (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1134, 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 Kew (Vic.)?
Kew (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 724 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Where Kew (Vic.) ranks
Kew (Vic.) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
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