South Melbourne, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
South Melbourne is more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1093, 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.
South Melbourne at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 11,548
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $2,101
- SEIFA score
- 1093
- Coordinates
- -37.8340, 144.9606
South Melbourne demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile South Melbourne 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 young adults (25–44) at 39%, 55% of homes are rented, and 37% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,335 | 12% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,020 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,506 | 39% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,976 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,712 | 15% |
Share of the 11,549 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,052 | 19% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,297 | 23% |
| Rented | 3,046 | 55% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 259 | 5% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,967 | 35% |
| Flats & apartments | 3,250 | 59% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 5,545 occupied private dwellings in South Melbourne.
- Median weekly rent
- $421
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,200
- Average household size
- 1.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,073
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,307
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,073 (37%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,757 (25%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 65 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 7,672 (77%)
- Labour-force participation
- 68.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.2%
- Employed full-time
- 4,583
- Employed part-time
- 1,668
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 South Melbourne
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in South Melbourne 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 South Melbourne
Where is South Melbourne?
South Melbourne is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of South Melbourne?
At the 2021 Census, South Melbourne had a population of about 11,548.
Is South Melbourne an advantaged area?
South Melbourne has an ABS SEIFA score of 1093, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 94 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in South Melbourne?
South Melbourne 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).
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