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.
Black Rock (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,389
- Median age
- 49
- Median weekly household income
- $2,416
- SEIFA score
- 1131
- Coordinates
- -37.9736, 145.0244
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%, 17% of homes are rented, 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.).
- Median weekly rent
- $541
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,897
- 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).
Common questions about Black Rock (Vic.)
Where is Black Rock (Vic.)?
Black Rock (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
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).
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