Frankston, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Frankston sits on the eastern shore of Port Phillip about 39 km south-east of central Melbourne, and is the administrative heart of the City of Frankston. The land is the Country of the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation, long an important fishing ground and meeting place. A seaside destination since the 1880s, the suburb has one of Victoria's most popular and cleanest swimming beaches and is often called the 'gateway to the Mornington Peninsula' for the wine-and-tourism region just to its south. The origin of the name is uncertain, with several competing theories; a popular one links it to Frank Liardet, an early settler who took up land here in 1847. Official land sales established the village in 1854.
Less advantaged than the national average
Frankston is more socio-economically advantaged than about 31% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 953, 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.
Frankston at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 37,331
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $1,387
- SEIFA score
- 953
- Coordinates
- -38.1509, 145.1423
Frankston demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Frankston 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 30%, 39% of homes are rented, and 24% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 6,178 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 4,204 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 11,072 | 30% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 9,186 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 6,692 | 18% |
Share of the 37,332 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 3,901 | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 4,957 | 33% |
| Rented | 5,945 | 39% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 11,159 | 73% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3,082 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 928 | 6% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 15,208 occupied private dwellings in Frankston.
- Median weekly rent
- $342
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,871
- Median weekly personal income
- $743
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 8,413 (24%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 4,512 (13%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 545 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 16,022 (53%)
- Labour-force participation
- 58.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.5%
- Employed full-time
- 10,002
- Employed part-time
- 5,990
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 Frankston
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Frankston is January (average daytime high around 25.3°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.8°C). The area receives roughly 775 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.3°C | 15.3°C | 60 mm |
| Feb | 24.3°C | 14.8°C | 39 mm |
| Mar | 22.7°C | 14.1°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 19.3°C | 11.7°C | 59 mm |
| May | 15.8°C | 9.6°C | 71 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 7.8°C | 68 mm |
| Jul | 12.8°C | 7.2°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 13.5°C | 7.3°C | 72 mm |
| Sep | 16°C | 8.4°C | 78 mm |
| Oct | 18.8°C | 9.8°C | 82 mm |
| Nov | 20.6°C | 11.4°C | 78 mm |
| Dec | 23.2°C | 13.2°C | 62 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Frankston
Where is Frankston?
Frankston is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Frankston?
At the 2021 Census, Frankston had a population of about 37,331.
Is Frankston an advantaged area?
Frankston has an ABS SEIFA score of 953, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 31 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 31% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Frankston?
Frankston has average daytime highs of about 18.8°C and overnight lows of about 10.9°C, with roughly 775 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Frankston?
Frankston is one of the most populous suburbs in Victoria — the 12th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 37,331 usual residents).
Where Frankston ranks
Frankston appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Victoria#12 of 25
- Largest suburbs in Australia#20 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.