Kew East, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Kew East, also known as East Kew, is a leafy residential suburb in Melbourne's inner east, set within the City of Boroondara on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. Bordered to the north and west by the Yarra River, it began as a scatter of small farming and dairying estates before tramways and railways spurred its growth into a settled garden suburb. A reminder of those days survives in Willsmere Park and the Kew Golf Club, while the Main Yarra Trail threads along the river for walkers and cyclists. The local shopping pocket, Harp Village, sits on High Street near Harp Road, whose name recalls an old coaching inn. Several streets honour Australian painters, and the suburb keeps a quiet, established character close to the city.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Kew East is more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1123, 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 East at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,620
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $2,490
- SEIFA score
- 1123
- Coordinates
- -37.7905, 145.0525
Kew East demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Kew East 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 28%, 23% of homes are rented, and 29% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,188 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 920 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,481 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,869 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,164 | 18% |
Share of the 6,622 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 960 | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 779 | 33% |
| Rented | 550 | 23% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,563 | 66% |
| Townhouses & semis | 516 | 22% |
| Flats & apartments | 273 | 12% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,352 occupied private dwellings in Kew East.
- Median weekly rent
- $471
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,000
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,178
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,043
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,847 (29%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,797 (28%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 21 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,193 (82%)
- Labour-force participation
- 66.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 4%
- Employed full-time
- 2,030
- Employed part-time
- 1,230
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 East
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Kew East 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 East
Where is Kew East?
Kew East is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Kew East?
At the 2021 Census, Kew East had a population of about 6,620.
Is Kew East an advantaged area?
Kew East has an ABS SEIFA score of 1123, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 97 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Kew East?
Kew East 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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