Port Melbourne, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb on the shores of Hobsons Bay, about three kilometres south-west of central Melbourne, where the Yarra River meets the sea. Originally known as Sandridge, it grew during the gold rush of the 1850s into the city's second great port, and a railway built in 1854 linked the docks to town. For generations Station Pier and the neighbouring Princes Pier were the first sight of Australia for migrants arriving by ship before affordable air travel. Once a working harbour lined with refineries, mills and factories, Port Melbourne has been transformed over recent decades into a sought-after residential area, with old industrial sites reborn as the waterfront Beacon Cove development. Bay Street remains its historic main street, busy with shops, restaurants and cafes, while the West Gate Bridge soars across the river at its western edge.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Port Melbourne is more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1112, 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.
Port Melbourne at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 17,633
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $2,372
- SEIFA score
- 1112
- Coordinates
- -37.8350, 144.9232
Port Melbourne demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Port 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 33%, 43% of homes are rented, and 32% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,427 | 14% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,382 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,841 | 33% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 5,147 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,835 | 16% |
Share of the 17,632 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,019 | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,231 | 28% |
| Rented | 3,392 | 43% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 467 | 6% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3,434 | 44% |
| Flats & apartments | 3,912 | 50% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 7,839 occupied private dwellings in Port Melbourne.
- Median weekly rent
- $540
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,500
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,264
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,366
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 5,290 (32%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3,622 (22%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 89 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 10,823 (73%)
- Labour-force participation
- 67.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 4%
- Employed full-time
- 6,752
- Employed part-time
- 2,454
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 Port Melbourne
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Port 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 Port Melbourne
Where is Port Melbourne?
Port Melbourne is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Port Melbourne?
At the 2021 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of about 17,633.
Is Port Melbourne an advantaged area?
Port Melbourne has an ABS SEIFA score of 1112, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 96 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Port Melbourne?
Port 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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