Is Docklands a nice place to live?

Docklands sits beside Melbourne's harbour at the mouth of the Yarra River, with broad boardwalks, a marina and a major events stadium. The community is young and weighted towards couples without children at home, and many homes are rented, with 68.8% of dwellings occupied by renters. Trams run through the precinct and Southern Cross station is within easy reach, while ground-level shops, plazas, dining strips and cultural spaces cluster by the water; Docklands Primary School operates in NewQuay with a temporary upper primary campus at The District Docklands, and the suburb is included in the City of Melbourne’s Greenline Project, whose Birrarung Marr Precinct Site 1 was delivered.

Is it expensive to live in Docklands?

Rents in Docklands take a large share of what a typical local household earned. A typical local household earned about $1,957 a week at the last Census. A house rent of $1,150 a week would take about 59% of that weekly income, while a unit rent of $720 a week would take about 37%. For buyers, the suburb's median unit price of $555,250 works out to about 5.5 times a typical local annual household income, which sits somewhat above local incomes. If you're renting rather than buying, the rent shares above are the figures that matter; for buyers, the unit price multiple is the most relevant. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Docklands a good place to invest?

What stands out in Docklands is that house rents jumped 47.4% in the past 12 months, while house values rose a strong 30.3%. By contrast, unit values fell 5.0% over the same period while unit rents rose a solid 5.9%. Put in investment terms, the house market saw rental income growth outpace capital growth, while the unit market recorded higher rents alongside a fall in values — the two property types moved in different directions over the year. This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Docklands

Please enter your address and select an option from the list.

Join the 2.6 million Australians* who use our services every year.

Docklands suburb profile

Docklands sits beside Melbourne's harbour and the mouth of the Yarra River, a reclaimed dock precinct of contemporary development. Broad boardwalks, public art and a marina give the area an open, modern feel, and a major events stadium and nearby entertainment venues shape activity across weekends and evenings.

Built form is dominated by glass-clad apartment towers and office blocks with ground-level shops and restaurants lining inner streets. Trams run through the precinct and Southern Cross station is within easy reach, making walking, cycling and public transport common ways to get around, while plazas, dining strips and cultural spaces cluster by the water.

Docklands property market performance

Current median dwelling price$1,017,125Past 3 months

Property growth+12.6%Past 12 months

Docklands units have a median price of $555,250 and their value fell by 5.0% over the last 12 months, a notable decline. The suburb is primarily a unit market, with only 2 houses sold in the past 3 months.

In Docklands, house rents rose sharply, up 47.4% over the last 12 months, while unit rents rose solidly, up 5.9% over the same period; house rents increased much faster than unit rents.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	N/A	$555K
Change in value Past 12 months	30.3%	-5.0%
Sold Past 3 months	2	120
Median days on market Past 12 months	N/A	44
Average rent Past 12 months	$1150	$720
Change in rent Past 12 months	47.4%	5.9%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

Access homes before they're listed for sale

Build a buying brief and get first access to properties that aren't yet on the market.

Docklands demographics

Docklands is a young community of couples without children at home with many renters.

Couple families without children are the largest family group, at 65.0% of families, and renters occupy 68.8% of homes. At the 2021 Census, 15,495 people lived in Docklands.

Docklands and Victoria

	Suburb	VIC
Median age years	32	38
Median household income weekly	$1,957	$1,759
Couples with children share of families	24.1%	45.5%
Couples without children share of families	65.0%	37.6%
One-parent families share of families	7.3%	15.2%
Homes owned outright share of homes	12.7%	33.2%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	18.5%	37.3%
Homes rented share of homes	68.8%	29.5%

Source: ABS 2021 Census. Shares of homes exclude other and not-stated tenure.

Docklands infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Docklands is included in the City of Melbourne’s Greenline Project, whose final master plan was approved in 2023; the project’s Birrarung Marr Precinct Site 1 was delivered in 2025 and provided about 450 metres of new river-edge boardwalk.

The heritage Central Pier was closed earlier and demolition works began in 2023, with its future rebuild and foreshore activation to be progressed by state agencies. Docklands Primary School opened in NewQuay in 2021 and, by early 2024, a temporary second campus for upper primary students was operating at The District Docklands.

Suburbs near Docklands

Some popular suburbs near Docklands include:

How does Docklands compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Docklands’s median house price is 86.0% higher than North Melbourne’s.
Median unit prices: Docklands’s median unit price is 31.7% higher than Melbourne’s.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Docklands have grown 33.7% higher than in North Melbourne.
Unit price growth: Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Docklands have grown 10.2% higher than in Melbourne.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Docklands are selling 20.0% faster than in Southbank.
Investment considerations: In Docklands, the rental yield for house is 80.8% higher than the Melbourne average, while the rental yield for units is 21.0% higher.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Docklands have grown 71.5% higher than the average rate of growth across Melbourne.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Docklands have grown 3.6% lower than the average rate of growth for units across Melbourne.

Common questions about Docklands

Is Docklands a nice place to live?
Docklands sits beside Melbourne's harbour at the mouth of the Yarra River, with broad boardwalks, a marina and a major events stadium.

The community is young and weighted towards couples without children at home, and many homes are rented, with 68.8% of dwellings occupied by renters. Trams run through the precinct and Southern Cross station is within easy reach, while ground-level shops, plazas, dining strips and cultural spaces cluster by the water; Docklands Primary School operates in NewQuay with a temporary upper primary campus at The District Docklands, and the suburb is included in the City of Melbourne’s Greenline Project, whose Birrarung Marr Precinct Site 1 was delivered.
Is it expensive to live in Docklands?
Rents in Docklands take a large share of what a typical local household earned. A typical local household earned about $1,957 a week at the last Census. A house rent of $1,150 a week would take about 59% of that weekly income, while a unit rent of $720 a week would take about 37%.

For buyers, the suburb's median unit price of $555,250 works out to about 5.5 times a typical local annual household income, which sits somewhat above local incomes. If you're renting rather than buying, the rent shares above are the figures that matter; for buyers, the unit price multiple is the most relevant.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Docklands a good place to invest?
What stands out in Docklands is that house rents jumped 47.4% in the past 12 months, while house values rose a strong 30.3%. By contrast, unit values fell 5.0% over the same period while unit rents rose a solid 5.9%.

Put in investment terms, the house market saw rental income growth outpace capital growth, while the unit market recorded higher rents alongside a fall in values — the two property types moved in different directions over the year.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

Choose the right real estate agents in Docklands

There are 172 real estate agents in Docklands, but they don’t all deliver the same results.

Some agents have a much stronger presence in the suburb, with just 5 agents handling around 39.2% of all sales in the past year.

Commission rates in Docklands typically range from 1.8% to 2.47%. Comparing agents—including what they charge, what’s included, and how they structure their fees—is not only important when choosing an agent, the right structure can help ensure your chosen agent is motivated to achieve the best possible result.