Is Essendon a nice place to live?

Essendon features tree-lined streets, a village-style shopping strip by Essendon station, tram access on Mount Alexander Road and the Moonee Ponds Creek corridor. Incomes in Essendon are above the Victorian median and couples with children make up 48.7% of families. Everyday amenity centres on the station-side strip with cafes, bakeries and small retailers, alongside train and tram connections, mature plane and elm trees, pocket parks and rear laneways. Funding has been allocated to upgrade Essendon railway station to improve accessibility and safety.

Is it expensive to live in Essendon?

Housing costs in Essendon look different depending on whether you plan to rent or buy. A typical local household earned about $2,132 a week at the most recent Census. On these figures, a house renting for $750 a week would take about 35% of that weekly income, a sizeable share, while a unit at $500 a week would take about 23%, a moderate share. For buyers, the median house price of $1,602,500 is about 14.5 times a typical local annual household income, which sits well above local incomes, and the median unit price of $530,000 is about 4.8 times annual income, somewhat above local incomes. If you're renting the rent share is the number that matters; if you're buying the price multiple is the number that matters. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Essendon a good place to invest?

What stands out for Essendon over the past 12 months is that house rents jumped 10.3% while house values rose a solid 8.7%. For houses, rental income growth outpaced capital growth. Unit rents rose a modest 4.2%, so house rents increased faster than unit rents. 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.

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Essendon suburb profile

Essendon is a mature inner-north suburb with tree-lined streets and a settled residential character. Housing ranges from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar bungalows and low-rise apartments clustered near the rail corridor. Mature plane and elm trees, pocket parks and rear laneways give the area a domestic, lived-in feel.

A village-style shopping strip beside the railway station hosts cafes, bakeries and small retailers. The suburb is served by Essendon station on the Craigieburn line and by a tram along Mount Alexander Road, while Moonee Ponds Creek provides a green corridor for walking and cycling.

Essendon property market performance

Current median dwelling price$1,066,250Past 3 months

Property growth+4.3%Past 12 months

Essendon’s median house price is $1.60 million, up a solid 8.7% over 12 months. The median unit price is $530,000. Units sold more quickly, with a median time on market of 34 days compared with houses.

In Essendon, house rents rose strongly, up 10.3% over 12 months, outpacing unit rents, which rose modestly by 4.2%.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$1.60M	$530K
Change in value Past 12 months	8.7%	N/A
Sold Past 3 months	66	81
Median days on market Past 12 months	51	34
Average rent Past 12 months	$750	$500
Change in rent Past 12 months	10.3%	4.2%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Essendon demographics

Essendon is a community with incomes above the median for Victoria.

Couples with children are the largest family group at 48.7%. At the 2021 Census, 21,240 people lived in Essendon.

Essendon and Victoria

	Suburb	VIC
Median age years	39	38
Median household income weekly	$2,132	$1,759
Couples with children share of families	48.7%	45.5%
Couples without children share of families	37.6%	37.6%
One-parent families share of families	11.9%	15.2%
Homes owned outright share of homes	33.2%	33.2%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	30.4%	37.3%
Homes rented share of homes	36.5%	29.5%

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

Essendon infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Essendon’s North Essendon Activity Centre Plan was finalised in 2025 as part of the state’s Activity Centre Program, establishing the planning framework for the activity centre and its walkable catchment.

The Buckley Street level crossing was removed in 2018 with a new road-under-rail underpass. The state budget allocated funding in 2024–25 to upgrade Essendon railway station to improve accessibility and safety. The Essendon Rowing Club female-friendly change room upgrade was completed in 2026, including a new ramp, a lift and refurbished changerooms and toilets.

Suburbs near Essendon

Some popular suburbs near Essendon include:

How does Essendon compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Essendon’s median house price is 23.3% higher than Moonee Ponds’s.
Median unit prices: Essendon’s median unit price is 10.4% higher than Moonee Ponds’s.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Essendon have grown 5.9% higher than in Moonee Ponds.
Unit price growth: Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Essendon have grown 4.2% higher than in Moonee Ponds.
Selling speed for houses: Properties in Essendon are selling 7.3% faster than in Essendon North.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Essendon are selling 52.1% faster than in Strathmore.
Investment considerations: In Essendon, the rental yield for house is 17.9% higher than the Melbourne average, while the rental yield for units is 16.0% lower.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Essendon have grown 61.5% higher than the average rate of growth across Melbourne.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Essendon have grown 13.7% lower than the average rate of growth for units across Melbourne.

Common questions about Essendon

Is Essendon a nice place to live?
Essendon features tree-lined streets, a village-style shopping strip by Essendon station, tram access on Mount Alexander Road and the Moonee Ponds Creek corridor.

Incomes in Essendon are above the Victorian median and couples with children make up 48.7% of families. Everyday amenity centres on the station-side strip with cafes, bakeries and small retailers, alongside train and tram connections, mature plane and elm trees, pocket parks and rear laneways. Funding has been allocated to upgrade Essendon railway station to improve accessibility and safety.
Is it expensive to live in Essendon?
Housing costs in Essendon look different depending on whether you plan to rent or buy. A typical local household earned about $2,132 a week at the most recent Census. On these figures, a house renting for $750 a week would take about 35% of that weekly income, a sizeable share, while a unit at $500 a week would take about 23%, a moderate share. For buyers, the median house price of $1,602,500 is about 14.5 times a typical local annual household income, which sits well above local incomes, and the median unit price of $530,000 is about 4.8 times annual income, somewhat above local incomes. If you're renting the rent share is the number that matters; if you're buying the price multiple is the number that matters.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Essendon a good place to invest?
What stands out for Essendon over the past 12 months is that house rents jumped 10.3% while house values rose a solid 8.7%. For houses, rental income growth outpaced capital growth. Unit rents rose a modest 4.2%, so house rents increased faster than unit rents.

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 Essendon

In Essendon ,169 agents are actively selling property, but a small number do the heavy lifting. Just 5 agents handled 21.4% of all sales in the past year, giving them a strong presence and deep experience in the local market.

Commission rates usually sit between 1.54% and 2.94%. Comparing agents and understanding what’s included in their fee structure can help you find the right mix of service, value, and motivation—without compromising on outcomes.