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    Can you afford to live in Eltham?

    Eltham is a suburb in Victoria. Median rent is $665/week and the median house price is $1.25M.

    Median rent

    $665/wk

    Est.

    Median price

    $1.25M

    Real

    20% deposit

    $250k

    Stamp duty

    $69k

    Eltham, Victoria
    Photo by Graeme Bartlett · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia CommonsWikipedia

    The numbers, in plain English

    To rent in Eltham without housing stress, a household income of about $115,000/year keeps the rent of $665/week at or below 30% of gross income, the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is our modelled median (no bond data published for Eltham yet). Check your income →

    To buy the median home ($1,250,000) with a 20% deposit of $250k, repayments at 6.85% over 30 years come to about $6,553/month: comfortable on roughly $262,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 13.9 years, before stamp duty of $69k. Run your own loan →

    That price is the real median of 191 house sales in Eltham, published by the state land authority, not an estimate.

    Compared to the rest of Victoria, Eltham is more expensive to buy than 95% of the state's suburbs (state median $330k) and pricier to rent than 92% (state median $445/week). It sits roughly 21 km from the Melbourne CBD as the crow flies.

    For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 2.8% before costs. Net yield calculator →

    Modelled medians, not valuations. Every formula above is documented on our methodology page.

    Affordability by income

    $60k income

    Rent ($665/wk)

    Over budget

    Budget: $346/wk

    Buy ($1.25M)

    Repayments are a stretch

    $6,553/mo · deposit in ~27.8yr

    $90k income

    Rent ($665/wk)

    Over budget

    Budget: $519/wk

    Buy ($1.25M)

    Repayments are a stretch

    $6,553/mo · deposit in ~18.6yr

    $120k income

    Rent ($665/wk)

    Affordable

    Budget: $692/wk

    Buy ($1.25M)

    Repayments are a stretch

    $6,553/mo · deposit in ~13.9yr

    Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6.85% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.

    Upfront buying costs

    Purchase price$1.25M
    20% deposit (no LMI)$250k
    Stamp duty (Victoria)$69k
    Stamp duty (first home buyer)Same, check eligibility
    Conveyancing (est.)$1,500 – $3,000
    Building inspection (est.)$400 – $700
    Total upfront (est.)$321k

    Who lives here & what's nearby

    Real figures for Eltham. Measured, not modelled.

    Median household income
    $130k
    per year (ABS Census)
    Median age
    43
    years
    Socio-economic (SEIFA)
    91/100
    ABS 2021, national scale, higher is less disadvantaged
    Owner-occupied
    88%
    10% rented
    Housing mix
    Mostly houses
    90% houses · 6% units
    Nearest train station
    1.4 km
    Nearest hospital
    8.4 km
    Schools nearby
    8

    How Eltham compares

    • Households here earn about 81% more than the typical suburb in Victoria.

    Demographics and tenure from the ABS 2021 Census; the socio-economic score is the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative disadvantage, scaled 0–100 against every Australian postcode; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in Victoria. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet, see our data sources.

    What's around Eltham

    Parks, markets, sport, libraries and community places nearby.

    Parks & green space
    • Woodridge Linear Park200 m
    • Bainbridge Drive Linear Reserve400 m
    • Tadema Park400 m
    • Diosma Road Linear Reserve400 m
    Sport & recreation
    • Streamline Swim School1.4 km
    • Eltham Tennis Club1.5 km
    • Skaterz2.1 km
    • Eltham Leisure Centre2.1 km
    Libraries
    • Eltham Library1.5 km
    Community
    • Eltham Senior Citizens Centre1.4 km
    • Eltham Guides Hall1.5 km
    • Eltham Scouts Hall1.5 km
    • Eltham Community and Reception Centre1.8 km

    Places within about 3 km, from OpenStreetMap contributors, with distances as the crow flies. Something missing or moved? Tell us.

    Compare Eltham with another suburb →

    Get to know Eltham

    Video tours, maps and community groups for Eltham.

    Neighbourhood scores

    Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.

    Safety
    72/100
    Above average
    Schools
    78/100
    Excellent
    Lifestyle
    75/100
    Excellent

    Related reading

    Government schemes that may apply

    5% Deposit Scheme

    Buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. No income test and no limit on places since 1 October 2025; price caps vary by area.

    Learn more →

    First home owner grant

    $10,000 towards a new home valued up to $750,000, for eligible first home buyers.

    Learn more →

    First Home Super Saver (FHSS)

    Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.

    Learn more →

    Stamp duty concessions

    At Eltham's median of $1,250,000, VIC's first home buyer concession has phased out. Duty is about $68,750.

    Learn more →

    So what now?

    The questions these numbers usually raise, and where to get each one answered.

    Getting the place inspected

    A licensed inspector checks for structural and pest problems before you exchange contracts.

    Someone to handle the legal side

    A conveyancer reviews the contract, runs the title searches and manages settlement.

    Conveyancing quote ↗Not a paid link

    We do not rank these or say which is best: that would be advice, and we are not licensed to give it. Where a link pays us it says so beside the link, and it never changes what we show or the order we show it in. Our methodology explains every figure above.

    Nearby suburbs in Victoria

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    Rent data for Eltham sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6.85% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.

    General Advice Warning

    The information on this site is general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own situation and seek professional advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, accountant, or solicitor.