Median price trend for houses
Based on 80 sales in the preceding 12 months
$976,000
Up 5.8% over 12 months
- 2 bed
- $415k
- 3 bed
- $853k
- 4 bed
- $1.02m
- 5+ bed
- $1.35m
Aerial view
Imagery © Esri
The quick read on
Cairnlea
VIC 3023 · Brimbank
What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.
- Median house
- $976,000
- Median unit
- $434,000
- Population
- 10,038
- Postcode
- 3023
latest suburb median
latest suburb median
ABS 2021
Cairnlea, Victoria
Property market insights for Cairnlea
Median sale price and rental income of properties in Cairnlea VIC
Median rent trend for houses
Based on 37 rental listings in the preceding 12 months
$625 per week
Up 8.7% over 12 months
Market data updated October 2026.
The median house price in Cairnlea, VIC is currently $976,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Cairnlea has a 12-month growth rate of 5.8% for houses and 4.6% for units.
Two-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $415,000, Three-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $853,000, Four-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $1,020,000, Larger houses have a median sale price of $1,350,000 in Cairnlea.
If you're looking to lease, the median rent for houses in Cairnlea is $625 per week. The median house rent has increased 8.7% over the last 12 months.
The median price of apartments and units for sale in Cairnlea is $434,000, which has increased 4.6% since the same time last year. One-bedroom apartments and units have a median sale price of $320,000, Two-bedroom apartments and units have a median sale price of $438,000, Three-bedroom apartments and units have a median sale price of $753,000 in Cairnlea. The median rent for units and apartments in Cairnlea is $512 per week and has increased 2.4% over the last 12 months.
Crime and safety
Is Cairnlea safe?
The overall rate for Cairnlea is 2,625 offences per 100,000 residents — 34% below the Greater Melbourne benchmark.
That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Cairnlea.
Overall crime rate
2,625
offences per 100,000 residents
34% belowGreater Melbourne
CairnleaGreater Melbourne: 4,001
Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.
The people behind the postcode
Who lives in Cairnlea?
Cairnlea VIC 3023 is in Victoria, within Greater Melbourne.
10,038 people call Cairnlea home, with an average of 3.4 people per household and a median household income of $2,062 a week.
Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.
- Population
- 10,038
- Median age
- 36 years
- Median mortgage
- $1,883 / month
- 2021 household rent
- $400 / week
Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineGreater Melbourne benchmark
Age profile
Share of residents in each age band.
Under 1519.2%Above
15–3428.5%In line
35–5429.8%Above
55–7419.3%In line
75 and over3.1%Below
Homes
Share of occupied private dwellings.
Separate houses88.4%Above
Townhouses7.6%Below
Apartments3.8%Below
Ownership
Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.
Owned outright33.8%Above
Paying a mortgage50.8%Above
Renting15.4%Below
Cars at home
Vehicles available to occupied households.
No car2.8%Below
One car22.3%Below
Two cars42.9%Above
Three or more32.2%Above
Getting to work
Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.
Worked from home19.0%Below
Drove to work57.9%Above
Train, tram or bus2.3%Below
Walked or cycled0.6%Below
What stands out in Cairnlea
19.0% of workers in Cairnlea worked from home on Census day — less common than across Greater Melbourne.
21.0% of Cairnlea residents were born in Vietnam, about twice the rate across Greater Melbourne.
21.5% of people in Cairnlea described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.
A closer look at the Census
Questions people ask about Cairnlea
Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Cairnlea VIC 3023.
Is Cairnlea family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.
19.2% of Cairnlea's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is close to the Greater Melbourne average.
2,669 family households lived in Cairnlea; 57.3% were couple families and 17.6% were one-parent families.
40.3% of local families included children under 15. That is close to the Greater Melbourne average.
These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.
What is the age profile of Cairnlea?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.
Cairnlea had 10,038 residents at the 2021 Census.
27.4% of residents were aged 25 to 44.
22.4% were 55 or older. That is somewhat below the Greater Melbourne average.
Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.
What kind of homes are in Cairnlea?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.
Separate houses made up 88.4% of occupied private dwellings in Cairnlea.
Townhouses and other attached homes represented 7.6% of occupied private dwellings.
Flats and apartments accounted for 3.8% of occupied private dwellings.
All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.
Do people own or rent in Cairnlea?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.
33.8% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is somewhat above the Greater Melbourne average.
50.8% were buying their home with a mortgage.
15.4% rented their home. That is about half the Greater Melbourne rate.
Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.
How large are households in Cairnlea?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.
The average household in Cairnlea had 3.4 people.
One-person households made up 10.6% of occupied homes. That is about half the Greater Melbourne rate.
Two-person households represented 21.7%, while 48.6% had four or more usual residents.
Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.
How do people get to work in Cairnlea?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.
19.0% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is well below the Greater Melbourne average.
57.9% drove a car as their only travel method. That is well above the Greater Melbourne average.
2.3% used only a train, tram or bus, while 0.6% walked or cycled.
Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.
How many cars do households have in Cairnlea?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.
2.8% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is about half the Greater Melbourne rate.
One-car households formed 22.3% of the total.
75.1% of households had two or more vehicles.
Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.
Who's moving to Cairnlea, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.
75.8% were at the same address five years earlier, while 24.2% reported a different address.
51.4% of residents were born outside Australia. That is well above the Greater Melbourne average.
Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.
What languages are spoken in Cairnlea?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.
27.2% of residents used only English at home.
69.2% used a language other than English at home.
1.5% spoke Mandarin at home, 4.0% spoke Cantonese and 0.7% spoke Hindi.
Home language is separate from English proficiency.
Where were Cairnlea residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.
51.4% of Cairnlea's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 48.6% was born in Australia.
1.3% of residents were born in China.
2.6% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 86.3%.
Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.
What ancestries shape Cairnlea?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.
English ancestry accounted for 6.4% of ancestry responses in Cairnlea.
Australian ancestry made up 9.3% of responses.
Chinese ancestry represented 12.4% of responses.
People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.
What work do people do in Cairnlea?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.
18.1% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is well below the Greater Melbourne average.
Managers accounted for 9.1% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 14.7%.
Health care and social assistance employed 11.1% of workers, and education and training employed 5.4%.
Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.
How active is the workforce in Cairnlea?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.
The labour-force participation rate was 62.1%, compared with 64.1% across Greater Melbourne.
34.1% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 19.5% worked part time.
Unemployment was 6.6%, compared with 5.3% across Greater Melbourne.
Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.
What does the health profile of Cairnlea show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.
68.1% reported no selected long-term health condition.
4.5% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.
7.7% reported asthma, 4.4% arthritis and 5.9% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.
These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.
How educated is Cairnlea?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.
35.8% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is somewhat above the Greater Melbourne average.
Postgraduate degrees accounted for 7.0% of qualification responses.
Diploma-level qualifications represented 16.4%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 25.2%.
Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.
What do incomes and housing costs look like in Cairnlea?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.
Median household income was $2,062 per week in the 2021 Census.
The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $1,883.
Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $400 per week.
These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.
How does Cairnlea compare with Greater Melbourne?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.
Working from home was 19.0% in Cairnlea, compared with 28.8% across Greater Melbourne.
Outright ownership was 33.8% locally and 30.7% across Greater Melbourne. That is somewhat above the Greater Melbourne average.
Renting accounted for 15.4% in Cairnlea, against 31.1% across Greater Melbourne.
Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.
Three useful questions
A buyer’s quick guide to Cairnlea
Is Cairnlea expensive?
The median house price is $976,000, while units and apartments sit at $434,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.
Is Cairnlea good for families?
The Census counted 2,669 local families, and 19.2% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.
What can I get for $1.5m in Cairnlea?
Larger houses have a median around $1,350,000, the closest bedroom benchmark we hold to a $1.5m budget. Individual homes can differ substantially with block size, renovation and location.
Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.
Explore the area
Streets and suburbs around Cairnlea
170 streets in Cairnlea
Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.
- Alba
- Ambleside Pl
- Appletree Gr
- Autumn Gr
- Bannes Rd
- Barring Bvd
- Barrwang St
- Bill Carn Ave
- Billy Buttons Ave
- Blackwood Ct
- Braywood Tce
- Breadalbane Ave
- Brinkhill Ct
- Brookglen Bvd
- Cairnlea Dr
- Carmody Dr
- Cavanagh Cl
- Chesterfield Rd
Show all 170 streetsShow fewer streets
- Chlosam Ct
- Chlosam Rd
- Clare Brennan Dr
- Clarian St
- Cochrane St
- Coomgarie Tce
- Cormorant Dr
- Cricklewood Ln
- Delma Ave
- Delmar
- Denton Ave
- Dianella St
- Dighton Tce
- Drystone Cr
- Dunbarrim Ave
- Eaglehawk Cct
- Eden Valley Rd
- Edgewater Cct
- Edgewood Ct
- Egret Cr
- Elford Ct
- Elmsted Ct
- Faddie St
- Fairfield
- Farmington Rd
- Federation
- Flowerdale Rd
- Foxdale Pl
- Furlong Rd
- Gardenia Pl
- Gladstone St
- Glenbrook Ave
- Glenfield Cl
- Grassland Cr
- Grassy Point Rd
- Greenstead
- Grovedale Cct
- Gumleaf Ct
- Gunuwarra Rd
- Gurnung Dr
- Gurrin Rd
- Havenlea Ln
- Heron Rd
- Heronswood Rd
- Hideaway Ln
- Highcroft Pl
- Highfield Rd
- Homebush Rd
- Honeyeater Tce
- Ibis Gr
- Inverness Ct
- Japonica Ct
- Jasmine Rd
- Jim Clay Ave
- Jonesfield
- Ken Jordan Rd
- Kiama Pl
- Kimberley Rd
- Kingsbridge Cct
- Lakefield
- Lakewood Bvd
- Lansdowne Rd
- Lantern Ct
- Lavender Park Rd
- Lobelia Gr
- Lomandra
- Longwood Ave
- Lotus Cr
- Lynne Maree Ave
- Magazine Ave
- Mallebush Ave
- Mariem Rd
- Marsh Mays Rd
- Meadowview
- Meehan St
- Millstream Cct
- Minuria Ln
- Minvi Tce
- Mochrie Gr
- Moorland Rd
- Mumil Ct
- Newhaven
- Newland
- Ngami Rd
- Nobel Banks Dr
- Oakford Pl
- Oatlands Ln
- Pampas
- Pampas Ln
- Parklea Ave
- Pawleena Cct
- Pembrey Rd
- Peppermint Gr
- Pimelea Tce
- Pinewood Cr
- Pipers
- Playhouse Ave
- Primrose Ct
- Prospector Dr
- Rangeview St
- Ravenswood
- Reg Chalke Cr
- River Gum Ct
- Roseberry Ave
- Rosewood Ln
- Saltmarsh Pl
- Sandpiper St
- Sandygate Ct
- Sapling Tce
- Sedgefield Tce
- Settlers
- Shearwater Ct
- Sheffield Ct
- Sheoke Gr
- Shepperd
- Silverdale
- Solomon Dr
- Spearfelt Ct
- Spinifex St
- Squatters Trk
- Station Rd
- Stockton Dr
- Stonewall Cl
- Sugargum Gr
- Sullivan Rd
- Sunnybrae Cct
- Sunnyside
- Teal Ct
- Thistledown Ct
- Tillbrook Gr
- Tom Rigg St
- Treemont Ct
- Truesource Dr
- Tunbridge Rd
- Tussock Gr
- Verbena Ct
- Vince Stella Cl
- Walert St
- Warin Rd
- Washford Ln
- Waterview Dr
- Waterview Ln
- Wattle Grove Rd
- Weaver Tce
- Westbrook Pl
- Westbury St
- Wildflower Ln
- Winnunga Rd
- Woodburn Ave
- Woodsdale Ct
- Woolshed Ave
- Yirram Rd
12 suburbs surrounding Cairnlea
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Keep exploring
Is Cairnlea right for your search?
Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.
Read the thinking
Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.