Family-friendly ranking · VIC

The for families suburbs in Victoria.

Suburbs ranked by average school ICSEA score and family-household percentage. Filtered to Victoria suburbs only.

About this ranking

Family-friendly suburbs balance four things: schools you'd actually send your kids to, parks and bike paths that get used, walkable neighbourhood retail, and a price point that doesn't lock you out of upgrading rooms when the family grows. We rank by the strongest measurable proxy (school ICSEA) and weight by the share of households that are families with dependents.

Victoria property market in 2026

Victoria spent 2024-2025 in a softer cycle than the rest of the country, but 2026 sees the Melbourne market firming again as population growth and the steady drip of overseas migration meet a constrained pipeline of new family-suitable stock. Melbourne's median house price sits around $1.0M to $1.1M, roughly 35-40% below Sydney for an equivalent property, meaningful for first home buyers and rentvestors. Regional Victoria has been mixed: Geelong has held its COVID gains, Ballarat and Bendigo are flat-to-down. The state's planning reforms ('Plan for Victoria') are starting to push approvals up in middle-ring suburbs, which will eventually moderate growth in those pockets.

Buyer tip, VIC

Victoria's stamp duty exemption for first home buyers up to $600K (with concessions to $750K) is one of the most generous in the country. If you're a first home buyer at this price point, the saving versus NSW or Queensland can be $20K to $35K, money that goes straight to your deposit.

Watch out, VIC

Victoria's land tax regime hits investors harder than most states once portfolios cross the $300K-ish threshold. Run the numbers including land tax before assuming an investment property cashflows the way the gross rental yield suggests.

Methodology

Suburbs are scored on average ICSEA across primary and secondary schools (sourced from ACARA), filtered to suburbs where families with dependents make up at least 40% of households (ABS Census 2021). Population-weighted to avoid outliers from very small localities.

Best for

First home buyers planning to start a family in the next 5 years; existing families upsizing into a longer-term home; relocating families researching new areas.

By stateAll Australia NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT ACT

Showing top 50 suburbs in Victoria

#	Suburb	State	Avg ICSEA	Family HH %	Profile
1	Surrey Hills 3127	VIC	1,159	74%	View profile →
2	Carnegie 3163	VIC	1,146	59%	View profile →
3	Brunswick West 3055	VIC	1,146	52%	View profile →
4	Prahran 3181	VIC	1,142	44%	View profile →
5	Doncaster East 3109	VIC	1,132	79%	View profile →
6	Bangholme 3175	VIC	1,132	42%	View profile →
7	Caulfield South 3162	VIC	1,131	73%	View profile →
8	Hughesdale 3166	VIC	1,123	69%	View profile →
9	Box Hill South 3128	VIC	1,120	70%	View profile →
10	Point Lonsdale 3225	VIC	1,115	68%	View profile →
11	Oakleigh 3166	VIC	1,113	68%	View profile →
12	Wantirna South 3152	VIC	1,109	78%	View profile →
13	Kingsville 3012	VIC	1,105	64%	View profile →
14	Highton 3216	VIC	1,104	73%	View profile →
15	Wheelers Hill 3150	VIC	1,103	79%	View profile →
16	Anglesea 3230	VIC	1,099	69%	View profile →
17	Footscray 3011	VIC	1,098	52%	View profile →
18	Donvale 3111	VIC	1,098	79%	View profile →
19	Clarinda 3169	VIC	1,097	76%	View profile →
20	Aberfeldie 3040	VIC	1,097	78%	View profile →
21	Aspendale Gardens 3195	VIC	1,095	83%	View profile →
22	Maribyrnong 3032	VIC	1,095	65%	View profile →
23	Freshwater Creek 3216	VIC	1,094	82%	View profile →
24	Chadstone 3148	VIC	1,093	68%	View profile →
25	Lower Plenty 3093	VIC	1,093	72%	View profile →
26	Blackburn South 3130	VIC	1,092	71%	View profile →
27	Belgrave 3160	VIC	1,091	79%	View profile →
28	Briar Hill 3088	VIC	1,088	73%	View profile →
29	Warrandyte 3113	VIC	1,086	85%	View profile →
30	Thornbury 3071	VIC	1,084	59%	View profile →
31	Rhyll 3923	VIC	1,083	71%	View profile →
32	Mont Albert North 3129	VIC	1,082	76%	View profile →
33	Chirnside Park 3116	VIC	1,080	81%	View profile →
34	Geelong 3220	VIC	1,080	53%	View profile →
35	Upwey 3158	VIC	1,080	80%	View profile →
36	Nayook 3832	VIC	1,079	59%	View profile →
37	Charlemont 3217	VIC	1,078	71%	View profile →
38	Mount Dandenong 3767	VIC	1,078	77%	View profile →
39	Tylden 3444	VIC	1,078	71%	View profile →
40	Myrrhee 3732	VIC	1,076	70%	View profile →
41	Manifold Heights 3218	VIC	1,075	66%	View profile →
42	Greensborough 3088	VIC	1,074	77%	View profile →
43	Wantirna 3152	VIC	1,073	81%	View profile →
44	Rowville 3178	VIC	1,070	83%	View profile →
45	Maroona 3377	VIC	1,064	93%	View profile →
46	Lysterfield 3156	VIC	1,064	89%	View profile →
47	Castlemaine 3450	VIC	1,064	57%	View profile →
48	Heidelberg West 3081	VIC	1,056	57%	View profile →
49	Hurstbridge 3099	VIC	1,055	82%	View profile →
50	Kyneton 3444	VIC	1,052	70%	View profile →

#1Surrey Hills

VIC 3127

Avg ICSEA

1,159

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#2Carnegie

VIC 3163

Avg ICSEA

1,146

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#3Brunswick West

VIC 3055

Avg ICSEA

1,146

Family HH %

52%

View profile →

#4Prahran

VIC 3181

Avg ICSEA

1,142

Family HH %

44%

View profile →

#5Doncaster East

VIC 3109

Avg ICSEA

1,132

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#6Bangholme

VIC 3175

Avg ICSEA

1,132

Family HH %

42%

View profile →

#7Caulfield South

VIC 3162

Avg ICSEA

1,131

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#8Hughesdale

VIC 3166

Avg ICSEA

1,123

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#9Box Hill South

VIC 3128

Avg ICSEA

1,120

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#10Point Lonsdale

VIC 3225

Avg ICSEA

1,115

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#11Oakleigh

VIC 3166

Avg ICSEA

1,113

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#12Wantirna South

VIC 3152

Avg ICSEA

1,109

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#13Kingsville

VIC 3012

Avg ICSEA

1,105

Family HH %

64%

View profile →

#14Highton

VIC 3216

Avg ICSEA

1,104

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#15Wheelers Hill

VIC 3150

Avg ICSEA

1,103

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#16Anglesea

VIC 3230

Avg ICSEA

1,099

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#17Footscray

VIC 3011

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

52%

View profile →

#18Donvale

VIC 3111

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#19Clarinda

VIC 3169

Avg ICSEA

1,097

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#20Aberfeldie

VIC 3040

Avg ICSEA

1,097

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#21Aspendale Gardens

VIC 3195

Avg ICSEA

1,095

Family HH %

83%

View profile →

#22Maribyrnong

VIC 3032

Avg ICSEA

1,095

Family HH %

65%

View profile →

#23Freshwater Creek

VIC 3216

Avg ICSEA

1,094

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#24Chadstone

VIC 3148

Avg ICSEA

1,093

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#25Lower Plenty

VIC 3093

Avg ICSEA

1,093

Family HH %

72%

View profile →

#26Blackburn South

VIC 3130

Avg ICSEA

1,092

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#27Belgrave

VIC 3160

Avg ICSEA

1,091

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#28Briar Hill

VIC 3088

Avg ICSEA

1,088

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#29Warrandyte

VIC 3113

Avg ICSEA

1,086

Family HH %

85%

View profile →

#30Thornbury

VIC 3071

Avg ICSEA

1,084

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#31Rhyll

VIC 3923

Avg ICSEA

1,083

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#32Mont Albert North

VIC 3129

Avg ICSEA

1,082

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#33Chirnside Park

VIC 3116

Avg ICSEA

1,080

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#34Geelong

VIC 3220

Avg ICSEA

1,080

Family HH %

53%

View profile →

#35Upwey

VIC 3158

Avg ICSEA

1,080

Family HH %

80%

View profile →

#36Nayook

VIC 3832

Avg ICSEA

1,079

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#37Charlemont

VIC 3217

Avg ICSEA

1,078

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#38Mount Dandenong

VIC 3767

Avg ICSEA

1,078

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#39Tylden

VIC 3444

Avg ICSEA

1,078

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#40Myrrhee

VIC 3732

Avg ICSEA

1,076

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#41Manifold Heights

VIC 3218

Avg ICSEA

1,075

Family HH %

66%

View profile →

#42Greensborough

VIC 3088

Avg ICSEA

1,074

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#43Wantirna

VIC 3152

Avg ICSEA

1,073

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#44Rowville

VIC 3178

Avg ICSEA

1,070

Family HH %

83%

View profile →

#45Maroona

VIC 3377

Avg ICSEA

1,064

Family HH %

93%

View profile →

#46Lysterfield

VIC 3156

Avg ICSEA

1,064

Family HH %

89%

View profile →

#47Castlemaine

VIC 3450

Avg ICSEA

1,064

Family HH %

57%

View profile →

#48Heidelberg West

VIC 3081

Avg ICSEA

1,056

Family HH %

57%

View profile →

#49Hurstbridge

VIC 3099

Avg ICSEA

1,055

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#50Kyneton

VIC 3444

Avg ICSEA

1,052

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

Common questions

About this ranking.

What is ICSEA and why does it matter?

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is ACARA's measure of the educational backgrounds of students at a school, used as a proxy for school resourcing and outcomes. Higher ICSEA generally correlates with stronger NAPLAN performance and higher senior-year retention. We use it because it's published consistently across all Australian schools, but it's not a direct quality measure, so always verify with site visits and NAPLAN data.

Why don't you rank by NAPLAN scores directly?

NAPLAN scores are published by My School (ACARA) but reproducing them in rankings is restricted. ICSEA is the next-best public proxy and correlates strongly with NAPLAN outcomes for like-for-like school cohorts.

How do school catchments affect this ranking?

We rank suburbs by the average ICSEA of schools located in or directly serving the suburb. Catchment boundaries cut through suburbs, so two houses on the same street can fall into different catchments. Always verify the in-catchment school for the specific address before making an offer.

Other rankings

Highest Growth Suburbs Most Affordable Suburbs Most Walkable Suburbs Lowest Flood Risk Suburbs Best Rental Yield Suburbs

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