Doncaster East
VICDoncaster East is a growing suburb in VIC with 30,926 residents.
- SAL code
- 20772
- SA2
- 207021425
- Population
- 30,926
- LGA
- Manningham
Doncaster East, VIC had 30,926 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 6.5% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 41. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,400 a month. Around 73.2% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 41.4%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 63.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 60 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Doncaster East, VIC at a glance
Doncaster East is an established middle-ring eastern Melbourne suburb ~20 km from the CBD in the City of Manningham. The dwelling stock is a mix of generous post-war family homes on bigger lots and a steady drip of contemporary townhouses replacing them, with strong school zoning underpinning values. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline context.
For homebuyers
Doncaster East draws families chasing space, schools and the Westfield Doncaster catchment without paying inner-east prices. Houses dominate — mostly 3- and 4-bedroom on standard-to-large lots — with newer townhouses sliding into older streets as the redevelopment cycle ticks over. Ruffey Lake Park and the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail are the recreation anchors; Tunstall Square and The Pines handle daily shopping while Westfield Doncaster (~5 min by car) carries the major retail. School zoning is the standout draw — East Doncaster Secondary College, Milgate Primary, Donburn Primary and Doncaster Gardens Primary all sit inside or adjacent to the SAL. There's no train line; commuters rely on the DART bus network and the Eastern Freeway, with the new Bulleen Park & Ride busway already open as part of North East Link. In short: a settled, school-anchored eastern-suburbs pick if you want family-sized housing with Westfield and the freeway on the doorstep.
For investors
Doncaster East is a capital-growth-tilted, low-yield market. Median house ~$1.75M against ~$725/wk rent gives a ~2.15% gross yield (htag May 2026); units median ~$660K with ~$680/wk rent runs closer to 4.06% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth was flat at +0.31%; units soft at -6.42%. Houses spend ~34-41 days on market with vacancy ~1.49%. Volume is deep — 352 house and 259 unit sales in 12 months.
Strengths
- Deep transaction market (~611 combined sales in 12 months) — easy to enter and exit for either grain.
- School-zoning premium (East Doncaster Secondary College catchment) holds family-buyer demand through cycles.
- Vacancy ~1.49% and median 34-41 days on market signals reasonable leasing velocity for a high-priced suburb.
- Unit yields ~4.06% (May 2026) offer a meaningfully better cashflow profile than the $1.75M house entry.
Trade-offs
- House gross yield ~2.15% (htag May 2026) — entry price + carrying cost dominate; not a cashflow play.
- Unit segment posted -6.42% over 12 months and -7.71% in the latest quarter — recent weakness for stratified stock.
- House capital growth flat at +0.31% YoY — buyers are paying for amenity + zoning, not momentum.
- No train line; reliance on Eastern Freeway means commute quality is sensitive to North East Link works through 2028.
What's coming
Manningham's 2025/26 Capital Works program is $49M, with the long-running Doncaster East Village Structure Plan still framing precinct upgrades along Doncaster Road. The bigger lever is North East Link — tunnelling underway since mid-2024, Eastern Freeway widening to as many as 20 lanes in sections, and the Doncaster Busway extending through the Bulleen Park & Ride (already open). Completion targeted late 2028.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a school-anchored eastern family suburb with Westfield and freeway access at the cost of a $1.75M-ish entry. For investors: a low-yield, amenity-driven hold — units offer better cashflow but have softened sharply.
Population
?30,926
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+6.5%
3yr: +8.2% · 10yr: +18.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,792/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
41
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?5.5%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
6
5 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?24
11 long day, 6 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?60
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?148
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?83
Manningham · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Doncaster East - South (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Doncaster East suburb alone is ~30,926 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 11,912 to 16,983 over 24 years, averaging 1.5% per year.
Schools
6 in suburbSector
5 public · 1 private
Type
5 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
5,067
Avg per school
845
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.5%Predominantly detached houses (63.1%), owner-occupied (73.2%).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
16 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 38.6% | 4.29 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 31.9% | 3.55 km² |
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 7.2% | 0.80 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 5.5% | 0.61 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 4.6% | 0.52 km² |
| RGZ2 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 2Residential | 3.0% | 0.34 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 2.0% | 0.22 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 1.6% | 0.18 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.5% | 0.16 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 1.4% | 0.15 km² |
| SUZ2 | Special Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.8% | 0.09 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.8% | 0.09 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.3% | 0.03 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.3% | 0.03 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.2% | 0.03 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.