Renting in Melbourne: the suburbs that stack up
Short answer: on the data we can source, Hawthorn, Ripponlea and Ascot Vale come out on top. That is from suburbs renting at or below the Melbourne median of $408/wk that still score at or above the city median for public transport — 45 of the 216 scored Melbourne suburbs clear that bar — then ordered by the same percentile scores behind every ranking on this site. Nothing on this page is sponsored.
By Formada3D research · Updated 10 October 2026
What should renters read before using this list?
Rents here are ABS census medians for the whole suburb, across every dwelling size. A one-bedroom flat will sit well below the figure shown and a four-bedroom house well above it — use these to rank suburbs against each other, not to budget.
Which Melbourne suburbs come out on top for renters? (top 5)
1. Hawthorn
$400/wk median rent — $8 below the Melbourne median. Safety 36/100, transit 89/100, green space 38/100. Full Hawthorn profile.
2. Ripponlea
$391/wk median rent — $17 below the Melbourne median. Safety 49/100, transit 97/100, green space 35/100. Full Ripponlea profile.
3. Ascot Vale
$370/wk median rent — $38 below the Melbourne median. Safety 21/100, transit 81/100, green space 38/100. Full Ascot Vale profile.
4. Balaclava
$386/wk median rent — $22 below the Melbourne median. Safety 17/100, transit 86/100, green space 12/100. Full Balaclava profile.
5. Moonee Ponds
$400/wk median rent — $8 below the Melbourne median. Safety 28/100, transit 79/100, green space 26/100. Full Moonee Ponds profile.
What else do people ask about Melbourne for renters?
Which Melbourne suburbs suit renters?
Hawthorn, Ripponlea and Ascot Vale lead on our scoring. The cut is suburbs renting at or below the Melbourne median of $408/wk that still score at or above the city median for public transport, and 45 of 216 scored suburbs clear it. Full ranking: best suburbs for public transport in Melbourne.
How is this worked out?
From the same open data behind every page here — official crime statistics, ABS census income and rent, OpenStreetMap parks, cafés, transit and schools — turned into per-suburb percentile scores. This page applies one extra filter on top, stated above, and changes nothing else. See how we rank suburbs.
What does this page not tell me?
Rents here are ABS census medians for the whole suburb, across every dwelling size. A one-bedroom flat will sit well below the figure shown and a four-bedroom house well above it — use these to rank suburbs against each other, not to budget.
Computed from 216 scored Melbourne suburbs. Guidance only — visit a suburb before you move there. No suburb, agent or developer can pay for placement on this page or any ranking it links to. Sources and full method: how we rank suburbs.