Demographics

Our city

The City of Kingston is located approximately 20km south of Melbourne, surrounded by the cities of Bayside, Monash, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong and Frankston. 

Kingston is recognised as one of Victoria’s main employment centres and largest industrial sectors, with more than 70,000 people employed across 15,500 businesses. Almost 30 per cent of the community also work locally.

A range of quality shopping is available across the city from Southland Shopping Centre to the local neighbourhood shops and village strips.

Population

Kingston is a diverse community with an estimated population of 167,228, which consists of a range of cultures, ages and household types. By 2041 the population is forecast to reach 198,340 people.

30 per cent of Kingston residents were born overseas, with 22 per cent speaking a language other than English. Immigration trends have influenced Kingston’s rich cultural community with an ageing Italian and Greek population and an increase in people arriving from China and India.

Suburbs

Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Bonbeach, Braeside, Carrum, Chelsea, Chelsea Heights, Cheltenham, Clarinda, Clayton South, Dingley Village, Edithvale, Heatherton, Highett, Mentone, Moorabbin, Moorabbin Airport, Mordialloc, Oakleigh South, Parkdale, Patterson Lakes and Waterways.

Our history

Kingston has a rich First Nations Australian history, and today we have a proud vibrant Aboriginal culture.

The Boon Wurrung people connected with the land and waterways. In good weather they camped along the foreshore and in poor conditions they found shelter in woodlands and near rocks. Middens and scarred trees are left as evidence of the Aboriginal’s activities and seasonal campsites.

The Wurundjeri-baluk clan lived further inland and belonged to the Kulin Nation which occupied most of Western and Central Victoria. In the early 1840s a Mordialloc camping reserve was made for the Boon Wurrung people and is now marked with the Aboriginal flag beside Mordialloc Creek. Read more about our Aboriginal heritage.

Amalgamation

The City of Kingston merged with the former cities of Moorabbin, Chelsea, Springvale and Oakleigh in December 1994. Throughout the years Kingston has built a vibrant and lively municipality which residents are proud to call home.

Visit our Kingston’s Local History website to discover stories of the local lives lead here.

Demographic data

The following resources are available for everyone to access data about Kingston. They help us to understand who lives and works in Kingston now, in the past and in the future.

Email community@kingston.vic.gov.au with any questions.

Community profile

Our community profile is the who, what, where and why of the city. It shows the characteristics of the people in our community drawn from the Census, how they have changed over time and how they compare to other areas. It provides accessible demographic profiles with the ability to create reports and export the data.

Community atlas

Our community atlas shows key socio-demographic characteristics for the area in a series of maps. Based on Census data, the atlas visually presents demographic patterns in our community, enabling the data to be seen spatially, and for clusters of demographic groups to be located.

Population forecast

Our population forecast shows expected future changes in population, age structure and household types across Kingston’s suburbs.

Economic profile

Our Economic profile provides the data behind the people, businesses and industries operating in Kingston. Kingston is widely recognised as a manufacturing powerhouse and home to a range of world-class businesses, as well as a booming retail sector.

Other prominent land uses in Kingston includes farming, fishing, market gardens, quarrying, manufacturing, retailing and transport (including Moorabbin Airport).

Ward profiles

Our Ward Profiles provide an overview of key data within the eleven wards of Kingston:

  • population statistics
  • education and employment
  • household number, composition and income
  • connections, volunteering and access to internet. 

Health and wellbeing

Our Health and Wellbeing Survey is completed every four years to provide data to guide the preparation of our Public Health and Wellbeing Plan(PDF, 992KB).

Visit our Public Health and Wellbeing page to use our dashboard to explore different demographic group trends about physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellbeing, safety, connections, participation and more.