Preston
VIC 3072 · Darebin
33,790 (2021) → 37,662 est. (2025) · High Growth
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Preston is a high growth suburb in Darebin, VIC 3072, about 9km from Melbourne CBD. Its median house price of $1.21M is more expensive than the VIC average. The suburb has 16 schools, a transport score of 100/100, and is about 13km inland. Preston has an overall score of 95/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 29/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: China (3.02%), Italy (3%), Greece (2.85%), India (2.45%), Vietnam (2.21%)
Top languages: Greek (5.68%), Italian (4.6%), Mandarin (3.48%), Vietnamese (2.67%), Arabic (2.28%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (DTF) · Updated 2024
Residential Safety
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (suburb-level) · Updated 2025
Schools
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1075 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Bell Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1154
- Preston West Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1134
- Newlands Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1120
- Preston South Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1117
- Preston Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1105
- Preston High SchoolSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 1098
- St Raphael's SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1098
- Sacred Heart SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1091
- St John's College PrestonCombined · IndependentICSEA 1058
- Northern College of the Arts and TechnologySecondary · GovernmentICSEA 1045
- East Preston Islamic CollegeCombined · IndependentICSEA 985
- Preston North East Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 945
- Parade College - Preston CampusSecondary · Catholic
- Charles La Trobe P-12 College-The Pavilion Campus - Preston EastCombined · Government
- Yarra Me SchoolSecondary · Government
- SEDA College (Victoria) - AFL- PrestonSecondary · Independent
Nearby (within 10km)
- Penders Grove Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1035
- Holy Name SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.6kmICSEA 1079
- Thornbury Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.8kmICSEA 1070
- St Mary's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.8kmICSEA 1091
- Wales Street Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.2kmICSEA 1143
- Thornbury High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.2kmICSEA 1054
- Holy Spirit SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.2kmICSEA 1104
- Fitzroy Community School - Thornbury CampusPrimary · Independent · 2.2km
- Croxton Special School-Transition Learning CentreCombined · Government · 2.3km
- Reservoir East Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.6kmICSEA 934
- Reservoir West Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.7kmICSEA 1066
- Virtual School VictoriaCombined · Government · 2.7kmICSEA 1068
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
High GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Darebin
Compare Preston with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Preston
Is Preston safe?
Preston has a residential safety score of 29/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 15,750 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Preston?
In Preston, the .
How far is Preston from Melbourne CBD?
Preston is about 8.9 km from Melbourne CBD, an estimated 26 minutes by public transport.
What schools are in Preston?
Preston has 16 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1079 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Preston?
Preston has a transport score of 100/100 and 164 bus stops.