The numbers, in plain English
To rent in Preston without housing stress, a household income of about $95,000/year keeps the rent of $550/week at or below 30% of gross income, the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is the official median for a 2-bedroom unit, the most common new lease here (521 bonds lodged). Check your income →
To buy the median home ($1,185,000) with a 20% deposit of $237k, repayments at 6.85% over 30 years come to about $6,212/month: comfortable on roughly $248,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 13.2 years, before stamp duty of $65k. Run your own loan →
That price is the real median of 308 house sales in Preston, published by the state land authority, not an estimate.
Compared to the rest of Victoria, Preston is more expensive to buy than 95% of the state's suburbs (state median $330k) and pricier to rent than 78% (state median $445/week). It sits roughly 9 km from the Melbourne CBD as the crow flies.
For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 2.4% before costs. Net yield calculator →
Modelled medians, not valuations. Every formula above is documented on our methodology page.
Actual rents lodged here
Bonds lodged, September 2025Measured median rents, not modelled, from every rental bond lodged with the Victorian RTBA in Preston · a typical 2-bedroom unit rents for $550/week.
| Bedrooms | Type | Median rent | Bonds lodged |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | unit | $440/wk | 236 |
| 2 | unit | $550/wk | 521 |
| 3 | house | $675/wk | 237 |
Source: Victoria DFFH Rental Report (CC BY 4.0), moving-annual by suburb with at least 5 lodgements per figure. Updated quarterly. See data sources.
Affordability by income
$60k income
Rent ($550/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $346/wk
Buy ($1.19M)
Repayments are a stretch
$6,212/mo · deposit in ~26.4yr
$90k income
Rent ($550/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $519/wk
Buy ($1.19M)
Repayments are a stretch
$6,212/mo · deposit in ~17.6yr
$120k income
Rent ($550/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $692/wk
Buy ($1.19M)
Repayments are a stretch
$6,212/mo · deposit in ~13.2yr
Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6.85% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.
Upfront buying costs
| Purchase price | $1.19M |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $237k |
| Stamp duty (Victoria) | $65k |
| Stamp duty (first home buyer) | Same, check eligibility |
| Conveyancing (est.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Building inspection (est.) | $400 – $700 |
| Total upfront (est.) | $305k |
Who lives here & what's nearby
Real figures for Preston. Measured, not modelled.
How Preston compares
- Households here earn about 34% more than the typical suburb in Victoria.
- Fewer owners than most of Victoria: 57% own their home, against a 79% median.
- Younger than average, a median age of 37 vs 46 statewide.
- 40% of homes here are rented, against 15% across Victoria, a rental market.
Demographics and tenure from the ABS 2021 Census; the socio-economic score is the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative disadvantage, scaled 0–100 against every Australian postcode; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in Victoria. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet, see our data sources.
What's around Preston
Parks, markets, sport, libraries and community places nearby.
- G.H. Mott Reserve300 m
- Preston City Oval700 m
- T.A. Cochrane Reserve800 m
- A.G. Davis Park800 m
- Preston Market700 m
- Galaxy Pool Lounge700 m
- 5th Northcote Scout Group1.6 km
- 4th Preston Scout Group1.7 km
- Regent Tennis Club1.9 km
- Preston Library300 m
- C1.0 km
- Reservoir Public Library and Community Centre2.8 km
- Nevoliany Scopia Social Club1.4 km
- East Preston Senior Citizens and Youth Club Centre1.6 km
- Darebin The Hub Youth Space2.1 km
- Newlands Community Centre2.4 km
Places within about 3 km, from OpenStreetMap contributors, with distances as the crow flies. Something missing or moved? Tell us.
Get to know Preston
Video tours, maps and community groups for Preston.
Neighbourhood scores
Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.
Related reading
Government schemes that may apply
5% Deposit Scheme
Buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. No income test and no limit on places since 1 October 2025; price caps vary by area.
Learn more →First home owner grant
$10,000 towards a new home valued up to $750,000, for eligible first home buyers.
Learn more →First Home Super Saver (FHSS)
Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.
Learn more →Stamp duty concessions
At Preston's median of $1,185,000, VIC's first home buyer concession has phased out. Duty is about $65,175.
Learn more →So what now?
The questions these numbers usually raise, and where to get each one answered.
Could I borrow $948k?
Run your income and debts through the same serviceability rules the banks use.
Free calculatorWhat would repayments be on $1.19M?
Monthly, fortnightly and weekly, with the full amortisation schedule.
Free calculatorAm I better off renting at $550/week?
Compare the total cost of both paths in Preston over time.
Free calculatorGetting the place inspected
A licensed inspector checks for structural and pest problems before you exchange contracts.
Someone to handle the legal side
A conveyancer reviews the contract, runs the title searches and manages settlement.
We do not rank these or say which is best: that would be advice, and we are not licensed to give it. Where a link pays us it says so beside the link, and it never changes what we show or the order we show it in. Our methodology explains every figure above.
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Rent data for Preston sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6.85% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.
General Advice Warning
The information on this site is general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own situation and seek professional advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, accountant, or solicitor.