Alfred Cove vs Melville

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Alfred Cove is closer to the city centre: 12.8 km, against 14.9 km.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Melville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Alfred Cove

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 53/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (12.8 km vs 14.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Alfred Cove is more walkable (79/100 vs 53/100)
  • Melville has more GPs (2 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Alfred Cove and Melville drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Alfred Cove Melville
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Alfred Cove Melville
Walkability 79 / 53
Alfred Cove — Walkability: 79/100 Melville — Walkability: 53/100
Safety 51 / 42
Alfred Cove — Safety: 51/100 Melville — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 100 / 76
Alfred Cove — Low fire risk: 100/100 Melville — Low fire risk: 76/100
Low flood risk 53 / 100
Alfred Cove — Low flood risk: 53/100 Melville — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Melville has more residents (6,204 vs 2,830).

Alfred Cove Melville
Population 2,830 6,204
+119% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.0% +8.9%
Median age 41 42
Median household income $117,624/yr
+3% vs other
 $113,516/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+2% vs other
 $420/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alfred Cove Melville
0-4 5.5% / 5.3%
Alfred Cove — 0-4: 5.5% Melville — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.7% / 14.0%
Alfred Cove — 5-14: 13.7% Melville — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 5.9% / 7.1%
Alfred Cove — 15-19: 5.9% Melville — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 5.4% / 5.4%
Alfred Cove — 20-24: 5.4% Melville — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 10.2% / 9.8%
Alfred Cove — 25-34: 10.2% Melville — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 14.3% / 12.6%
Alfred Cove — 35-44: 14.3% Melville — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 14.8% / 15.5%
Alfred Cove — 45-54: 14.8% Melville — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 11.9% / 12.7%
Alfred Cove — 55-64: 11.9% Melville — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 9.9% / 8.4%
Alfred Cove — 65-74: 9.9% Melville — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 6.1% / 5.2%
Alfred Cove — 75-84: 6.1% Melville — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 2.3% / 4.0%
Alfred Cove — 85+: 2.3% Melville — 85+: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alfred Cove 50.3% couple families
Alfred Cove — Couple Families: 50.3% Alfred Cove — Lone Person: 32.4% Alfred Cove — One Parent Families: 13.4% Alfred Cove — Group Household: 3.4% Alfred Cove — Other Families: 0.5%
Melville 49.8% couple families
Melville — Couple Families: 49.8% Melville — Lone Person: 32.5% Melville — One Parent Families: 13.3% Melville — Group Household: 3.0% Melville — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alfred Cove 17.3% renting
Alfred Cove — Owned Outright: 42.3% Alfred Cove — Mortgage: 40.3% Alfred Cove — Renting: 17.3%
Melville 15.7% renting
Melville — Owned Outright: 39.2% Melville — Mortgage: 45.1% Melville — Renting: 15.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Alfred Cove Melville
Bachelor Degree 21.8% / 19.0%
Alfred Cove — Bachelor Degree: 21.8% Melville — Bachelor Degree: 19.0%
Certificate III & IV 10.8% / 11.2%
Alfred Cove — Certificate III & IV: 10.8% Melville — Certificate III & IV: 11.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.2%
Alfred Cove — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Melville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.6% / 5.6%
Alfred Cove — Postgraduate Degree: 6.6% Melville — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 3.4%
Alfred Cove — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Melville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Alfred Cove Melville
England 7.2% / 6.9%
Alfred Cove — England: 7.2% Melville — England: 6.9%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.7%
Alfred Cove — New Zealand: 1.6% Melville — New Zealand: 1.7%
South Africa 1.7% / 1.0%
Alfred Cove — South Africa: 1.7% Melville — South Africa: 1.0%
Italy 1.4% / 0.9%
Alfred Cove — Italy: 1.4% Melville — Italy: 0.9%
Scotland 1.3% / 0.8%
Alfred Cove — Scotland: 1.3% Melville — Scotland: 0.8%
India 1.3% / 0.6%
Alfred Cove — India: 1.3% Melville — India: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alfred Cove 78.1% houses
Alfred Cove — Houses: 78.1% Alfred Cove — Townhouses: 19.2% Alfred Cove — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Melville 78.0% houses
Melville — Houses: 78.0% Melville — Townhouses: 19.0% Melville — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Alfred Cove Melville
Median house price $1,587,500 $1,530,000
Median unit price $830,000 $832,000
Median land price — $866,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 29 sales
 30 days
from 80 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Alfred Cove Melville
3 bed $1.39M / $1.32M
Alfred Cove — 3 bed: $1.39M (37 sales) Melville — 3 bed: $1.32M (57 sales)

37 vs 57 sales

4 bed $1.64M / $1.75M
Alfred Cove — 4 bed: $1.64M (25 sales) Melville — 4 bed: $1.75M (64 sales)

25 vs 64 sales

5 bed $2.42M / $2.13M
Alfred Cove — 5 bed: $2.42M (5 sales) Melville — 5 bed: $2.13M (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

Development activity

Alfred Cove Melville
New dwellings approved 727
across Melville
same for both
Approvals change year on year +268%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Alfred Cove Melville
Houses 3.4%
$950/wk on $1.45M
 3.8%
$875/wk on $1.2M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Alfred Cove Melville
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 85% of WA Higher than 80% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 94% of WA Higher than 84% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 94% of WA Higher than 93% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of WA Higher than 95% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of WA Higher than 20% of WA

Liveability

Alfred Cove is more walkable (79 vs 53).

Alfred Cove Melville
Grade A
same for both
Score 78/100 76/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Alfred Cove carries more flood risk (47 vs 0); Melville carries more bushfire risk (24 vs 0).

Alfred Cove Melville
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
24/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Moderate
58/100
Flood Moderate
47/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Alfred Cove Melville
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Murdoch University (Murdoch), 4.5 km
 3
The University of Notre Dame Australia - Fremantle, 4.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.4% 3.1%

Schools in Alfred Cove

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Melville

  • Melville Senior High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Melville Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Alfred Cove Melville
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2 6
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 1 3
GPs 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Melville sits further from the CBD (14.9 km vs 12.8 km).

Alfred Cove Melville
Walkability score 79/100 53/100
Distance to Perth 12.8 km 14.9 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 21 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 86.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 173.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 6154
 1.9%
postcode 6156
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 6154
 47
postcode 6156

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Alfred Cove Melville
Car (driver) 71.5% / 74.4%
Alfred Cove — Car (driver): 71.5% Melville — Car (driver): 74.4%
Worked from Home 13.0% / 11.3%
Alfred Cove — Worked from Home: 13.0% Melville — Worked from Home: 11.3%
Bus 6.5% / 4.4%
Alfred Cove — Bus: 6.5% Melville — Bus: 4.4%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 4.5%
Alfred Cove — Car (passenger): 4.5% Melville — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Train 2.4% / 3.5%
Alfred Cove — Train: 2.4% Melville — Train: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.4%).

Setting

Alfred Cove Melville
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.4 km
3.5 km to a named beach
 5.2 km
2.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Alfred Cove Melville
Connectivity score 74/100 89/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
1,303 premises
 54%
2,757 premises

Climate

Alfred Cove Melville
Annual rainfall 650 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Alfred Cove Melville
Average residential rate $2,396/yr
same for both
Council Melville
same for both

Federal electorate

Alfred Cove Melville
Division Tangney
same for both
Member Sam Lim
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alfred Cove Melville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alfred Cove

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Quiet Transport Hub

Melville

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Premium Professionals Quiet Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alfred Cove

Alfred Cove vs Applecross Alfred Cove vs Attadale Alfred Cove vs Booragoon Alfred Cove vs Ardross Alfred Cove vs Myaree

Other comparisons with Melville

Melville vs Palmyra Melville vs Bicton Melville vs Attadale Melville vs Willagee Melville vs Myaree
Full data on Alfred Cove Full data on Melville
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or