Alphington vs Kew East

In both, most households own their home. In Kew East, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kew East: a median of $2.23 million, against $1.88 million in Alphington. On these figures, Alphington tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Kew East suits couples.

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

Kew East

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 76/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 51%)
  • But Alphington has more childcare (7 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Alphington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($557,000 vs $825,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,880,000 vs $2,225,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Alphington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kew East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 66/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Kew East

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 76/100)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 66/100)
  • But Alphington has more units and townhouses to downsize into (48% vs 34%)

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

Investors

Alphington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (12.2% vs -0.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.5%)
  • But Kew East returns a higher gross yield on units (4.9% vs 4.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Alphington Kew East
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.

Alphington Kew East
Walkability 66 / 85
Alphington — Walkability: 66/100 Kew East — Walkability: 85/100
Safety 24 / 51
Alphington — Safety: 24/100 Kew East — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Alphington — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kew East — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 20 / 12
Alphington — Low flood risk: 20/100 Kew East — Low flood risk: 12/100

Demographics

Kew East skews older (41 vs 39).

Alphington Kew East
Population 5,702 6,620
+16% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.2% -0.2%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $126,308/yr $129,480/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $451/wk $471/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alphington Kew East
0-4 4.7% / 4.6%
Alphington — 0-4: 4.7% Kew East — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 10.6% / 13.4%
Alphington — 5-14: 10.6% Kew East — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 5.1% / 7.3%
Alphington — 15-19: 5.1% Kew East — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 6.9% / 6.6%
Alphington — 20-24: 6.9% Kew East — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 16.2% / 10.0%
Alphington — 25-34: 16.2% Kew East — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 14.3% / 12.3%
Alphington — 35-44: 14.3% Kew East — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 14.6% / 14.8%
Alphington — 45-54: 14.6% Kew East — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 13.6% / 13.5%
Alphington — 55-64: 13.6% Kew East — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 8.7% / 9.3%
Alphington — 65-74: 8.7% Kew East — 65-74: 9.3%
75-84 3.8% / 5.8%
Alphington — 75-84: 3.8% Kew East — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 1.7% / 2.5%
Alphington — 85+: 1.7% Kew East — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alphington 40.7% couple families
Alphington — Couple Families: 40.7% Alphington — Lone Person: 39.1% Alphington — One Parent Families: 10.5% Alphington — Group Household: 8.4% Alphington — Other Families: 1.4%
Kew East 52.7% couple families
Kew East — Couple Families: 52.7% Kew East — Lone Person: 25.8% Kew East — One Parent Families: 14.6% Kew East — Group Household: 5.7% Kew East — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alphington 34.4% renting
Alphington — Owned Outright: 32.9% Alphington — Mortgage: 32.8% Alphington — Renting: 34.4%
Kew East 24.0% renting
Kew East — Owned Outright: 41.9% Kew East — Mortgage: 34.0% Kew East — Renting: 24.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Alphington Kew East
Bachelor Degree 26.6% / 25.3%
Alphington — Bachelor Degree: 26.6% Kew East — Bachelor Degree: 25.3%
Postgraduate Degree 13.5% / 11.5%
Alphington — Postgraduate Degree: 13.5% Kew East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.9%
Alphington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Kew East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 5.3%
Alphington — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% Kew East — Certificate III & IV: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.5% / 3.9%
Alphington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.5% Kew East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.6%).

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.

Alphington Kew East
China 2.3% / 4.8%
Alphington — China: 2.3% Kew East — China: 4.8%
England 3.6% / 2.5%
Alphington — England: 3.6% Kew East — England: 2.5%
Greece 1.7% / 1.6%
Alphington — Greece: 1.7% Kew East — Greece: 1.6%
Italy 1.4% / 1.8%
Alphington — Italy: 1.4% Kew East — Italy: 1.8%
India 1.0% / 2.1%
Alphington — India: 1.0% Kew East — India: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.3%
Alphington — New Zealand: 1.4% Kew East — New Zealand: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alphington 51.9% houses
Alphington — Houses: 51.9% Alphington — Townhouses: 25.0% Alphington — Flats / Apartments: 23.0%
Kew East 66.3% houses
Kew East — Houses: 66.3% Kew East — Townhouses: 21.9% Kew East — Flats / Apartments: 11.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Alphington Kew East
Median house price $1,880,000 $2,225,000
Median unit price $557,000 $825,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 34 sales
 26 days
from 20 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Alphington Kew East
2 bed $694K / $760K
Alphington — 2 bed: $694K (30 sales) Kew East — 2 bed: $760K (33 sales)

30 vs 33 sales

3 bed $1.17M / $1.31M
Alphington — 3 bed: $1.17M (7 sales) Kew East — 3 bed: $1.31M (19 sales)

7 vs 19 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.

Alphington Kew East
2 bed $1.76M / $2.2M
Alphington — 2 bed: $1.76M (5 sales) Kew East — 2 bed: $2.2M (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.58M / $1.96M
Alphington — 3 bed: $1.58M (15 sales) Kew East — 3 bed: $1.96M (32 sales)

15 vs 32 sales

4 bed $2.01M / $2.42M
Alphington — 4 bed: $2.01M (22 sales) Kew East — 4 bed: $2.42M (38 sales)

22 vs 38 sales

Zoning mix

Alphington Kew East
Residential 52% 47%
Other and special use 19% 24%
Parks and recreation 12% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 12%
Industrial 6% 0%
Commercial 2%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Alphington Kew East
New dwellings approved 1,213
across Darebin
 711
across Boroondara
Approvals change year on year +0% -40%

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.

Alphington Kew East
Houses 3.2%
$950/wk on $1.55M
 2.5%
$1,000/wk on $2.1M
Units 4.1%
$565/wk on $719K
 4.9%
$717/wk on $755K

Ranking within VIC

Alphington Kew East
House price Higher than 96% of VIC —
Income Higher than 94% of VIC
same for both
Schools Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 6% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC

Liveability

Kew East is more walkable (85 vs 66); Kew East scores higher overall (82 vs 68).

Alphington Kew East
Grade B A+
Score 68/100 82/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Alphington carries more crime risk (76 vs 49).

Alphington Kew East
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
76/100
 Moderate
49/100
Flood High
80/100
 High
88/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Alphington Kew East
Inside the suburb 3
same for both
Rated above peers 1 3
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 4.9 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 4.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.7% 4.7%

Schools in Alphington

  • Alphington Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Alphington Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Anthony's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Kew East

  • Kew East Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Kew High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Anne's School Catholic · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Alphington Kew East
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 4 5
Parks & reserves 7 6
Childcare 7 4
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 1 7

Mobility

Alphington Kew East
Walkability score 66/100 85/100
Distance to Melbourne 9.6 km 9.7 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min 15 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
 80/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 92.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 249.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.0%
postcode 3078
 2.8%
postcode 3102
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3078
 24
postcode 3102

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.

Alphington Kew East
Worked from Home 51.9% / 45.2%
Alphington — Worked from Home: 51.9% Kew East — Worked from Home: 45.2%
Car (driver) 35.1% / 44.7%
Alphington — Car (driver): 35.1% Kew East — Car (driver): 44.7%
Train 4.2% / 0.6%
Alphington — Train: 4.2% Kew East — Train: 0.6%
Bicycle 3.4% / 1.2%
Alphington — Bicycle: 3.4% Kew East — Bicycle: 1.2%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 2.7%
Alphington — Car (passenger): 1.9% Kew East — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Walked Only 2.1% / 1.9%
Alphington — Walked Only: 2.1% Kew East — Walked Only: 1.9%
Bus 1.2% / 1.8%
Alphington — Bus: 1.2% Kew East — Bus: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.9%).

Setting

Alphington Kew East
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.3 km 10.7 km

NBN connectivity

Alphington Kew East
Connectivity score 76/100 89/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 4%
2,538 premises
 45%
3,012 premises

Climate

Alphington Kew East
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Alphington Kew East
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.82 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Alphington Kew East
Average residential rate $1,764/yr $2,253/yr
Council Darebin Boroondara

Federal electorate

Alphington Kew East
Division Cooper Kooyong
Member Ged Kearney Monique Ryan
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Alphington Kew East
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alphington

Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

Kew East

Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals River Townhouses Trams

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alphington

Alphington vs Kew Alphington vs Thornbury Alphington vs Ivanhoe Alphington vs Fairfield

Other comparisons with Kew East

Kew East vs Kew Kew East vs Balwyn North Kew East vs Balwyn Kew East vs Ivanhoe Kew East vs Ivanhoe East
Full data on Alphington Full data on Kew East
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.

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