Ashburton vs Ashwood

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Ashburton, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ashburton: a median of $1.97 million, against $1.42 million in Ashwood, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ashburton tends to suit couples, while Ashwood suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Ashburton

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 3)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (76% vs 58%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 57%)
  • But Ashwood has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Ashburton leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 31%)
  • Ashwood has cheaper houses ($1,415,000 vs $1,967,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ashwood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($391/wk vs $455/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Ashburton has more GPs (5 vs 2)
  • Ashwood has more units and townhouses to downsize into (42% vs 24%)

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

Investors

Ashwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.3% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ashburton Ashwood
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.

Ashburton Ashwood
Walkability 92 / 88
Ashburton — Walkability: 92/100 Ashwood — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 30 / 24
Ashburton — Safety: 30/100 Ashwood — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ashburton — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ashwood — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 48 / 58
Ashburton — Low flood risk: 48/100 Ashwood — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

Ashburton has higher household incomes ($142,636 vs $99,268); Ashburton rents higher ($455/wk vs $391/wk).

Ashburton Ashwood
Population 7,952
+10% vs other
 7,154
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% +3.9%
Median age 41 39
Median household income $142,636/yr
+30% vs other
 $99,268/yr
Median weekly rent $455/wk
+14% vs other
 $391/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ashburton Ashwood
0-4 5.2% / 5.2%
Ashburton — 0-4: 5.2% Ashwood — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 14.7% / 11.6%
Ashburton — 5-14: 14.7% Ashwood — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 7.0% / 5.7%
Ashburton — 15-19: 7.0% Ashwood — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 5.7% / 6.1%
Ashburton — 20-24: 5.7% Ashwood — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 9.0% / 14.6%
Ashburton — 25-34: 9.0% Ashwood — 25-34: 14.6%
35-44 13.1% / 14.2%
Ashburton — 35-44: 13.1% Ashwood — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 15.7% / 13.4%
Ashburton — 45-54: 15.7% Ashwood — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 12.8% / 11.2%
Ashburton — 55-64: 12.8% Ashwood — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 8.7% / 8.5%
Ashburton — 65-74: 8.7% Ashwood — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 5.3% / 5.8%
Ashburton — 75-84: 5.3% Ashwood — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 2.9% / 3.6%
Ashburton — 85+: 2.9% Ashwood — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ashburton 58.1% couple families
Ashburton — Couple Families: 58.1% Ashburton — Lone Person: 25.3% Ashburton — One Parent Families: 12.4% Ashburton — Group Household: 3.0% Ashburton — Other Families: 1.2%
Ashwood 41.8% couple families
Ashwood — Couple Families: 41.8% Ashwood — Lone Person: 35.9% Ashwood — One Parent Families: 15.4% Ashwood — Group Household: 5.4% Ashwood — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ashburton 25.5% renting
Ashburton — Owned Outright: 38.9% Ashburton — Mortgage: 35.6% Ashburton — Renting: 25.5%
Ashwood 37.8% renting
Ashwood — Owned Outright: 30.1% Ashwood — Mortgage: 32.1% Ashwood — Renting: 37.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ashburton Ashwood
Bachelor Degree 24.7% / 21.8%
Ashburton — Bachelor Degree: 24.7% Ashwood — Bachelor Degree: 21.8%
Postgraduate Degree 10.5% / 10.0%
Ashburton — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5% Ashwood — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 7.5%
Ashburton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Ashwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 4.9% / 7.0%
Ashburton — Certificate III & IV: 4.9% Ashwood — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.5% / 3.0%
Ashburton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5% Ashwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

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.

Ashburton Ashwood
China 5.8% / 9.7%
Ashburton — China: 5.8% Ashwood — China: 9.7%
England 2.9% / 2.5%
Ashburton — England: 2.9% Ashwood — England: 2.5%
India 2.1% / 3.1%
Ashburton — India: 2.1% Ashwood — India: 3.1%
Malaysia 1.5% / 2.3%
Ashburton — Malaysia: 1.5% Ashwood — Malaysia: 2.3%
Sri Lanka 0.8% / 2.1%
Ashburton — Sri Lanka: 0.8% Ashwood — Sri Lanka: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.2%
Ashburton — New Zealand: 1.3% Ashwood — New Zealand: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ashburton 76.1% houses
Ashburton — Houses: 76.1% Ashburton — Flats / Apartments: 3.7% Ashburton — Townhouses: 20.2%
Ashwood 58.1% houses
Ashwood — Houses: 58.1% Ashwood — Flats / Apartments: 29.8% Ashwood — Townhouses: 12.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Ashburton Ashwood
Median house price $1,967,500 $1,415,000
Median unit price $887,500 $858,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 82 sales
 24 days
from 56 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.

Ashburton Ashwood
2 bed $1.46M / $1.25M
Ashburton — 2 bed: $1.46M (6 sales) Ashwood — 2 bed: $1.25M (8 sales)

6 vs 8 sales

3 bed $1.49M / $1.35M
Ashburton — 3 bed: $1.49M (54 sales) Ashwood — 3 bed: $1.35M (53 sales)

54 vs 53 sales

4 bed $2.09M / $1.68M
Ashburton — 4 bed: $2.09M (78 sales) Ashwood — 4 bed: $1.68M (27 sales)

78 vs 27 sales

5 bed $2.45M / $2.02M
Ashburton — 5 bed: $2.45M (15 sales) Ashwood — 5 bed: $2.02M (13 sales)

15 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Ashburton Ashwood
Residential 79% 74%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 13%
Parks and recreation 12% 10%
Commercial 2% 3%
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

Ashburton Ashwood
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
 1,233
across Monash
Approvals change year on year -40% -4%

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.

Ashburton Ashwood
Houses 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.76M
 3.1%
$770/wk on $1.3M
Units 2.4%
$450/wk on $965K
 4.3%
$665/wk on $811K

Ranking within VIC

Ashburton Ashwood
House price Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Income Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Schools Higher than 28% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC

Liveability

Ashburton Ashwood
Grade B A
Score 65/100 68/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Ashburton carries more flood risk (52 vs 42).

Ashburton Ashwood
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 High
76/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
42/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Ashburton Ashwood
Inside the suburb 3 5
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.4 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 2.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.3% 3.2%

Schools in Ashburton

  • Ashburton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Solway Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Michael's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Ashwood

  • Ashwood High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Parkhill Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Ashwood School Government · Combined · Special school
  • Berengarra School - Café Education Independent · Secondary · Special school
  • Frank Dando Sports Academy Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Ashburton Ashwood
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 12 1
Parks & reserves 8 3
Childcare 10 8
GPs 5 2
Pharmacies 4 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Ashburton Ashwood
Walkability score 92/100 88/100
Distance to Melbourne 14.5 km 16.1 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 24 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 102.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 99.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.2%
postcode 3147
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 3147
same for both

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.

Ashburton Ashwood
Worked from Home 51.1% / 44.5%
Ashburton — Worked from Home: 51.1% Ashwood — Worked from Home: 44.5%
Car (driver) 37.5% / 45.8%
Ashburton — Car (driver): 37.5% Ashwood — Car (driver): 45.8%
Train 4.0% / 4.0%
Ashburton — Train: 4.0% Ashwood — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 2.8%
Ashburton — Car (passenger): 2.9% Ashwood — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 2.4% / 1.0%
Ashburton — Walked Only: 2.4% Ashwood — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 0.5% / 1.5%
Ashburton — Bus: 0.5% Ashwood — Bus: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.1%).

Setting

Ashburton Ashwood
Elevation 54 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.8 km 10.6 km

NBN connectivity

Ashburton Ashwood
Connectivity score 77/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
3,709 premises
 2%
3,259 premises

Climate

Ashburton Ashwood
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Ashburton Ashwood
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Ashburton Ashwood
Average residential rate $2,253/yr $1,697/yr
Council Boroondara Monash

Federal electorate

Ashburton Ashwood
Division Chisholm
same for both
Member Carina Garland
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ashburton Ashwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ashburton

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

Ashwood

Middle-Ring Multicultural Premium Professionals River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ashburton

Ashburton vs Glen Iris Ashburton vs Malvern East

Other comparisons with Ashwood

Ashwood vs Mount Waverley Ashwood vs Glen Iris Ashwood vs Malvern East Ashwood vs Burwood Ashwood vs Chadstone
Full data on Ashburton Full data on Ashwood
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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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