Balwyn vs Mont Albert

In both, most households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Balwyn, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Balwyn: a median of $2.6 million, against $2.31 million in Mont Albert. Balwyn is closer to the city centre: 13.6 km, against 19.9 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

Balwyn

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Mont Albert

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 35%)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,310,000 vs $2,600,000)

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

Balwyn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (13.6 km vs 19.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Balwyn

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 74/100)

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 unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Balwyn Mont Albert
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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
Walkability 93 / 90
Balwyn — Walkability: 93/100 Mont Albert — Walkability: 90/100
Safety 38 / 26
Balwyn — Safety: 38/100 Mont Albert — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Balwyn — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mont Albert — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 73 / 84
Balwyn — Low flood risk: 73/100 Mont Albert — Low flood risk: 84/100

Demographics

Balwyn has more residents (13,495 vs 4,948); Mont Albert has higher household incomes ($120,848 vs $102,700).

Balwyn Mont Albert
Population 13,495
+63% vs other
 4,948
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.4% +2.2%
Median age 43 42
Median household income $102,700/yr $120,848/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $451/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Balwyn Mont Albert
0-4 3.4% / 3.9%
Balwyn — 0-4: 3.4% Mont Albert — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 12.8% / 10.5%
Balwyn — 5-14: 12.8% Mont Albert — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 7.0% / 6.5%
Balwyn — 15-19: 7.0% Mont Albert — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 6.7% / 7.1%
Balwyn — 20-24: 6.7% Mont Albert — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 10.0% / 12.3%
Balwyn — 25-34: 10.0% Mont Albert — 25-34: 12.3%
35-44 12.4% / 12.7%
Balwyn — 35-44: 12.4% Mont Albert — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 14.2% / 13.6%
Balwyn — 45-54: 14.2% Mont Albert — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 12.4% / 13.5%
Balwyn — 55-64: 12.4% Mont Albert — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 10.4% / 11.9%
Balwyn — 65-74: 10.4% Mont Albert — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 6.9% / 5.6%
Balwyn — 75-84: 6.9% Mont Albert — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 3.8% / 2.6%
Balwyn — 85+: 3.8% Mont Albert — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 47.2% couple families
Balwyn — Couple Families: 47.2% Balwyn — Lone Person: 32.8% Balwyn — One Parent Families: 15.4% Balwyn — Group Household: 3.1% Balwyn — Other Families: 1.4%
Mont Albert 46.7% couple families
Mont Albert — Couple Families: 46.7% Mont Albert — Lone Person: 35.1% Mont Albert — One Parent Families: 12.3% Mont Albert — Group Household: 3.9% Mont Albert — Other Families: 2.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 27.8% renting
Balwyn — Owned Outright: 44.0% Balwyn — Mortgage: 28.2% Balwyn — Renting: 27.8%
Mont Albert 28.5% renting
Mont Albert — Owned Outright: 40.9% Mont Albert — Mortgage: 30.6% Mont Albert — Renting: 28.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Balwyn Mont Albert
Bachelor Degree 25.7% / 26.2%
Balwyn — Bachelor Degree: 25.7% Mont Albert — Bachelor Degree: 26.2%
Postgraduate Degree 11.6% / 13.2%
Balwyn — Postgraduate Degree: 11.6% Mont Albert — Postgraduate Degree: 13.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.8%
Balwyn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Mont Albert — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Certificate III & IV 4.2% / 4.7%
Balwyn — Certificate III & IV: 4.2% Mont Albert — Certificate III & IV: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 4.6%
Balwyn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Mont Albert — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
China 17.2% / 10.2%
Balwyn — China: 17.2% Mont Albert — China: 10.2%
India 3.6% / 2.0%
Balwyn — India: 3.6% Mont Albert — India: 2.0%
Malaysia 3.3% / 2.0%
Balwyn — Malaysia: 3.3% Mont Albert — Malaysia: 2.0%
England 2.4% / 2.8%
Balwyn — England: 2.4% Mont Albert — England: 2.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.6%
Balwyn — New Zealand: 1.2% Mont Albert — New Zealand: 1.6%
Vietnam 1.5% / —
Balwyn — Vietnam: 1.5% Mont Albert — Vietnam: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 58.5% houses
Balwyn — Houses: 58.5% Balwyn — Townhouses: 26.0% Balwyn — Flats / Apartments: 15.5%
Mont Albert 53.7% houses
Mont Albert — Houses: 53.7% Mont Albert — Townhouses: 35.0% Mont Albert — Flats / Apartments: 11.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Balwyn Mont Albert
Median house price $2,600,000 $2,310,000
Median unit price $750,000 $783,000
Median land price $3,288,888 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 86 sales
 26 days
from 49 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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
2 bed $730K / $730K
Balwyn — 2 bed: $730K (85 sales) Mont Albert — 2 bed: $730K (37 sales)

85 vs 37 sales

3 bed $1.36M / $1.01M
Balwyn — 3 bed: $1.36M (17 sales) Mont Albert — 3 bed: $1.01M (8 sales)

17 vs 8 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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
3 bed $2.08M / $1.85M
Balwyn — 3 bed: $2.08M (33 sales) Mont Albert — 3 bed: $1.85M (22 sales)

33 vs 22 sales

4 bed $2.62M / $2.3M
Balwyn — 4 bed: $2.62M (50 sales) Mont Albert — 4 bed: $2.3M (36 sales)

50 vs 36 sales

5 bed $3.83M / $3.1M
Balwyn — 5 bed: $3.83M (36 sales) Mont Albert — 5 bed: $3.1M (16 sales)

36 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Balwyn Mont Albert
Residential 90% 83%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 9%
Commercial 2% 5%
Parks and recreation 4% 2%
Planning zones cover 100% of Balwyn and 99% of Mont Albert. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Balwyn Mont Albert
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
 879
across Whitehorse
Approvals change year on year -40% +17%

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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
Houses 2.5%
$1,250/wk on $2.6M
 —
Units 4.1%
$600/wk on $760K
 4.4%
$640/wk on $765K

Ranking within VIC

Balwyn Mont Albert
House price Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Schools Higher than 85% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC

Liveability

Balwyn Mont Albert
Grade A+
same for both
Score 87/100 88/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Balwyn carries more flood risk (27 vs 16); Mont Albert carries more crime risk (74 vs 62).

Balwyn Mont Albert
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 High
74/100
Flood Low
27/100
 Low
16/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Balwyn Mont Albert
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 4.8 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.9% 5.0%

Schools in Balwyn

  • Balwyn Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Fintona Girls' School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Belmore School Government · Combined · Special school
  • St Paul's College Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Mont Albert

  • Mont Albert Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Balwyn Mont Albert
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 27 10
Parks & reserves 8 3
Childcare 11 2
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 4 1
Banks & Bank@Post 6 1
Fuel stations 3 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Mont Albert sits further from the CBD (19.9 km vs 13.6 km).

Balwyn Mont Albert
Walkability score 93/100 90/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.6 km 19.9 km
+46% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min 26 min
Public transport score 80/100
Tram · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 182.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 85.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 3103
 2.8%
postcode 3127
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 20
postcode 3103
 22
postcode 3127

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.

Balwyn Mont Albert
Worked from Home 43.7% / 47.9%
Balwyn — Worked from Home: 43.7% Mont Albert — Worked from Home: 47.9%
Car (driver) 44.7% / 40.4%
Balwyn — Car (driver): 44.7% Mont Albert — Car (driver): 40.4%
Train 2.3% / 4.8%
Balwyn — Train: 2.3% Mont Albert — Train: 4.8%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.0%
Balwyn — Car (passenger): 3.5% Mont Albert — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.3%
Balwyn — Walked Only: 2.4% Mont Albert — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (47.9%).

Setting

Balwyn Mont Albert
Elevation 80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 102 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.5 km 13.0 km

NBN connectivity

Balwyn Mont Albert
Connectivity score 78/100 77/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 12%
6,773 premises
 7%
2,387 premises

Climate

Balwyn Mont Albert
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Balwyn Mont Albert
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Balwyn Mont Albert
Average residential rate $2,253/yr $1,516/yr
Council Boroondara Whitehorse

Federal electorate

Balwyn Mont Albert
Division Kooyong Menzies
Member Monique Ryan Gabriel Ng
Party Independent Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Balwyn Mont Albert
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Balwyn

Luxury Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Mont Albert

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Balwyn

Balwyn vs Kew Balwyn vs Balwyn North Balwyn vs Surrey Hills Balwyn vs Canterbury Balwyn vs Kew East Balwyn vs Mont Albert North

Other comparisons with Mont Albert

Mont Albert vs Box Hill Mont Albert vs Surrey Hills Mont Albert vs Box Hill North Mont Albert vs Mont Albert North
Full data on Balwyn Full data on Mont Albert
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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