Bayswater vs Boronia

Boronia is roughly twice the size of Bayswater with 23,607 residents compared to 12,262, and scores notably higher on liveability at 72 versus 51. Both suburbs have strong walkability and similar rental costs around $375–376 per week, though Boronia's unit rental yield is slightly better at 4.9% versus 4.5%. Bayswater sits closer to the CBD at 34.5 km and has significantly lower flood risk at 59 versus 29, but carries higher crime and bushfire risks. House prices favour Bayswater at $901,000 against Boronia's $875,000, while incomes and socio-economic profiles are comparable. Boronia suits someone prioritising a larger, more established community with lower natural hazard exposure; Bayswater appeals to those wanting proximity to the city and lower flood concerns.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Boronia

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (30 vs 16)
  • has more childcare (18 vs 10)

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

First-home buyers

Bayswater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($800,000 vs $920,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

Bayswater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (34.5 km vs 36.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bayswater Boronia
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.

Bayswater Boronia
Walkability 91 / 94
Bayswater — Walkability: 91/100 Boronia — Walkability: 94/100
Safety 23 / 29
Bayswater — Safety: 23/100 Boronia — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 83 / 100
Bayswater — Low fire risk: 83/100 Boronia — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 41 / 71
Bayswater — Low flood risk: 41/100 Boronia — Low flood risk: 71/100

Demographics

Boronia has more residents (23,607 vs 12,262).

Bayswater Boronia
Population 12,262 23,607
+93% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.3% +6.4%
Median age 38 39
Median household income $83,096/yr $84,188/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $375/wk $376/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bayswater Boronia
0-4 5.8% / 6.1%
Bayswater — 0-4: 5.8% Boronia — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 10.6% / 11.0%
Bayswater — 5-14: 10.6% Boronia — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 4.5% / 4.7%
Bayswater — 15-19: 4.5% Boronia — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 5.9% / 5.4%
Bayswater — 20-24: 5.9% Boronia — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 16.4% / 15.8%
Bayswater — 25-34: 16.4% Boronia — 25-34: 15.8%
35-44 15.9% / 15.3%
Bayswater — 35-44: 15.9% Boronia — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 12.2% / 12.6%
Bayswater — 45-54: 12.2% Boronia — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 10.8% / 11.2%
Bayswater — 55-64: 10.8% Boronia — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 8.9% / 10.0%
Bayswater — 65-74: 8.9% Boronia — 65-74: 10.0%
75-84 6.2% / 5.8%
Bayswater — 75-84: 6.2% Boronia — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 2.8% / 2.2%
Bayswater — 85+: 2.8% Boronia — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bayswater 38.0% couple families
Bayswater — Couple Families: 38.0% Bayswater — Lone Person: 37.7% Bayswater — One Parent Families: 17.8% Bayswater — Group Household: 4.9% Bayswater — Other Families: 1.7%
Boronia 38.8% couple families
Boronia — Couple Families: 38.8% Boronia — Lone Person: 37.7% Boronia — One Parent Families: 17.3% Boronia — Group Household: 4.5% Boronia — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bayswater 34.5% renting
Bayswater — Owned Outright: 28.3% Bayswater — Mortgage: 37.2% Bayswater — Renting: 34.5%
Boronia 28.7% renting
Boronia — Owned Outright: 30.7% Boronia — Mortgage: 40.6% Boronia — Renting: 28.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bayswater Boronia
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 15.4%
Bayswater — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Boronia — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 13.6%
Bayswater — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Boronia — Bachelor Degree: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 8.9%
Bayswater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Boronia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 4.6%
Bayswater — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Boronia — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.3%
Bayswater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Boronia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

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.

Bayswater Boronia
China 5.4% / 3.4%
Bayswater — China: 5.4% Boronia — China: 3.4%
India 4.0% / 2.8%
Bayswater — India: 4.0% Boronia — India: 2.8%
England 2.7% / 3.9%
Bayswater — England: 2.7% Boronia — England: 3.9%
Malaysia 2.0% / 1.4%
Bayswater — Malaysia: 2.0% Boronia — Malaysia: 1.4%
Sri Lanka 1.5% / 1.6%
Bayswater — Sri Lanka: 1.5% Boronia — Sri Lanka: 1.6%
Philippines 1.8% / 0.9%
Bayswater — Philippines: 1.8% Boronia — Philippines: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bayswater 61.7% houses
Bayswater — Houses: 61.7% Bayswater — Townhouses: 27.3% Bayswater — Flats / Apartments: 11.0%
Boronia 71.6% houses
Boronia — Houses: 71.6% Boronia — Townhouses: 24.8% Boronia — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bayswater Boronia
Median house price $900,000 $880,000
Median unit price $677,500 $659,000
Median land price $800,000 $920,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 158 sales
 21 days
from 254 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.

Bayswater Boronia
2 bed $718K / $694K
Bayswater — 2 bed: $718K (9 sales) Boronia — 2 bed: $694K (22 sales)

9 vs 22 sales

3 bed $860K / $848K
Bayswater — 3 bed: $860K (129 sales) Boronia — 3 bed: $848K (210 sales)

129 vs 210 sales

4 bed $980K / $950K
Bayswater — 4 bed: $980K (78 sales) Boronia — 4 bed: $950K (105 sales)

78 vs 105 sales

5 bed $1.11M / $1.04M
Bayswater — 5 bed: $1.11M (12 sales) Boronia — 5 bed: $1.04M (18 sales)

12 vs 18 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.

Bayswater Boronia
1 bed $508K / $358K
Bayswater — 1 bed: $508K (5 sales) Boronia — 1 bed: $358K (12 sales)

5 vs 12 sales

2 bed $615K / $620K
Bayswater — 2 bed: $615K (73 sales) Boronia — 2 bed: $620K (135 sales)

73 vs 135 sales

3 bed $760K / $745K
Bayswater — 3 bed: $760K (45 sales) Boronia — 3 bed: $745K (93 sales)

45 vs 93 sales

4 bed $877K / $865K
Bayswater — 4 bed: $877K (5 sales) Boronia — 4 bed: $865K (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Bayswater has more industrially zoned land (32% vs 5%).

Bayswater Boronia
Residential 50% 76%
Industrial 32% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 11%
same for both
Parks and recreation 5% 4%
Commercial 2%
same for both
Other and special use 0% 2%
Rural and farming 1% 0%
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

Bayswater Boronia
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
same for both
Approvals change year on year -14%
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.

Bayswater Boronia
Houses 4.0%
$660/wk on $855K
 4.0%
$630/wk on $815K
Units 4.5%
$580/wk on $672K
 4.7%
$575/wk on $630K

Ranking within VIC

Bayswater Boronia
House price Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Income Higher than 51% of VIC
same for both
Schools Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (units) Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC

Liveability

Boronia scores higher overall (72 vs 51).

Bayswater Boronia
Grade B A
Score 51/100 72/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bayswater carries more bushfire risk (17 vs 0); Bayswater carries more flood risk (59 vs 29).

Bayswater Boronia
Bushfire Low
17/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
77/100
 High
71/100
Flood Moderate
59/100
 Low
29/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 13
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Bayswater Boronia
Inside the suburb 5 6
Rated above peers 1 3
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Bayswater

  • Bayswater South Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Bayswater Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Our Lady of Lourdes School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Bayswater Secondary College Government · Secondary below peers
  • Bayswater West Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Boronia

  • Boronia K-12 College Government · Combined above peers
  • Dillbadin Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Boronia Heights Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Knox Central Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Urban College Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Bayswater Boronia
Supermarkets 4 5
Cafes & restaurants 21
same for both
Parks & reserves 16 30
Childcare 10 18
GPs 5 6
Pharmacies 3 6
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 3
Fuel stations 5 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 5 17

Mobility

Boronia sits further from the CBD (36.8 km vs 34.5 km).

Bayswater Boronia
Walkability score 91/100 94/100
Distance to Melbourne 34.5 km 36.8 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min 40 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 129.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 298.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3153
 1.1%
postcode 3155
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 34
postcode 3153
 29
postcode 3155

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.

Bayswater Boronia
Car (driver) 62.3% / 62.7%
Bayswater — Car (driver): 62.3% Boronia — Car (driver): 62.7%
Worked from Home 27.4% / 28.2%
Bayswater — Worked from Home: 27.4% Boronia — Worked from Home: 28.2%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.7%
Bayswater — Car (passenger): 4.1% Boronia — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Train 3.6% / 2.8%
Bayswater — Train: 3.6% Boronia — Train: 2.8%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.2%
Bayswater — Walked Only: 1.3% Boronia — Walked Only: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.7%).

Setting

Bayswater Boronia
Elevation 117 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 122 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.9 km 24.5 km

NBN connectivity

Bayswater Boronia
Connectivity score 75/100 85/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
7,714 premises
 33%
11,692 premises

Climate

Bayswater Boronia
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)

Bayswater Boronia
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bayswater Boronia
Average residential rate $1,732/yr
same for both
Council Knox
same for both

Federal electorate

Bayswater Boronia
Division Aston
same for both
Member Mary Doyle
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bayswater Boronia
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bayswater

Easy Commute Outer Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

Boronia

Easy Commute Outer Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bayswater

Bayswater vs Wantirna South Bayswater vs Wantirna Bayswater vs Heathmont Bayswater vs Bayswater North

Other comparisons with Boronia

Boronia vs Ferntree Gully Boronia vs Wantirna South Boronia vs Kilsyth Boronia vs Bayswater North Boronia vs Knoxfield Boronia vs The Basin
Full data on Bayswater Full data on Boronia
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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