Bonbeach vs Chelsea

In both, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. Chelsea is closer to the city centre: 38.9 km, against 50.5 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

Chelsea

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (8 vs 3)
  • But Bonbeach carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 66/100)

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

Chelsea

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 57/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (38.9 km vs 50.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Chelsea

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 57/100)
  • But Bonbeach carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 66/100)

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

Investors

Bonbeach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bonbeach Chelsea
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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
Walkability 57 / 85
Bonbeach — Walkability: 57/100 Chelsea — Walkability: 85/100
Safety 59 / 34
Bonbeach — Safety: 59/100 Chelsea — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bonbeach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Chelsea — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 19 / 33
Bonbeach — Low flood risk: 19/100 Chelsea — Low flood risk: 33/100

Demographics

Bonbeach Chelsea
Population 6,855 8,347
+22% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.8% +7.4%
Median age 42 41
Median household income $91,832/yr
+5% vs other
 $87,516/yr
Median weekly rent $391/wk
+4% vs other
 $375/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bonbeach Chelsea
0-4 6.0% / 6.4%
Bonbeach — 0-4: 6.0% Chelsea — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 11.1% / 10.7%
Bonbeach — 5-14: 11.1% Chelsea — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 4.3% / 3.6%
Bonbeach — 15-19: 4.3% Chelsea — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 3.9% / 3.9%
Bonbeach — 20-24: 3.9% Chelsea — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 13.8% / 14.4%
Bonbeach — 25-34: 13.8% Chelsea — 25-34: 14.4%
35-44 15.9% / 15.7%
Bonbeach — 35-44: 15.9% Chelsea — 35-44: 15.7%
45-54 13.8% / 13.8%
Bonbeach — 45-54: 13.8% Chelsea — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 12.5% / 11.4%
Bonbeach — 55-64: 12.5% Chelsea — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 10.7% / 9.9%
Bonbeach — 65-74: 10.7% Chelsea — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 5.6% / 6.4%
Bonbeach — 75-84: 5.6% Chelsea — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 2.6% / 3.7%
Bonbeach — 85+: 2.6% Chelsea — 85+: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bonbeach 45.4% lone person
Bonbeach — Lone Person: 45.4% Bonbeach — Couple Families: 35.9% Bonbeach — One Parent Families: 13.2% Bonbeach — Group Household: 4.3% Bonbeach — Other Families: 1.2%
Chelsea 47.2% lone person
Chelsea — Lone Person: 47.2% Chelsea — Couple Families: 33.1% Chelsea — One Parent Families: 14.4% Chelsea — Group Household: 3.9% Chelsea — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bonbeach 29.9% renting
Bonbeach — Owned Outright: 30.8% Bonbeach — Mortgage: 39.3% Bonbeach — Renting: 29.9%
Chelsea 32.7% renting
Chelsea — Owned Outright: 29.7% Chelsea — Mortgage: 37.6% Chelsea — Renting: 32.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bonbeach Chelsea
Bachelor Degree 15.1% / 16.9%
Bonbeach — Bachelor Degree: 15.1% Chelsea — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Certificate III & IV 13.9% / 13.3%
Bonbeach — Certificate III & IV: 13.9% Chelsea — Certificate III & IV: 13.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 9.1%
Bonbeach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Chelsea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 5.2%
Bonbeach — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Chelsea — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 2.8%
Bonbeach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Chelsea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
England 5.3% / 4.8%
Bonbeach — England: 5.3% Chelsea — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 2.7% / 1.9%
Bonbeach — New Zealand: 2.7% Chelsea — New Zealand: 1.9%
India 0.9% / 1.4%
Bonbeach — India: 0.9% Chelsea — India: 1.4%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.9%
Bonbeach — Scotland: 0.8% Chelsea — Scotland: 0.9%
China 0.8% / 0.8%
Bonbeach — China: 0.8% Chelsea — China: 0.8%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.9%
Bonbeach — Philippines: 0.6% Chelsea — Philippines: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bonbeach 38.8% houses
Bonbeach — Houses: 38.8% Bonbeach — Townhouses: 47.6% Bonbeach — Flats / Apartments: 13.6%
Chelsea 34.7% houses
Chelsea — Houses: 34.7% Chelsea — Townhouses: 23.5% Chelsea — Flats / Apartments: 41.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bonbeach Chelsea
Median house price $1,150,000 $1,145,250
Median unit price $656,500 $687,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 26 sales
 24 days
from 43 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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
2 bed $632K / $670K
Bonbeach — 2 bed: $632K (78 sales) Chelsea — 2 bed: $670K (105 sales)

78 vs 105 sales

3 bed $821K / $875K
Bonbeach — 3 bed: $821K (18 sales) Chelsea — 3 bed: $875K (32 sales)

18 vs 32 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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
2 bed $1.09M / $965K
Bonbeach — 2 bed: $1.09M (8 sales) Chelsea — 2 bed: $965K (12 sales)

8 vs 12 sales

3 bed $1.04M / $1.1M
Bonbeach — 3 bed: $1.04M (34 sales) Chelsea — 3 bed: $1.1M (56 sales)

34 vs 56 sales

4 bed $1.37M / $1.38M
Bonbeach — 4 bed: $1.37M (20 sales) Chelsea — 4 bed: $1.38M (16 sales)

20 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Bonbeach Chelsea
Residential 57% 76%
Other and special use 21% 0%
Parks and recreation 8% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 6%
Commercial 1% 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

Bonbeach Chelsea
New dwellings approved 465
across Kingston (Vic.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -36%
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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
Houses 3.8%
$795/wk on $1.1M
 3.3%
$750/wk on $1.18M
Units 4.7%
$560/wk on $619K
 4.4%
$570/wk on $671K

Ranking within VIC

Bonbeach Chelsea
House price Higher than 73% of VIC
same for both
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 60% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 80% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC

Liveability

Chelsea is more walkable (85 vs 57).

Bonbeach Chelsea
Grade B
same for both
Score 60/100 61/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Chelsea carries more crime risk (66 vs 41); Bonbeach carries more flood risk (81 vs 67).

Bonbeach Chelsea
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood High
81/100
 Moderate
67/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
41/100
 Low
16/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Bonbeach Chelsea
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Bonbeach

  • Bonbeach Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Chelsea

  • Chelsea Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Oakwood School-Oakwood School VCAL Campus Government · Secondary
  • Westall Secondary College-LEEP Chelsea Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Bonbeach Chelsea
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 18
Parks & reserves 5
same for both
Childcare 3 8
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Bonbeach sits further from the CBD (50.5 km vs 38.9 km).

Bonbeach Chelsea
Walkability score 57/100 85/100
Distance to Melbourne 50.5 km
+23% vs other
 38.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 49 min 45 min
Public transport score 92/100
Rail · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 79.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3196
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3196
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.

Bonbeach Chelsea
Car (driver) 58.8% / 55.3%
Bonbeach — Car (driver): 58.8% Chelsea — Car (driver): 55.3%
Worked from Home 33.4% / 36.6%
Bonbeach — Worked from Home: 33.4% Chelsea — Worked from Home: 36.6%
Train 3.5% / 2.7%
Bonbeach — Train: 3.5% Chelsea — Train: 2.7%
Car (passenger) 2.4% / 2.7%
Bonbeach — Car (passenger): 2.4% Chelsea — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.5%
Bonbeach — Walked Only: 1.3% Chelsea — Walked Only: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.8%).

Setting

Bonbeach Chelsea
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 911 m
928 m to a named beach
 825 m
810 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bonbeach Chelsea
Connectivity score 88/100 87/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
3,588 premises
 38%
4,870 premises

Climate

Bonbeach Chelsea
Annual rainfall — 644 mm
Summer max (Jan) 24.5°C 26.0°C
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C 6.9°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Bonbeach Chelsea
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.98 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Bonbeach Chelsea
Average residential rate $1,940/yr
same for both
Council Kingston (Vic.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Bonbeach Chelsea
Division Dunkley
same for both
Member Jodie Belyea
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bonbeach Chelsea
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bonbeach

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks Premium Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

Chelsea

Apartments Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks Premium Townhouses Trains Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bonbeach

Bonbeach vs Patterson Lakes Bonbeach vs Chelsea Heights Bonbeach vs Carrum

Other comparisons with Chelsea

Chelsea vs Edithvale Chelsea vs Chelsea Heights
Full data on Bonbeach Full data on Chelsea
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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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