Box Hill North vs Blackburn North

Box Hill North has a larger population of 12,337 compared to Blackburn North's 7,627, and sits slightly closer to the CBD at 19.6 km versus 21.2 km. Blackburn North offers higher median household income at $105,092 against $94,640, and scores notably better on walkability (86 versus 72) and liveability (82 versus 77). Property prices are comparable, though Blackburn North's units command a premium at $864,000 versus $768,000. Box Hill North carries higher flood risk at 26 compared to 11, while crime risk is lower in Blackburn North at 43 versus 51. Both suburbs are equally affluent by socio-economic decile and face no bushfire risk.

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

Blackburn North

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 7)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (83% vs 62%)
  • But Box Hill North has more childcare (11 vs 8)

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

First-home buyers

Box Hill North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($770,000 vs $855,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Box Hill North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 22%)

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

Commuting to the city

Blackburn North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 72/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Box Hill North has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 17%)
  • Blackburn North is more walkable (86/100 vs 72/100)

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 house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Box Hill North Blackburn North
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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Walkability 72 / 86
Box Hill North — Walkability: 72/100 Blackburn North — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 62 / 61
Box Hill North — Safety: 62/100 Blackburn North — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Box Hill North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Blackburn North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 74 / 89
Box Hill North — Low flood risk: 74/100 Blackburn North — Low flood risk: 89/100

Demographics

Box Hill North has more residents (12,337 vs 7,627); Blackburn North has higher household incomes ($105,092 vs $94,640).

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Population 12,337
+38% vs other
 7,627
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.9% +2.6%
Median age 37 39
Median household income $94,640/yr $105,092/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $425/wk $431/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
0-4 5.2% / 5.3%
Box Hill North — 0-4: 5.2% Blackburn North — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 11.4% / 14.5%
Box Hill North — 5-14: 11.4% Blackburn North — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 6.1% / 6.3%
Box Hill North — 15-19: 6.1% Blackburn North — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 7.1% / 5.9%
Box Hill North — 20-24: 7.1% Blackburn North — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 16.1% / 10.9%
Box Hill North — 25-34: 16.1% Blackburn North — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 14.2% / 15.4%
Box Hill North — 35-44: 14.2% Blackburn North — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 13.7% / 14.5%
Box Hill North — 45-54: 13.7% Blackburn North — 45-54: 14.5%
55-64 11.3% / 11.3%
Box Hill North — 55-64: 11.3% Blackburn North — 55-64: 11.3%
65-74 8.0% / 6.9%
Box Hill North — 65-74: 8.0% Blackburn North — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 4.7% / 5.8%
Box Hill North — 75-84: 4.7% Blackburn North — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 2.3% / 3.0%
Box Hill North — 85+: 2.3% Blackburn North — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Box Hill North 45.3% couple families
Box Hill North — Couple Families: 45.3% Box Hill North — Lone Person: 29.5% Box Hill North — One Parent Families: 15.5% Box Hill North — Group Household: 7.3% Box Hill North — Other Families: 2.5%
Blackburn North 54.7% couple families
Blackburn North — Couple Families: 54.7% Blackburn North — Lone Person: 26.6% Blackburn North — One Parent Families: 12.9% Blackburn North — Group Household: 4.5% Blackburn North — 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.

Box Hill North 34.5% renting
Box Hill North — Owned Outright: 35.0% Box Hill North — Mortgage: 30.5% Box Hill North — Renting: 34.5%
Blackburn North 21.8% renting
Blackburn North — Owned Outright: 38.7% Blackburn North — Mortgage: 39.5% Blackburn North — Renting: 21.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
China 17.9% / 10.4%
Box Hill North — China: 17.9% Blackburn North — China: 10.4%
Malaysia 4.4% / 3.0%
Box Hill North — Malaysia: 4.4% Blackburn North — Malaysia: 3.0%
India 3.5% / 3.0%
Box Hill North — India: 3.5% Blackburn North — India: 3.0%
England 1.8% / 1.9%
Box Hill North — England: 1.8% Blackburn North — England: 1.9%
Vietnam 1.5% / 1.4%
Box Hill North — Vietnam: 1.5% Blackburn North — Vietnam: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Qualifications

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

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Bachelor Degree 21.6% / 20.8%
Box Hill North — Bachelor Degree: 21.6% Blackburn North — Bachelor Degree: 20.8%
Postgraduate Degree 10.1% / 8.0%
Box Hill North — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1% Blackburn North — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.7%
Box Hill North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Blackburn North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Certificate III & IV 6.7% / 7.6%
Box Hill North — Certificate III & IV: 6.7% Blackburn North — Certificate III & IV: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 3.0%
Box Hill North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Blackburn North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Box Hill North 61.6% houses
Box Hill North — Houses: 61.6% Box Hill North — Townhouses: 29.9% Box Hill North — Flats / Apartments: 8.5%
Blackburn North 83.2% houses
Blackburn North — Houses: 83.2% Blackburn North — Townhouses: 15.4% Blackburn North — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Median house price $1,340,000 $1,399,000
Median unit price $770,000 $855,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 129 sales
 26 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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
2 bed $728K / $760K
Box Hill North — 2 bed: $728K (34 sales) Blackburn North — 2 bed: $760K (11 sales)

34 vs 11 sales

3 bed $935K / $900K
Box Hill North — 3 bed: $935K (21 sales) Blackburn North — 3 bed: $900K (15 sales)

21 vs 15 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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
3 bed $1.25M / $1.2M
Box Hill North — 3 bed: $1.25M (79 sales) Blackburn North — 3 bed: $1.2M (58 sales)

79 vs 58 sales

4 bed $1.45M / $1.61M
Box Hill North — 4 bed: $1.45M (61 sales) Blackburn North — 4 bed: $1.61M (42 sales)

61 vs 42 sales

5 bed $1.83M / $2.1M
Box Hill North — 5 bed: $1.83M (28 sales) Blackburn North — 5 bed: $2.1M (16 sales)

28 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Residential 78% 77%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 11%
Parks and recreation 8%
same for both
Commercial 5% 0%
Industrial 3%
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

Box Hill North Blackburn North
New dwellings approved 879
across Whitehorse
same for both
Approvals change year on year +17%
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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Houses 3.3%
$778/wk on $1.23M
 3.7%
$825/wk on $1.15M
Units 4.7%
$650/wk on $727K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Box Hill North Blackburn North
House price Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Schools Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 42% of VIC —

Liveability

Blackburn North is more walkable (86 vs 72).

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Grade A A+
Score 78/100 82/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Box Hill North carries more flood risk (26 vs 11).

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
38/100
 Low
39/100
Flood Low
26/100
 Low
11/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Inside the suburb 3
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 2
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 5.1 km
 1
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 6.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 3.4%

Schools in Box Hill North

  • Kerrimuir Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Box Hill North Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Berengarra School Independent · Secondary · Special school below peers

Schools in Blackburn North

  • Whitehorse Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Old Orchard Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Philip's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Cafes & restaurants 5 3
Parks & reserves 7 10
Childcare 11 8
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 2 6

Mobility

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Walkability score 72/100 86/100
Distance to Melbourne 19.6 km 21.2 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 26 min 25 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 265.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 173.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.3%
postcode 3129
 2.1%
postcode 3130
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 3129
 27
postcode 3130

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.

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Car (driver) 47.8% / 50.3%
Box Hill North — Car (driver): 47.8% Blackburn North — Car (driver): 50.3%
Worked from Home 36.8% / 39.1%
Box Hill North — Worked from Home: 36.8% Blackburn North — Worked from Home: 39.1%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 4.2%
Box Hill North — Car (passenger): 4.9% Blackburn North — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Train 4.1% / 2.7%
Box Hill North — Train: 4.1% Blackburn North — Train: 2.7%
Bus 2.7% / 2.3%
Box Hill North — Bus: 2.7% Blackburn North — Bus: 2.3%
Walked Only 2.9% / 1.2%
Box Hill North — Walked Only: 2.9% Blackburn North — Walked Only: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.3%).

Setting

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Elevation 75 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 91 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.3 km 17.3 km

NBN connectivity

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Connectivity score 75/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 1%
5,594 premises
 1%
3,096 premises

Climate

Box Hill North Blackburn North
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)

Box Hill North Blackburn North
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Average residential rate $1,516/yr
same for both
Council Whitehorse
same for both

Federal electorate

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Division Menzies
same for both
Member Gabriel Ng
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Box Hill North Blackburn North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Box Hill North

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Urban

Blackburn North

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Box Hill North

Box Hill North vs Doncaster East Box Hill North vs Doncaster Box Hill North vs Blackburn Box Hill North vs Box Hill Box Hill North vs Mont Albert North Box Hill North vs Mont Albert

Other comparisons with Blackburn North

Blackburn North vs Doncaster East Blackburn North vs Doncaster Blackburn North vs Blackburn Blackburn North vs Donvale Blackburn North vs Nunawading
Full data on Box Hill North Full data on Blackburn North
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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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