Box Hill South vs Blackburn South

Box Hill South is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 42 in Blackburn South. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families.

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 South

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 71/100)

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

Box Hill South

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 78/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (22.2 km vs 24.3 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Blackburn South

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 71/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 15%)
  • But Box Hill South is more walkable (92/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

Box Hill South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (7.9% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Box Hill South and Blackburn South 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 South Blackburn South
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 South Blackburn South
Walkability 92 / 78
Box Hill South — Walkability: 92/100 Blackburn South — Walkability: 78/100
Safety 29 / 57
Box Hill South — Safety: 29/100 Blackburn South — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Box Hill South — Low fire risk: 100/100 Blackburn South — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 51 / 76
Box Hill South — Low flood risk: 51/100 Blackburn South — Low flood risk: 76/100

Demographics

Blackburn South has more residents (10,939 vs 8,491); Blackburn South skews older (42 vs 39).

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Population 8,491 10,939
+29% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.7% +1.4%
Median age 39 42
Median household income $100,256/yr
+3% vs other
 $96,772/yr
Median weekly rent $425/wk
+4% vs other
 $410/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Box Hill South Blackburn South
0-4 4.5% / 4.8%
Box Hill South — 0-4: 4.5% Blackburn South — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 12.5% / 12.6%
Box Hill South — 5-14: 12.5% Blackburn South — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 6.7% / 6.2%
Box Hill South — 15-19: 6.7% Blackburn South — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 7.5% / 5.8%
Box Hill South — 20-24: 7.5% Blackburn South — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 13.4% / 10.4%
Box Hill South — 25-34: 13.4% Blackburn South — 25-34: 10.4%
35-44 13.8% / 13.2%
Box Hill South — 35-44: 13.8% Blackburn South — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 14.3% / 14.4%
Box Hill South — 45-54: 14.3% Blackburn South — 45-54: 14.4%
55-64 12.0% / 11.4%
Box Hill South — 55-64: 12.0% Blackburn South — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 8.6% / 9.5%
Box Hill South — 65-74: 8.6% Blackburn South — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 4.4% / 7.2%
Box Hill South — 75-84: 4.4% Blackburn South — 75-84: 7.2%
85+ 2.3% / 4.4%
Box Hill South — 85+: 2.3% Blackburn South — 85+: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Box Hill South 46.2% couple families
Box Hill South — Couple Families: 46.2% Box Hill South — Lone Person: 32.3% Box Hill South — One Parent Families: 13.5% Box Hill South — Group Household: 6.3% Box Hill South — Other Families: 1.8%
Blackburn South 48.2% couple families
Blackburn South — Couple Families: 48.2% Blackburn South — Lone Person: 33.2% Blackburn South — One Parent Families: 12.9% Blackburn South — Group Household: 4.1% Blackburn South — Other Families: 1.6%
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 South 28.7% renting
Box Hill South — Owned Outright: 33.8% Box Hill South — Mortgage: 37.5% Box Hill South — Renting: 28.7%
Blackburn South 24.7% renting
Blackburn South — Owned Outright: 39.3% Blackburn South — Mortgage: 35.9% Blackburn South — Renting: 24.7%
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 South Blackburn South
China 13.3% / 10.6%
Box Hill South — China: 13.3% Blackburn South — China: 10.6%
India 3.8% / 3.1%
Box Hill South — India: 3.8% Blackburn South — India: 3.1%
Malaysia 2.6% / 2.9%
Box Hill South — Malaysia: 2.6% Blackburn South — Malaysia: 2.9%
England 2.2% / 2.0%
Box Hill South — England: 2.2% Blackburn South — England: 2.0%
Vietnam 2.1% / 2.0%
Box Hill South — Vietnam: 2.1% Blackburn South — Vietnam: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.3%).

Qualifications

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

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Bachelor Degree 22.4% / 19.8%
Box Hill South — Bachelor Degree: 22.4% Blackburn South — Bachelor Degree: 19.8%
Postgraduate Degree 11.8% / 8.6%
Box Hill South — Postgraduate Degree: 11.8% Blackburn South — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.3%
Box Hill South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Blackburn South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Certificate III & IV 6.3% / 7.7%
Box Hill South — Certificate III & IV: 6.3% Blackburn South — Certificate III & IV: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 3.4%
Box Hill South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Blackburn South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Box Hill South 66.1% houses
Box Hill South — Houses: 66.1% Box Hill South — Townhouses: 22.6% Box Hill South — Flats / Apartments: 11.4%
Blackburn South 75.8% houses
Blackburn South — Houses: 75.8% Blackburn South — Townhouses: 16.5% Blackburn South — Flats / Apartments: 7.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Median house price $1,451,000 $1,351,000
Median unit price $774,000 $815,000
Median land price — $1,200,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 70 sales
 24 days
from 91 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 South Blackburn South
2 bed $685K / $665K
Box Hill South — 2 bed: $685K (21 sales) Blackburn South — 2 bed: $665K (14 sales)

21 vs 14 sales

3 bed $920K / $985K
Box Hill South — 3 bed: $920K (18 sales) Blackburn South — 3 bed: $985K (8 sales)

18 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.

Box Hill South Blackburn South
2 bed $1.28M / $1.27M
Box Hill South — 2 bed: $1.28M (13 sales) Blackburn South — 2 bed: $1.27M (5 sales)

13 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.33M / $1.25M
Box Hill South — 3 bed: $1.33M (60 sales) Blackburn South — 3 bed: $1.25M (67 sales)

60 vs 67 sales

4 bed $1.54M / $1.39M
Box Hill South — 4 bed: $1.54M (43 sales) Blackburn South — 4 bed: $1.39M (62 sales)

43 vs 62 sales

5 bed $2.25M / $1.77M
Box Hill South — 5 bed: $2.25M (21 sales) Blackburn South — 5 bed: $1.77M (26 sales)

21 vs 26 sales

Zoning mix

Box Hill South has more industrially zoned land (10% vs 0%).

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Residential 68% 84%
Industrial 10% 0%
Other and special use 10% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 6%
Commercial 2% 1%
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 South Blackburn South
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 South Blackburn South
Houses 3.0%
$780/wk on $1.35M
 2.9%
$750/wk on $1.32M
Units 7.9%
$650/wk on $430K
 4.3%
$630/wk on $764K

Ranking within VIC

Box Hill South Blackburn South
House price Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Income Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 23% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 95% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 100% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC

Liveability

Box Hill South is more walkable (92 vs 78); Box Hill South scores higher overall (76 vs 66).

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Grade A B
Score 76/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Box Hill South carries more flood risk (49 vs 24); Box Hill South carries more crime risk (71 vs 43).

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
71/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood Moderate
49/100
 Low
24/100
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 South Blackburn South
Inside the suburb 2 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 1.8 km
 2
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.7% 3.5%

Schools in Box Hill South

  • Kingswood College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Roberts McCubbin Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Blackburn South

  • Orchard Grove Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Luke the Evangelist School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Aurora School Government · Primary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 2
Parks & reserves 4 5
Childcare 3 9
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 2
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Blackburn South sits further from the CBD (24.3 km vs 22.2 km).

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Walkability score 92/100 78/100
Distance to Melbourne 22.2 km 24.3 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 30 min 32 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 247.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 153.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 3128
 2.1%
postcode 3130
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 14
postcode 3128
 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 South Blackburn South
Car (driver) 46.7% / 50.0%
Box Hill South — Car (driver): 46.7% Blackburn South — Car (driver): 50.0%
Worked from Home 40.8% / 40.6%
Box Hill South — Worked from Home: 40.8% Blackburn South — Worked from Home: 40.6%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 3.4%
Box Hill South — Car (passenger): 3.6% Blackburn South — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Train 4.0% / 2.6%
Box Hill South — Train: 4.0% Blackburn South — Train: 2.6%
Bus 2.2% / 1.3%
Box Hill South — Bus: 2.2% Blackburn South — Bus: 1.3%
Walked Only 1.6% / 1.8%
Box Hill South — Walked Only: 1.6% Blackburn South — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.0%).

Setting

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Elevation 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 104 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.5 km 15.3 km

NBN connectivity

Box Hill South Blackburn South
Connectivity score 76/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 4%
4,010 premises
 3%
4,722 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Box Hill South

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses

Blackburn South

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Box Hill South

Box Hill South vs Burwood Box Hill South vs Blackburn Box Hill South vs Box Hill Box Hill South vs Surrey Hills

Other comparisons with Blackburn South

Blackburn South vs Burwood Blackburn South vs Blackburn Blackburn South vs Box Hill Blackburn South vs Forest Hill Blackburn South vs Burwood East
Full data on Box Hill South Full data on Blackburn South
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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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