Bulla vs Sunbury

Sunbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 45 in Bulla. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bulla, most households are couple families. In Sunbury, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Bulla: a median of $980,000, against $711,000 in Sunbury. Bulla is closer to the city centre: 30.4 km, against 44.2 km. On these figures, Bulla tends to suit couples and older residents, while Sunbury suits families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Sunbury

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (33 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (76 vs 4)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (15 vs 0)
  • But Bulla has more separate houses rather than flats (101% vs 88%)

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

First-home buyers

Sunbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($711,000 vs $980,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)
  • But Bulla has cheaper land ($395,000 vs $645,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sunbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 9%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bulla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (30.4 km vs 44.2 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (35 min vs 46 min)
  • But Sunbury is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sunbury

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (9 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (67/100 vs 91/100)
  • But Bulla has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Sunbury

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (7.7% vs -1.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 2.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bulla Sunbury
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.

Bulla Sunbury
Walkability 0 / 10
Bulla — Walkability: 0/100 Sunbury — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 9 / 33
Bulla — Safety: 9/100 Sunbury — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 68 / 55
Bulla — Low fire risk: 68/100 Sunbury — Low fire risk: 55/100
Low flood risk 75 / 70
Bulla — Low flood risk: 75/100 Sunbury — Low flood risk: 70/100

Demographics

Sunbury has more residents (38,851 vs 668); Bulla skews older (45 vs 38).

Bulla Sunbury
Population 668 38,851
+5716% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.0% +7.7%
Median age 45 38
Median household income $90,376/yr $100,100/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $348/wk $361/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bulla Sunbury
0-4 4.0% / 6.0%
Bulla — 0-4: 4.0% Sunbury — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 10.8% / 13.0%
Bulla — 5-14: 10.8% Sunbury — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 6.1% / 6.1%
Bulla — 15-19: 6.1% Sunbury — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 6.4% / 6.0%
Bulla — 20-24: 6.4% Sunbury — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 11.1% / 14.1%
Bulla — 25-34: 11.1% Sunbury — 25-34: 14.1%
35-44 11.5% / 13.5%
Bulla — 35-44: 11.5% Sunbury — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 16.6% / 13.6%
Bulla — 45-54: 16.6% Sunbury — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 12.3% / 12.5%
Bulla — 55-64: 12.3% Sunbury — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 14.5% / 9.1%
Bulla — 65-74: 14.5% Sunbury — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 7.2% / 4.3%
Bulla — 75-84: 7.2% Sunbury — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 1.5% / 1.7%
Bulla — 85+: 1.5% Sunbury — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bulla 59.4% couple families
Bulla — Couple Families: 59.4% Bulla — Lone Person: 22.5% Bulla — One Parent Families: 13.8% Bulla — Group Household: 2.5% Bulla — Other Families: 1.9%
Sunbury 48.9% couple families
Sunbury — Couple Families: 48.9% Sunbury — Lone Person: 29.2% Sunbury — One Parent Families: 17.6% Sunbury — Group Household: 3.0% Sunbury — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bulla 9.3% renting
Bulla — Owned Outright: 44.9% Bulla — Mortgage: 45.8% Bulla — Renting: 9.3%
Sunbury 20.8% renting
Sunbury — Owned Outright: 31.4% Sunbury — Mortgage: 47.8% Sunbury — Renting: 20.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bulla Sunbury
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 17.5%
Bulla — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Sunbury — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 10.4%
Bulla — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Sunbury — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 9.0%
Bulla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Sunbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 2.8%
Bulla — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Sunbury — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 2.2%
Bulla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Sunbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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.

Bulla Sunbury
Italy 4.0% / 0.6%
Bulla — Italy: 4.0% Sunbury — Italy: 0.6%
England — / 3.4%
Bulla — England: not among its largest Sunbury — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.7%
Bulla — New Zealand: 1.0% Sunbury — New Zealand: 1.7%
India 0.6% / 1.7%
Bulla — India: 0.6% Sunbury — India: 1.7%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.6%
Bulla — Scotland: 0.9% Sunbury — Scotland: 0.6%
Malaysia 1.0% / —
Bulla — Malaysia: 1.0% Sunbury — Malaysia: not among its largest
China 0.9% / —
Bulla — China: 0.9% Sunbury — China: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.9%
Bulla — Philippines: not among its largest Sunbury — Philippines: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bulla 100.9% houses
Bulla — Houses: 100.9% Bulla — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Bulla — Townhouses: 0.0%
Sunbury 88.5% houses
Sunbury — Houses: 88.5% Sunbury — Flats / Apartments: 7.4% Sunbury — Townhouses: 4.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bulla Sunbury
Median house price $980,000 $711,000
Median unit price — $517,058
Median land price $395,000 $645,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 46 days
from 4 sales
 28 days
from 793 sales

Zoning mix

Bulla has more rural and farming land (80% vs 50%).

Bulla Sunbury
Rural and farming 80% 50%
Residential 8% 32%
Environmental 3% 8%
Other and special use 5% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 5%
Parks and recreation 2%
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

Bulla Sunbury
New dwellings approved 3,063
across Hume
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

Bulla Sunbury
Houses 2.1%
$600/wk on $1.48M
 3.8%
$550/wk on $745K
Units — 4.1%
$430/wk on $540K

Ranking within VIC

Bulla Sunbury
House price — Higher than 40% of VIC
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 10% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 83% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 14% of VIC

Liveability

Sunbury is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Bulla Sunbury
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 37/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Sunbury carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 32); Bulla carries more crime risk (91 vs 67).

Bulla Sunbury
Bushfire Low
32/100
 Moderate
45/100
Crime High
91/100
 Moderate
67/100
Flood Low
25/100
 Low
30/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Bulla Sunbury
Inside the suburb 0 15
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 7
Rated below peers 0 6

Schools in Bulla

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Sunbury

  • Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Killara Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Kismet Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Red Rock Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Salesian College Sunbury Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Anne's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bulla Sunbury
Supermarkets 0 8
Cafes & restaurants 1 10
Parks & reserves 4 76
Childcare 0 33
GPs 0 9
Pharmacies 0 10
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 6
Fuel stations 1 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 3 56

Mobility

Sunbury sits further from the CBD (44.2 km vs 30.4 km).

Bulla Sunbury
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 30.4 km 44.2 km
+45% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 35 min 46 min
Public transport score 28/100
Bus
 84/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 574.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3428
 0.8%
postcode 3429
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 3428
 47
postcode 3429

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.

Bulla Sunbury
Car (driver) 71.0% / 65.8%
Bulla — Car (driver): 71.0% Sunbury — Car (driver): 65.8%
Worked from Home 22.0% / 25.6%
Bulla — Worked from Home: 22.0% Sunbury — Worked from Home: 25.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 4.2%
Bulla — Car (passenger): 3.9% Sunbury — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.0%
Bulla — Walked Only: 1.9% Sunbury — Walked Only: 1.0%
Train — / 2.8%
Bulla — Train: not among its largest Sunbury — Train: 2.8%
Bus 1.2% / 0.5%
Bulla — Bus: 1.2% Sunbury — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.0%).

Setting

Bulla Sunbury
Elevation 150 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 276 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 25.2 km 36.9 km

NBN connectivity

Bulla Sunbury
Connectivity score 30/100 76/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
263 premises
 57%
18,150 premises

Climate

Bulla Sunbury
Annual rainfall 518 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bulla Sunbury
PM2.5 — 4.4 µg/m³
PM10 18.9 µg/m³ —
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bulla Sunbury
Average residential rate $1,715/yr
same for both
Council Hume
same for both

Federal electorate

Bulla Sunbury
Division Hawke
same for both
Member Sam Rae
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bulla Sunbury
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bulla

Outer

Sunbury

Acreage Outer Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bulla

Bulla vs Greenvale Bulla vs Diggers Rest Bulla vs Oaklands Junction Bulla vs Wildwood Bulla vs Keilor North Bulla vs Melbourne Airport

Other comparisons with Sunbury

Sunbury vs Gisborne Sunbury vs Diggers Rest Sunbury vs Riddells Creek Sunbury vs Gisborne South Sunbury vs Clarkefield Sunbury vs Wildwood
Full data on Bulla Full data on Sunbury
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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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