Camberwell vs Canterbury

Camberwell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 46 in Canterbury. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Canterbury: a median of $3.2 million, against $2.35 million in Camberwell, and rent is higher there too. Canterbury is closer to the city centre: 10.9 km, against 13.6 km. On these figures, Camberwell tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Camberwell is a larger, more densely populated suburb closer to the CBD at 13.6 km, while Canterbury is a quieter, smaller community 10.9 km away. Canterbury commands higher property prices—median houses at $3,200,000 versus Camberwell's $2,355,000—and residents there earn a median household income of $149,604 compared to $127,764 in Camberwell. Canterbury also scores higher on liveability (93 versus 83) and walkability (87 versus 80), though Camberwell offers better rental yields on both houses and units. Crime risk is notably lower in Canterbury at 43 compared to Camberwell's 71, which may be a key consideration for safety-conscious buyers.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Camberwell has more parks and reserves (18 vs 9)
  • Canterbury has more schools rated above their peers (5 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Camberwell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($700,000 vs $964,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,355,000 vs $3,200,000)

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

Canterbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (10.9 km vs 13.6 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Camberwell has more GPs (10 vs 1)
  • Canterbury carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Camberwell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (2.9% vs 2.3%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.5% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Camberwell Canterbury
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.

Camberwell Canterbury
Walkability 80 / 87
Camberwell — Walkability: 80/100 Canterbury — Walkability: 87/100
Safety 29 / 57
Camberwell — Safety: 29/100 Canterbury — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Camberwell — Low fire risk: 100/100 Canterbury — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 76 / 75
Camberwell — Low flood risk: 76/100 Canterbury — Low flood risk: 75/100

Demographics

Camberwell has more residents (21,965 vs 7,800); Canterbury has higher household incomes ($149,604 vs $127,764).

Camberwell Canterbury
Population 21,965
+64% vs other
 7,800
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.5% -3.2%
Median age 43 46
Median household income $127,764/yr $149,604/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $486/wk $515/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Camberwell Canterbury
0-4 4.1% / 3.2%
Camberwell — 0-4: 4.1% Canterbury — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 11.7% / 12.6%
Camberwell — 5-14: 11.7% Canterbury — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 7.0% / 8.1%
Camberwell — 15-19: 7.0% Canterbury — 15-19: 8.1%
20-24 7.1% / 6.8%
Camberwell — 20-24: 7.1% Canterbury — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 10.7% / 7.7%
Camberwell — 25-34: 10.7% Canterbury — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 11.3% / 10.2%
Camberwell — 35-44: 11.3% Canterbury — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 13.9% / 14.1%
Camberwell — 45-54: 13.9% Canterbury — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 12.6% / 13.9%
Camberwell — 55-64: 12.6% Canterbury — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 10.3% / 11.9%
Camberwell — 65-74: 10.3% Canterbury — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 6.8% / 7.4%
Camberwell — 75-84: 6.8% Canterbury — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 4.6% / 4.1%
Camberwell — 85+: 4.6% Canterbury — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Camberwell 49.9% couple families
Camberwell — Couple Families: 49.9% Camberwell — Lone Person: 31.9% Camberwell — One Parent Families: 11.7% Camberwell — Group Household: 4.9% Camberwell — Other Families: 1.6%
Canterbury 53.7% couple families
Canterbury — Couple Families: 53.7% Canterbury — Lone Person: 29.5% Canterbury — One Parent Families: 13.3% Canterbury — Group Household: 2.4% Canterbury — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Camberwell 26.2% renting
Camberwell — Owned Outright: 43.7% Camberwell — Mortgage: 30.1% Camberwell — Renting: 26.2%
Canterbury 19.7% renting
Canterbury — Owned Outright: 49.2% Canterbury — Mortgage: 31.1% Canterbury — Renting: 19.7%
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.

Camberwell Canterbury
China 7.0% / 10.4%
Camberwell — China: 7.0% Canterbury — China: 10.4%
England 3.3% / 3.3%
Camberwell — England: 3.3% Canterbury — England: 3.3%
India 2.0% / 1.7%
Camberwell — India: 2.0% Canterbury — India: 1.7%
Malaysia 2.0% / 1.7%
Camberwell — Malaysia: 2.0% Canterbury — Malaysia: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.4%
Camberwell — New Zealand: 1.7% Canterbury — New Zealand: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.4%).

Qualifications

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

Camberwell Canterbury
Bachelor Degree 27.2% / 27.0%
Camberwell — Bachelor Degree: 27.2% Canterbury — Bachelor Degree: 27.0%
Postgraduate Degree 12.9% / 13.4%
Camberwell — Postgraduate Degree: 12.9% Canterbury — Postgraduate Degree: 13.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 6.9%
Camberwell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Canterbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Certificate III & IV 4.3% / 3.7%
Camberwell — Certificate III & IV: 4.3% Canterbury — Certificate III & IV: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / 3.9%
Camberwell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Canterbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Camberwell 60.1% houses
Camberwell — Houses: 60.1% Camberwell — Townhouses: 21.7% Camberwell — Flats / Apartments: 18.2%
Canterbury 64.5% houses
Canterbury — Houses: 64.5% Canterbury — Townhouses: 23.3% Canterbury — Flats / Apartments: 12.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Camberwell Canterbury
Median house price $2,355,000 $3,200,000
Median unit price $700,000 $964,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 164 sales
 26 days
from 62 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.

Camberwell Canterbury
2 bed $702K / $855K
Camberwell — 2 bed: $702K (102 sales) Canterbury — 2 bed: $855K (21 sales)

102 vs 21 sales

3 bed $1.2M / $1.47M
Camberwell — 3 bed: $1.2M (28 sales) Canterbury — 3 bed: $1.47M (6 sales)

28 vs 6 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.

Camberwell Canterbury
3 bed $1.98M / $2.57M
Camberwell — 3 bed: $1.98M (85 sales) Canterbury — 3 bed: $2.57M (24 sales)

85 vs 24 sales

4 bed $2.48M / $3.2M
Camberwell — 4 bed: $2.48M (80 sales) Canterbury — 4 bed: $3.2M (51 sales)

80 vs 51 sales

5 bed $3.35M / $4.03M
Camberwell — 5 bed: $3.35M (40 sales) Canterbury — 5 bed: $4.03M (32 sales)

40 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Camberwell Canterbury
Residential 82% 87%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 5%
Parks and recreation 6%
same for both
Commercial 5% 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

Camberwell Canterbury
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
same for both
Approvals change year on year -40%
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.

Camberwell Canterbury
Houses 2.9%
$1,100/wk on $2M
 2.3%
$1,400/wk on $3.2M
Units 4.5%
$650/wk on $758K
 3.8%
$645/wk on $875K

Ranking within VIC

Camberwell Canterbury
House price Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Income Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Schools Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 4% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 100% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of VIC Higher than 2% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC

Liveability

Canterbury scores higher overall (93 vs 83).

Camberwell Canterbury
Grade A+
same for both
Score 83/100 93/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Camberwell carries more crime risk (71 vs 43).

Camberwell Canterbury
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
71/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood Low
24/100
 Low
25/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Camberwell Canterbury
Inside the suburb 6 7
Rated above peers 2 5
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.5 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 3.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.1% 5.4%

Schools in Camberwell

  • Camberwell Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Hartwell Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Camberwell High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Siena College Ltd Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Dominic's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • SEDA College (Victoria) Independent · Secondary

Schools in Canterbury

  • Camberwell Girls Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Camberwell Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Canterbury Girls Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Canterbury Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar Independent · Combined above peers
  • Camberwell Girls Grammar School - Junior Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Camberwell Canterbury
Supermarkets 7 1
Cafes & restaurants 58 9
Parks & reserves 18 9
Childcare 13 10
GPs 10 1
Pharmacies 7 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 12 2
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Camberwell sits further from the CBD (13.6 km vs 10.9 km).

Camberwell Canterbury
Walkability score 80/100 87/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.6 km
+20% vs other
 10.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min 24 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 620.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 79.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.5%
postcode 3124
 3.8%
postcode 3126
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 20
postcode 3124
 20
postcode 3126

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.

Camberwell Canterbury
Worked from Home 50.7% / 49.6%
Camberwell — Worked from Home: 50.7% Canterbury — Worked from Home: 49.6%
Car (driver) 37.6% / 40.0%
Camberwell — Car (driver): 37.6% Canterbury — Car (driver): 40.0%
Train 4.3% / 4.0%
Camberwell — Train: 4.3% Canterbury — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 2.3%
Camberwell — Car (passenger): 2.7% Canterbury — Car (passenger): 2.3%
Walked Only 2.5% / 2.4%
Camberwell — Walked Only: 2.5% Canterbury — Walked Only: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.7%).

Setting

Camberwell Canterbury
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 10.2 km

NBN connectivity

Camberwell Canterbury
Connectivity score 78/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
11,177 premises
 5%
3,618 premises

Climate

Camberwell Canterbury
Annual rainfall 644 mm 777 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C 26.9°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C 6.3°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Camberwell Canterbury
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Camberwell Canterbury
Average residential rate $2,253/yr
same for both
Council Boroondara
same for both

Federal electorate

Camberwell Canterbury
Division Kooyong
same for both
Member Monique Ryan
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Camberwell Canterbury
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Camberwell

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

Canterbury

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Camberwell

Camberwell vs Glen Iris Camberwell vs Burwood Camberwell vs Hawthorn East Camberwell vs Surrey Hills

Other comparisons with Canterbury

Canterbury vs Kew Canterbury vs Hawthorn East Canterbury vs Surrey Hills Canterbury vs Balwyn Canterbury vs Deepdene
Full data on Camberwell Full data on Canterbury
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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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