Caulfield East vs Malvern East

Caulfield East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 38 in Malvern East. In Caulfield East, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Malvern East, most households own their home and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Malvern East: a median of $1.95 million, against $1.61 million in Caulfield East, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Caulfield East tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Malvern East suits couples.

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

Malvern East

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (14 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (17 vs 5)

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

First-home buyers

Caulfield East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($352,500 vs $479,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,606,000 vs $1,947,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Caulfield East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (47% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $421/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Caulfield East

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 88/100)
  • But Malvern East has a shorter drive in (21 min vs 28 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Caulfield East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (62% vs 47%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 88/100)
  • But Malvern East has more GPs (5 vs 1)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Caulfield East returns a higher gross yield on units (5.0% vs 4.2%)
  • Malvern East is growing faster (2.7% vs -18.4%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Caulfield East Malvern East
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.

Caulfield East Malvern East
Walkability 96 / 88
Caulfield East — Walkability: 96/100 Malvern East — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 5 / 13
Caulfield East — Safety: 5/100 Malvern East — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Caulfield East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Malvern East — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 88 / 46
Caulfield East — Low flood risk: 88/100 Malvern East — Low flood risk: 46/100

Demographics

Malvern East has more residents (22,296 vs 1,293); Malvern East has higher household incomes ($123,916 vs $87,464).

Caulfield East Malvern East
Population 1,293 22,296
+1624% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -18.4% +2.7%
Median age 32 38
Median household income $87,464/yr $123,916/yr
+42% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $421/wk
+32% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caulfield East Malvern East
0-4 4.8% / 4.6%
Caulfield East — 0-4: 4.8% Malvern East — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 7.5% / 11.3%
Caulfield East — 5-14: 7.5% Malvern East — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 5.5% / 6.3%
Caulfield East — 15-19: 5.5% Malvern East — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 13.7% / 8.2%
Caulfield East — 20-24: 13.7% Malvern East — 20-24: 8.2%
25-34 22.5% / 14.7%
Caulfield East — 25-34: 22.5% Malvern East — 25-34: 14.7%
35-44 12.4% / 12.6%
Caulfield East — 35-44: 12.4% Malvern East — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 11.6% / 13.8%
Caulfield East — 45-54: 11.6% Malvern East — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 10.1% / 11.4%
Caulfield East — 55-64: 10.1% Malvern East — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 9.6% / 8.8%
Caulfield East — 65-74: 9.6% Malvern East — 65-74: 8.8%
75-84 2.9% / 5.3%
Caulfield East — 75-84: 2.9% Malvern East — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.2% / 3.0%
Caulfield East — 85+: 1.2% Malvern East — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caulfield East 47.2% lone person
Caulfield East — Lone Person: 47.2% Caulfield East — Couple Families: 29.3% Caulfield East — Group Household: 15.7% Caulfield East — One Parent Families: 6.9% Caulfield East — Other Families: 0.9%
Malvern East 34.8% lone person
Malvern East — Lone Person: 34.8% Malvern East — Couple Families: 45.2% Malvern East — Group Household: 7.8% Malvern East — One Parent Families: 10.5% Malvern East — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield East 46.7% renting
Caulfield East — Owned Outright: 25.9% Caulfield East — Mortgage: 27.4% Caulfield East — Renting: 46.7%
Malvern East 31.6% renting
Malvern East — Owned Outright: 36.4% Malvern East — Mortgage: 32.0% Malvern East — Renting: 31.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Caulfield East Malvern East
Bachelor Degree 26.0% / 26.2%
Caulfield East — Bachelor Degree: 26.0% Malvern East — Bachelor Degree: 26.2%
Postgraduate Degree 12.1% / 11.5%
Caulfield East — Postgraduate Degree: 12.1% Malvern East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.7%
Caulfield East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Malvern East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 8.6% / 5.1%
Caulfield East — Certificate III & IV: 8.6% Malvern East — Certificate III & IV: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.0% / 3.7%
Caulfield East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0% Malvern East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Caulfield East Malvern East
China 6.0% / 5.2%
Caulfield East — China: 6.0% Malvern East — China: 5.2%
India 4.1% / 3.3%
Caulfield East — India: 4.1% Malvern East — India: 3.3%
England 2.6% / 2.5%
Caulfield East — England: 2.6% Malvern East — England: 2.5%
Malaysia 1.8% / 1.3%
Caulfield East — Malaysia: 1.8% Malvern East — Malaysia: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.2%
Caulfield East — New Zealand: 1.9% Malvern East — New Zealand: 1.2%
Nepal 1.9% / —
Caulfield East — Nepal: 1.9% Malvern East — Nepal: not among its largest
Greece — / 1.8%
Caulfield East — Greece: not among its largest Malvern East — Greece: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Caulfield East 38.4% houses
Caulfield East — Houses: 38.4% Caulfield East — Townhouses: 33.9% Caulfield East — Flats / Apartments: 27.7%
Malvern East 53.2% houses
Malvern East — Houses: 53.2% Malvern East — Townhouses: 23.5% Malvern East — Flats / Apartments: 23.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Caulfield East Malvern East
Median house price $1,606,000 $1,947,500
Median unit price $352,500 $479,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 5 sales
 25 days
from 164 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.

Caulfield East Malvern East
1 bed $285K / $336K
Caulfield East — 1 bed: $285K (15 sales) Malvern East — 1 bed: $336K (68 sales)

15 vs 68 sales

2 bed $430K / $606K
Caulfield East — 2 bed: $430K (18 sales) Malvern East — 2 bed: $606K (110 sales)

18 vs 110 sales

Zoning mix

Caulfield East Malvern East
Residential 24% 70%
Parks and recreation 49% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 12%
Other and special use 7% 0%
Commercial 4% 6%
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

Caulfield East Malvern East
New dwellings approved 617
across Glen Eira
 818
across Stonnington
Approvals change year on year -69% +67%

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.

Caulfield East Malvern East
Houses — 3.1%
$1,035/wk on $1.76M
Units 5.0%
$290/wk on $299K
 4.2%
$435/wk on $542K

Ranking within VIC

Caulfield East Malvern East
House price Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Income Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 67% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 8% of VIC
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 15% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC

Liveability

Caulfield East scores higher overall (83 vs 74); Caulfield East is more walkable (96 vs 88).

Caulfield East Malvern East
Grade A+ A
Score 83/100 74/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Malvern East carries more flood risk (54 vs 12).

Caulfield East Malvern East
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
87/100
Flood Low
12/100
 Moderate
54/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Caulfield East Malvern East
Inside the suburb 1 6
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 0.0 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 2.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 9.5% 5.7%

Schools in Caulfield East

  • Glen Eira College Government · Secondary above peers

Schools in Malvern East

  • Malvern Valley Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Lloyd Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Malvern Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • De La Salle College - Holy Eucharist Campus Catholic · Combined
  • The Currajong School Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Caulfield East Malvern East
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 22 61
Parks & reserves 5 17
Childcare 2 14
GPs 1 5
Pharmacies 1 4
Banks & Bank@Post 0 10
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 1 3
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Caulfield East Malvern East
Walkability score 96/100 88/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.2 km 14.4 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 28 min 21 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 101.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 410.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 3145
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 3145
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.

Caulfield East Malvern East
Worked from Home 43.2% / 47.0%
Caulfield East — Worked from Home: 43.2% Malvern East — Worked from Home: 47.0%
Car (driver) 37.9% / 40.3%
Caulfield East — Car (driver): 37.9% Malvern East — Car (driver): 40.3%
Train 11.1% / 5.6%
Caulfield East — Train: 11.1% Malvern East — Train: 5.6%
Walked Only 3.5% / 2.4%
Caulfield East — Walked Only: 3.5% Malvern East — Walked Only: 2.4%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 2.5%
Caulfield East — Car (passenger): 2.3% Malvern East — Car (passenger): 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (47.0%).

Setting

Caulfield East Malvern East
Elevation 43 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.1 km 7.2 km

NBN connectivity

Caulfield East Malvern East
Connectivity score 74/100 77/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
734 premises
 10%
11,575 premises

Climate

Caulfield East Malvern East
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Caulfield East Malvern East
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Caulfield East Malvern East
Average residential rate $1,577/yr $1,647/yr
Council Glen Eira Stonnington

Federal electorate

Caulfield East Malvern East
Division Macnamara Chisholm
Member Josh Burns Carina Garland
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Caulfield East Malvern East
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Caulfield East

Affordable Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains Trams Transport Hub

Malvern East

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

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caulfield East

Caulfield East vs Carnegie Caulfield East vs Caulfield North Caulfield East vs Caulfield Caulfield East vs Glen Huntly

Other comparisons with Malvern East

Malvern East vs Glen Iris Malvern East vs Carnegie Malvern East vs Caulfield North Malvern East vs Murrumbeena Malvern East vs Malvern Malvern East vs Chadstone
Full data on Caulfield East Full data on Malvern East
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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