Cheltenham vs Black Rock

Cheltenham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 49 in Black Rock. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Black Rock, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Black Rock: a median of $2.5 million, against $1.25 million in Cheltenham, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cheltenham tends to suit 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

Cheltenham

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (28 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (20 vs 5)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 2)
  • But Black Rock carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cheltenham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,252,500 vs $2,502,500)
  • has cheaper units ($677,500 vs $950,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cheltenham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($430/wk vs $541/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cheltenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 76/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Cheltenham has more GPs (6 vs 1)
  • Black Rock carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Cheltenham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 2.9%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.0% vs 4.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cheltenham Black Rock
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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
Walkability 94 / 76
Cheltenham — Walkability: 94/100 Black Rock — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 20 / 70
Cheltenham — Safety: 20/100 Black Rock — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cheltenham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Black Rock — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 70 / 100
Cheltenham — Low flood risk: 70/100 Black Rock — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cheltenham has more residents (23,992 vs 6,389); Black Rock has higher household incomes ($125,632 vs $99,788).

Cheltenham Black Rock
Population 23,992
+73% vs other
 6,389
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.6% +3.7%
Median age 40 49
Median household income $99,788/yr $125,632/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk $541/wk
+26% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cheltenham Black Rock
0-4 5.9% / 3.9%
Cheltenham — 0-4: 5.9% Black Rock — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 12.1% / 11.8%
Cheltenham — 5-14: 12.1% Black Rock — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 5.3% / 7.2%
Cheltenham — 15-19: 5.3% Black Rock — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 4.9% / 4.6%
Cheltenham — 20-24: 4.9% Black Rock — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 12.6% / 6.2%
Cheltenham — 25-34: 12.6% Black Rock — 25-34: 6.2%
35-44 15.6% / 10.0%
Cheltenham — 35-44: 15.6% Black Rock — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 14.1% / 15.5%
Cheltenham — 45-54: 14.1% Black Rock — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 10.8% / 15.5%
Cheltenham — 55-64: 10.8% Black Rock — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 8.6% / 13.9%
Cheltenham — 65-74: 8.6% Black Rock — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 6.1% / 8.0%
Cheltenham — 75-84: 6.1% Black Rock — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 4.0% / 3.4%
Cheltenham — 85+: 4.0% Black Rock — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cheltenham 43.0% couple families
Cheltenham — Couple Families: 43.0% Cheltenham — Lone Person: 37.8% Cheltenham — One Parent Families: 14.3% Cheltenham — Group Household: 3.4% Cheltenham — Other Families: 1.4%
Black Rock 50.1% couple families
Black Rock — Couple Families: 50.1% Black Rock — Lone Person: 35.8% Black Rock — One Parent Families: 11.6% Black Rock — Group Household: 1.7% Black Rock — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cheltenham 27.9% renting
Cheltenham — Owned Outright: 33.8% Cheltenham — Mortgage: 38.3% Cheltenham — Renting: 27.9%
Black Rock 17.8% renting
Black Rock — Owned Outright: 50.8% Black Rock — Mortgage: 31.4% Black Rock — Renting: 17.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cheltenham Black Rock
Bachelor Degree 18.8% / 23.9%
Cheltenham — Bachelor Degree: 18.8% Black Rock — Bachelor Degree: 23.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 9.5%
Cheltenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Black Rock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Certificate III & IV 9.8% / 7.2%
Cheltenham — Certificate III & IV: 9.8% Black Rock — Certificate III & IV: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.9% / 8.3%
Cheltenham — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9% Black Rock — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 3.4%
Cheltenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Black Rock — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.9%).

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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
England 4.0% / 7.1%
Cheltenham — England: 4.0% Black Rock — England: 7.1%
China 3.1% / 1.4%
Cheltenham — China: 3.1% Black Rock — China: 1.4%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.7%
Cheltenham — New Zealand: 1.6% Black Rock — New Zealand: 1.7%
India 2.7% / —
Cheltenham — India: 2.7% Black Rock — India: not among its largest
Greece 2.0% / 0.7%
Cheltenham — Greece: 2.0% Black Rock — Greece: 0.7%
South Africa 1.0% / 1.3%
Cheltenham — South Africa: 1.0% Black Rock — South Africa: 1.3%
Germany — / 1.0%
Cheltenham — Germany: not among its largest Black Rock — Germany: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cheltenham 58.5% houses
Cheltenham — Houses: 58.5% Cheltenham — Townhouses: 22.7% Cheltenham — Flats / Apartments: 18.8%
Black Rock 56.0% houses
Black Rock — Houses: 56.0% Black Rock — Townhouses: 34.2% Black Rock — Flats / Apartments: 9.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cheltenham Black Rock
Median house price $1,252,500 $2,502,500
Median unit price $677,500 $950,000
Median land price $942,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 155 sales
 22 days
from 26 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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
2 bed $668K / $830K
Cheltenham — 2 bed: $668K (184 sales) Black Rock — 2 bed: $830K (29 sales)

184 vs 29 sales

3 bed $895K / $1.33M
Cheltenham — 3 bed: $895K (48 sales) Black Rock — 3 bed: $1.33M (15 sales)

48 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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
3 bed $1.2M / $1.78M
Cheltenham — 3 bed: $1.2M (120 sales) Black Rock — 3 bed: $1.78M (20 sales)

120 vs 20 sales

4 bed $1.35M / $2.52M
Cheltenham — 4 bed: $1.35M (93 sales) Black Rock — 4 bed: $2.52M (36 sales)

93 vs 36 sales

5 bed $1.68M / $3.93M
Cheltenham — 5 bed: $1.68M (25 sales) Black Rock — 5 bed: $3.93M (8 sales)

25 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Cheltenham has more commercially zoned land (19% vs 1%); Cheltenham has more industrially zoned land (10% vs 0%).

Cheltenham Black Rock
Residential 51% 82%
Commercial 19% 1%
Parks and recreation 11% 12%
Industrial 10% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 5%
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

Cheltenham Black Rock
New dwellings approved 465
across Kingston (Vic.)
 473
across Bayside (Vic.)
Approvals change year on year -36% -47%

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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
Houses 3.5%
$800/wk on $1.2M
 2.9%
$1,298/wk on $2.3M
Units 5.0%
$600/wk on $630K
 4.5%
$722/wk on $840K

Ranking within VIC

Cheltenham Black Rock
House price Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Income Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Cheltenham is more walkable (94 vs 76); Black Rock scores higher overall (91 vs 76).

Cheltenham Black Rock
Grade A A+
Score 76/100 91/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Cheltenham carries more flood risk (30 vs 0); Cheltenham carries more crime risk (80 vs 30).

Cheltenham Black Rock
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 Low
30/100
Flood Low
30/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
60/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Cheltenham Black Rock
Inside the suburb 6 2
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
Monash Clayton, 8.0 km
 None

Schools in Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham East Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cheltenham Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cheltenham Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kingston Heath Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Our Lady of the Assumption School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Le Page Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Black Rock

  • Black Rock Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Cheltenham Black Rock
Supermarkets 8 2
Cafes & restaurants 56 10
Parks & reserves 28 2
Childcare 20 5
GPs 6 1
Pharmacies 8 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 9 1
Fuel stations 4 0
EV chargers 3 1

Mobility

Cheltenham Black Rock
Walkability score 94/100 76/100
Distance to Melbourne 20.9 km
+1% vs other
 20.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 33 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 428.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 129.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3192
 2.3%
postcode 3193
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 3192
 27
postcode 3193

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.

Cheltenham Black Rock
Car (driver) 49.2% / 44.0%
Cheltenham — Car (driver): 49.2% Black Rock — Car (driver): 44.0%
Worked from Home 40.1% / 48.8%
Cheltenham — Worked from Home: 40.1% Black Rock — Worked from Home: 48.8%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 2.1%
Cheltenham — Car (passenger): 3.2% Black Rock — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Train 3.3% / 2.0%
Cheltenham — Train: 3.3% Black Rock — Train: 2.0%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.3%
Cheltenham — Walked Only: 2.4% Black Rock — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.2%).

Setting

Cheltenham Black Rock
Elevation 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.9 km to a named beach
 772 m
1.5 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cheltenham Black Rock
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
13,274 premises
 1%
3,000 premises

Climate

Cheltenham Black Rock
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)

Cheltenham Black Rock
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Cheltenham Black Rock
Average residential rate $1,940/yr $2,086/yr
Council Kingston (Vic.) Bayside (Vic.)

Federal electorate

Cheltenham Black Rock
Division Isaacs Goldstein
Member Mark Dreyfus Tim Wilson
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Cheltenham Black Rock
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cheltenham

Coastal Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Parks Premium Townhouses Transport Hub

Black Rock

Beach Coastal Luxury Middle-Ring Professionals Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cheltenham

Cheltenham vs Beaumaris Cheltenham vs Mentone Cheltenham vs Highett Cheltenham vs Sandringham Cheltenham vs Moorabbin Cheltenham vs Heatherton

Other comparisons with Black Rock

Black Rock vs Beaumaris Black Rock vs Sandringham
Full data on Cheltenham Full data on Black Rock
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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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