Cheltenham vs Heatherton

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Heatherton, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cheltenham: a median of $1.25 million, against $1.11 million in Heatherton, though rent is higher in Heatherton. Cheltenham is closer to the city centre: 20.9 km, against 25.7 km. On these figures, Cheltenham tends to suit people living alone, while Heatherton 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

Cheltenham

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (20 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (28 vs 10)
  • But Heatherton has more separate houses rather than flats (82% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Heatherton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($553,500 vs $677,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,110,000 vs $1,252,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cheltenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($430/wk vs $471/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cheltenham

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 45/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (20.9 km vs 25.7 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Cheltenham

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (42% vs 18%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 45/100)

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

Investors

Cheltenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.6% vs -2.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Cheltenham and Heatherton 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 Heatherton
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 Heatherton
Walkability 94 / 45
Cheltenham — Walkability: 94/100 Heatherton — Walkability: 45/100
Safety 20 / 27
Cheltenham — Safety: 20/100 Heatherton — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cheltenham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Heatherton — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 70 / 42
Cheltenham — Low flood risk: 70/100 Heatherton — Low flood risk: 42/100

Demographics

Cheltenham has more residents (23,992 vs 2,826).

Cheltenham Heatherton
Population 23,992
+88% vs other
 2,826
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.6% -2.8%
Median age 40 41
Median household income $99,788/yr $108,576/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk $471/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cheltenham Heatherton
0-4 5.9% / 4.9%
Cheltenham — 0-4: 5.9% Heatherton — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 12.1% / 15.5%
Cheltenham — 5-14: 12.1% Heatherton — 5-14: 15.5%
15-19 5.3% / 7.4%
Cheltenham — 15-19: 5.3% Heatherton — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 4.9% / 4.7%
Cheltenham — 20-24: 4.9% Heatherton — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 12.6% / 9.6%
Cheltenham — 25-34: 12.6% Heatherton — 25-34: 9.6%
35-44 15.6% / 13.5%
Cheltenham — 35-44: 15.6% Heatherton — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 14.1% / 18.7%
Cheltenham — 45-54: 14.1% Heatherton — 45-54: 18.7%
55-64 10.8% / 11.2%
Cheltenham — 55-64: 10.8% Heatherton — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 8.6% / 8.7%
Cheltenham — 65-74: 8.6% Heatherton — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 6.1% / 4.2%
Cheltenham — 75-84: 6.1% Heatherton — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 4.0% / 1.5%
Cheltenham — 85+: 4.0% Heatherton — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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%
Heatherton 55.3% couple families
Heatherton — Couple Families: 55.3% Heatherton — Lone Person: 25.3% Heatherton — One Parent Families: 14.9% Heatherton — Group Household: 3.1% Heatherton — Other Families: 1.4%
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%
Heatherton 27.5% renting
Heatherton — Owned Outright: 29.8% Heatherton — Mortgage: 42.7% Heatherton — Renting: 27.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cheltenham Heatherton
Bachelor Degree 18.8% / 16.6%
Cheltenham — Bachelor Degree: 18.8% Heatherton — Bachelor Degree: 16.6%
Certificate III & IV 9.8% / 9.2%
Cheltenham — Certificate III & IV: 9.8% Heatherton — Certificate III & IV: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 8.2%
Cheltenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Heatherton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.9% / 6.4%
Cheltenham — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9% Heatherton — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.4%
Cheltenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Heatherton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

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 Heatherton
England 4.0% / 3.4%
Cheltenham — England: 4.0% Heatherton — England: 3.4%
China 3.1% / 3.6%
Cheltenham — China: 3.1% Heatherton — China: 3.6%
India 2.7% / 2.4%
Cheltenham — India: 2.7% Heatherton — India: 2.4%
South Africa 1.0% / 3.8%
Cheltenham — South Africa: 1.0% Heatherton — South Africa: 3.8%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.5%
Cheltenham — New Zealand: 1.6% Heatherton — New Zealand: 1.5%
Greece 2.0% / —
Cheltenham — Greece: 2.0% Heatherton — Greece: not among its largest
Malaysia — / 1.6%
Cheltenham — Malaysia: not among its largest Heatherton — Malaysia: 1.6%

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

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%
Heatherton 81.7% houses
Heatherton — Houses: 81.7% Heatherton — Townhouses: 10.6% Heatherton — Flats / Apartments: 7.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cheltenham Heatherton
Median house price $1,252,500 $1,110,000
Median unit price $677,500 $553,500
Median land price $942,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 155 sales
 22 days
from 10 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 Heatherton
2 bed $1.05M / $918K
Cheltenham — 2 bed: $1.05M (23 sales) Heatherton — 2 bed: $918K (6 sales)

23 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.2M / $1.1M
Cheltenham — 3 bed: $1.2M (120 sales) Heatherton — 3 bed: $1.1M (21 sales)

120 vs 21 sales

4 bed $1.35M / $1.24M
Cheltenham — 4 bed: $1.35M (93 sales) Heatherton — 4 bed: $1.24M (13 sales)

93 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Heatherton has more rural and farming land (47% vs 0%); Cheltenham has more commercially zoned land (19% vs 6%).

Cheltenham Heatherton
Residential 51% 8%
Rural and farming 0% 47%
Other and special use 1% 23%
Commercial 19% 6%
Parks and recreation 11% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 11%
Industrial 10% 0%
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 Heatherton
New dwellings approved 465
across Kingston (Vic.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -36%
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.

Cheltenham Heatherton
Houses 3.5%
$800/wk on $1.2M
 —
Units 5.0%
$600/wk on $630K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Cheltenham Heatherton
House price Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Income Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 34% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 58% of VIC —

Liveability

Cheltenham is more walkable (94 vs 45); Cheltenham scores higher overall (76 vs 62).

Cheltenham Heatherton
Grade A B
Score 76/100 62/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Heatherton carries more flood risk (58 vs 30).

Cheltenham Heatherton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 High
73/100
Flood Low
30/100
 Moderate
58/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 25
within 5 km

Schools

Cheltenham Heatherton
Inside the suburb 6 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
Monash Clayton, 8.0 km
 2
Monash Clayton, 5.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.2% 2.7%

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 Heatherton

  • Christway College Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Heatherton sits further from the CBD (25.7 km vs 20.9 km).

Cheltenham Heatherton
Walkability score 94/100 45/100
Distance to Melbourne 20.9 km 25.7 km
+23% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 34 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 428.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 105.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3192
 1.8%
postcode 3202
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 3192
 32
postcode 3202

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 Heatherton
Car (driver) 49.2% / 55.2%
Cheltenham — Car (driver): 49.2% Heatherton — Car (driver): 55.2%
Worked from Home 40.1% / 34.0%
Cheltenham — Worked from Home: 40.1% Heatherton — Worked from Home: 34.0%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 4.4%
Cheltenham — Car (passenger): 3.2% Heatherton — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Train 3.3% / 2.9%
Cheltenham — Train: 3.3% Heatherton — Train: 2.9%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.3%
Cheltenham — Walked Only: 2.4% Heatherton — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.2%).

Setting

Cheltenham Heatherton
Elevation 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.9 km to a named beach
 4.7 km
4.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cheltenham Heatherton
Connectivity score 76/100 87/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
13,274 premises
 45%
1,358 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

Cheltenham Heatherton
Average residential rate $1,940/yr
same for both
Council Kingston (Vic.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Cheltenham Heatherton
Division Isaacs
same for both
Member Mark Dreyfus
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cheltenham Heatherton
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

Heatherton

Middle-Ring

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cheltenham

Cheltenham vs Beaumaris Cheltenham vs Mentone Cheltenham vs Highett Cheltenham vs Sandringham Cheltenham vs Black Rock Cheltenham vs Moorabbin

Other comparisons with Heatherton

Heatherton vs Bentleigh East Heatherton vs Clayton South Heatherton vs Dingley Village Heatherton vs Oakleigh South Heatherton vs Clarinda Heatherton vs Moorabbin
Full data on Cheltenham Full data on Heatherton
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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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