Coburg North vs Preston

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Preston: a median of $1.18 million, against $1.07 million in Coburg North.

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

  • Coburg North has more separate houses rather than flats (76% vs 56%)
  • Preston has more schools inside the suburb (16 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Preston

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,035,000 vs $1,625,000)
  • has cheaper units ($490,000 vs $590,000)
  • But Coburg North has cheaper houses ($1,070,000 vs $1,182,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 80/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Preston

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (11 vs 2)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (44% vs 24%)
  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Coburg North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.6% vs 2.9%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Coburg North Preston
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.

Coburg North Preston
Walkability 80 / 99
Coburg North — Walkability: 80/100 Preston — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 14 / 9
Coburg North — Safety: 14/100 Preston — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Coburg North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 43 / 62
Coburg North — Low flood risk: 43/100 Preston — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Preston has more residents (33,790 vs 8,327).

Coburg North Preston
Population 8,327 33,790
+306% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.6% +2.9%
Median age 38 37
Median household income $103,012/yr
+7% vs other
 $95,888/yr
Median weekly rent $401/wk
+2% vs other
 $392/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coburg North Preston
0-4 6.6% / 5.3%
Coburg North — 0-4: 6.6% Preston — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 11.2% / 9.7%
Coburg North — 5-14: 11.2% Preston — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 4.6% / 4.2%
Coburg North — 15-19: 4.6% Preston — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 5.6% / 6.0%
Coburg North — 20-24: 5.6% Preston — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 16.1% / 19.8%
Coburg North — 25-34: 16.1% Preston — 25-34: 19.8%
35-44 17.5% / 17.6%
Coburg North — 35-44: 17.5% Preston — 35-44: 17.6%
45-54 14.3% / 14.0%
Coburg North — 45-54: 14.3% Preston — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 9.5% / 10.1%
Coburg North — 55-64: 9.5% Preston — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 5.8% / 6.8%
Coburg North — 65-74: 5.8% Preston — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 4.9% / 4.4%
Coburg North — 75-84: 4.9% Preston — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 4.0% / 2.2%
Coburg North — 85+: 4.0% Preston — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coburg North 42.5% couple families
Coburg North — Couple Families: 42.5% Coburg North — Lone Person: 32.0% Coburg North — One Parent Families: 15.1% Coburg North — Group Household: 8.5% Coburg North — Other Families: 1.8%
Preston 34.9% couple families
Preston — Couple Families: 34.9% Preston — Lone Person: 38.8% Preston — One Parent Families: 13.0% Preston — Group Household: 10.8% Preston — Other Families: 2.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coburg North 31.5% renting
Coburg North — Owned Outright: 30.7% Coburg North — Mortgage: 37.8% Coburg North — Renting: 31.5%
Preston 41.2% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 27.9% Preston — Mortgage: 30.9% Preston — Renting: 41.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coburg North Preston
Bachelor Degree 18.0% / 21.1%
Coburg North — Bachelor Degree: 18.0% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 21.1%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / 8.6%
Coburg North — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Certificate III & IV 8.0% / 8.2%
Coburg North — Certificate III & IV: 8.0% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.0%
Coburg North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 3.5%
Coburg North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Coburg North Preston
Italy 4.9% / 3.0%
Coburg North — Italy: 4.9% Preston — Italy: 3.0%
China 2.1% / 3.0%
Coburg North — China: 2.1% Preston — China: 3.0%
England 2.5% / 2.1%
Coburg North — England: 2.5% Preston — England: 2.1%
Greece 1.7% / 2.8%
Coburg North — Greece: 1.7% Preston — Greece: 2.8%
India 1.4% / 2.5%
Coburg North — India: 1.4% Preston — India: 2.5%
Vietnam — / 2.2%
Coburg North — Vietnam: not among its largest Preston — Vietnam: 2.2%
Lebanon 1.6% / —
Coburg North — Lebanon: 1.6% Preston — Lebanon: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coburg North 75.7% houses
Coburg North — Houses: 75.7% Coburg North — Townhouses: 19.6% Coburg North — Flats / Apartments: 4.7%
Preston 55.7% houses
Preston — Houses: 55.7% Preston — Townhouses: 24.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 19.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Coburg North Preston
Median house price $1,070,000 $1,182,500
Median unit price $590,000 $490,000
Median land price $1,625,000 $1,035,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 78 sales
 24 days
from 273 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.

Coburg North Preston
1 bed $332K / $375K
Coburg North — 1 bed: $332K (6 sales) Preston — 1 bed: $375K (98 sales)

6 vs 98 sales

2 bed $665K / $530K
Coburg North — 2 bed: $665K (13 sales) Preston — 2 bed: $530K (213 sales)

13 vs 213 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.

Coburg North Preston
2 bed $875K / $1.02M
Coburg North — 2 bed: $875K (24 sales) Preston — 2 bed: $1.02M (98 sales)

24 vs 98 sales

3 bed $1.02M / $1.18M
Coburg North — 3 bed: $1.02M (74 sales) Preston — 3 bed: $1.18M (235 sales)

74 vs 235 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.36M
Coburg North — 4 bed: $1.2M (32 sales) Preston — 4 bed: $1.36M (76 sales)

32 vs 76 sales

Zoning mix

Coburg North has more industrially zoned land (34% vs 12%).

Coburg North Preston
Residential 43% 64%
Industrial 34% 12%
Parks and recreation 18% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 12%
Commercial 2% 9%
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

Coburg North Preston
New dwellings approved 1,387
across Merri-bek
 1,213
across Darebin
Approvals change year on year +68% +0%

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.

Coburg North Preston
Houses 3.7%
$695/wk on $969K
 3.4%
$720/wk on $1.1M
Units 5.9%
$538/wk on $475K
 5.7%
$550/wk on $498K

Ranking within VIC

Coburg North Preston
House price Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 55% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC

Liveability

Preston is more walkable (99 vs 80).

Coburg North Preston
Grade B A
Score 64/100 68/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Coburg North carries more flood risk (57 vs 38).

Coburg North Preston
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 High
91/100
Flood Moderate
57/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Coburg North Preston
Inside the suburb 2 16
Rated above peers 0 4
Rated at peers 1 6
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 6.8 km
 3
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 6.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.4% 2.6%

Schools in Coburg North

  • Mercy College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Australian International Academy of Education - Senior Campus Independent · Combined

Schools in Preston

  • Newlands Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Preston Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • East Preston Islamic College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Preston North East Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Coburg North Preston
Supermarkets 5 13
Cafes & restaurants 22 107
Parks & reserves 26 28
Childcare 4 30
GPs 2 11
Pharmacies 2 9
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 14
Fuel stations 2 10
Waterways 10 0

Mobility

Coburg North Preston
Walkability score 80/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 10.2 km 10.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 26 min 23 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 196.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1062.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3058
 1.2%
postcode 3072
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 3058
 21
postcode 3072

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.

Coburg North Preston
Worked from Home 43.3% / 41.8%
Coburg North — Worked from Home: 43.3% Preston — Worked from Home: 41.8%
Car (driver) 42.9% / 42.1%
Coburg North — Car (driver): 42.9% Preston — Car (driver): 42.1%
Train 4.5% / 4.4%
Coburg North — Train: 4.5% Preston — Train: 4.4%
Bicycle 2.8% / 2.6%
Coburg North — Bicycle: 2.8% Preston — Bicycle: 2.6%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 2.7%
Coburg North — Car (passenger): 2.7% Preston — Car (passenger): 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (43.3%).

Setting

Coburg North Preston
Elevation 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.1 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

Coburg North Preston
Connectivity score 91/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 58%
4,812 premises
 17%
18,580 premises

Climate

Coburg North Preston
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Coburg North Preston
PM2.5 3.9 µg/m³ 7.3 µg/m³
PM10 — 17.8 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.82 pphm

Council rates

Coburg North Preston
Average residential rate $1,914/yr $1,764/yr
Council Merri-bek Darebin

Federal electorate

Coburg North Preston
Division Cooper
same for both
Member Ged Kearney
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Coburg North Preston
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coburg North

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Professionals River Trams Transport Hub

Preston

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coburg North

Coburg North vs Reservoir Coburg North vs Coburg Coburg North vs Pascoe Vale Coburg North vs Fawkner Coburg North vs Hadfield

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Reservoir Preston vs Coburg Preston vs Thornbury Preston vs Ivanhoe Preston vs Heidelberg West Preston vs Bellfield
Full data on Coburg North Full data on Preston
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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