Coburg vs Thornbury

In both, most households own their home. In Coburg, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Thornbury: a median of $1.44 million, against $1.24 million in Coburg, though rent is higher in Coburg. Coburg is closer to the city centre: 7.9 km, against 8.8 km. On these figures, Thornbury tends to suit people living alone.

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

Coburg

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 17)
  • has more parks and reserves (33 vs 25)

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

First-home buyers

Coburg

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,235,000 vs $1,440,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($391/wk vs $430/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Coburg has more GPs (8 vs 6)
  • Thornbury has more units and townhouses to downsize into (49% vs 35%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Coburg and Thornbury 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 Thornbury
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 Thornbury
Walkability 99 / 97
Coburg — Walkability: 99/100 Thornbury — Walkability: 97/100
Safety 22 / 30
Coburg — Safety: 22/100 Thornbury — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Coburg — Low fire risk: 100/100 Thornbury — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 49 / 60
Coburg — Low flood risk: 49/100 Thornbury — Low flood risk: 60/100

Demographics

Coburg has more residents (26,574 vs 19,005).

Coburg Thornbury
Population 26,574
+28% vs other
 19,005
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.5% +2.4%
Median age 37
same for both
Median household income $107,380/yr
+5% vs other
 $102,492/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+9% vs other
 $391/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coburg Thornbury
0-4 5.3% / 5.1%
Coburg — 0-4: 5.3% Thornbury — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 9.9% / 9.6%
Coburg — 5-14: 9.9% Thornbury — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 4.4% / 4.3%
Coburg — 15-19: 4.4% Thornbury — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 6.8% / 5.4%
Coburg — 20-24: 6.8% Thornbury — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 19.0% / 20.3%
Coburg — 25-34: 19.0% Thornbury — 25-34: 20.3%
35-44 16.6% / 17.7%
Coburg — 35-44: 16.6% Thornbury — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 13.8% / 14.1%
Coburg — 45-54: 13.8% Thornbury — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 10.1% / 9.8%
Coburg — 55-64: 10.1% Thornbury — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 7.1% / 6.5%
Coburg — 65-74: 7.1% Thornbury — 65-74: 6.5%
75-84 4.6% / 4.5%
Coburg — 75-84: 4.6% Thornbury — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 2.4% / 2.6%
Coburg — 85+: 2.4% Thornbury — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coburg 33.5% lone person
Coburg — Lone Person: 33.5% Coburg — Couple Families: 39.9% Coburg — One Parent Families: 12.5% Coburg — Group Household: 11.9% Coburg — Other Families: 2.2%
Thornbury 44.0% lone person
Thornbury — Lone Person: 44.0% Thornbury — Couple Families: 33.6% Thornbury — One Parent Families: 11.1% Thornbury — Group Household: 9.7% Thornbury — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coburg 34.0% renting
Coburg — Owned Outright: 33.1% Coburg — Mortgage: 32.9% Coburg — Renting: 34.0%
Thornbury 42.8% renting
Thornbury — Owned Outright: 27.7% Thornbury — Mortgage: 29.5% Thornbury — Renting: 42.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coburg Thornbury
Bachelor Degree 21.2% / 24.4%
Coburg — Bachelor Degree: 21.2% Thornbury — Bachelor Degree: 24.4%
Postgraduate Degree 10.3% / 10.9%
Coburg — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3% Thornbury — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9%
Certificate III & IV 7.8% / 7.4%
Coburg — Certificate III & IV: 7.8% Thornbury — Certificate III & IV: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 7.1%
Coburg — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Thornbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / 4.7%
Coburg — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Thornbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.4%).

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 Thornbury
Italy 4.4% / 2.9%
Coburg — Italy: 4.4% Thornbury — Italy: 2.9%
Greece 2.6% / 4.2%
Coburg — Greece: 2.6% Thornbury — Greece: 4.2%
England 2.4% / 2.9%
Coburg — England: 2.4% Thornbury — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 1.8% / 2.2%
Coburg — New Zealand: 1.8% Thornbury — New Zealand: 2.2%
Lebanon 2.3% / 0.8%
Coburg — Lebanon: 2.3% Thornbury — Lebanon: 0.8%
India 1.0% / 1.2%
Coburg — India: 1.0% Thornbury — India: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coburg 65.1% houses
Coburg — Houses: 65.1% Coburg — Townhouses: 24.3% Coburg — Flats / Apartments: 10.6%
Thornbury 51.4% houses
Thornbury — Houses: 51.4% Thornbury — Townhouses: 23.4% Thornbury — Flats / Apartments: 25.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Coburg Thornbury
Median house price $1,235,000 $1,440,000
Median unit price $522,500 $527,000
Median land price $1,250,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 264 sales
 23 days
from 134 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 Thornbury
1 bed $392K / $395K
Coburg — 1 bed: $392K (82 sales) Thornbury — 1 bed: $395K (98 sales)

82 vs 98 sales

2 bed $600K / $611K
Coburg — 2 bed: $600K (123 sales) Thornbury — 2 bed: $611K (112 sales)

123 vs 112 sales

3 bed $690K / $910K
Coburg — 3 bed: $690K (17 sales) Thornbury — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales)

17 vs 7 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 Thornbury
2 bed $1.01M / $1.28M
Coburg — 2 bed: $1.01M (85 sales) Thornbury — 2 bed: $1.28M (65 sales)

85 vs 65 sales

3 bed $1.22M / $1.4M
Coburg — 3 bed: $1.22M (193 sales) Thornbury — 3 bed: $1.4M (140 sales)

193 vs 140 sales

4 bed $1.43M / $1.75M
Coburg — 4 bed: $1.43M (93 sales) Thornbury — 4 bed: $1.75M (52 sales)

93 vs 52 sales

5 bed $1.61M / $1.95M
Coburg — 5 bed: $1.61M (11 sales) Thornbury — 5 bed: $1.95M (7 sales)

11 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Coburg Thornbury
Residential 77% 71%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 10%
Parks and recreation 6% 10%
Commercial 9% 3%
Industrial 0% 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

Coburg Thornbury
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 Thornbury
Houses 3.4%
$750/wk on $1.15M
 3.5%
$878/wk on $1.31M
Units 5.3%
$550/wk on $540K
 5.1%
$550/wk on $559K

Ranking within VIC

Coburg Thornbury
House price Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Schools Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC

Liveability

Coburg Thornbury
Grade B A
Score 67/100 71/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Coburg carries more flood risk (51 vs 40).

Coburg Thornbury
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
78/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
51/100
 Moderate
40/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Coburg Thornbury
Inside the suburb 14 9
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 2 4
Rated below peers 5 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 4.8 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 5.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 2.7%

Schools in Coburg

  • St Bernard's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Paul's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Coburg High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Fidelis' School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Australian International Academy of Education Independent · Combined below peers
  • Coburg North Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Thornbury

  • Virtual School Victoria Government · Combined above peers
  • Penders Grove Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Thornbury High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Wales Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Spirit School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Coburg Thornbury
Supermarkets 9 6
Cafes & restaurants 67 37
Parks & reserves 33 25
Childcare 23 17
GPs 8 6
Pharmacies 9 5
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 2
Fuel stations 5
same for both
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 1 2

Mobility

Coburg Thornbury
Walkability score 99/100 97/100
Distance to Melbourne 7.9 km 8.8 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min
same for both
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 754.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 386.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3058
 1.6%
postcode 3071
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 3058
 19
postcode 3071

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 Thornbury
Worked from Home 45.4% / 49.4%
Coburg — Worked from Home: 45.4% Thornbury — Worked from Home: 49.4%
Car (driver) 37.3% / 35.3%
Coburg — Car (driver): 37.3% Thornbury — Car (driver): 35.3%
Bicycle 3.8% / 4.0%
Coburg — Bicycle: 3.8% Thornbury — Bicycle: 4.0%
Train 3.9% / 3.6%
Coburg — Train: 3.9% Thornbury — Train: 3.6%
Tram / Light Rail 3.6% / 2.5%
Coburg — Tram / Light Rail: 3.6% Thornbury — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.4%).

Setting

Coburg Thornbury
Elevation 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.1 km 11.2 km

NBN connectivity

Coburg Thornbury
Connectivity score 82/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 26%
13,334 premises
 3%
10,177 premises

Climate

Coburg Thornbury
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 Thornbury
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.82 pphm
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Coburg Thornbury
Division Wills Cooper
Member Peter Khalil Ged Kearney
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Coburg

Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Thornbury

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coburg

Coburg vs Preston Coburg vs Brunswick Coburg vs Pascoe Vale Coburg vs Brunswick West Coburg vs Brunswick East Coburg vs Pascoe Vale South

Other comparisons with Thornbury

Thornbury vs Preston Thornbury vs Northcote Thornbury vs Ivanhoe Thornbury vs Brunswick East Thornbury vs Fairfield Thornbury vs Alphington
Full data on Coburg Full data on Thornbury
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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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