Coldstream vs Gruyere

Coldstream is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 46 in Gruyere. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Coldstream, about half of households are couple families. In Gruyere, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Gruyere: a median of $1.85 million, against $870,000 in Coldstream, though rent is higher in Coldstream. On these figures, Coldstream tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget, while Gruyere 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Coldstream has more parks and reserves (11 vs 2)
  • Gruyere is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 71%)

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

First-home buyers

Coldstream

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($870,000 vs $1,850,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Gruyere

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($296/wk vs $371/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Coldstream

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (54 min vs 61 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (49.9 km vs 54.8 km)
  • But Gruyere is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Coldstream has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Gruyere is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Coldstream Gruyere
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.

Coldstream Gruyere
Walkability 0 / 13
Coldstream — Walkability: 0/100 Gruyere — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 44 / 50
Coldstream — Safety: 44/100 Gruyere — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 2 / 2
Coldstream — Low fire risk: 2/100 Gruyere — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 20 / 42
Coldstream — Low flood risk: 20/100 Gruyere — Low flood risk: 42/100

Demographics

Coldstream has more residents (2,199 vs 966); Coldstream rents higher ($371/wk vs $296/wk).

Coldstream Gruyere
Population 2,199
+56% vs other
 966
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.6% +2.1%
Median age 37 46
Median household income $99,476/yr $115,596/yr
+16% vs other
Median weekly rent $371/wk
+20% vs other
 $296/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coldstream Gruyere
0-4 7.0% / 4.6%
Coldstream — 0-4: 7.0% Gruyere — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 13.1% / 11.5%
Coldstream — 5-14: 13.1% Gruyere — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 6.5% / 6.5%
Coldstream — 15-19: 6.5% Gruyere — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 5.2% / 8.1%
Coldstream — 20-24: 5.2% Gruyere — 20-24: 8.1%
25-34 14.5% / 7.9%
Coldstream — 25-34: 14.5% Gruyere — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 13.1% / 9.4%
Coldstream — 35-44: 13.1% Gruyere — 35-44: 9.4%
45-54 11.1% / 16.5%
Coldstream — 45-54: 11.1% Gruyere — 45-54: 16.5%
55-64 13.3% / 17.1%
Coldstream — 55-64: 13.3% Gruyere — 55-64: 17.1%
65-74 10.6% / 9.9%
Coldstream — 65-74: 10.6% Gruyere — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 5.0% / 6.6%
Coldstream — 75-84: 5.0% Gruyere — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 1.0% / 1.1%
Coldstream — 85+: 1.0% Gruyere — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coldstream 54.2% couple families
Coldstream — Couple Families: 54.2% Coldstream — Lone Person: 24.7% Coldstream — One Parent Families: 16.9% Coldstream — Group Household: 3.0% Coldstream — Other Families: 1.1%
Gruyere 70.0% couple families
Gruyere — Couple Families: 70.0% Gruyere — Lone Person: 16.4% Gruyere — One Parent Families: 11.6% Gruyere — Group Household: 1.9% Gruyere — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coldstream 13.4% renting
Coldstream — Owned Outright: 35.5% Coldstream — Mortgage: 51.1% Coldstream — Renting: 13.4%
Gruyere 9.5% renting
Gruyere — Owned Outright: 40.9% Gruyere — Mortgage: 49.7% Gruyere — Renting: 9.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coldstream Gruyere
Certificate III & IV 21.4% / 17.6%
Coldstream — Certificate III & IV: 21.4% Gruyere — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.3% / 12.5%
Coldstream — Bachelor Degree: 7.3% Gruyere — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.5%
Coldstream — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Gruyere — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 2.6%
Coldstream — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Gruyere — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 2.2%
Coldstream — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Gruyere — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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.

Coldstream Gruyere
England 4.7% / 4.9%
Coldstream — England: 4.7% Gruyere — England: 4.9%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.0%
Coldstream — New Zealand: 0.9% Gruyere — New Zealand: 1.0%
Netherlands 0.7% / 0.6%
Coldstream — Netherlands: 0.7% Gruyere — Netherlands: 0.6%
Italy 0.7% / 0.4%
Coldstream — Italy: 0.7% Gruyere — Italy: 0.4%
Scotland 0.8% / —
Coldstream — Scotland: 0.8% Gruyere — Scotland: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.4%
Coldstream — South Africa: not among its largest Gruyere — South Africa: 0.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coldstream 98.9% houses
Coldstream — Houses: 98.9% Coldstream — Flats / Apartments: 0.7% Coldstream — Townhouses: 0.4%
Gruyere 100.3% houses
Gruyere — Houses: 100.3% Gruyere — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Gruyere — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Coldstream Gruyere
Median house price $870,000 $1,850,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 17 sales
 142 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Coldstream has more rural and farming land (95% vs 70%); Gruyere has more land zoned for conservation (21% vs 0%).

Coldstream Gruyere
Rural and farming 95% 70%
Environmental 0% 21%
Parks and recreation 0% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Residential 1% 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

Coldstream Gruyere
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Coldstream Gruyere
House price Higher than 60% of VIC —
Income Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 58% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 67% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC

Liveability

Gruyere is more walkable (13 vs 0); Gruyere scores higher overall (42 vs 26).

Coldstream Gruyere
Grade D C
Score 26/100 42/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Coldstream carries more flood risk (80 vs 58).

Coldstream Gruyere
Bushfire High
98/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood High
80/100
 Moderate
58/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Coldstream Gruyere
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Coldstream

  • Coldstream Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Lyrebird College Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Gruyere

  • Gruyere Primary School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Coldstream Gruyere
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 13 2
Parks & reserves 11 2
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 4 10

Mobility

Gruyere sits further from the CBD (54.8 km vs 49.9 km).

Coldstream Gruyere
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 49.9 km 54.8 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 54 min 61 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3770
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3770
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.

Coldstream Gruyere
Car (driver) 69.5% / 62.6%
Coldstream — Car (driver): 69.5% Gruyere — Car (driver): 62.6%
Worked from Home 21.9% / 30.0%
Coldstream — Worked from Home: 21.9% Gruyere — Worked from Home: 30.0%
Car (passenger) 4.4% / 2.9%
Coldstream — Car (passenger): 4.4% Gruyere — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only 2.6% / 4.4%
Coldstream — Walked Only: 2.6% Gruyere — Walked Only: 4.4%
Train 0.9% / —
Coldstream — Train: 0.9% Gruyere — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.5%).

Setting

Coldstream Gruyere
Elevation 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 227 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 42.3 km 45.6 km

NBN connectivity

Coldstream Gruyere
Connectivity score 77/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
962 premises
 2%
336 premises

Climate

Coldstream Gruyere
Annual rainfall 1,215 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Coldstream Gruyere
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Coldstream Gruyere
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Coldstream Gruyere
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Coldstream Gruyere
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coldstream

Acreage Outer

Gruyere

Outer Premium

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coldstream

Coldstream vs Lilydale Coldstream vs Chirnside Park Coldstream vs Healesville Coldstream vs Wandin North Coldstream vs Yarra Glen Coldstream vs Christmas Hills

Other comparisons with Gruyere

Gruyere vs Healesville Gruyere vs Wandin North Gruyere vs Woori Yallock Gruyere vs Seville Gruyere vs Seville East
Full data on Coldstream Full data on Gruyere
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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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