Croydon vs Mooroolbark

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mooroolbark, about half of households are couple families. Croydon is closer to the city centre: 33 km, against 37.2 km. On these figures, Croydon tends to suit people living alone, while Mooroolbark 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

Mooroolbark

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 69/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (4 vs 3)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 55%)
  • But Croydon has more childcare (30 vs 21)

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

First-home buyers

Mooroolbark

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($858,500 vs $1,185,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 28%)

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

Croydon

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 71/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (37 min vs 43 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (33 km vs 37.2 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Croydon

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 4%)
  • has more GPs (7 vs 4)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 15%)
  • But Mooroolbark carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 69/100)

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

Investors

Croydon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.8% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Croydon Mooroolbark
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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
Walkability 90 / 71
Croydon — Walkability: 90/100 Mooroolbark — Walkability: 71/100
Safety 31 / 50
Croydon — Safety: 31/100 Mooroolbark — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 15 / 15
Croydon — Low fire risk: 15/100 Mooroolbark — Low fire risk: 15/100
Low flood risk 80 / 68
Croydon — Low flood risk: 80/100 Mooroolbark — Low flood risk: 68/100

Demographics

Mooroolbark has higher household incomes ($103,688 vs $83,980); Croydon skews older (39 vs 37).

Croydon Mooroolbark
Population 28,608
+19% vs other
 23,059
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +5.0%
Median age 39 37
Median household income $83,980/yr $103,688/yr
+23% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk $400/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Croydon Mooroolbark
0-4 6.5% / 6.7%
Croydon — 0-4: 6.5% Mooroolbark — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 11.5% / 13.1%
Croydon — 5-14: 11.5% Mooroolbark — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 4.8% / 5.9%
Croydon — 15-19: 4.8% Mooroolbark — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.2% / 6.3%
Croydon — 20-24: 5.2% Mooroolbark — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 14.2% / 14.6%
Croydon — 25-34: 14.2% Mooroolbark — 25-34: 14.6%
35-44 14.6% / 14.5%
Croydon — 35-44: 14.6% Mooroolbark — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 12.1% / 12.6%
Croydon — 45-54: 12.1% Mooroolbark — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 10.7% / 10.9%
Croydon — 55-64: 10.7% Mooroolbark — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 10.1% / 9.0%
Croydon — 65-74: 10.1% Mooroolbark — 65-74: 9.0%
75-84 7.1% / 4.9%
Croydon — 75-84: 7.1% Mooroolbark — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 3.3% / 1.5%
Croydon — 85+: 3.3% Mooroolbark — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Croydon 39.1% couple families
Croydon — Couple Families: 39.1% Croydon — Lone Person: 39.9% Croydon — One Parent Families: 16.1% Croydon — Group Household: 3.7% Croydon — Other Families: 1.3%
Mooroolbark 52.5% couple families
Mooroolbark — Couple Families: 52.5% Mooroolbark — Lone Person: 25.8% Mooroolbark — One Parent Families: 17.4% Mooroolbark — Group Household: 2.9% Mooroolbark — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Croydon 27.4% renting
Croydon — Owned Outright: 33.2% Croydon — Mortgage: 39.4% Croydon — Renting: 27.4%
Mooroolbark 20.7% renting
Mooroolbark — Owned Outright: 32.3% Mooroolbark — Mortgage: 47.0% Mooroolbark — Renting: 20.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
England 4.3% / 3.8%
Croydon — England: 4.3% Mooroolbark — England: 3.8%
Myanmar 2.7% / 3.3%
Croydon — Myanmar: 2.7% Mooroolbark — Myanmar: 3.3%
China 2.7% / 1.5%
Croydon — China: 2.7% Mooroolbark — China: 1.5%
India 2.3% / 1.6%
Croydon — India: 2.3% Mooroolbark — India: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.1%
Croydon — New Zealand: 1.2% Mooroolbark — New Zealand: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

Qualifications

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

Croydon Mooroolbark
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 17.0%
Croydon — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Mooroolbark — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 14.5% / 11.8%
Croydon — Bachelor Degree: 14.5% Mooroolbark — Bachelor Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 8.6%
Croydon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Mooroolbark — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 3.2%
Croydon — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Mooroolbark — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.2%
Croydon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Mooroolbark — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Croydon 83.4% houses
Croydon — Houses: 83.4% Croydon — Townhouses: 11.4% Croydon — Flats / Apartments: 5.2%
Mooroolbark 95.4% houses
Mooroolbark — Houses: 95.4% Mooroolbark — Townhouses: 4.3% Mooroolbark — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Croydon Mooroolbark
Median house price $908,500 $870,000
Median unit price $650,000 $712,500
Median land price $1,185,000 $858,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 233 sales
 24 days
from 305 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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
2 bed $600K / $610K
Croydon — 2 bed: $600K (148 sales) Mooroolbark — 2 bed: $610K (23 sales)

148 vs 23 sales

3 bed $775K / $760K
Croydon — 3 bed: $775K (59 sales) Mooroolbark — 3 bed: $760K (26 sales)

59 vs 26 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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
2 bed $760K / $715K
Croydon — 2 bed: $760K (37 sales) Mooroolbark — 2 bed: $715K (17 sales)

37 vs 17 sales

3 bed $870K / $818K
Croydon — 3 bed: $870K (240 sales) Mooroolbark — 3 bed: $818K (285 sales)

240 vs 285 sales

4 bed $1.09M / $988K
Croydon — 4 bed: $1.09M (97 sales) Mooroolbark — 4 bed: $988K (166 sales)

97 vs 166 sales

5 bed $1.22M / $1.16M
Croydon — 5 bed: $1.22M (27 sales) Mooroolbark — 5 bed: $1.16M (38 sales)

27 vs 38 sales

Zoning mix

Mooroolbark has more rural and farming land (12% vs 0%).

Croydon Mooroolbark
Residential 73%
same for both
Rural and farming 0% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 9%
Parks and recreation 11% 4%
Industrial 2% 0%
Commercial 2% 1%
Other and special use 0% 1%
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

Croydon Mooroolbark
New dwellings approved 328
across Maroondah
 416
across Yarra Ranges
Approvals change year on year -74% -57%

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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
Houses 3.9%
$680/wk on $900K
 4.1%
$670/wk on $842K
Units 4.8%
$580/wk on $630K
 4.3%
$588/wk on $705K

Ranking within VIC

Croydon Mooroolbark
House price Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Income Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 24% of VIC

Liveability

Croydon is more walkable (90 vs 71).

Croydon Mooroolbark
Grade B
same for both
Score 55/100 56/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mooroolbark carries more flood risk (32 vs 20); Croydon carries more crime risk (69 vs 50).

Croydon Mooroolbark
Bushfire High
85/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood Low
20/100
 Low
32/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 13
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Croydon Mooroolbark
Inside the suburb 9 10
Rated above peers 3 4
Rated at peers 2 3
Rated below peers 2 3

Schools in Croydon

  • Croydon Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Dorset Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ruskin Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Melba Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Ainslie Parklands Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Mooroolbark

  • Mooroolbark East Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mooroolbark Grammar Independent · Combined above peers
  • Pembroke Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Rolling Hills Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Billanook College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Mooroolbark College Government · Secondary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Croydon Mooroolbark
Supermarkets 8 6
Cafes & restaurants 35 15
Parks & reserves 29 32
Childcare 30 21
GPs 7 4
Pharmacies 7 1
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 9 2
Fuel stations 6 3
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 10 11

Mobility

Mooroolbark sits further from the CBD (37.2 km vs 33 km).

Croydon Mooroolbark
Walkability score 90/100 71/100
Distance to Melbourne 33 km 37.2 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min 43 min
Public transport score 92/100
Rail · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 498.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 111.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 3136
 0.7%
postcode 3138
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3136
 35
postcode 3138

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.

Croydon Mooroolbark
Car (driver) 59.8% / 66.1%
Croydon — Car (driver): 59.8% Mooroolbark — Car (driver): 66.1%
Worked from Home 30.9% / 26.1%
Croydon — Worked from Home: 30.9% Mooroolbark — Worked from Home: 26.1%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 4.2%
Croydon — Car (passenger): 3.7% Mooroolbark — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Train 3.1% / 2.4%
Croydon — Train: 3.1% Mooroolbark — Train: 2.4%
Walked Only 1.4% / 0.6%
Croydon — Walked Only: 1.4% Mooroolbark — Walked Only: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Croydon Mooroolbark
Elevation 115 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 110 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.4 km 32.3 km

NBN connectivity

Croydon Mooroolbark
Connectivity score 85/100 90/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
14,270 premises
 49%
9,281 premises

Climate

Croydon Mooroolbark
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Croydon Mooroolbark
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Croydon Mooroolbark
Average residential rate $1,715/yr $2,161/yr
Council Maroondah Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

Croydon Mooroolbark
Division Deakin Casey
Member Matt Gregg Aaron Violi
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Croydon Mooroolbark
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Croydon

Easy Commute Outer Parks Transport Hub

Mooroolbark

Easy Commute Outer Parks Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Croydon

Croydon vs Ringwood Croydon vs Chirnside Park Croydon vs Kilsyth Croydon vs Ringwood East Croydon vs Croydon North Croydon vs Croydon Hills

Other comparisons with Mooroolbark

Mooroolbark vs Lilydale Mooroolbark vs Chirnside Park Mooroolbark vs Kilsyth Mooroolbark vs Montrose
Full data on Croydon Full data on Mooroolbark
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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