Diamond Creek vs Eltham

Diamond Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 43 in Eltham. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Eltham: a median of $1.23 million, against $1.03 million in Diamond Creek. Eltham is closer to the city centre: 25.3 km, against 29 km. On these figures, Diamond Creek tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Eltham

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (51 vs 40)
  • But Diamond Creek carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 58/100)

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

First-home buyers

Diamond Creek

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($610,000 vs $867,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,035,000 vs $1,230,000)
  • has cheaper units ($700,000 vs $776,500)

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

Eltham

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (25.3 km vs 29 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (36 min vs 41 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Diamond Creek carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 58/100)
  • Eltham has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Diamond Creek Eltham
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.

Diamond Creek Eltham
Walkability 85 / 81
Diamond Creek — Walkability: 85/100 Eltham — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 56 / 42
Diamond Creek — Safety: 56/100 Eltham — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 35 / 14
Diamond Creek — Low fire risk: 35/100 Eltham — Low fire risk: 14/100
Low flood risk 48 / 37
Diamond Creek — Low flood risk: 48/100 Eltham — Low flood risk: 37/100

Demographics

Eltham has more residents (18,847 vs 12,503); Eltham skews older (43 vs 39).

Diamond Creek Eltham
Population 12,503 18,847
+51% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.6% +2.9%
Median age 39 43
Median household income $130,416/yr
+5% vs other
 $124,332/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk $440/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Diamond Creek Eltham
0-4 5.9% / 5.3%
Diamond Creek — 0-4: 5.9% Eltham — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.4% / 13.4%
Diamond Creek — 5-14: 13.4% Eltham — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 7.7% / 7.0%
Diamond Creek — 15-19: 7.7% Eltham — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 6.6% / 5.4%
Diamond Creek — 20-24: 6.6% Eltham — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 11.2% / 8.0%
Diamond Creek — 25-34: 11.2% Eltham — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 12.9% / 12.5%
Diamond Creek — 35-44: 12.9% Eltham — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 15.3% / 15.7%
Diamond Creek — 45-54: 15.3% Eltham — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 13.8% / 14.1%
Diamond Creek — 55-64: 13.8% Eltham — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 8.5% / 11.8%
Diamond Creek — 65-74: 8.5% Eltham — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 3.6% / 5.3%
Diamond Creek — 75-84: 3.6% Eltham — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.0% / 1.5%
Diamond Creek — 85+: 1.0% Eltham — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Diamond Creek 63.8% couple families
Diamond Creek — Couple Families: 63.8% Diamond Creek — Lone Person: 19.5% Diamond Creek — One Parent Families: 14.7% Diamond Creek — Group Household: 1.2% Diamond Creek — Other Families: 0.8%
Eltham 59.1% couple families
Eltham — Couple Families: 59.1% Eltham — Lone Person: 24.4% Eltham — One Parent Families: 14.4% Eltham — Group Household: 1.3% Eltham — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Diamond Creek 10.1% renting
Diamond Creek — Owned Outright: 36.0% Diamond Creek — Mortgage: 53.9% Diamond Creek — Renting: 10.1%
Eltham 12.2% renting
Eltham — Owned Outright: 43.1% Eltham — Mortgage: 44.8% Eltham — Renting: 12.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Diamond Creek Eltham
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 18.9%
Diamond Creek — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Eltham — Bachelor Degree: 18.9%
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 10.7%
Diamond Creek — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Eltham — Certificate III & IV: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 9.0%
Diamond Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% Eltham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.3% / 7.6%
Diamond Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3% Eltham — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.9%
Diamond Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Eltham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

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.

Diamond Creek Eltham
England 3.8% / 4.6%
Diamond Creek — England: 3.8% Eltham — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.2%
Diamond Creek — New Zealand: 0.8% Eltham — New Zealand: 1.2%
Italy 0.7% / 0.7%
Diamond Creek — Italy: 0.7% Eltham — Italy: 0.7%
India 0.7% / 0.7%
Diamond Creek — India: 0.7% Eltham — India: 0.7%
South Africa 0.6% / 0.7%
Diamond Creek — South Africa: 0.6% Eltham — South Africa: 0.7%
China — / 1.2%
Diamond Creek — China: not among its largest Eltham — China: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Diamond Creek 94.3% houses
Diamond Creek — Houses: 94.3% Diamond Creek — Townhouses: 5.5% Diamond Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Eltham 85.9% houses
Eltham — Houses: 85.9% Eltham — Townhouses: 5.7% Eltham — Flats / Apartments: 8.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Diamond Creek Eltham
Median house price $1,035,000 $1,230,000
Median unit price $700,000 $776,500
Median land price $610,000 $867,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 138 sales
 23 days
from 205 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.

Diamond Creek Eltham
2 bed $675K / $918K
Diamond Creek — 2 bed: $675K (8 sales) Eltham — 2 bed: $918K (13 sales)

8 vs 13 sales

3 bed $895K / $1.06M
Diamond Creek — 3 bed: $895K (97 sales) Eltham — 3 bed: $1.06M (108 sales)

97 vs 108 sales

4 bed $1.21M / $1.3M
Diamond Creek — 4 bed: $1.21M (93 sales) Eltham — 4 bed: $1.3M (158 sales)

93 vs 158 sales

5 bed $1.3M / $1.54M
Diamond Creek — 5 bed: $1.3M (24 sales) Eltham — 5 bed: $1.54M (40 sales)

24 vs 40 sales

Zoning mix

Diamond Creek has more land zoned for conservation (58% vs 15%).

Diamond Creek Eltham
Residential 33% 59%
Environmental 58% 15%
Parks and recreation 4% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 6%
Commercial 1% 2%
Industrial 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

Diamond Creek Eltham
New dwellings approved 98
across Nillumbik
same for both
Approvals change year on year +8%
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.

Diamond Creek Eltham
Houses 3.5%
$748/wk on $1.1M
 3.5%
$785/wk on $1.15M
Units — 4.0%
$580/wk on $745K

Ranking within VIC

Diamond Creek Eltham
House price Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Income Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 11% of VIC

Liveability

Diamond Creek Eltham
Grade B
same for both
Score 51/100 55/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Eltham carries more bushfire risk (86 vs 65); Eltham carries more crime risk (58 vs 44).

Diamond Creek Eltham
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 High
86/100
Crime Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
58/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
63/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Diamond Creek Eltham
Inside the suburb 4 5
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 3
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 9.2 km
 2
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 9.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 2.6%

Schools in Diamond Creek

  • Diamond Creek East Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Diamond Creek Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Diamond Valley College Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Eltham

  • Our Lady Help of Christians School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Catholic Ladies' College Ltd Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Eltham East Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Eltham High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Eltham Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Diamond Creek Eltham
Supermarkets 2 4
Cafes & restaurants 16 30
Parks & reserves 40 51
Childcare 12 13
GPs 3 4
Pharmacies 2 4
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 4
Fuel stations 3 6
EV chargers 2 1
Waterways 18 24

Mobility

Diamond Creek sits further from the CBD (29 km vs 25.3 km).

Diamond Creek Eltham
Walkability score 85/100 81/100
Distance to Melbourne 29 km
+13% vs other
 25.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 41 min 36 min
Public transport score 90/100
Rail · Bus
 91/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 154.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 270.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3089
 1.8%
postcode 3095
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 3089
 34
postcode 3095

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.

Diamond Creek Eltham
Car (driver) 61.2% / 50.6%
Diamond Creek — Car (driver): 61.2% Eltham — Car (driver): 50.6%
Worked from Home 32.2% / 42.2%
Diamond Creek — Worked from Home: 32.2% Eltham — Worked from Home: 42.2%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 3.1%
Diamond Creek — Car (passenger): 2.7% Eltham — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Train 2.5% / 2.3%
Diamond Creek — Train: 2.5% Eltham — Train: 2.3%
Walked Only 1.1% / 1.1%
Diamond Creek — Walked Only: 1.1% Eltham — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.2%).

Setting

Diamond Creek Eltham
Elevation 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 94 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.9 km 23.1 km

NBN connectivity

Diamond Creek Eltham
Connectivity score 73/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
4,923 premises
 9%
7,841 premises

Climate

Diamond Creek Eltham
Annual rainfall 534 mm 777 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C 26.9°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C 6.3°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Diamond Creek Eltham
PM2.5 3.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Diamond Creek Eltham
Average residential rate $2,696/yr
same for both
Council Nillumbik
same for both

Federal electorate

Diamond Creek Eltham
Division Mcewen Jagajaga
Member Rob Mitchell Kate Thwaites
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Diamond Creek Eltham
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Diamond Creek

Large Blocks Outer Parks Transport Hub Village Feel

Eltham

Easy Commute Large Blocks Outer Parks Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Diamond Creek

Diamond Creek vs Greensborough Diamond Creek vs Eltham North Diamond Creek vs Hurstbridge Diamond Creek vs St Helena Diamond Creek vs Research Diamond Creek vs Plenty

Other comparisons with Eltham

Eltham vs Templestowe Eltham vs Montmorency Eltham vs Eltham North Eltham vs Warrandyte Eltham vs Lower Plenty Eltham vs Briar Hill
Full data on Diamond Creek Full data on Eltham
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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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