Don Valley vs Healesville

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Don Valley, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Don Valley tends to suit couples, while Healesville suits 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

Don Valley

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 60/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 56%)
  • But Healesville has more parks and reserves (17 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Don Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($41,000 vs $537,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Don Valley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $350/wk)
  • But Healesville has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 7%)

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

Commuting to the city

Healesville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (65.8 km vs 69.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Healesville

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 18%)
  • But Don Valley carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 60/100)

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

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

Don Valley Healesville
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.

Don Valley Healesville
Walkability 0 / 4
Don Valley — Walkability: 0/100 Healesville — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 53 / 40
Don Valley — Safety: 53/100 Healesville — Safety: 40/100
Low fire risk 1 / 4
Don Valley — Low fire risk: 1/100 Healesville — Low fire risk: 4/100
Low flood risk 65 / 42
Don Valley — Low flood risk: 65/100 Healesville — Low flood risk: 42/100

Demographics

Healesville has more residents (7,589 vs 586); Healesville rents higher ($350/wk vs $270/wk).

Don Valley Healesville
Population 586 7,589
+1195% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.7%
same for both
Median age 44 46
Median household income $91,520/yr
+16% vs other
 $76,544/yr
Median weekly rent $270/wk $350/wk
+30% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Don Valley Healesville
0-4 5.3% / 5.1%
Don Valley — 0-4: 5.3% Healesville — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 13.3% / 11.4%
Don Valley — 5-14: 13.3% Healesville — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.3% / 5.6%
Don Valley — 15-19: 6.3% Healesville — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.3% / 4.5%
Don Valley — 20-24: 4.3% Healesville — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 8.7% / 10.2%
Don Valley — 25-34: 8.7% Healesville — 25-34: 10.2%
35-44 11.6% / 11.6%
Don Valley — 35-44: 11.6% Healesville — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 13.5% / 13.2%
Don Valley — 45-54: 13.5% Healesville — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 18.4% / 14.9%
Don Valley — 55-64: 18.4% Healesville — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 11.4% / 11.9%
Don Valley — 65-74: 11.4% Healesville — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 6.1% / 8.4%
Don Valley — 75-84: 6.1% Healesville — 75-84: 8.4%
85+ 0.7% / 3.4%
Don Valley — 85+: 0.7% Healesville — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Don Valley 53.2% couple families
Don Valley — Couple Families: 53.2% Don Valley — Lone Person: 25.2% Don Valley — One Parent Families: 15.8% Don Valley — Group Household: 2.9% Don Valley — Other Families: 2.9%
Healesville 39.2% couple families
Healesville — Couple Families: 39.2% Healesville — Lone Person: 39.7% Healesville — One Parent Families: 17.3% Healesville — Group Household: 2.9% Healesville — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Don Valley 7.2% renting
Don Valley — Owned Outright: 37.1% Don Valley — Mortgage: 55.7% Don Valley — Renting: 7.2%
Healesville 17.7% renting
Healesville — Owned Outright: 41.3% Healesville — Mortgage: 41.0% Healesville — Renting: 17.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Don Valley Healesville
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 16.7%
Don Valley — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Healesville — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 10.9%
Don Valley — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Healesville — Bachelor Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 9.1%
Don Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Healesville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 3.1%
Don Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Healesville — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 2.2%
Don Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Healesville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

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.

Don Valley Healesville
England 4.3% / 5.4%
Don Valley — England: 4.3% Healesville — England: 5.4%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.7%
Don Valley — New Zealand: 1.2% Healesville — New Zealand: 1.7%
South Africa 1.2% / 0.4%
Don Valley — South Africa: 1.2% Healesville — South Africa: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.7% / 0.9%
Don Valley — Netherlands: 0.7% Healesville — Netherlands: 0.9%
Germany 0.5% / 0.8%
Don Valley — Germany: 0.5% Healesville — Germany: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.8%
Don Valley — Scotland: not among its largest Healesville — Scotland: 0.8%
Malaysia 0.5% / —
Don Valley — Malaysia: 0.5% Healesville — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Don Valley 100.0% houses
Don Valley — Houses: 100.0% Don Valley — Townhouses: 0.0% Don Valley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Healesville 89.3% houses
Healesville — Houses: 89.3% Healesville — Townhouses: 10.0% Healesville — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Don Valley Healesville
Median house price $838,500 $805,500
Median unit price — $610,175
Median land price $41,000 $537,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 53 days
from 5 sales
 30 days
from 75 sales

Zoning mix

Don Valley has more land zoned for conservation (49% vs 6%).

Don Valley Healesville
Infrastructure and transport 5% 56%
Environmental 49% 6%
Rural and farming 36% 29%
Parks and recreation 10% 5%
Residential 0% 3%
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

Don Valley Healesville
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

Don Valley Healesville
Houses — 3.8%
$650/wk on $888K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Don Valley Healesville
House price — Higher than 52% of VIC
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 5% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 38% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 55% of VIC

Liveability

Don Valley Healesville
Grade D
same for both
Score 24/100 23/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Healesville carries more flood risk (58 vs 35); Healesville carries more crime risk (60 vs 47).

Don Valley Healesville
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
96/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
60/100
Flood Low
35/100
 Moderate
58/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Don Valley Healesville
Inside the suburb 2 4
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Don Valley

  • Don Valley Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • School for Student Leadership-Don Valley Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Healesville

  • Healesville Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Healesville High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • St Brigid's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Worawa Aboriginal College Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Don Valley Healesville
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 15
Parks & reserves 0 17
Childcare 1 8
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 4
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 1 80

Mobility

Don Valley sits further from the CBD (69.1 km vs 65.8 km).

Don Valley Healesville
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 69.1 km
+5% vs other
 65.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 74 min 73 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3139
 0.8%
postcode 3777
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3139
 42
postcode 3777

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.

Don Valley Healesville
Car (driver) 68.8% / 65.9%
Don Valley — Car (driver): 68.8% Healesville — Car (driver): 65.9%
Worked from Home 24.5% / 24.9%
Don Valley — Worked from Home: 24.5% Healesville — Worked from Home: 24.9%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 3.9%
Don Valley — Car (passenger): 4.6% Healesville — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Walked Only 2.1% / 3.6%
Don Valley — Walked Only: 2.1% Healesville — Walked Only: 3.6%
Train — / 0.8%
Don Valley — Train: not among its largest Healesville — Train: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.8%).

Setting

Don Valley Healesville
Elevation 213 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 156 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Don Valley Healesville
Connectivity score 30/100 69/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
239 premises
 45%
3,775 premises

Climate

Don Valley Healesville
Annual rainfall 1,350 mm 1,215 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 22.9°C
Winter min (Jul) — 3.8°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Don Valley Healesville
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Don Valley Healesville
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Don Valley Healesville
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Don Valley Healesville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Don Valley

Acreage River

Healesville

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Don Valley

Don Valley vs Launching Place Don Valley vs Wesburn Don Valley vs Mount Toolebewong

Other comparisons with Healesville

Healesville vs Woori Yallock Healesville vs Coldstream Healesville vs Warburton Healesville vs Badger Creek Healesville vs Wesburn Healesville vs Chum Creek
Full data on Don Valley Full data on Healesville
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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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