Doncaster East vs Blackburn North

In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Doncaster East, most households are couple families. In Blackburn North, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Doncaster East: a median of $1.54 million, against $1.4 million in Blackburn North, and rent is higher there too.

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

Doncaster East

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (5 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (50 vs 10)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 8)
  • But Blackburn North has more separate houses rather than flats (83% vs 63%)

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

First-home buyers

Doncaster East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($633,000 vs $855,000)

Weighs house prices, unit 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

Blackburn North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 75/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Doncaster East

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (12 vs 2)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (37% vs 17%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 16%)
  • But Blackburn North is more walkable (86/100 vs 75/100)

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

Investors

Doncaster East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.0% vs 2.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Doncaster East Blackburn North
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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Walkability 75 / 86
Doncaster East — Walkability: 75/100 Blackburn North — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 61 / 61
Doncaster East — Safety: 61/100 Blackburn North — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 28 / 100
Doncaster East — Low fire risk: 28/100 Blackburn North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 62 / 89
Doncaster East — Low flood risk: 62/100 Blackburn North — Low flood risk: 89/100

Demographics

Doncaster East has more residents (30,926 vs 7,627); Blackburn North has higher household incomes ($105,092 vs $93,184).

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Population 30,926
+75% vs other
 7,627
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.0% +2.6%
Median age 41 39
Median household income $93,184/yr $105,092/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $462/wk
+7% vs other
 $431/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
0-4 4.8% / 5.3%
Doncaster East — 0-4: 4.8% Blackburn North — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.3% / 14.5%
Doncaster East — 5-14: 13.3% Blackburn North — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 5.3% / 6.3%
Doncaster East — 15-19: 5.3% Blackburn North — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 5.5% / 5.9%
Doncaster East — 20-24: 5.5% Blackburn North — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 10.9% / 10.9%
Doncaster East — 25-34: 10.9% Blackburn North — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 14.8% / 15.4%
Doncaster East — 35-44: 14.8% Blackburn North — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 12.5% / 14.5%
Doncaster East — 45-54: 12.5% Blackburn North — 45-54: 14.5%
55-64 12.0% / 11.3%
Doncaster East — 55-64: 12.0% Blackburn North — 55-64: 11.3%
65-74 10.1% / 6.9%
Doncaster East — 65-74: 10.1% Blackburn North — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 7.7% / 5.8%
Doncaster East — 75-84: 7.7% Blackburn North — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 3.2% / 3.0%
Doncaster East — 85+: 3.2% Blackburn North — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Doncaster East 55.4% couple families
Doncaster East — Couple Families: 55.4% Doncaster East — Lone Person: 25.9% Doncaster East — One Parent Families: 14.8% Doncaster East — Group Household: 2.3% Doncaster East — Other Families: 1.5%
Blackburn North 54.7% couple families
Blackburn North — Couple Families: 54.7% Blackburn North — Lone Person: 26.6% Blackburn North — One Parent Families: 12.9% Blackburn North — Group Household: 4.5% Blackburn North — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Doncaster East 24.2% renting
Doncaster East — Owned Outright: 42.9% Doncaster East — Mortgage: 32.9% Doncaster East — Renting: 24.2%
Blackburn North 21.8% renting
Blackburn North — Owned Outright: 38.7% Blackburn North — Mortgage: 39.5% Blackburn North — Renting: 21.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Bachelor Degree 21.0% / 20.8%
Doncaster East — Bachelor Degree: 21.0% Blackburn North — Bachelor Degree: 20.8%
Postgraduate Degree 9.5% / 8.0%
Doncaster East — Postgraduate Degree: 9.5% Blackburn North — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.7%
Doncaster East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Blackburn North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Certificate III & IV 6.6% / 7.6%
Doncaster East — Certificate III & IV: 6.6% Blackburn North — Certificate III & IV: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 3.0%
Doncaster East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Blackburn North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
China 14.9% / 10.4%
Doncaster East — China: 14.9% Blackburn North — China: 10.4%
Malaysia 5.5% / 3.0%
Doncaster East — Malaysia: 5.5% Blackburn North — Malaysia: 3.0%
India 2.5% / 3.0%
Doncaster East — India: 2.5% Blackburn North — India: 3.0%
England 1.5% / 1.9%
Doncaster East — England: 1.5% Blackburn North — England: 1.9%
Iran 3.1% / —
Doncaster East — Iran: 3.1% Blackburn North — Iran: not among its largest
Greece 2.0% / 1.1%
Doncaster East — Greece: 2.0% Blackburn North — Greece: 1.1%
Vietnam 1.1% / 1.4%
Doncaster East — Vietnam: 1.1% Blackburn North — Vietnam: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Doncaster East 63.1% houses
Doncaster East — Houses: 63.1% Doncaster East — Townhouses: 23.1% Doncaster East — Flats / Apartments: 13.8%
Blackburn North 83.2% houses
Blackburn North — Houses: 83.2% Blackburn North — Townhouses: 15.4% Blackburn North — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Median house price $1,536,750 $1,399,000
Median unit price $633,000 $855,000
Median land price $1,585,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 307 sales
 26 days
from 43 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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
2 bed $580K / $760K
Doncaster East — 2 bed: $580K (115 sales) Blackburn North — 2 bed: $760K (11 sales)

115 vs 11 sales

3 bed $925K / $900K
Doncaster East — 3 bed: $925K (56 sales) Blackburn North — 3 bed: $900K (15 sales)

56 vs 15 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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
3 bed $1.46M / $1.2M
Doncaster East — 3 bed: $1.46M (138 sales) Blackburn North — 3 bed: $1.2M (58 sales)

138 vs 58 sales

4 bed $1.55M / $1.61M
Doncaster East — 4 bed: $1.55M (214 sales) Blackburn North — 4 bed: $1.61M (42 sales)

214 vs 42 sales

5 bed $1.71M / $2.1M
Doncaster East — 5 bed: $1.71M (85 sales) Blackburn North — 5 bed: $2.1M (16 sales)

85 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Residential 81% 77%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 11%
Parks and recreation 7% 8%
Industrial 0% 3%
Commercial 2% 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

Doncaster East Blackburn North
New dwellings approved 486
across Manningham
 879
across Whitehorse
Approvals change year on year -2% +17%

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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Houses 3.3%
$880/wk on $1.4M
 3.7%
$825/wk on $1.15M
Units 5.3%
$668/wk on $660K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Doncaster East Blackburn North
House price Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Income Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Schools Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 5% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 95% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 73% of VIC —

Liveability

Blackburn North scores higher overall (82 vs 71); Blackburn North is more walkable (86 vs 75).

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Grade A A+
Score 71/100 82/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Doncaster East carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 0); Doncaster East carries more flood risk (38 vs 11).

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Bushfire High
72/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
39/100
same for both
Flood Low
38/100
 Low
11/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Inside the suburb 6 3
Rated above peers 5 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 9.1 km
 1
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 6.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.4%
same for both

Schools in Doncaster East

  • Beverley Hills Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Donburn Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Doncaster Gardens Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • East Doncaster Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Milgate Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ss Peter & Paul's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Blackburn North

  • Whitehorse Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Old Orchard Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Philip's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Supermarkets 9 0
Cafes & restaurants 60 3
Parks & reserves 50 10
Childcare 23 8
GPs 12 2
Pharmacies 7 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 0
Fuel stations 6 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 7 6

Mobility

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Walkability score 75/100 86/100
Distance to Melbourne 23 km
+8% vs other
 21.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 25 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 832.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 173.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 3109
 2.1%
postcode 3130
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3109
 27
postcode 3130

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.

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Car (driver) 53.1% / 50.3%
Doncaster East — Car (driver): 53.1% Blackburn North — Car (driver): 50.3%
Worked from Home 36.8% / 39.1%
Doncaster East — Worked from Home: 36.8% Blackburn North — Worked from Home: 39.1%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 4.2%
Doncaster East — Car (passenger): 3.6% Blackburn North — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Bus 4.0% / 2.3%
Doncaster East — Bus: 4.0% Blackburn North — Bus: 2.3%
Train 1.1% / 2.7%
Doncaster East — Train: 1.1% Blackburn North — Train: 2.7%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.2%
Doncaster East — Walked Only: 1.3% Blackburn North — Walked Only: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.1%).

Setting

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Elevation 122 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 91 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.3 km 17.3 km

NBN connectivity

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Connectivity score 77/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
13,872 premises
 1%
3,096 premises

Climate

Doncaster East Blackburn North
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)

Doncaster East Blackburn North
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Average residential rate $2,000/yr $1,516/yr
Council Manningham Whitehorse

Federal electorate

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Division Menzies
same for both
Member Gabriel Ng
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Doncaster East Blackburn North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Doncaster East

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses

Blackburn North

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Doncaster East

Doncaster East vs Doncaster Doncaster East vs Templestowe Doncaster East vs Donvale Doncaster East vs Box Hill North Doncaster East vs Warrandyte

Other comparisons with Blackburn North

Blackburn North vs Doncaster Blackburn North vs Blackburn Blackburn North vs Donvale Blackburn North vs Nunawading Blackburn North vs Box Hill North
Full data on Doncaster East Full data on Blackburn North
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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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