Fitzroy North vs Northcote

In Fitzroy North, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Northcote, most households own their home. Fitzroy North is closer to the city centre: 4.7 km, against 7.5 km. On these figures, Fitzroy North tends to suit renters.

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

Northcote

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (49% vs 14%)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 9)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 35%)
  • But Fitzroy North has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fitzroy North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (51% vs 38%)

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

Commuting to the city

Fitzroy North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (4.7 km vs 7.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Fitzroy North has more units and townhouses to downsize into (86% vs 51%)
  • Northcote carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 81/100)

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

Investors

Fitzroy North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.4% vs 5.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Fitzroy North Northcote
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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
Walkability 99 / 99
Fitzroy North — Walkability: 99/100 Northcote — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 19 / 30
Fitzroy North — Safety: 19/100 Northcote — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Fitzroy North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Northcote — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 65 / 47
Fitzroy North — Low flood risk: 65/100 Northcote — Low flood risk: 47/100

Demographics

Northcote has more residents (25,276 vs 12,781).

Fitzroy North Northcote
Population 12,781 25,276
+98% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% +2.9%
Median age 36 37
Median household income $119,600/yr $118,924/yr
Median weekly rent $481/wk
+1% vs other
 $475/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fitzroy North Northcote
0-4 4.1% / 4.6%
Fitzroy North — 0-4: 4.1% Northcote — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 8.1% / 10.4%
Fitzroy North — 5-14: 8.1% Northcote — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 3.5% / 4.8%
Fitzroy North — 15-19: 3.5% Northcote — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 6.6% / 5.2%
Fitzroy North — 20-24: 6.6% Northcote — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 24.7% / 20.4%
Fitzroy North — 25-34: 24.7% Northcote — 25-34: 20.4%
35-44 15.4% / 15.9%
Fitzroy North — 35-44: 15.4% Northcote — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 12.1% / 15.2%
Fitzroy North — 45-54: 12.1% Northcote — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 9.8% / 10.4%
Fitzroy North — 55-64: 9.8% Northcote — 55-64: 10.4%
65-74 8.2% / 6.7%
Fitzroy North — 65-74: 8.2% Northcote — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 5.2% / 4.4%
Fitzroy North — 75-84: 5.2% Northcote — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.3% / 2.1%
Fitzroy North — 85+: 2.3% Northcote — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fitzroy North 46.8% lone person
Fitzroy North — Lone Person: 46.8% Fitzroy North — Couple Families: 26.5% Fitzroy North — Group Household: 16.6% Fitzroy North — One Parent Families: 8.7% Fitzroy North — Other Families: 1.4%
Northcote 40.4% lone person
Northcote — Lone Person: 40.4% Northcote — Couple Families: 35.9% Northcote — Group Household: 12.1% Northcote — One Parent Families: 10.2% Northcote — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fitzroy North 50.6% renting
Fitzroy North — Owned Outright: 26.5% Fitzroy North — Mortgage: 23.0% Fitzroy North — Renting: 50.6%
Northcote 38.3% renting
Northcote — Owned Outright: 30.8% Northcote — Mortgage: 30.9% Northcote — Renting: 38.3%
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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
England 4.7% / 3.8%
Fitzroy North — England: 4.7% Northcote — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 2.8% / 2.3%
Fitzroy North — New Zealand: 2.8% Northcote — New Zealand: 2.3%
Greece 0.9% / 3.5%
Fitzroy North — Greece: 0.9% Northcote — Greece: 3.5%
Italy 1.9% / 1.8%
Fitzroy North — Italy: 1.9% Northcote — Italy: 1.8%
China 0.9% / 0.8%
Fitzroy North — China: 0.9% Northcote — China: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Fitzroy North Northcote
Bachelor Degree 30.8% / 26.9%
Fitzroy North — Bachelor Degree: 30.8% Northcote — Bachelor Degree: 26.9%
Postgraduate Degree 16.0% / 14.1%
Fitzroy North — Postgraduate Degree: 16.0% Northcote — Postgraduate Degree: 14.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 6.4%
Fitzroy North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Northcote — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.2% / 5.2%
Fitzroy North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2% Northcote — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2%
Certificate III & IV 4.7% / 5.6%
Fitzroy North — Certificate III & IV: 4.7% Northcote — Certificate III & IV: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fitzroy North 48.6% townhouses
Fitzroy North — Townhouses: 48.6% Fitzroy North — Houses: 14.3% Fitzroy North — Flats / Apartments: 37.1%
Northcote 27.4% townhouses
Northcote — Townhouses: 27.4% Northcote — Houses: 49.1% Northcote — Flats / Apartments: 23.6%
Townhouses Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Fitzroy North Northcote
Median house price $1,600,000 $1,650,000
Median unit price $620,000 $568,750
Median land price — $1,650,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 113 sales
 23 days
from 201 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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
2 bed $1.36M / $1.32M
Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $1.36M (78 sales) Northcote — 2 bed: $1.32M (90 sales)

78 vs 90 sales

3 bed $1.7M / $1.65M
Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.7M (77 sales) Northcote — 3 bed: $1.65M (167 sales)

77 vs 167 sales

4 bed $2.15M / $2.27M
Fitzroy North — 4 bed: $2.15M (40 sales) Northcote — 4 bed: $2.27M (81 sales)

40 vs 81 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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
1 bed $429K / $399K
Fitzroy North — 1 bed: $429K (44 sales) Northcote — 1 bed: $399K (102 sales)

44 vs 102 sales

2 bed $689K / $645K
Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $689K (64 sales) Northcote — 2 bed: $645K (159 sales)

64 vs 159 sales

3 bed $1.15M / $1.05M
Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.15M (10 sales) Northcote — 3 bed: $1.05M (13 sales)

10 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Fitzroy North Northcote
Residential 73% 72%
Parks and recreation 12% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 11%
same for both
Commercial 3% 5%
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

Fitzroy North Northcote
New dwellings approved 1,675
across Yarra
 1,213
across Darebin
Approvals change year on year +646% +0%

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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
Houses 3.5%
$1,050/wk on $1.57M
 3.0%
$922/wk on $1.6M
Units 6.4%
$775/wk on $625K
 5.1%
$550/wk on $565K

Ranking within VIC

Fitzroy North Northcote
House price Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Income Higher than 91% of VIC
same for both
Schools Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC

Liveability

Fitzroy North scores higher overall (74 vs 66).

Fitzroy North Northcote
Grade A B
Score 74/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Northcote carries more flood risk (53 vs 35); Fitzroy North carries more crime risk (81 vs 70).

Fitzroy North Northcote
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
81/100
 High
70/100
Flood Low
35/100
 Moderate
53/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 18
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Fitzroy North Northcote
Inside the suburb 8 6
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 3
Rated below peers 3 2
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 1.9 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 3.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 2.7%

Schools in Fitzroy North

  • Fitzroy Community School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Merri Creek Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Deutsche Schule Melbourne Independent · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Fitzroy North Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School - Wurun Senior Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Northcote

  • Northcote High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Santa Maria College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Westgarth Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Northcote Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Croxton School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Fitzroy North Northcote
Supermarkets 3 5
Cafes & restaurants 46 69
Parks & reserves 21 24
Childcare 9 12
GPs 10 11
Pharmacies 2 5
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 4
Fuel stations 3
same for both
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Northcote sits further from the CBD (7.5 km vs 4.7 km).

Fitzroy North Northcote
Walkability score 99/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 4.7 km 7.5 km
+60% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 17 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 351.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 566.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 3068
 2.5%
postcode 3070
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 16
postcode 3068
 25
postcode 3070

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.

Fitzroy North Northcote
Worked from Home 56.1% / 54.4%
Fitzroy North — Worked from Home: 56.1% Northcote — Worked from Home: 54.4%
Car (driver) 23.3% / 28.6%
Fitzroy North — Car (driver): 23.3% Northcote — Car (driver): 28.6%
Bicycle 6.8% / 5.2%
Fitzroy North — Bicycle: 6.8% Northcote — Bicycle: 5.2%
Walked Only 5.4% / 2.9%
Fitzroy North — Walked Only: 5.4% Northcote — Walked Only: 2.9%
Tram / Light Rail 4.9% / 1.9%
Fitzroy North — Tram / Light Rail: 4.9% Northcote — Tram / Light Rail: 1.9%
Train 1.3% / 4.4%
Fitzroy North — Train: 1.3% Northcote — Train: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Fitzroy North Northcote
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.8 km 9.6 km

NBN connectivity

Fitzroy North Northcote
Connectivity score 76/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 6%
7,088 premises
 7%
13,047 premises

Climate

Fitzroy North Northcote
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Fitzroy North Northcote
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³ 7.3 µg/m³
PM10 — 17.8 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.82 pphm

Council rates

Fitzroy North Northcote
Average residential rate $1,937/yr $1,764/yr
Council Yarra Darebin

Federal electorate

Fitzroy North Northcote
Division Wills Cooper
Member Peter Khalil Ged Kearney
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fitzroy North Northcote
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fitzroy North

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals River Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Northcote

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fitzroy North

Fitzroy North vs Carlton Fitzroy North vs Brunswick East Fitzroy North vs Fitzroy Fitzroy North vs Collingwood Fitzroy North vs Clifton Hill Fitzroy North vs Carlton North

Other comparisons with Northcote

Northcote vs Thornbury Northcote vs Brunswick East Northcote vs Clifton Hill Northcote vs Fairfield
Full data on Fitzroy North Full data on Northcote
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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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