Glen Iris vs Ashburton

In both, most households own their home. In Glen Iris, about half of households are couple families. In Ashburton, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Glen Iris: a median of $2.27 million, against $1.97 million in Ashburton. On these figures, Glen Iris tends to suit 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

Glen Iris

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (5 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 8)
  • has more childcare (18 vs 10)
  • But Ashburton has more separate houses rather than flats (76% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Glen Iris has cheaper units ($616,500 vs $887,500)
  • Ashburton has cheaper houses ($1,967,500 vs $2,270,000)

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

Ashburton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 82/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Glen Iris

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (45% vs 24%)
  • has more GPs (7 vs 5)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 70/100)
  • But Ashburton is more walkable (92/100 vs 82/100)

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

Investors

Glen Iris

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.2% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Glen Iris Ashburton
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.

Glen Iris Ashburton
Walkability 82 / 92
Glen Iris — Walkability: 82/100 Ashburton — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 46 / 30
Glen Iris — Safety: 46/100 Ashburton — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Glen Iris — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ashburton — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 54 / 48
Glen Iris — Low flood risk: 54/100 Ashburton — Low flood risk: 48/100

Demographics

Glen Iris has more residents (26,131 vs 7,952); Ashburton has higher household incomes ($142,636 vs $129,532).

Glen Iris Ashburton
Population 26,131
+70% vs other
 7,952
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.4% +2.6%
Median age 40 41
Median household income $129,532/yr $142,636/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $455/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Glen Iris Ashburton
0-4 4.7% / 5.2%
Glen Iris — 0-4: 4.7% Ashburton — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 12.5% / 14.7%
Glen Iris — 5-14: 12.5% Ashburton — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 6.8% / 7.0%
Glen Iris — 15-19: 6.8% Ashburton — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 7.1% / 5.7%
Glen Iris — 20-24: 7.1% Ashburton — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 12.3% / 9.0%
Glen Iris — 25-34: 12.3% Ashburton — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 13.0% / 13.1%
Glen Iris — 35-44: 13.0% Ashburton — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 14.9% / 15.7%
Glen Iris — 45-54: 14.9% Ashburton — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 12.3% / 12.8%
Glen Iris — 55-64: 12.3% Ashburton — 55-64: 12.8%
65-74 8.9% / 8.7%
Glen Iris — 65-74: 8.9% Ashburton — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 5.4% / 5.3%
Glen Iris — 75-84: 5.4% Ashburton — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 2.1% / 2.9%
Glen Iris — 85+: 2.1% Ashburton — 85+: 2.9%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Glen Iris 48.6% couple families
Glen Iris — Couple Families: 48.6% Glen Iris — Lone Person: 35.1% Glen Iris — One Parent Families: 10.2% Glen Iris — Group Household: 4.4% Glen Iris — Other Families: 1.7%
Ashburton 58.1% couple families
Ashburton — Couple Families: 58.1% Ashburton — Lone Person: 25.3% Ashburton — One Parent Families: 12.4% Ashburton — Group Household: 3.0% Ashburton — 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.

Glen Iris 28.3% renting
Glen Iris — Owned Outright: 37.9% Glen Iris — Mortgage: 33.8% Glen Iris — Renting: 28.3%
Ashburton 25.5% renting
Ashburton — Owned Outright: 38.9% Ashburton — Mortgage: 35.6% Ashburton — Renting: 25.5%
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.

Glen Iris Ashburton
China 4.7% / 5.8%
Glen Iris — China: 4.7% Ashburton — China: 5.8%
England 3.0% / 2.9%
Glen Iris — England: 3.0% Ashburton — England: 2.9%
India 2.6% / 2.1%
Glen Iris — India: 2.6% Ashburton — India: 2.1%
Malaysia 1.8% / 1.5%
Glen Iris — Malaysia: 1.8% Ashburton — Malaysia: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.3%
Glen Iris — New Zealand: 1.5% Ashburton — New Zealand: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

Qualifications

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

Glen Iris Ashburton
Bachelor Degree 27.9% / 24.7%
Glen Iris — Bachelor Degree: 27.9% Ashburton — Bachelor Degree: 24.7%
Postgraduate Degree 12.2% / 10.5%
Glen Iris — Postgraduate Degree: 12.2% Ashburton — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 7.1%
Glen Iris — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Ashburton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Certificate III & IV 4.5% / 4.9%
Glen Iris — Certificate III & IV: 4.5% Ashburton — Certificate III & IV: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 4.5%
Glen Iris — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Ashburton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Glen Iris 54.6% houses
Glen Iris — Houses: 54.6% Glen Iris — Townhouses: 18.0% Glen Iris — Flats / Apartments: 27.3%
Ashburton 76.1% houses
Ashburton — Houses: 76.1% Ashburton — Townhouses: 20.2% Ashburton — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Glen Iris Ashburton
Median house price $2,270,000 $1,967,500
Median unit price $616,500 $887,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 135 sales
 24 days
from 82 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.

Glen Iris Ashburton
2 bed $1.32M / $1.46M
Glen Iris — 2 bed: $1.32M (19 sales) Ashburton — 2 bed: $1.46M (6 sales)

19 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.91M / $1.49M
Glen Iris — 3 bed: $1.91M (67 sales) Ashburton — 3 bed: $1.49M (54 sales)

67 vs 54 sales

4 bed $2.5M / $2.09M
Glen Iris — 4 bed: $2.5M (74 sales) Ashburton — 4 bed: $2.09M (78 sales)

74 vs 78 sales

5 bed $3.2M / $2.45M
Glen Iris — 5 bed: $3.2M (28 sales) Ashburton — 5 bed: $2.45M (15 sales)

28 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Glen Iris Ashburton
Residential 81% 79%
Parks and recreation 9% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 7%
same for both
Commercial 2%
same for both
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

Glen Iris Ashburton
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
same for both
Approvals change year on year -40%
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.

Glen Iris Ashburton
Houses 2.8%
$1,200/wk on $2.2M
 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.76M
Units 4.2%
$570/wk on $700K
 2.4%
$450/wk on $965K

Ranking within VIC

Glen Iris Ashburton
House price Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Income Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Schools Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 3% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC

Liveability

Glen Iris scores higher overall (88 vs 65); Ashburton is more walkable (92 vs 82).

Glen Iris Ashburton
Grade A+ B
Score 88/100 65/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ashburton carries more crime risk (70 vs 54).

Glen Iris Ashburton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
54/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
52/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Glen Iris Ashburton
Inside the suburb 7 3
Rated above peers 5 0
Rated at peers 1 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.5 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.9% 4.3%

Schools in Glen Iris

  • Camberwell South Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Glen Iris Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Korowa Anglican Girls' School Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Cecilia's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Roch's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Sacre Coeur Catholic · Combined at peers

Schools in Ashburton

  • Ashburton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Solway Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Michael's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Glen Iris Ashburton
Supermarkets 2
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 20 12
Parks & reserves 21 8
Childcare 18 10
GPs 7 5
Pharmacies 2 4
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2
same for both
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 9 0

Mobility

Glen Iris Ashburton
Walkability score 82/100 92/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.6 km 14.5 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 22 min
Public transport score 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 361.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 102.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.2%
postcode 3146
 3.2%
postcode 3147
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 3146
 28
postcode 3147

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.

Glen Iris Ashburton
Worked from Home 49.9% / 51.1%
Glen Iris — Worked from Home: 49.9% Ashburton — Worked from Home: 51.1%
Car (driver) 39.1% / 37.5%
Glen Iris — Car (driver): 39.1% Ashburton — Car (driver): 37.5%
Train 4.2% / 4.0%
Glen Iris — Train: 4.2% Ashburton — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 2.4% / 2.9%
Glen Iris — Car (passenger): 2.4% Ashburton — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only 1.9% / 2.4%
Glen Iris — Walked Only: 1.9% Ashburton — Walked Only: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.1%).

Setting

Glen Iris Ashburton
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 54 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.0 km 8.8 km

NBN connectivity

Glen Iris Ashburton
Connectivity score 77/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
12,150 premises
 7%
3,709 premises

Climate

Glen Iris Ashburton
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Glen Iris Ashburton
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Glen Iris Ashburton
Average residential rate $2,253/yr
same for both
Council Boroondara
same for both

Federal electorate

Glen Iris Ashburton
Division Chisholm
same for both
Member Carina Garland
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Glen Iris Ashburton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Glen Iris

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Professionals River Trams Transport Hub Urban

Ashburton

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Glen Iris

Glen Iris vs Malvern East Glen Iris vs Camberwell Glen Iris vs Burwood Glen Iris vs Hawthorn East Glen Iris vs Malvern Glen Iris vs Ashwood

Other comparisons with Ashburton

Ashburton vs Malvern East Ashburton vs Ashwood
Full data on Glen Iris Full data on Ashburton
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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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