Harkness vs Melton

Harkness is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 40 in Melton. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Harkness, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Harkness: a median of $650,000, against $540,000 in Melton, and rent is higher there too. Melton is closer to the city centre: 43.8 km, against 49.7 km. On these figures, Harkness tends to suit families with children and couples, while Melton suits people living alone, older residents, and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Harkness carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 94/100)
  • Melton has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 1)

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

  • Harkness leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 28%)
  • Melton has cheaper houses ($540,000 vs $650,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Harkness leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 28%)
  • Melton has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Melton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (42 min vs 52 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (43.8 km vs 49.7 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Melton

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (10 vs 1)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 7%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 6%)
  • But Harkness carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Melton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.9% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield and unit yield.

Where they sit

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

Harkness Melton
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.

Harkness Melton
Walkability 23 / 20
Harkness — Walkability: 23/100 Melton — Walkability: 20/100
Safety 50 / 6
Harkness — Safety: 50/100 Melton — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 13 / 14
Harkness — Low fire risk: 13/100 Melton — Low fire risk: 14/100
Low flood risk 90 / 100
Harkness — Low flood risk: 90/100 Melton — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Harkness has higher household incomes ($91,104 vs $55,016); Harkness has more residents (12,463 vs 7,953).

Harkness Melton
Population 12,463
+36% vs other
 7,953
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — -1.4%
Median age 30 40
Median household income $91,104/yr
+40% vs other
 $55,016/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+14% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harkness Melton
0-4 10.0% / 6.4%
Harkness — 0-4: 10.0% Melton — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 18.8% / 12.3%
Harkness — 5-14: 18.8% Melton — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 6.2% / 5.4%
Harkness — 15-19: 6.2% Melton — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 6.4% / 5.6%
Harkness — 20-24: 6.4% Melton — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 16.5% / 13.5%
Harkness — 25-34: 16.5% Melton — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 17.2% / 13.0%
Harkness — 35-44: 17.2% Melton — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 11.2% / 12.0%
Harkness — 45-54: 11.2% Melton — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 6.9% / 11.5%
Harkness — 55-64: 6.9% Melton — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 4.8% / 12.8%
Harkness — 65-74: 4.8% Melton — 65-74: 12.8%
75-84 1.8% / 6.2%
Harkness — 75-84: 1.8% Melton — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 0.2% / 1.4%
Harkness — 85+: 0.2% Melton — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Harkness 53.8% couple families
Harkness — Couple Families: 53.8% Harkness — Lone Person: 20.6% Harkness — One Parent Families: 22.3% Harkness — Group Household: 2.4% Harkness — Other Families: 0.9%
Melton 30.2% couple families
Melton — Couple Families: 30.2% Melton — Lone Person: 41.6% Melton — One Parent Families: 22.3% Melton — Group Household: 3.7% Melton — Other Families: 2.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Harkness 28.0% renting
Harkness — Owned Outright: 15.9% Harkness — Mortgage: 56.0% Harkness — Renting: 28.0%
Melton 35.6% renting
Melton — Owned Outright: 33.7% Melton — Mortgage: 30.7% Melton — Renting: 35.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Harkness Melton
Certificate III & IV 14.3% / 14.8%
Harkness — Certificate III & IV: 14.3% Melton — Certificate III & IV: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 5.4%
Harkness — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% Melton — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 6.0%
Harkness — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Melton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 1.3%
Harkness — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Melton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.1%
Harkness — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Melton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

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.

Harkness Melton
India 6.5% / 2.2%
Harkness — India: 6.5% Melton — India: 2.2%
New Zealand 3.0% / 2.7%
Harkness — New Zealand: 3.0% Melton — New Zealand: 2.7%
Philippines 2.4% / 1.7%
Harkness — Philippines: 2.4% Melton — Philippines: 1.7%
England 1.4% / 2.7%
Harkness — England: 1.4% Melton — England: 2.7%
Myanmar — / 1.2%
Harkness — Myanmar: not among its largest Melton — Myanmar: 1.2%
Sri Lanka 0.8% / —
Harkness — Sri Lanka: 0.8% Melton — Sri Lanka: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Harkness 94.2% houses
Harkness — Houses: 94.2% Harkness — Townhouses: 4.3% Harkness — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Melton 83.3% houses
Melton — Houses: 83.3% Melton — Townhouses: 16.5% Melton — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Harkness Melton
Median house price $650,000 $540,000
Median unit price $432,500 $400,000
Median land price — $787,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 4 days
from 3 sales
 33 days
from 94 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.

Harkness Melton
3 bed $560K / $526K
Harkness — 3 bed: $560K (40 sales) Melton — 3 bed: $526K (190 sales)

40 vs 190 sales

4 bed $660K / $615K
Harkness — 4 bed: $660K (71 sales) Melton — 4 bed: $615K (41 sales)

71 vs 41 sales

5 bed $765K / $636K
Harkness — 5 bed: $765K (7 sales) Melton — 5 bed: $636K (12 sales)

7 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Harkness Melton
Rural and farming 46% 50%
Residential 36% 27%
Industrial 0% 10%
Environmental 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 5%
Parks and recreation 1% 7%
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

Harkness Melton
New dwellings approved 4,602
across Melton
same for both
Approvals change year on year +5%
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.

Harkness Melton
Houses 3.8%
$470/wk on $650K
 3.7%
$410/wk on $574K
Units 4.3%
$432/wk on $519K
 4.9%
$410/wk on $435K

Ranking within VIC

Harkness Melton
House price Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 3% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 45% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 47% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC

Liveability

Harkness scores higher overall (35 vs 20).

Harkness Melton
Grade C D
Score 35/100 20/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Harkness carries more flood risk (10 vs 0); Melton carries more crime risk (94 vs 50).

Harkness Melton
Bushfire High
87/100
 High
86/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 High
94/100
Flood Low
10/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Harkness Melton
Inside the suburb 1 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 2

Schools in Harkness

  • Arnolds Creek Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Melton

  • Melton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Muhammadiyah Australia College Independent · Combined below peers
  • St Dominic's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Djerriwarrh Community & Education Services - Djerriwarrh Community College Independent · Secondary
  • Western English Language School-Melton Campus Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Harkness Melton
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 5 8
Childcare 6 15
GPs 1 10
Pharmacies 0 4
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 7
Waterways 5 25

Mobility

Harkness sits further from the CBD (49.7 km vs 43.8 km).

Harkness Melton
Walkability score 23/100 20/100
Distance to Melbourne 49.7 km
+12% vs other
 43.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 52 min 42 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 44.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 123.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3337
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3337
same for both

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.

Harkness Melton
Car (driver) 74.2% / 72.4%
Harkness — Car (driver): 74.2% Melton — Car (driver): 72.4%
Worked from Home 17.0% / 15.1%
Harkness — Worked from Home: 17.0% Melton — Worked from Home: 15.1%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 6.4%
Harkness — Car (passenger): 5.8% Melton — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Train 2.1% / 2.9%
Harkness — Train: 2.1% Melton — Train: 2.9%
Walked Only 0.3% / 2.2%
Harkness — Walked Only: 0.3% Melton — Walked Only: 2.2%
Bus 0.5% / 0.8%
Harkness — Bus: 0.5% Melton — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Harkness Melton
Elevation 171 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 144 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.1 km 28.5 km

NBN connectivity

Harkness Melton
Connectivity score 94/100 99/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
4,569 premises
 98%
4,809 premises

Climate

Harkness Melton
Annual rainfall 518 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Harkness Melton
PM2.5 4.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Harkness Melton
Average residential rate $1,779/yr
same for both
Council Melton
same for both

Federal electorate

Harkness Melton
Division Hawke
same for both
Member Sam Rae
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Harkness Melton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Harkness

Affordable Family Large Blocks Outer Young Families

Melton

Affordable Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Harkness

Harkness vs Kurunjang Harkness vs Melton West Harkness vs Toolern Vale Harkness vs Long Forest

Other comparisons with Melton

Melton vs Melton South Melton vs Brookfield Melton vs Kurunjang Melton vs Melton West Melton vs Cobblebank Melton vs Thornhill Park
Full data on Harkness Full data on Melton
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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