Harkness vs Toolern Vale

Harkness is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 44 in Toolern Vale. 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. In Toolern Vale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Harkness tends to suit families with children, while Toolern Vale suits older residents.

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

Harkness

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 81/100)
  • But Toolern Vale has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Harkness

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $385/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Toolern Vale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (44 min vs 52 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (46.5 km vs 49.7 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

  • Harkness carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 81/100)
  • Toolern Vale has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 7%)

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

Where they sit

Harkness and Toolern Vale 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 Toolern Vale
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 Toolern Vale
Walkability 23 / 30
Harkness — Walkability: 23/100 Toolern Vale — Walkability: 30/100
Safety 50 / 19
Harkness — Safety: 50/100 Toolern Vale — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 13 / 25
Harkness — Low fire risk: 13/100 Toolern Vale — Low fire risk: 25/100
Low flood risk 90 / 100
Harkness — Low flood risk: 90/100 Toolern Vale — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Harkness has more residents (12,463 vs 818); Toolern Vale skews older (44 vs 30).

Harkness Toolern Vale
Population 12,463
+93% vs other
 818
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +13.0%
Median age 30 44
Median household income $91,104/yr $99,216/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $385/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harkness Toolern Vale
0-4 10.0% / 4.9%
Harkness — 0-4: 10.0% Toolern Vale — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 18.8% / 11.6%
Harkness — 5-14: 18.8% Toolern Vale — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.2% / 6.5%
Harkness — 15-19: 6.2% Toolern Vale — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 6.4% / 6.8%
Harkness — 20-24: 6.4% Toolern Vale — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 16.5% / 7.1%
Harkness — 25-34: 16.5% Toolern Vale — 25-34: 7.1%
35-44 17.2% / 12.6%
Harkness — 35-44: 17.2% Toolern Vale — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 11.2% / 15.8%
Harkness — 45-54: 11.2% Toolern Vale — 45-54: 15.8%
55-64 6.9% / 14.1%
Harkness — 55-64: 6.9% Toolern Vale — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 4.8% / 12.1%
Harkness — 65-74: 4.8% Toolern Vale — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 1.8% / 6.7%
Harkness — 75-84: 1.8% Toolern Vale — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 0.2% / 1.2%
Harkness — 85+: 0.2% Toolern Vale — 85+: 1.2%

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%
Toolern Vale 59.7% couple families
Toolern Vale — Couple Families: 59.7% Toolern Vale — Lone Person: 25.8% Toolern Vale — One Parent Families: 14.5% Toolern Vale — Group Household: 0.0% Toolern Vale — Other Families: 0.0%
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%
Toolern Vale 8.1% renting
Toolern Vale — Owned Outright: 46.8% Toolern Vale — Mortgage: 45.2% Toolern Vale — Renting: 8.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Harkness Toolern Vale
Certificate III & IV 14.3% / 17.4%
Harkness — Certificate III & IV: 14.3% Toolern Vale — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 8.7%
Harkness — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% Toolern Vale — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 7.9%
Harkness — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Toolern Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 2.3%
Harkness — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Toolern Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.8%
Harkness — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Toolern Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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 Toolern Vale
India 6.5% / —
Harkness — India: 6.5% Toolern Vale — India: not among its largest
England 1.4% / 2.9%
Harkness — England: 1.4% Toolern Vale — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 3.0% / 1.0%
Harkness — New Zealand: 3.0% Toolern Vale — New Zealand: 1.0%
Philippines 2.4% / —
Harkness — Philippines: 2.4% Toolern Vale — Philippines: not among its largest
Scotland — / 1.0%
Harkness — Scotland: not among its largest Toolern Vale — Scotland: 1.0%
Sri Lanka 0.8% / —
Harkness — Sri Lanka: 0.8% Toolern Vale — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.6%
Harkness — Italy: not among its largest Toolern Vale — Italy: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.6%
Harkness — Germany: not among its largest Toolern Vale — Germany: 0.6%

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%
Toolern Vale 97.7% houses
Toolern Vale — Houses: 97.7% Toolern Vale — Townhouses: 1.5% Toolern Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Harkness Toolern Vale
Median house price $650,000 —
Median unit price $432,500 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 4 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Toolern Vale has more land zoned for conservation (30% vs 8%).

Harkness Toolern Vale
Rural and farming 46% 56%
Residential 36% 0%
Environmental 8% 30%
Parks and recreation 1% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 4%
Other and special use 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

Harkness Toolern Vale
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 Toolern Vale
Houses 3.8%
$470/wk on $650K
 —
Units 4.3%
$432/wk on $519K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Harkness Toolern Vale
House price Higher than 21% of VIC —
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 27% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 91% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 45% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 51% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 23% of VIC —

Liveability

Harkness Toolern Vale
Grade C
same for both
Score 35/100 36/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Harkness carries more flood risk (10 vs 0); Toolern Vale carries more crime risk (81 vs 50).

Harkness Toolern Vale
Bushfire High
87/100
 High
75/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 High
81/100
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 Toolern Vale
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Harkness

  • Arnolds Creek Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Toolern Vale

  • Toolern Vale and District Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Melton Christian College - Online Campus Independent · Combined
  • Melton Christian College - Toolern Vale Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Harkness Toolern Vale
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 6 2
GPs 1 0
Waterways 5
same for both

Mobility

Harkness sits further from the CBD (49.7 km vs 46.5 km).

Harkness Toolern Vale
Walkability score 23/100 30/100
Distance to Melbourne 49.7 km
+6% vs other
 46.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 52 min 44 min
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 Toolern Vale
Car (driver) 74.2% / 62.7%
Harkness — Car (driver): 74.2% Toolern Vale — Car (driver): 62.7%
Worked from Home 17.0% / 26.6%
Harkness — Worked from Home: 17.0% Toolern Vale — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 6.3%
Harkness — Car (passenger): 5.8% Toolern Vale — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Train 2.1% / 2.1%
Harkness — Train: 2.1% Toolern Vale — Train: 2.1%
Walked Only 0.3% / 2.4%
Harkness — Walked Only: 0.3% Toolern Vale — Walked Only: 2.4%
Bus 0.5% / —
Harkness — Bus: 0.5% Toolern Vale — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Harkness Toolern Vale
Elevation 171 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 233 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.1 km 36.0 km

NBN connectivity

Harkness Toolern Vale
Connectivity score 94/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
4,569 premises
 0%
283 premises

Climate

Harkness Toolern Vale
Annual rainfall 518 mm 778 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C —
Winter min (Jul) 6.0°C —

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Harkness Toolern Vale
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

Toolern Vale

Outer River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Harkness

Harkness vs Kurunjang Harkness vs Melton West Harkness vs Melton Harkness vs Long Forest

Other comparisons with Toolern Vale

Toolern Vale vs Kurunjang Toolern Vale vs Gisborne Toolern Vale vs Melton Toolern Vale vs Diggers Rest Toolern Vale vs Gisborne South Toolern Vale vs Coimadai
Full data on Harkness Full data on Toolern Vale
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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