Hawthorn East vs Camberwell

Hawthorn East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Camberwell. In both, most households own their home. In Hawthorn East, about half of homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are people living alone. In Camberwell, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Hawthorn East is closer to the city centre: 12 km, against 13.6 km. On these figures, Hawthorn East tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Camberwell suits couples.

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

Camberwell

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 9)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (60% vs 33%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Hawthorn East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($570,500 vs $700,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hawthorn East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($415/wk vs $486/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hawthorn East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 80/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Hawthorn East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (67% vs 40%)
  • Camberwell has more GPs (10 vs 5)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hawthorn East Camberwell
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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Walkability 99 / 80
Hawthorn East — Walkability: 99/100 Camberwell — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 28 / 29
Hawthorn East — Safety: 28/100 Camberwell — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Hawthorn East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Camberwell — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 60 / 76
Hawthorn East — Low flood risk: 60/100 Camberwell — Low flood risk: 76/100

Demographics

Camberwell has more residents (21,965 vs 14,834); Camberwell skews older (43 vs 36).

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Population 14,834 21,965
+48% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% -0.5%
Median age 36 43
Median household income $117,156/yr $127,764/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $415/wk $486/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
0-4 4.2% / 4.1%
Hawthorn East — 0-4: 4.2% Camberwell — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 10.7% / 11.7%
Hawthorn East — 5-14: 10.7% Camberwell — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 5.2% / 7.0%
Hawthorn East — 15-19: 5.2% Camberwell — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 8.0% / 7.1%
Hawthorn East — 20-24: 8.0% Camberwell — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 19.7% / 10.7%
Hawthorn East — 25-34: 19.7% Camberwell — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 14.3% / 11.3%
Hawthorn East — 35-44: 14.3% Camberwell — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 12.7% / 13.9%
Hawthorn East — 45-54: 12.7% Camberwell — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 10.2% / 12.6%
Hawthorn East — 55-64: 10.2% Camberwell — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 8.0% / 10.3%
Hawthorn East — 65-74: 8.0% Camberwell — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 5.0% / 6.8%
Hawthorn East — 75-84: 5.0% Camberwell — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 2.2% / 4.6%
Hawthorn East — 85+: 2.2% Camberwell — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hawthorn East 35.1% couple families
Hawthorn East — Couple Families: 35.1% Hawthorn East — Lone Person: 45.1% Hawthorn East — One Parent Families: 9.5% Hawthorn East — Group Household: 8.5% Hawthorn East — Other Families: 1.8%
Camberwell 49.9% couple families
Camberwell — Couple Families: 49.9% Camberwell — Lone Person: 31.9% Camberwell — One Parent Families: 11.7% Camberwell — Group Household: 4.9% Camberwell — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hawthorn East 40.8% renting
Hawthorn East — Owned Outright: 30.2% Hawthorn East — Mortgage: 28.9% Hawthorn East — Renting: 40.8%
Camberwell 26.2% renting
Camberwell — Owned Outright: 43.7% Camberwell — Mortgage: 30.1% Camberwell — Renting: 26.2%
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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
China 5.5% / 7.0%
Hawthorn East — China: 5.5% Camberwell — China: 7.0%
England 2.9% / 3.3%
Hawthorn East — England: 2.9% Camberwell — England: 3.3%
India 3.0% / 2.0%
Hawthorn East — India: 3.0% Camberwell — India: 2.0%
Malaysia 2.0% / 2.0%
Hawthorn East — Malaysia: 2.0% Camberwell — Malaysia: 2.0%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.7%
Hawthorn East — New Zealand: 1.7% Camberwell — New Zealand: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.0%).

Qualifications

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

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Bachelor Degree 29.9% / 27.2%
Hawthorn East — Bachelor Degree: 29.9% Camberwell — Bachelor Degree: 27.2%
Postgraduate Degree 14.5% / 12.9%
Hawthorn East — Postgraduate Degree: 14.5% Camberwell — Postgraduate Degree: 12.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 7.7%
Hawthorn East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Camberwell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 4.6% / 4.3%
Hawthorn East — Certificate III & IV: 4.6% Camberwell — Certificate III & IV: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.2% / 3.9%
Hawthorn East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2% Camberwell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hawthorn East 33.1% houses
Hawthorn East — Houses: 33.1% Hawthorn East — Flats / Apartments: 49.0% Hawthorn East — Townhouses: 18.0%
Camberwell 60.1% houses
Camberwell — Houses: 60.1% Camberwell — Flats / Apartments: 18.2% Camberwell — Townhouses: 21.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Median house price $2,207,500 $2,355,000
Median unit price $570,500 $700,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 96 sales
 24 days
from 164 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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
1 bed $370K / $409K
Hawthorn East — 1 bed: $370K (101 sales) Camberwell — 1 bed: $409K (28 sales)

101 vs 28 sales

2 bed $641K / $702K
Hawthorn East — 2 bed: $641K (175 sales) Camberwell — 2 bed: $702K (102 sales)

175 vs 102 sales

3 bed $1.17M / $1.2M
Hawthorn East — 3 bed: $1.17M (23 sales) Camberwell — 3 bed: $1.2M (28 sales)

23 vs 28 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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
2 bed $1.48M / $1.3M
Hawthorn East — 2 bed: $1.48M (21 sales) Camberwell — 2 bed: $1.3M (19 sales)

21 vs 19 sales

3 bed $2.12M / $1.98M
Hawthorn East — 3 bed: $2.12M (59 sales) Camberwell — 3 bed: $1.98M (85 sales)

59 vs 85 sales

4 bed $2.73M / $2.48M
Hawthorn East — 4 bed: $2.73M (41 sales) Camberwell — 4 bed: $2.48M (80 sales)

41 vs 80 sales

5 bed $3.58M / $3.35M
Hawthorn East — 5 bed: $3.58M (16 sales) Camberwell — 5 bed: $3.35M (40 sales)

16 vs 40 sales

Zoning mix

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Residential 76% 82%
Commercial 9% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 8%
Parks and recreation 5% 6%
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

Hawthorn East Camberwell
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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Houses 2.7%
$992/wk on $1.89M
 2.9%
$1,100/wk on $2M
Units 4.9%
$575/wk on $612K
 4.5%
$650/wk on $758K

Ranking within VIC

Hawthorn East Camberwell
House price Higher than 98% of VIC
same for both
Income Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 2% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Hawthorn East is more walkable (99 vs 80).

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Grade A+
same for both
Score 86/100 83/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Hawthorn East carries more flood risk (40 vs 24).

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
72/100
 High
71/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 Low
24/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Inside the suburb 4 6
Rated above peers 2
same for both
Rated at peers 2 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 1.7 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.5% 5.1%

Schools in Hawthorn East

  • Alia College Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Auburn High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Auburn Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Auburn South Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Camberwell

  • Camberwell Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Hartwell Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Camberwell High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Siena College Ltd Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Dominic's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • SEDA College (Victoria) Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Supermarkets 2 7
Cafes & restaurants 21 58
Parks & reserves 9 18
Childcare 9 13
GPs 5 10
Pharmacies 2 7
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 12
Fuel stations 2 3
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Walkability score 99/100 80/100
Distance to Melbourne 12 km 13.6 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 23 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 116.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 620.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 3123
 3.5%
postcode 3124
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3123
 20
postcode 3124

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.

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Worked from Home 50.5% / 50.7%
Hawthorn East — Worked from Home: 50.5% Camberwell — Worked from Home: 50.7%
Car (driver) 35.3% / 37.6%
Hawthorn East — Car (driver): 35.3% Camberwell — Car (driver): 37.6%
Train 5.8% / 4.3%
Hawthorn East — Train: 5.8% Camberwell — Train: 4.3%
Walked Only 3.6% / 2.5%
Hawthorn East — Walked Only: 3.6% Camberwell — Walked Only: 2.5%
Car (passenger) 2.0% / 2.7%
Hawthorn East — Car (passenger): 2.0% Camberwell — Car (passenger): 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.7%).

Setting

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Elevation 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.8 km 9.3 km

NBN connectivity

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Connectivity score 82/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 27%
8,547 premises
 14%
11,177 premises

Climate

Hawthorn East Camberwell
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)

Hawthorn East Camberwell
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³ 4.3 µg/m³
PM10 17.8 µg/m³ —
NO₂ 0.82 pphm —

Council rates

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Average residential rate $2,253/yr
same for both
Council Boroondara
same for both

Federal electorate

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Division Kooyong
same for both
Member Monique Ryan
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hawthorn East Camberwell
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hawthorn East

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

Camberwell

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hawthorn East

Hawthorn East vs Glen Iris Hawthorn East vs Kew Hawthorn East vs Hawthorn Hawthorn East vs Malvern Hawthorn East vs Canterbury Hawthorn East vs Kooyong

Other comparisons with Camberwell

Camberwell vs Glen Iris Camberwell vs Burwood Camberwell vs Surrey Hills Camberwell vs Canterbury
Full data on Hawthorn East Full data on Camberwell
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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