Ivanhoe East vs Balwyn North

Balwyn North is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Ivanhoe East. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Ivanhoe East is closer to the city centre: 12.5 km, against 14.1 km.

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

Balwyn North

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (13 vs 2)
  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 2)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Ivanhoe East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 30%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ivanhoe East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($451/wk vs $554/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Balwyn North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 71/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Balwyn North

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Balwyn North

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (4.4% vs -1.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (2.6% vs 1.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Walkability 71 / 85
Ivanhoe East — Walkability: 71/100 Balwyn North — Walkability: 85/100
Safety 56 / 56
Ivanhoe East — Safety: 56/100 Balwyn North — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ivanhoe East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Balwyn North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 21 / 51
Ivanhoe East — Low flood risk: 21/100 Balwyn North — Low flood risk: 51/100

Demographics

Balwyn North has more residents (21,302 vs 3,762); Ivanhoe East has higher household incomes ($154,804 vs $121,992).

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Population 3,762 21,302
+466% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.4% +4.4%
Median age 45 42
Median household income $154,804/yr
+21% vs other
 $121,992/yr
Median weekly rent $451/wk $554/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
0-4 4.1% / 3.4%
Ivanhoe East — 0-4: 4.1% Balwyn North — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 12.0% / 14.4%
Ivanhoe East — 5-14: 12.0% Balwyn North — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 7.7% / 8.9%
Ivanhoe East — 15-19: 7.7% Balwyn North — 15-19: 8.9%
20-24 6.3% / 6.9%
Ivanhoe East — 20-24: 6.3% Balwyn North — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 8.3% / 8.6%
Ivanhoe East — 25-34: 8.3% Balwyn North — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 11.2% / 10.8%
Ivanhoe East — 35-44: 11.2% Balwyn North — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 15.7% / 15.9%
Ivanhoe East — 45-54: 15.7% Balwyn North — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 15.3% / 13.7%
Ivanhoe East — 55-64: 15.3% Balwyn North — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 11.1% / 9.0%
Ivanhoe East — 65-74: 11.1% Balwyn North — 65-74: 9.0%
75-84 6.1% / 5.7%
Ivanhoe East — 75-84: 6.1% Balwyn North — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 2.4% / 2.9%
Ivanhoe East — 85+: 2.4% Balwyn North — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ivanhoe East 57.2% couple families
Ivanhoe East — Couple Families: 57.2% Ivanhoe East — Lone Person: 27.7% Ivanhoe East — One Parent Families: 11.4% Ivanhoe East — Group Household: 2.6% Ivanhoe East — Other Families: 1.0%
Balwyn North 60.5% couple families
Balwyn North — Couple Families: 60.5% Balwyn North — Lone Person: 21.3% Balwyn North — One Parent Families: 14.8% Balwyn North — Group Household: 2.3% Balwyn North — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ivanhoe East 19.8% renting
Ivanhoe East — Owned Outright: 45.4% Ivanhoe East — Mortgage: 34.8% Ivanhoe East — Renting: 19.8%
Balwyn North 20.0% renting
Balwyn North — Owned Outright: 47.0% Balwyn North — Mortgage: 33.1% Balwyn North — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Bachelor Degree 26.0% / 25.0%
Ivanhoe East — Bachelor Degree: 26.0% Balwyn North — Bachelor Degree: 25.0%
Postgraduate Degree 12.4% / 10.5%
Ivanhoe East — Postgraduate Degree: 12.4% Balwyn North — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.5%
Ivanhoe East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Balwyn North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 5.4% / 4.3%
Ivanhoe East — Certificate III & IV: 5.4% Balwyn North — Certificate III & IV: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 3.3%
Ivanhoe East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% Balwyn North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).

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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
China 3.3% / 14.4%
Ivanhoe East — China: 3.3% Balwyn North — China: 14.4%
England 2.8% / 1.9%
Ivanhoe East — England: 2.8% Balwyn North — England: 1.9%
Malaysia 0.8% / 3.8%
Ivanhoe East — Malaysia: 0.8% Balwyn North — Malaysia: 3.8%
India 1.1% / 2.7%
Ivanhoe East — India: 1.1% Balwyn North — India: 2.7%
Italy 1.9% / 1.3%
Ivanhoe East — Italy: 1.9% Balwyn North — Italy: 1.3%
Greece 1.5% / 1.7%
Ivanhoe East — Greece: 1.5% Balwyn North — Greece: 1.7%
Vietnam — / 1.9%
Ivanhoe East — Vietnam: not among its largest Balwyn North — Vietnam: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ivanhoe East 76.8% houses
Ivanhoe East — Houses: 76.8% Ivanhoe East — Flats / Apartments: 21.3% Ivanhoe East — Townhouses: 1.9%
Balwyn North 83.0% houses
Balwyn North — Houses: 83.0% Balwyn North — Flats / Apartments: 3.5% Balwyn North — Townhouses: 13.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Median house price $2,350,000 $2,210,000
Median unit price $890,000 $825,500
Median land price — $1,515,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 21 sales
 26 days
from 204 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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
2 bed $720K / $694K
Ivanhoe East — 2 bed: $720K (23 sales) Balwyn North — 2 bed: $694K (20 sales)

23 vs 20 sales

3 bed $1.24M / $1.28M
Ivanhoe East — 3 bed: $1.24M (13 sales) Balwyn North — 3 bed: $1.28M (11 sales)

13 vs 11 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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
3 bed $2.06M / $1.95M
Ivanhoe East — 3 bed: $2.06M (16 sales) Balwyn North — 3 bed: $1.95M (106 sales)

16 vs 106 sales

4 bed $2.46M / $2.27M
Ivanhoe East — 4 bed: $2.46M (26 sales) Balwyn North — 4 bed: $2.27M (122 sales)

26 vs 122 sales

5 bed $2.53M / $2.93M
Ivanhoe East — 5 bed: $2.53M (14 sales) Balwyn North — 5 bed: $2.93M (49 sales)

14 vs 49 sales

Zoning mix

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Residential 70% 76%
Parks and recreation 25% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 10%
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

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
New dwellings approved 722
across Banyule
 711
across Boroondara
Approvals change year on year -75% -40%

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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Houses 1.9%
$840/wk on $2.25M
 2.6%
$1,070/wk on $2.1M
Units — 4.6%
$655/wk on $742K

Ranking within VIC

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
House price Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Income Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 87% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 37% of VIC

Liveability

Balwyn North is more walkable (85 vs 71); Balwyn North scores higher overall (87 vs 77).

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Grade A A+
Score 77/100 87/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ivanhoe East carries more flood risk (79 vs 49).

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
44/100
same for both
Flood High
79/100
 Moderate
49/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Inside the suburb 2 7
Rated above peers 0 4
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 6.3 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 5.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.7% 5.5%

Schools in Ivanhoe East

  • Ivanhoe East Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Ivanhoe East Primary School-Wilfred Road Campus Government · Primary

Schools in Balwyn North

  • Balwyn High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Belle Vue Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Boroondara Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Greythorn Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Balwyn North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Bede's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Supermarkets 1 6
Cafes & restaurants 1 22
Parks & reserves 2 12
Childcare 2 13
GPs 1 6
Pharmacies 0 6
Banks & Bank@Post 2 3
Waterways 2 7

Mobility

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Walkability score 71/100 85/100
Distance to Melbourne 12.5 km 14.1 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 22 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
 79/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 80.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 411.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 3079
 3.2%
postcode 3104
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 21
postcode 3079
 26
postcode 3104

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.

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Car (driver) 43.5% / 48.3%
Ivanhoe East — Car (driver): 43.5% Balwyn North — Car (driver): 48.3%
Worked from Home 46.4% / 42.1%
Ivanhoe East — Worked from Home: 46.4% Balwyn North — Worked from Home: 42.1%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 4.0%
Ivanhoe East — Car (passenger): 2.6% Balwyn North — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Train 2.7% / 0.9%
Ivanhoe East — Train: 2.7% Balwyn North — Train: 0.9%
Walked Only 2.2% / 1.0%
Ivanhoe East — Walked Only: 2.2% Balwyn North — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 0.5% / 2.2%
Ivanhoe East — Bus: 0.5% Balwyn North — Bus: 2.2%
Tram / Light Rail — / 1.1%
Ivanhoe East — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest Balwyn North — Tram / Light Rail: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (48.3%).

Setting

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Elevation 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.6 km 12.7 km

NBN connectivity

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Connectivity score 77/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
1,747 premises
 8%
8,729 premises

Climate

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
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)

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.82 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Average residential rate $1,787/yr $2,253/yr
Council Banyule Boroondara

Federal electorate

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Division Jagajaga Kooyong
Member Kate Thwaites Monique Ryan
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Ivanhoe East Balwyn North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ivanhoe East

Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Quiet River

Balwyn North

Luxury Middle-Ring Multicultural Professionals Trams

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ivanhoe East

Ivanhoe East vs Ivanhoe Ivanhoe East vs Bulleen Ivanhoe East vs Kew East Ivanhoe East vs Eaglemont

Other comparisons with Balwyn North

Balwyn North vs Doncaster Balwyn North vs Kew Balwyn North vs Balwyn Balwyn North vs Ivanhoe Balwyn North vs Bulleen Balwyn North vs Kew East
Full data on Ivanhoe East Full data on Balwyn North
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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