Latham vs Melba

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Melba, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Melba: a median of $930,000, against $850,000 in Latham.

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

  • Latham carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 48/100)
  • Melba has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Latham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($450,000 vs $599,000)

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

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Latham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 48/100)

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

Investors

Melba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.0% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Latham Melba
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.

Latham Melba
Walkability 59 / 53
Latham — Walkability: 59/100 Melba — Walkability: 53/100
Safety 67 / 52
Latham — Safety: 67/100 Melba — Safety: 52/100
Low fire risk 71 / 67
Latham — Low fire risk: 71/100 Melba — Low fire risk: 67/100
Low flood risk 48 / 49
Latham — Low flood risk: 48/100 Melba — Low flood risk: 49/100

Demographics

Latham Melba
Population 3,767
+10% vs other
 3,383
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +7.5%
Median age 38
same for both
Median household income $110,500/yr $120,952/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Latham Melba
0-4 7.4% / 7.1%
Latham — 0-4: 7.4% Melba — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 13.3% / 15.0%
Latham — 5-14: 13.3% Melba — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 5.6% / 5.5%
Latham — 15-19: 5.6% Melba — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 5.0% / 5.5%
Latham — 20-24: 5.0% Melba — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 13.9% / 11.3%
Latham — 25-34: 13.9% Melba — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 15.3% / 14.8%
Latham — 35-44: 15.3% Melba — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 13.3% / 13.5%
Latham — 45-54: 13.3% Melba — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 10.3% / 10.2%
Latham — 55-64: 10.3% Melba — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 10.2% / 9.6%
Latham — 65-74: 10.2% Melba — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 4.6% / 6.4%
Latham — 75-84: 4.6% Melba — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 0.8% / 1.0%
Latham — 85+: 0.8% Melba — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Latham 44.8% couple families
Latham — Couple Families: 44.8% Latham — Lone Person: 32.3% Latham — One Parent Families: 17.1% Latham — Group Household: 4.4% Latham — Other Families: 1.4%
Melba 50.9% couple families
Melba — Couple Families: 50.9% Melba — Lone Person: 28.9% Melba — One Parent Families: 15.5% Melba — Group Household: 3.7% Melba — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Latham 21.4% renting
Latham — Owned Outright: 32.7% Latham — Mortgage: 45.9% Latham — Renting: 21.4%
Melba 20.9% renting
Melba — Owned Outright: 35.1% Melba — Mortgage: 44.0% Melba — Renting: 20.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Latham Melba
Bachelor Degree 14.2% / 17.3%
Latham — Bachelor Degree: 14.2% Melba — Bachelor Degree: 17.3%
Certificate III & IV 13.1% / 10.7%
Latham — Certificate III & IV: 13.1% Melba — Certificate III & IV: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 8.2%
Latham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Melba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 8.6%
Latham — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% Melba — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 3.3%
Latham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Melba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

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.

Latham Melba
England 2.5% / 3.0%
Latham — England: 2.5% Melba — England: 3.0%
India 1.8% / 1.3%
Latham — India: 1.8% Melba — India: 1.3%
China 1.2% / 1.7%
Latham — China: 1.2% Melba — China: 1.7%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.3%
Latham — New Zealand: 0.8% Melba — New Zealand: 1.3%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.7%
Latham — Philippines: 0.8% Melba — Philippines: 0.7%
Vietnam 1.0% / —
Latham — Vietnam: 1.0% Melba — Vietnam: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.8%
Latham — Germany: not among its largest Melba — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Latham 88.1% houses
Latham — Houses: 88.1% Latham — Townhouses: 10.6% Latham — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Melba 80.2% houses
Melba — Houses: 80.2% Melba — Townhouses: 17.5% Melba — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Latham Melba
Median house price $850,000 $930,000
Median unit price $450,000 $599,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 56 sales
 24 days
from 46 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.

Latham Melba
3 bed $810K / $865K
Latham — 3 bed: $810K (44 sales) Melba — 3 bed: $865K (29 sales)

44 vs 29 sales

4 bed $992K / $995K
Latham — 4 bed: $992K (24 sales) Melba — 4 bed: $995K (35 sales)

24 vs 35 sales

Development activity

Latham Melba
New dwellings approved 3,750
across Unincorporated ACT
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
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.

Latham Melba
Houses 3.9%
$700/wk on $935K
 5.0%
$780/wk on $818K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within ACT

Latham Melba
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 18% of ACT Higher than 43% of ACT
Schools — Higher than 27% of ACT
Walkability Higher than 44% of ACT Higher than 36% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 15% of ACT Higher than 18% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 21% of ACT Higher than 31% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of ACT Higher than 87% of ACT

Liveability

Latham scores higher overall (39 vs 33).

Latham Melba
Grade C D
Score 39/100 33/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Melba carries more crime risk (48 vs 33).

Latham Melba
Bushfire Low
29/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Low
33/100
 Moderate
48/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
51/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Latham Melba
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 2
Universities within 10 km 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 6.3 km
 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 5.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.0% 1.7%

Schools in Latham

  • Latham Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Melba

  • Melba Copland Secondary School Copland Campus Years 10 - 12 Government · Secondary below peers
  • Mount Rogers Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Melba Copland Secondary School Copland Campus Years 7 - 9 Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Latham Melba
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 2 3
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Latham Melba
Walkability score 59/100 53/100
Distance to Canberra 14.1 km 15 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 22 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 60.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 77.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 2615
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2615
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.

Latham Melba
Car (driver) 74.8% / 73.5%
Latham — Car (driver): 74.8% Melba — Car (driver): 73.5%
Worked from Home 13.3% / 14.9%
Latham — Worked from Home: 13.3% Melba — Worked from Home: 14.9%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 5.4%
Latham — Car (passenger): 5.8% Melba — Car (passenger): 5.4%
Bus 4.0% / 4.5%
Latham — Bus: 4.0% Melba — Bus: 4.5%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.2%
Latham — Bicycle: 1.2% Melba — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.8%).

Setting

Latham Melba
Elevation 562 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Latham Melba
Connectivity score 46/100 47/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 2%
1,514 premises
 4%
1,323 premises

Climate

Latham Melba
Annual rainfall 622 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Latham Melba
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.41 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Latham Melba
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Latham Melba
Division Fenner
same for both
Member Andrew Leigh
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Latham Melba
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Latham

Affordable Large Blocks Middle-Ring Quiet River

Melba

Family Middle-Ring Professionals Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Latham

Latham vs Macgregor Latham vs Holt Latham vs Florey Latham vs Flynn Latham vs Higgins Latham vs Scullin

Other comparisons with Melba

Melba vs Evatt Melba vs Florey Melba vs Flynn Melba vs Spence Melba vs Fraser
Full data on Latham Full data on Melba
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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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