Lilydale vs Coldstream

Coldstream is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in Lilydale. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Lilydale is closer to the city centre: 42.5 km, against 49.9 km. On these figures, Lilydale tends to suit people living alone.

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

  • Lilydale has more childcare (14 vs 2)
  • Coldstream carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 74/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house 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

Lilydale

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (42.5 km vs 49.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (47 min vs 54 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Lilydale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 1%)
  • has more GPs (9 vs 2)
  • But Coldstream carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 74/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lilydale Coldstream
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.

Lilydale Coldstream
Walkability 50 / 0
Lilydale — Walkability: 50/100 Coldstream — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 44
Lilydale — Safety: 26/100 Coldstream — Safety: 44/100
Low fire risk 21 / 2
Lilydale — Low fire risk: 21/100 Coldstream — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 42 / 20
Lilydale — Low flood risk: 42/100 Coldstream — Low flood risk: 20/100

Demographics

Lilydale has more residents (17,348 vs 2,199); Lilydale skews older (40 vs 37).

Lilydale Coldstream
Population 17,348
+87% vs other
 2,199
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% +1.6%
Median age 40 37
Median household income $91,728/yr $99,476/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $369/wk $371/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lilydale Coldstream
0-4 5.6% / 7.0%
Lilydale — 0-4: 5.6% Coldstream — 0-4: 7.0%
5-14 11.6% / 13.1%
Lilydale — 5-14: 11.6% Coldstream — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 6.2% / 6.5%
Lilydale — 15-19: 6.2% Coldstream — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 6.1% / 5.2%
Lilydale — 20-24: 6.1% Coldstream — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 13.3% / 14.5%
Lilydale — 25-34: 13.3% Coldstream — 25-34: 14.5%
35-44 12.3% / 13.1%
Lilydale — 35-44: 12.3% Coldstream — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 13.9% / 11.1%
Lilydale — 45-54: 13.9% Coldstream — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 12.6% / 13.3%
Lilydale — 55-64: 12.6% Coldstream — 55-64: 13.3%
65-74 9.8% / 10.6%
Lilydale — 65-74: 9.8% Coldstream — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 6.2% / 5.0%
Lilydale — 75-84: 6.2% Coldstream — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 2.4% / 1.0%
Lilydale — 85+: 2.4% Coldstream — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lilydale 46.0% couple families
Lilydale — Couple Families: 46.0% Lilydale — Lone Person: 34.3% Lilydale — One Parent Families: 15.6% Lilydale — Group Household: 2.8% Lilydale — Other Families: 1.2%
Coldstream 54.2% couple families
Coldstream — Couple Families: 54.2% Coldstream — Lone Person: 24.7% Coldstream — One Parent Families: 16.9% Coldstream — Group Household: 3.0% Coldstream — 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.

Lilydale 19.6% renting
Lilydale — Owned Outright: 34.3% Lilydale — Mortgage: 46.1% Lilydale — Renting: 19.6%
Coldstream 13.4% renting
Coldstream — Owned Outright: 35.5% Coldstream — Mortgage: 51.1% Coldstream — Renting: 13.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lilydale Coldstream
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 21.4%
Lilydale — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Coldstream — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Bachelor Degree 11.2% / 7.3%
Lilydale — Bachelor Degree: 11.2% Coldstream — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 7.5%
Lilydale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Coldstream — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.0%
Lilydale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Coldstream — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 1.3%
Lilydale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Coldstream — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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.

Lilydale Coldstream
England 5.0% / 4.7%
Lilydale — England: 5.0% Coldstream — England: 4.7%
New Zealand 1.2% / 0.9%
Lilydale — New Zealand: 1.2% Coldstream — New Zealand: 0.9%
Italy 1.0% / 0.7%
Lilydale — Italy: 1.0% Coldstream — Italy: 0.7%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.7%
Lilydale — Netherlands: 0.8% Coldstream — Netherlands: 0.7%
India 1.0% / 0.4%
Lilydale — India: 1.0% Coldstream — India: 0.4%
Scotland — / 0.8%
Lilydale — Scotland: not among its largest Coldstream — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lilydale 79.7% houses
Lilydale — Houses: 79.7% Lilydale — Townhouses: 18.9% Lilydale — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Coldstream 98.9% houses
Coldstream — Houses: 98.9% Coldstream — Townhouses: 0.4% Coldstream — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lilydale Coldstream
Median house price $901,500 $870,000
Median unit price $615,100 —
Median land price $770,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 220 sales
 25 days
from 17 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.

Lilydale Coldstream
3 bed $815K / $830K
Lilydale — 3 bed: $815K (158 sales) Coldstream — 3 bed: $830K (36 sales)

158 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.08M / $920K
Lilydale — 4 bed: $1.08M (126 sales) Coldstream — 4 bed: $920K (14 sales)

126 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

Coldstream has more rural and farming land (95% vs 43%).

Lilydale Coldstream
Rural and farming 43% 95%
Residential 29% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 3%
Other and special use 10% 1%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Industrial 2% 0%
Commercial 1% 0%
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

Lilydale Coldstream
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

Lilydale Coldstream
Houses 4.1%
$680/wk on $862K
 —
Units 5.0%
$575/wk on $600K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Lilydale Coldstream
House price Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Income — Higher than 72% of VIC
Schools Higher than 46% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 58% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 74% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 60% of VIC —

Liveability

Lilydale is more walkable (50 vs 0); Lilydale scores higher overall (40 vs 26).

Lilydale Coldstream
Grade C D
Score 40/100 26/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Coldstream carries more flood risk (80 vs 58); Lilydale carries more crime risk (74 vs 56).

Lilydale Coldstream
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
98/100
Crime High
74/100
 Moderate
56/100
Flood Moderate
58/100
 High
80/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Lilydale Coldstream
Inside the suburb 11 2
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 6 0
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Lilydale

  • Lilydale Heights College Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Edinburgh College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Lilydale High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Lilydale Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mount Lilydale Mercy College Catholic · Secondary at peers

Schools in Coldstream

  • Coldstream Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Lyrebird College Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Lilydale Coldstream
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 17 13
Parks & reserves 19 11
Childcare 14 2
GPs 9 2
Pharmacies 4 1
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 1
Fuel stations 6 0
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 17 4

Mobility

Coldstream sits further from the CBD (49.9 km vs 42.5 km).

Lilydale Coldstream
Walkability score 50/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 42.5 km 49.9 km
+17% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 47 min 54 min
Public transport score 90/100
Rail · Bus
 42/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 270.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3140
 0.7%
postcode 3770
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3140
 51
postcode 3770

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.

Lilydale Coldstream
Car (driver) 66.7% / 69.5%
Lilydale — Car (driver): 66.7% Coldstream — Car (driver): 69.5%
Worked from Home 25.4% / 21.9%
Lilydale — Worked from Home: 25.4% Coldstream — Worked from Home: 21.9%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 4.4%
Lilydale — Car (passenger): 3.9% Coldstream — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 1.1% / 2.6%
Lilydale — Walked Only: 1.1% Coldstream — Walked Only: 2.6%
Train 2.2% / 0.9%
Lilydale — Train: 2.2% Coldstream — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.5%).

Setting

Lilydale Coldstream
Elevation 149 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 36.7 km 42.3 km

NBN connectivity

Lilydale Coldstream
Connectivity score 89/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
8,610 premises
 40%
962 premises

Climate

Lilydale Coldstream
Annual rainfall 777 mm 1,215 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C 22.9°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C 3.8°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Lilydale Coldstream
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Lilydale Coldstream
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Lilydale Coldstream
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lilydale Coldstream
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lilydale

Outer Transport Hub

Coldstream

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lilydale

Lilydale vs Mooroolbark Lilydale vs Chirnside Park Lilydale vs Mount Evelyn Lilydale vs Montrose Lilydale vs Wandin North

Other comparisons with Coldstream

Coldstream vs Chirnside Park Coldstream vs Healesville Coldstream vs Wandin North Coldstream vs Yarra Glen Coldstream vs Gruyere Coldstream vs Christmas Hills
Full data on Lilydale Full data on Coldstream
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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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