Macleod vs Greensborough

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. Houses cost more in Macleod: a median of $1.2 million, against $1.01 million in Greensborough. Macleod is closer to the city centre: 18.9 km, against 23.4 km. On these figures, Greensborough tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Greensborough

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 6)
  • has more parks and reserves (55 vs 19)
  • But Macleod carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 62/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Macleod has cheaper land ($1,010,000 vs $1,478,350)
  • Greensborough has cheaper houses ($1,010,000 vs $1,195,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

Macleod

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (18.9 km vs 23.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (30 min vs 36 min)
  • But Greensborough is more walkable (94/100 vs 86/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Greensborough

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 2)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 86/100)
  • But Macleod carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 62/100)

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

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

Macleod Greensborough
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.

Macleod Greensborough
Walkability 86 / 94
Macleod — Walkability: 86/100 Greensborough — Walkability: 94/100
Safety 59 / 38
Macleod — Safety: 59/100 Greensborough — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 41
Macleod — Low fire risk: 100/100 Greensborough — Low fire risk: 41/100
Low flood risk 73 / 48
Macleod — Low flood risk: 73/100 Greensborough — Low flood risk: 48/100

Demographics

Greensborough has more residents (21,070 vs 9,892).

Macleod Greensborough
Population 9,892 21,070
+113% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.3% +1.2%
Median age 41
same for both
Median household income $102,232/yr $107,900/yr
+6% vs other
Median weekly rent $396/wk $404/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Macleod Greensborough
0-4 5.9% / 5.8%
Macleod — 0-4: 5.9% Greensborough — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 11.7% / 12.8%
Macleod — 5-14: 11.7% Greensborough — 5-14: 12.8%
15-19 5.6% / 5.7%
Macleod — 15-19: 5.6% Greensborough — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 5.1% / 4.7%
Macleod — 20-24: 5.1% Greensborough — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 12.1% / 11.1%
Macleod — 25-34: 12.1% Greensborough — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 14.5% / 15.3%
Macleod — 35-44: 14.5% Greensborough — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 14.4% / 13.8%
Macleod — 45-54: 14.4% Greensborough — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 11.0% / 11.6%
Macleod — 55-64: 11.0% Greensborough — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 9.9% / 10.9%
Macleod — 65-74: 9.9% Greensborough — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 5.9% / 5.9%
Macleod — 75-84: 5.9% Greensborough — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 4.2% / 2.4%
Macleod — 85+: 4.2% Greensborough — 85+: 2.4%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Macleod 45.7% couple families
Macleod — Couple Families: 45.7% Macleod — Lone Person: 36.1% Macleod — One Parent Families: 13.1% Macleod — Group Household: 3.9% Macleod — Other Families: 1.2%
Greensborough 52.5% couple families
Greensborough — Couple Families: 52.5% Greensborough — Lone Person: 29.5% Greensborough — One Parent Families: 14.5% Greensborough — Group Household: 2.4% Greensborough — 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.

Macleod 23.6% renting
Macleod — Owned Outright: 38.8% Macleod — Mortgage: 37.7% Macleod — Renting: 23.6%
Greensborough 17.7% renting
Greensborough — Owned Outright: 38.9% Greensborough — Mortgage: 43.4% Greensborough — Renting: 17.7%
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.

Macleod Greensborough
England 2.8% / 2.7%
Macleod — England: 2.8% Greensborough — England: 2.7%
China 2.8% / 2.1%
Macleod — China: 2.8% Greensborough — China: 2.1%
India 2.5% / 1.4%
Macleod — India: 2.5% Greensborough — India: 1.4%
Italy 1.5% / 1.7%
Macleod — Italy: 1.5% Greensborough — Italy: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.3%
Macleod — New Zealand: 1.2% Greensborough — New Zealand: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

Qualifications

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

Macleod Greensborough
Bachelor Degree 20.5% / 16.7%
Macleod — Bachelor Degree: 20.5% Greensborough — Bachelor Degree: 16.7%
Certificate III & IV 8.8% / 12.6%
Macleod — Certificate III & IV: 8.8% Greensborough — Certificate III & IV: 12.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 8.9%
Macleod — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Greensborough — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 8.9% / 6.3%
Macleod — Postgraduate Degree: 8.9% Greensborough — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 3.1%
Macleod — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Greensborough — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Macleod 76.6% houses
Macleod — Houses: 76.6% Macleod — Townhouses: 20.0% Macleod — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Greensborough 84.9% houses
Greensborough — Houses: 84.9% Greensborough — Townhouses: 12.6% Greensborough — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Macleod Greensborough
Median house price $1,195,000 $1,010,000
Median unit price $725,000 $675,000
Median land price $1,010,000 $1,478,350
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 69 sales
 23 days
from 235 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.

Macleod Greensborough
2 bed $700K / $660K
Macleod — 2 bed: $700K (27 sales) Greensborough — 2 bed: $660K (47 sales)

27 vs 47 sales

3 bed $826K / $791K
Macleod — 3 bed: $826K (14 sales) Greensborough — 3 bed: $791K (23 sales)

14 vs 23 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.

Macleod Greensborough
2 bed $893K / $760K
Macleod — 2 bed: $893K (6 sales) Greensborough — 2 bed: $760K (23 sales)

6 vs 23 sales

3 bed $1.01M / $950K
Macleod — 3 bed: $1.01M (61 sales) Greensborough — 3 bed: $950K (188 sales)

61 vs 188 sales

4 bed $1.56M / $1.16M
Macleod — 4 bed: $1.56M (37 sales) Greensborough — 4 bed: $1.16M (132 sales)

37 vs 132 sales

5 bed $1.57M / $1.2M
Macleod — 5 bed: $1.57M (8 sales) Greensborough — 5 bed: $1.2M (26 sales)

8 vs 26 sales

Zoning mix

Macleod Greensborough
Residential 66% 71%
Parks and recreation 21% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 13%
Commercial 1% 3%
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

Macleod Greensborough
New dwellings approved 722
across Banyule
same for both
Approvals change year on year -75%
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.

Macleod Greensborough
Houses 3.6%
$700/wk on $1.02M
 3.4%
$645/wk on $998K
Units 3.6%
$492/wk on $715K
 3.8%
$510/wk on $695K

Ranking within VIC

Macleod Greensborough
House price Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Schools Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 3% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC

Liveability

Greensborough is more walkable (94 vs 86).

Macleod Greensborough
Grade A B
Score 69/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Greensborough carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 0); Greensborough carries more flood risk (52 vs 27).

Macleod Greensborough
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
59/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood Low
27/100
 Moderate
52/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Macleod Greensborough
Inside the suburb 5 9
Rated above peers 0 4
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 2
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 2.7 km
 2
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 4.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 2.2%

Schools in Macleod

  • Charles La Trobe P-12 College Government · Combined below peers
  • Macleod College Government · Combined below peers
  • Charles La Trobe P-12 College-Deaf Facility Government · Combined
  • Ivanhoe Grammar School - University Campus Independent · Combined
  • Mastery Schools Victoria Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Greensborough

  • Apollo Parkways Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Greenhills Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Greensborough Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Watsonia Heights Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Greensborough Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Thomas the Apostle School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Macleod Greensborough
Supermarkets 1 4
Cafes & restaurants 2 23
Parks & reserves 19 55
Childcare 6 19
GPs 2 6
Pharmacies 1 4
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 6
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 3
Waterways 2 6

Mobility

Greensborough sits further from the CBD (23.4 km vs 18.9 km).

Macleod Greensborough
Walkability score 86/100 94/100
Distance to Melbourne 18.9 km 23.4 km
+24% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 30 min 36 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 98.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 551.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3085
 1.4%
postcode 3088
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3085
 28
postcode 3088

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.

Macleod Greensborough
Car (driver) 47.1% / 54.2%
Macleod — Car (driver): 47.1% Greensborough — Car (driver): 54.2%
Worked from Home 42.9% / 37.6%
Macleod — Worked from Home: 42.9% Greensborough — Worked from Home: 37.6%
Train 5.2% / 3.5%
Macleod — Train: 5.2% Greensborough — Train: 3.5%
Car (passenger) 2.8% / 2.8%
Macleod — Car (passenger): 2.8% Greensborough — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.1%
Macleod — Walked Only: 1.0% Greensborough — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.2%).

Setting

Macleod Greensborough
Elevation 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.7 km 21.5 km

NBN connectivity

Macleod Greensborough
Connectivity score 89/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
4,599 premises
 9%
9,409 premises

Climate

Macleod Greensborough
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)

Macleod Greensborough
PM2.5 3.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Macleod Greensborough
Average residential rate $1,787/yr
same for both
Council Banyule
same for both

Federal electorate

Macleod Greensborough
Division Jagajaga
same for both
Member Kate Thwaites
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Macleod Greensborough
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Macleod

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Quiet Townhouses Transport Hub

Greensborough

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Macleod

Macleod vs Bundoora Macleod vs Rosanna Macleod vs Heidelberg Heights Macleod vs Watsonia Macleod vs Heidelberg West Macleod vs Yallambie

Other comparisons with Greensborough

Greensborough vs Bundoora Greensborough vs Diamond Creek Greensborough vs Montmorency Greensborough vs Eltham North Greensborough vs Watsonia Greensborough vs Yallambie
Full data on Macleod Full data on Greensborough
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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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