Malvern East vs Ashburton

Malvern East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Ashburton. In both, most households own their home. In Malvern East, about half of households are couple families. In Ashburton, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. On these figures, Malvern East tends to suit people living alone, while Ashburton 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Malvern East has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • Ashburton has more separate houses rather than flats (76% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

Malvern East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($479,000 vs $887,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Malvern East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($421/wk vs $455/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Malvern East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (47% vs 24%)
  • Ashburton carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Malvern East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.2% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Malvern East Ashburton
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.

Malvern East Ashburton
Walkability 88 / 92
Malvern East — Walkability: 88/100 Ashburton — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 13 / 30
Malvern East — Safety: 13/100 Ashburton — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Malvern East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ashburton — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 46 / 48
Malvern East — Low flood risk: 46/100 Ashburton — Low flood risk: 48/100

Demographics

Malvern East has more residents (22,296 vs 7,952); Ashburton has higher household incomes ($142,636 vs $123,916).

Malvern East Ashburton
Population 22,296
+64% vs other
 7,952
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% +2.6%
Median age 38 41
Median household income $123,916/yr $142,636/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $421/wk $455/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malvern East Ashburton
0-4 4.6% / 5.2%
Malvern East — 0-4: 4.6% Ashburton — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 11.3% / 14.7%
Malvern East — 5-14: 11.3% Ashburton — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 6.3% / 7.0%
Malvern East — 15-19: 6.3% Ashburton — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 8.2% / 5.7%
Malvern East — 20-24: 8.2% Ashburton — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 14.7% / 9.0%
Malvern East — 25-34: 14.7% Ashburton — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 12.6% / 13.1%
Malvern East — 35-44: 12.6% Ashburton — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 13.8% / 15.7%
Malvern East — 45-54: 13.8% Ashburton — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 11.4% / 12.8%
Malvern East — 55-64: 11.4% Ashburton — 55-64: 12.8%
65-74 8.8% / 8.7%
Malvern East — 65-74: 8.8% Ashburton — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 5.3% / 5.3%
Malvern East — 75-84: 5.3% Ashburton — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 3.0% / 2.9%
Malvern East — 85+: 3.0% Ashburton — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malvern East 45.2% couple families
Malvern East — Couple Families: 45.2% Malvern East — Lone Person: 34.8% Malvern East — One Parent Families: 10.5% Malvern East — Group Household: 7.8% Malvern East — Other Families: 1.8%
Ashburton 58.1% couple families
Ashburton — Couple Families: 58.1% Ashburton — Lone Person: 25.3% Ashburton — One Parent Families: 12.4% Ashburton — Group Household: 3.0% Ashburton — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Malvern East 31.6% renting
Malvern East — Owned Outright: 36.4% Malvern East — Mortgage: 32.0% Malvern East — Renting: 31.6%
Ashburton 25.5% renting
Ashburton — Owned Outright: 38.9% Ashburton — Mortgage: 35.6% Ashburton — Renting: 25.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Malvern East Ashburton
Bachelor Degree 26.2% / 24.7%
Malvern East — Bachelor Degree: 26.2% Ashburton — Bachelor Degree: 24.7%
Postgraduate Degree 11.5% / 10.5%
Malvern East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5% Ashburton — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.1%
Malvern East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Ashburton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Certificate III & IV 5.1% / 4.9%
Malvern East — Certificate III & IV: 5.1% Ashburton — Certificate III & IV: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.5%
Malvern East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Ashburton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Malvern East Ashburton
China 5.2% / 5.8%
Malvern East — China: 5.2% Ashburton — China: 5.8%
India 3.3% / 2.1%
Malvern East — India: 3.3% Ashburton — India: 2.1%
England 2.5% / 2.9%
Malvern East — England: 2.5% Ashburton — England: 2.9%
Malaysia 1.3% / 1.5%
Malvern East — Malaysia: 1.3% Ashburton — Malaysia: 1.5%
Greece 1.8% / 0.8%
Malvern East — Greece: 1.8% Ashburton — Greece: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.3%
Malvern East — New Zealand: 1.2% Ashburton — New Zealand: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malvern East 53.2% houses
Malvern East — Houses: 53.2% Malvern East — Townhouses: 23.5% Malvern East — Flats / Apartments: 23.2%
Ashburton 76.1% houses
Ashburton — Houses: 76.1% Ashburton — Townhouses: 20.2% Ashburton — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Malvern East Ashburton
Median house price $1,947,500 $1,967,500
Median unit price $479,000 $887,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 164 sales
 24 days
from 82 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.

Malvern East Ashburton
2 bed $1.34M / $1.46M
Malvern East — 2 bed: $1.34M (21 sales) Ashburton — 2 bed: $1.46M (6 sales)

21 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.73M / $1.49M
Malvern East — 3 bed: $1.73M (91 sales) Ashburton — 3 bed: $1.49M (54 sales)

91 vs 54 sales

4 bed $2.35M / $2.09M
Malvern East — 4 bed: $2.35M (78 sales) Ashburton — 4 bed: $2.09M (78 sales)

78 vs 78 sales

5 bed $2.79M / $2.45M
Malvern East — 5 bed: $2.79M (26 sales) Ashburton — 5 bed: $2.45M (15 sales)

26 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Malvern East Ashburton
Residential 70% 79%
Parks and recreation 12%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 12% 7%
Commercial 6% 2%
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

Malvern East Ashburton
New dwellings approved 818
across Stonnington
 711
across Boroondara
Approvals change year on year +67% -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.

Malvern East Ashburton
Houses 3.1%
$1,035/wk on $1.76M
 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.76M
Units 4.2%
$435/wk on $542K
 2.4%
$450/wk on $965K

Ranking within VIC

Malvern East Ashburton
House price Higher than 95% of VIC
same for both
Income Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Schools Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 16% 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 15% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC

Liveability

Malvern East scores higher overall (74 vs 65).

Malvern East Ashburton
Grade A B
Score 74/100 65/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Malvern East carries more crime risk (87 vs 70).

Malvern East Ashburton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
87/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
52/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Malvern East Ashburton
Inside the suburb 6 3
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 2 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 2.1 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.7% 4.3%

Schools in Malvern East

  • Malvern Valley Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Lloyd Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Malvern Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • De La Salle College - Holy Eucharist Campus Catholic · Combined
  • The Currajong School Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Ashburton

  • Ashburton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Solway Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Michael's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Malvern East Ashburton
Supermarkets 4 2
Cafes & restaurants 61 12
Parks & reserves 17 8
Childcare 14 10
GPs 5
same for both
Pharmacies 4
same for both
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 10 2
Fuel stations 5 1
EV chargers 3 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Malvern East Ashburton
Walkability score 88/100 92/100
Distance to Melbourne 14.4 km 14.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 22 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 410.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 102.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 3145
 3.2%
postcode 3147
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 3145
 28
postcode 3147

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.

Malvern East Ashburton
Worked from Home 47.0% / 51.1%
Malvern East — Worked from Home: 47.0% Ashburton — Worked from Home: 51.1%
Car (driver) 40.3% / 37.5%
Malvern East — Car (driver): 40.3% Ashburton — Car (driver): 37.5%
Train 5.6% / 4.0%
Malvern East — Train: 5.6% Ashburton — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 2.9%
Malvern East — Car (passenger): 2.5% Ashburton — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.4%
Malvern East — Walked Only: 2.4% Ashburton — Walked Only: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.1%).

Setting

Malvern East Ashburton
Elevation 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 54 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.2 km 8.8 km

NBN connectivity

Malvern East Ashburton
Connectivity score 77/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
11,575 premises
 7%
3,709 premises

Climate

Malvern East Ashburton
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)

Malvern East Ashburton
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³ 4.3 µg/m³
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Malvern East Ashburton
Average residential rate $1,647/yr $2,253/yr
Council Stonnington Boroondara

Federal electorate

Malvern East Ashburton
Division Chisholm
same for both
Member Carina Garland
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Malvern East

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

Ashburton

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malvern East

Malvern East vs Glen Iris Malvern East vs Carnegie Malvern East vs Caulfield North Malvern East vs Murrumbeena Malvern East vs Malvern Malvern East vs Chadstone

Other comparisons with Ashburton

Ashburton vs Glen Iris Ashburton vs Ashwood
Full data on Malvern East Full data on Ashburton
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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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