Malvern East vs Murrumbeena

In both, most households own their home. In Malvern East, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Malvern East: a median of $1.95 million, against $1.58 million in Murrumbeena, and rent is higher there too. Malvern East is closer to the city centre: 14.4 km, against 17.2 km. On these figures, Murrumbeena 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

Malvern East

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 2)
  • has more parks and reserves (17 vs 8)
  • has more childcare (14 vs 8)
  • But Murrumbeena carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)

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

First-home buyers

Murrumbeena

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,580,000 vs $1,947,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Murrumbeena

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($386/wk vs $421/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Malvern East

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (21 min vs 27 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (14.4 km vs 17.2 km)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 80/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Malvern East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 80/100)
  • But Murrumbeena carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Murrumbeena

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.2% vs 4.2%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Malvern East and Murrumbeena 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 Murrumbeena
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 Murrumbeena
Walkability 88 / 80
Malvern East — Walkability: 88/100 Murrumbeena — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 13 / 41
Malvern East — Safety: 13/100 Murrumbeena — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Malvern East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Murrumbeena — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 46 / 53
Malvern East — Low flood risk: 46/100 Murrumbeena — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Malvern East has more residents (22,296 vs 9,996); Malvern East has higher household incomes ($123,916 vs $106,964).

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Population 22,296
+55% vs other
 9,996
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% +0.7%
Median age 38 37
Median household income $123,916/yr
+14% vs other
 $106,964/yr
Median weekly rent $421/wk
+8% vs other
 $386/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malvern East Murrumbeena
0-4 4.6% / 5.1%
Malvern East — 0-4: 4.6% Murrumbeena — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 11.3% / 11.0%
Malvern East — 5-14: 11.3% Murrumbeena — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 6.3% / 4.7%
Malvern East — 15-19: 6.3% Murrumbeena — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 8.2% / 7.0%
Malvern East — 20-24: 8.2% Murrumbeena — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 14.7% / 17.3%
Malvern East — 25-34: 14.7% Murrumbeena — 25-34: 17.3%
35-44 12.6% / 15.7%
Malvern East — 35-44: 12.6% Murrumbeena — 35-44: 15.7%
45-54 13.8% / 13.6%
Malvern East — 45-54: 13.8% Murrumbeena — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 11.4% / 11.4%
Malvern East — 55-64: 11.4% Murrumbeena — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 8.8% / 8.0%
Malvern East — 65-74: 8.8% Murrumbeena — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 5.3% / 4.2%
Malvern East — 75-84: 5.3% Murrumbeena — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 3.0% / 2.0%
Malvern East — 85+: 3.0% Murrumbeena — 85+: 2.0%

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

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%
Murrumbeena 41.4% couple families
Murrumbeena — Couple Families: 41.4% Murrumbeena — Lone Person: 41.8% Murrumbeena — One Parent Families: 9.9% Murrumbeena — Group Household: 5.0% Murrumbeena — Other Families: 1.8%
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%
Murrumbeena 37.1% renting
Murrumbeena — Owned Outright: 30.1% Murrumbeena — Mortgage: 32.8% Murrumbeena — Renting: 37.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Bachelor Degree 26.2% / 25.2%
Malvern East — Bachelor Degree: 26.2% Murrumbeena — Bachelor Degree: 25.2%
Postgraduate Degree 11.5% / 11.3%
Malvern East — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5% Murrumbeena — Postgraduate Degree: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.9%
Malvern East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Murrumbeena — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Certificate III & IV 5.1% / 7.0%
Malvern East — Certificate III & IV: 5.1% Murrumbeena — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 3.8%
Malvern East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Murrumbeena — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

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 Murrumbeena
China 5.2% / 4.0%
Malvern East — China: 5.2% Murrumbeena — China: 4.0%
India 3.3% / 5.8%
Malvern East — India: 3.3% Murrumbeena — India: 5.8%
England 2.5% / 2.1%
Malvern East — England: 2.5% Murrumbeena — England: 2.1%
Greece 1.8% / 2.2%
Malvern East — Greece: 1.8% Murrumbeena — Greece: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.5%
Malvern East — New Zealand: 1.2% Murrumbeena — New Zealand: 1.5%
Malaysia 1.3% / 1.2%
Malvern East — Malaysia: 1.3% Murrumbeena — Malaysia: 1.2%

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 — Flats / Apartments: 23.2% Malvern East — Townhouses: 23.5%
Murrumbeena 45.6% houses
Murrumbeena — Houses: 45.6% Murrumbeena — Flats / Apartments: 29.1% Murrumbeena — Townhouses: 25.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Median house price $1,947,500 $1,580,000
Median unit price $479,000 $504,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 164 sales
 23 days
from 46 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.

Malvern East Murrumbeena
1 bed $336K / $351K
Malvern East — 1 bed: $336K (68 sales) Murrumbeena — 1 bed: $351K (58 sales)

68 vs 58 sales

2 bed $606K / $610K
Malvern East — 2 bed: $606K (110 sales) Murrumbeena — 2 bed: $610K (82 sales)

110 vs 82 sales

3 bed $859K / $1.1M
Malvern East — 3 bed: $859K (11 sales) Murrumbeena — 3 bed: $1.1M (13 sales)

11 vs 13 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 Murrumbeena
2 bed $1.34M / $1.2M
Malvern East — 2 bed: $1.34M (21 sales) Murrumbeena — 2 bed: $1.2M (11 sales)

21 vs 11 sales

3 bed $1.73M / $1.49M
Malvern East — 3 bed: $1.73M (91 sales) Murrumbeena — 3 bed: $1.49M (34 sales)

91 vs 34 sales

4 bed $2.35M / $1.87M
Malvern East — 4 bed: $2.35M (78 sales) Murrumbeena — 4 bed: $1.87M (25 sales)

78 vs 25 sales

5 bed $2.79M / $1.9M
Malvern East — 5 bed: $2.79M (26 sales) Murrumbeena — 5 bed: $1.9M (8 sales)

26 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Residential 70% 83%
Parks and recreation 12% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 6%
Commercial 6% 2%
Industrial 0% 1%
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 Murrumbeena
New dwellings approved 818
across Stonnington
 617
across Glen Eira
Approvals change year on year +67% -69%

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 Murrumbeena
Houses 3.1%
$1,035/wk on $1.76M
 3.2%
$950/wk on $1.55M
Units 4.2%
$435/wk on $542K
 5.2%
$545/wk on $542K

Ranking within VIC

Malvern East Murrumbeena
House price Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Income Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools Higher than 67% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC

Liveability

Malvern East is more walkable (88 vs 80); Murrumbeena scores higher overall (80 vs 74).

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Grade A
same for both
Score 74/100 80/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Malvern East carries more crime risk (87 vs 59).

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
87/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
47/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Inside the suburb 6 2
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 2.1 km
 3
Monash Caulfield, 3.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.7% 4.2%

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 Murrumbeena

  • Murrumbeena Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 61 13
Parks & reserves 17 8
Childcare 14 8
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 4 2
Banks & Bank@Post 10 2
Fuel stations 5 1
EV chargers 3 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Murrumbeena sits further from the CBD (17.2 km vs 14.4 km).

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Walkability score 88/100 80/100
Distance to Melbourne 14.4 km 17.2 km
+19% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 27 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 80/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 410.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 232.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 3145
 1.7%
postcode 3163
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 3145
 13
postcode 3163

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 Murrumbeena
Worked from Home 47.0% / 44.8%
Malvern East — Worked from Home: 47.0% Murrumbeena — Worked from Home: 44.8%
Car (driver) 40.3% / 41.5%
Malvern East — Car (driver): 40.3% Murrumbeena — Car (driver): 41.5%
Train 5.6% / 7.1%
Malvern East — Train: 5.6% Murrumbeena — Train: 7.1%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 2.4%
Malvern East — Car (passenger): 2.5% Murrumbeena — Car (passenger): 2.4%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.1%
Malvern East — Walked Only: 2.4% Murrumbeena — Walked Only: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (47.0%).

Setting

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Elevation 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.2 km 7.4 km

NBN connectivity

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Connectivity score 77/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
11,575 premises
 2%
4,929 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Average residential rate $1,647/yr $1,577/yr
Council Stonnington Glen Eira

Federal electorate

Malvern East Murrumbeena
Division Chisholm Hotham
Member Carina Garland Clare O'Neil
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malvern East Murrumbeena
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

Murrumbeena

Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub Urban Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malvern East

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

Other comparisons with Murrumbeena

Murrumbeena vs Bentleigh East Murrumbeena vs Carnegie Murrumbeena vs Hughesdale
Full data on Malvern East Full data on Murrumbeena
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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