Malvern vs Unley Park

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Malvern, most households are couple families. In Unley Park, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Unley Park: a median of $2.75 million, against $2.26 million in Malvern, though rent is higher in Malvern. On these figures, Malvern 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

They split

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

  • Malvern is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 61%)
  • Unley Park carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 72/100)

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

First-home buyers

Malvern

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($515,000 vs $755,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,260,000 vs $2,745,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Unley Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $380/wk)

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

Unley Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

Malvern

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.4% vs -4.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Malvern and Unley Park 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 Unley Park
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 Unley Park
Walkability 73 / 77
Malvern — Walkability: 73/100 Unley Park — Walkability: 77/100
Safety 28 / 53
Malvern — Safety: 28/100 Unley Park — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Malvern — Low fire risk: 100/100 Unley Park — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 32 / 17
Malvern — Low flood risk: 32/100 Unley Park — Low flood risk: 17/100

Demographics

Malvern has more residents (2,713 vs 1,383); Unley Park has higher household incomes ($155,480 vs $138,060).

Malvern Unley Park
Population 2,713
+49% vs other
 1,383
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.4% -4.3%
Median age 46 47
Median household income $138,060/yr $155,480/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+8% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malvern Unley Park
0-4 3.6% / 3.7%
Malvern — 0-4: 3.6% Unley Park — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 12.6% / 10.9%
Malvern — 5-14: 12.6% Unley Park — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 6.9% / 8.2%
Malvern — 15-19: 6.9% Unley Park — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 6.0% / 6.4%
Malvern — 20-24: 6.0% Unley Park — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 7.4% / 8.5%
Malvern — 25-34: 7.4% Unley Park — 25-34: 8.5%
35-44 10.9% / 8.5%
Malvern — 35-44: 10.9% Unley Park — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 15.0% / 14.0%
Malvern — 45-54: 15.0% Unley Park — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 13.7% / 15.5%
Malvern — 55-64: 13.7% Unley Park — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 13.5% / 13.9%
Malvern — 65-74: 13.5% Unley Park — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 6.7% / 8.2%
Malvern — 75-84: 6.7% Unley Park — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 3.9% / 2.0%
Malvern — 85+: 3.9% Unley Park — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malvern 56.6% couple families
Malvern — Couple Families: 56.6% Malvern — Lone Person: 27.8% Malvern — One Parent Families: 12.2% Malvern — Group Household: 1.9% Malvern — Other Families: 1.5%
Unley Park 50.0% couple families
Unley Park — Couple Families: 50.0% Unley Park — Lone Person: 34.7% Unley Park — One Parent Families: 10.7% Unley Park — Group Household: 3.4% Unley Park — 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.

Malvern 19.3% renting
Malvern — Owned Outright: 49.4% Malvern — Mortgage: 31.3% Malvern — Renting: 19.3%
Unley Park 17.7% renting
Unley Park — Owned Outright: 49.7% Unley Park — Mortgage: 32.6% Unley Park — Renting: 17.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Malvern Unley Park
Bachelor Degree 26.3% / 26.2%
Malvern — Bachelor Degree: 26.3% Unley Park — Bachelor Degree: 26.2%
Postgraduate Degree 9.8% / 12.3%
Malvern — Postgraduate Degree: 9.8% Unley Park — Postgraduate Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 7.2%
Malvern — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Unley Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Certificate III & IV 5.4% / 5.3%
Malvern — Certificate III & IV: 5.4% Unley Park — Certificate III & IV: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / 2.6%
Malvern — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Unley Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.3%).

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.

Malvern Unley Park
England 3.9% / 4.8%
Malvern — England: 3.9% Unley Park — England: 4.8%
China 3.4% / 1.7%
Malvern — China: 3.4% Unley Park — China: 1.7%
Greece 1.1% / 1.1%
Malvern — Greece: 1.1% Unley Park — Greece: 1.1%
India 1.2% / 0.9%
Malvern — India: 1.2% Unley Park — India: 0.9%
Italy 1.4% / —
Malvern — Italy: 1.4% Unley Park — Italy: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.8%
Malvern — Vietnam: not among its largest Unley Park — Vietnam: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malvern 79.8% houses
Malvern — Houses: 79.8% Malvern — Flats / Apartments: 7.4% Malvern — Townhouses: 12.7%
Unley Park 76.1% houses
Unley Park — Houses: 76.1% Unley Park — Flats / Apartments: 19.9% Unley Park — Townhouses: 4.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Malvern Unley Park
Median house price $2,260,000 $2,745,500
Median unit price $515,000 $755,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 23 sales
 73 days
from 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 Unley Park
3 bed $2.17M / $2.25M
Malvern — 3 bed: $2.17M (29 sales) Unley Park — 3 bed: $2.25M (11 sales)

29 vs 11 sales

4 bed $2.65M / $2.27M
Malvern — 4 bed: $2.65M (22 sales) Unley Park — 4 bed: $2.27M (11 sales)

22 vs 11 sales

5 bed $3.42M / $3.25M
Malvern — 5 bed: $3.42M (6 sales) Unley Park — 5 bed: $3.25M (8 sales)

6 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Malvern Unley Park
Residential 96% 99%
Commercial 4% 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

Malvern Unley Park
New dwellings approved 273
across Unley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -67%
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.

Malvern Unley Park
Houses 2.1%
$790/wk on $1.95M
 —
Units 3.5%
$450/wk on $672K
 —

Ranking within SA

Malvern Unley Park
House price Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 98% of SA
Income Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 98% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 91% of SA
Affordability Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 14% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 98% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 2% of SA —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 6% of SA —

Liveability

Malvern Unley Park
Grade A
same for both
Score 72/100 76/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Malvern carries more crime risk (72 vs 47); Unley Park carries more flood risk (83 vs 68).

Malvern Unley Park
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
72/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Moderate
68/100
 High
83/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Malvern Unley Park
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 3.5 km
 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 3.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.3% 4.8%

Schools in Malvern

  • Unley Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Unley Park

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Malvern Unley Park
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 1 2
Childcare 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Malvern Unley Park
Walkability score 73/100 77/100
Distance to Adelaide 4.6 km
+7% vs other
 4.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 10 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 82.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 56.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 5061
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 5061
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.

Malvern Unley Park
Car (driver) 66.4% / 67.8%
Malvern — Car (driver): 66.4% Unley Park — Car (driver): 67.8%
Worked from Home 18.2% / 14.5%
Malvern — Worked from Home: 18.2% Unley Park — Worked from Home: 14.5%
Bus 5.5% / 6.9%
Malvern — Bus: 5.5% Unley Park — Bus: 6.9%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 5.0%
Malvern — Car (passenger): 4.9% Unley Park — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Bicycle 2.8% / 3.0%
Malvern — Bicycle: 2.8% Unley Park — Bicycle: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).

Setting

Malvern Unley Park
Elevation 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 8.3 km

NBN connectivity

Malvern Unley Park
Connectivity score 73/100 80/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
1,376 premises
 19%
659 premises

Climate

Malvern Unley Park
Annual rainfall 457 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Malvern Unley Park
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 1.12 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Malvern Unley Park
Average residential rate $2,288/yr
same for both
Council Unley
same for both

Federal electorate

Malvern Unley Park
Division Adelaide
same for both
Member Steve Georganas
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malvern Unley Park
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Malvern

Inner Luxury Parks Professionals River

Unley Park

Inner Luxury Parks Professionals River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malvern

Malvern vs Parkside Malvern vs Fullarton Malvern vs Unley Malvern vs Kingswood Malvern vs Hawthorn Malvern vs Hyde Park

Other comparisons with Unley Park

Unley Park vs Westbourne Park Unley Park vs Kingswood Unley Park vs Hawthorn Unley Park vs Millswood Unley Park vs Hyde Park Unley Park vs Kings Park
Full data on Malvern Full data on Unley Park
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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