Maribyrnong vs Essendon West

Maribyrnong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 39 in Essendon West. In both, most households own their home. In Essendon West, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Essendon West: a median of $1.39 million, against $1.23 million in Maribyrnong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Maribyrnong tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Essendon West 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

  • Maribyrnong has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • Essendon West carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 93/100)

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

First-home buyers

Maribyrnong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($485,000 vs $850,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,230,000 vs $1,390,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Maribyrnong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper rent ($396/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Maribyrnong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 69/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Maribyrnong

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (66% vs 33%)
  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 69/100)
  • But Essendon West carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 93/100)

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

Investors

Essendon West

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (8.3% vs 2.9%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Maribyrnong Essendon West
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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Walkability 90 / 69
Maribyrnong — Walkability: 90/100 Essendon West — Walkability: 69/100
Safety 7 / 56
Maribyrnong — Safety: 7/100 Essendon West — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 66 / 100
Maribyrnong — Low fire risk: 66/100 Essendon West — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 27 / 32
Maribyrnong — Low flood risk: 27/100 Essendon West — Low flood risk: 32/100

Demographics

Maribyrnong has more residents (12,573 vs 1,559); Essendon West has higher household incomes ($121,576 vs $105,040).

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Population 12,573
+88% vs other
 1,559
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% +8.3%
Median age 36 39
Median household income $105,040/yr $121,576/yr
+16% vs other
Median weekly rent $396/wk $450/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
0-4 5.0% / 5.1%
Maribyrnong — 0-4: 5.0% Essendon West — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 8.7% / 12.2%
Maribyrnong — 5-14: 8.7% Essendon West — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 4.6% / 7.5%
Maribyrnong — 15-19: 4.6% Essendon West — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 8.0% / 7.1%
Maribyrnong — 20-24: 8.0% Essendon West — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 21.5% / 11.2%
Maribyrnong — 25-34: 21.5% Essendon West — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 16.6% / 12.8%
Maribyrnong — 35-44: 16.6% Essendon West — 35-44: 12.8%
45-54 13.4% / 17.2%
Maribyrnong — 45-54: 13.4% Essendon West — 45-54: 17.2%
55-64 10.8% / 10.8%
Maribyrnong — 55-64: 10.8% Essendon West — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 7.6% / 8.0%
Maribyrnong — 65-74: 7.6% Essendon West — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 2.9% / 5.5%
Maribyrnong — 75-84: 2.9% Essendon West — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 0.9% / 3.0%
Maribyrnong — 85+: 0.9% Essendon West — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Maribyrnong 38.3% couple families
Maribyrnong — Couple Families: 38.3% Maribyrnong — Lone Person: 39.8% Maribyrnong — One Parent Families: 12.0% Maribyrnong — Group Household: 7.5% Maribyrnong — Other Families: 2.3%
Essendon West 50.5% couple families
Essendon West — Couple Families: 50.5% Essendon West — Lone Person: 31.7% Essendon West — One Parent Families: 13.0% Essendon West — Group Household: 4.1% Essendon West — Other Families: 0.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Maribyrnong 38.7% renting
Maribyrnong — Owned Outright: 26.2% Maribyrnong — Mortgage: 35.1% Maribyrnong — Renting: 38.7%
Essendon West 26.6% renting
Essendon West — Owned Outright: 37.3% Essendon West — Mortgage: 36.1% Essendon West — Renting: 26.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Bachelor Degree 23.0% / 18.7%
Maribyrnong — Bachelor Degree: 23.0% Essendon West — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 9.3%
Maribyrnong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Essendon West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Certificate III & IV 8.0% / 9.1%
Maribyrnong — Certificate III & IV: 8.0% Essendon West — Certificate III & IV: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 9.3% / 6.7%
Maribyrnong — Postgraduate Degree: 9.3% Essendon West — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.8%
Maribyrnong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Essendon West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Vietnam 11.4% / 1.2%
Maribyrnong — Vietnam: 11.4% Essendon West — Vietnam: 1.2%
China 3.6% / 1.5%
Maribyrnong — China: 3.6% Essendon West — China: 1.5%
India 3.1% / 1.9%
Maribyrnong — India: 3.1% Essendon West — India: 1.9%
England 1.4% / 1.9%
Maribyrnong — England: 1.4% Essendon West — England: 1.9%
Italy 1.3% / 1.8%
Maribyrnong — Italy: 1.3% Essendon West — Italy: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.0%
Maribyrnong — New Zealand: 1.6% Essendon West — New Zealand: 1.0%
Malaysia 1.7% / —
Maribyrnong — Malaysia: 1.7% Essendon West — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Maribyrnong 33.6% houses
Maribyrnong — Houses: 33.6% Maribyrnong — Townhouses: 31.3% Maribyrnong — Flats / Apartments: 35.1%
Essendon West 67.8% houses
Essendon West — Houses: 67.8% Essendon West — Townhouses: 32.7% Essendon West — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Median house price $1,230,000 $1,390,000
Median unit price $485,000 $850,500
Median land price $805,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 69 sales
 24 days
from 6 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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
2 bed $500K / $660K
Maribyrnong — 2 bed: $500K (188 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $660K (5 sales)

188 vs 5 sales

3 bed $680K / $910K
Maribyrnong — 3 bed: $680K (13 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales)

13 vs 7 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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
2 bed $766K / $1.32M
Maribyrnong — 2 bed: $766K (16 sales) Essendon West — 2 bed: $1.32M (5 sales)

16 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.08M / $1.07M
Maribyrnong — 3 bed: $1.08M (48 sales) Essendon West — 3 bed: $1.07M (11 sales)

48 vs 11 sales

4 bed $1.41M / $1.57M
Maribyrnong — 4 bed: $1.41M (41 sales) Essendon West — 4 bed: $1.57M (12 sales)

41 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Residential 33% 58%
Parks and recreation 15% 36%
Other and special use 35% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 7%
Commercial 8% 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

Maribyrnong Essendon West
New dwellings approved 774
across Maribyrnong
 702
across Moonee Valley
Approvals change year on year +198% +82%

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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Houses 3.2%
$700/wk on $1.13M
 3.9%
$790/wk on $1.05M
Units 5.4%
$525/wk on $504K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Maribyrnong Essendon West
House price Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Income Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 35% of VIC
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 79% of VIC —

Liveability

Essendon West scores higher overall (77 vs 57); Maribyrnong is more walkable (90 vs 69).

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Grade B A
Score 57/100 77/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Maribyrnong carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 0); Maribyrnong carries more crime risk (93 vs 44).

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Bushfire Low
34/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
93/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood High
73/100
 Moderate
68/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 2.9 km
 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 5.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 4.2%

Schools in Maribyrnong

  • Maribyrnong College Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Margaret's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Essendon West

  • St Bernard's College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 12 0
Parks & reserves 33 9
Childcare 6 0
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 4 3

Mobility

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Walkability score 90/100 69/100
Distance to Melbourne 11.1 km
+4% vs other
 10.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min
same for both
Public transport score 96/100
Tram · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 383.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 67.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.0%
postcode 3032
 1.7%
postcode 3040
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 15
postcode 3032
 16
postcode 3040

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.

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Car (driver) 50.4% / 52.0%
Maribyrnong — Car (driver): 50.4% Essendon West — Car (driver): 52.0%
Worked from Home 36.9% / 38.8%
Maribyrnong — Worked from Home: 36.9% Essendon West — Worked from Home: 38.8%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 3.4%
Maribyrnong — Car (passenger): 4.0% Essendon West — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Train 3.4% / 2.9%
Maribyrnong — Train: 3.4% Essendon West — Train: 2.9%
Walked Only 1.9% / 0.8%
Maribyrnong — Walked Only: 1.9% Essendon West — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bus 0.7% / 1.2%
Maribyrnong — Bus: 0.7% Essendon West — Bus: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.0%).

Setting

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.9 km 10.0 km

NBN connectivity

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Connectivity score 81/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
7,244 premises
 3%
718 premises

Climate

Maribyrnong Essendon West
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)

Maribyrnong Essendon West
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 18.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Average residential rate $2,450/yr $2,027/yr
Council Maribyrnong Moonee Valley

Federal electorate

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Division Fraser Maribyrnong
Member Daniel Mulino Jo Briskey
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Maribyrnong Essendon West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Maribyrnong

Affordable Apartments Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

Essendon West

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Quiet River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Maribyrnong

Maribyrnong vs Footscray Maribyrnong vs Moonee Ponds Maribyrnong vs Ascot Vale Maribyrnong vs Avondale Heights Maribyrnong vs Maidstone Maribyrnong vs Aberfeldie

Other comparisons with Essendon West

Essendon West vs Essendon Essendon West vs Keilor East Essendon West vs Avondale Heights Essendon West vs Niddrie Essendon West vs Aberfeldie
Full data on Maribyrnong Full data on Essendon West
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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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