Melba vs Spence

Melba and Spence are neighbouring suburbs with similar demographics—both have a median age of 38 years and sit in the top socio-economic decile. Melba edges ahead on liveability (40 vs 31) and has notably lower crime risk at 47 compared to Spence's 60, while also offering a slightly better rental yield on houses at 5.1% versus 4.6%. Spence is marginally closer to the CBD at 16.3 km and has a higher walkability score of 57, though rental costs are lower at $375 per week. Property prices are comparable, with Melba's median house at $917,000 and Spence's at $890,000.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Melba

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 61/100)
  • But Spence has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 80%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit 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

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

Melba

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 8%)
  • carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 61/100)

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

Investors

Melba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.5% vs 0.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Melba Spence
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.

Melba Spence
Walkability 53 / 57
Melba — Walkability: 53/100 Spence — Walkability: 57/100
Safety 52 / 39
Melba — Safety: 52/100 Spence — Safety: 39/100
Low fire risk 67 / 100
Melba — Low fire risk: 67/100 Spence — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 49 / 100
Melba — Low flood risk: 49/100 Spence — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Melba has more residents (3,383 vs 2,587).

Melba Spence
Population 3,383
+24% vs other
 2,587
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +0.1%
Median age 38
same for both
Median household income $120,952/yr $122,616/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+6% vs other
 $375/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Melba Spence
0-4 7.1% / 6.0%
Melba — 0-4: 7.1% Spence — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 15.0% / 14.0%
Melba — 5-14: 15.0% Spence — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 5.5% / 6.7%
Melba — 15-19: 5.5% Spence — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 5.5% / 5.5%
Melba — 20-24: 5.5% Spence — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 11.3% / 11.8%
Melba — 25-34: 11.3% Spence — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 14.8% / 15.6%
Melba — 35-44: 14.8% Spence — 35-44: 15.6%
45-54 13.5% / 13.3%
Melba — 45-54: 13.5% Spence — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 10.2% / 9.7%
Melba — 55-64: 10.2% Spence — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 9.6% / 11.6%
Melba — 65-74: 9.6% Spence — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 6.4% / 5.1%
Melba — 75-84: 6.4% Spence — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.0% / 1.0%
Melba — 85+: 1.0% Spence — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Melba 50.9% couple families
Melba — Couple Families: 50.9% Melba — Lone Person: 28.9% Melba — One Parent Families: 15.5% Melba — Group Household: 3.7% Melba — Other Families: 1.0%
Spence 49.2% couple families
Spence — Couple Families: 49.2% Spence — Lone Person: 29.1% Spence — One Parent Families: 15.8% Spence — Group Household: 3.9% Spence — Other Families: 2.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Melba 20.9% renting
Melba — Owned Outright: 35.1% Melba — Mortgage: 44.0% Melba — Renting: 20.9%
Spence 20.3% renting
Spence — Owned Outright: 33.5% Spence — Mortgage: 46.2% Spence — Renting: 20.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Melba Spence
Bachelor Degree 17.3% / 15.0%
Melba — Bachelor Degree: 17.3% Spence — Bachelor Degree: 15.0%
Certificate III & IV 10.7% / 12.7%
Melba — Certificate III & IV: 10.7% Spence — Certificate III & IV: 12.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.5%
Melba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Spence — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 8.6% / 6.2%
Melba — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6% Spence — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 3.9%
Melba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Spence — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

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

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.

Melba Spence
England 3.0% / 2.9%
Melba — England: 3.0% Spence — England: 2.9%
China 1.7% / 0.9%
Melba — China: 1.7% Spence — China: 0.9%
India 1.3% / 0.5%
Melba — India: 1.3% Spence — India: 0.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.5%
Melba — New Zealand: 1.3% Spence — New Zealand: 0.5%
Germany 0.8% / 0.9%
Melba — Germany: 0.8% Spence — Germany: 0.9%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Melba — Scotland: not among its largest Spence — Scotland: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Melba 80.2% houses
Melba — Houses: 80.2% Melba — Townhouses: 17.5% Melba — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Spence 92.9% houses
Spence — Houses: 92.9% Spence — Townhouses: 7.6% Spence — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Melba Spence
Median house price $930,000 $889,000
Median unit price $599,000 $582,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 46 sales
 19 days
from 47 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.

Melba Spence
3 bed $865K / $836K
Melba — 3 bed: $865K (29 sales) Spence — 3 bed: $836K (32 sales)

29 vs 32 sales

4 bed $995K / $972K
Melba — 4 bed: $995K (35 sales) Spence — 4 bed: $972K (32 sales)

35 vs 32 sales

5 bed $1.11M / $1.07M
Melba — 5 bed: $1.11M (8 sales) Spence — 5 bed: $1.07M (6 sales)

8 vs 6 sales

Development activity

Melba Spence
New dwellings approved 3,750
across Unincorporated ACT
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
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.

Melba Spence
Houses 5.0%
$780/wk on $818K
 5.1%
$840/wk on $850K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within ACT

Melba Spence
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 43% of ACT Higher than 49% of ACT
Schools Higher than 27% of ACT —
Walkability Higher than 36% of ACT Higher than 40% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 18% of ACT Higher than 21% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 31% of ACT Higher than 17% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 87% of ACT Higher than 88% of ACT

Liveability

Spence scores higher overall (48 vs 33).

Melba Spence
Grade D C
Score 33/100 48/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Melba carries more flood risk (51 vs 0); Melba carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0).

Melba Spence
Bushfire Low
33/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
61/100
Flood Moderate
51/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Melba Spence
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 5.2 km
 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 5.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.5%

Schools in Melba

  • Melba Copland Secondary School Copland Campus Years 10 - 12 Government · Secondary below peers
  • Mount Rogers Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Melba Copland Secondary School Copland Campus Years 7 - 9 Government · Secondary

Schools in Spence

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

Amenities in the suburb

Melba Spence
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Childcare 3
same for both
Pharmacies 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Melba Spence
Walkability score 53/100 57/100
Distance to Canberra 15 km 16.3 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 23 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 77.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 103.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 2615
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2615
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.

Melba Spence
Car (driver) 73.5% / 75.3%
Melba — Car (driver): 73.5% Spence — Car (driver): 75.3%
Worked from Home 14.9% / 13.3%
Melba — Worked from Home: 14.9% Spence — Worked from Home: 13.3%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 5.4%
Melba — Car (passenger): 5.4% Spence — Car (passenger): 5.4%
Bus 4.5% / 4.3%
Melba — Bus: 4.5% Spence — Bus: 4.3%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.0%
Melba — Bicycle: 1.2% Spence — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.3%).

Setting

Melba Spence
Elevation 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 637 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Melba Spence
Connectivity score 47/100 45/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 4%
1,323 premises
 0%
1,057 premises

Climate

Melba Spence
Annual rainfall 622 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Melba Spence
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.41 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Melba Spence
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Melba Spence
Division Fenner
same for both
Member Andrew Leigh
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Melba Spence
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Melba

Family Middle-Ring Professionals Quiet

Spence

Affordable Large Blocks Middle-Ring Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Melba

Melba vs Evatt Melba vs Florey Melba vs Latham Melba vs Flynn Melba vs Fraser

Other comparisons with Spence

Spence vs Belconnen Spence vs Evatt Spence vs Fraser
Full data on Melba Full data on Spence
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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