Melrose Park vs St Marys

St Marys is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Melrose Park. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Melrose Park: a median of $1.12 million, against $1 million in St Marys, and rent is higher there too. Melrose Park is closer to the city centre: 8.4 km, against 10.5 km.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

St Marys

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($522,500 vs $650,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,000,000 vs $1,120,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Marys

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($285/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Melrose Park

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 65/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (8.4 km vs 10.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Melrose Park

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 13%)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 65/100)

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

Investors

St Marys

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.7% vs 3.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Melrose Park St Marys
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.

Melrose Park St Marys
Walkability 88 / 65
Melrose Park — Walkability: 88/100 St Marys — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 20 / 15
Melrose Park — Safety: 20/100 St Marys — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 100 / 79
Melrose Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 St Marys — Low fire risk: 79/100
Low flood risk 18 / 19
Melrose Park — Low flood risk: 18/100 St Marys — Low flood risk: 19/100

Demographics

St Marys has more residents (3,010 vs 2,319); Melrose Park rents higher ($350/wk vs $285/wk).

Melrose Park St Marys
Population 2,319 3,010
+30% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% +9.1%
Median age 38 35
Median household income $82,316/yr
+6% vs other
 $77,480/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+19% vs other
 $285/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park St Marys
0-4 6.9% / 6.7%
Melrose Park — 0-4: 6.9% St Marys — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 12.0% / 9.8%
Melrose Park — 5-14: 12.0% St Marys — 5-14: 9.8%
15-19 4.6% / 5.1%
Melrose Park — 15-19: 4.6% St Marys — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 5.3% / 6.6%
Melrose Park — 20-24: 5.3% St Marys — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 14.5% / 21.2%
Melrose Park — 25-34: 14.5% St Marys — 25-34: 21.2%
35-44 15.9% / 16.1%
Melrose Park — 35-44: 15.9% St Marys — 35-44: 16.1%
45-54 11.3% / 10.8%
Melrose Park — 45-54: 11.3% St Marys — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 10.9% / 10.8%
Melrose Park — 55-64: 10.9% St Marys — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 8.7% / 6.6%
Melrose Park — 65-74: 8.7% St Marys — 65-74: 6.6%
75-84 5.6% / 4.7%
Melrose Park — 75-84: 5.6% St Marys — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ 4.1% / 1.7%
Melrose Park — 85+: 4.1% St Marys — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 43.6% lone person
Melrose Park — Lone Person: 43.6% Melrose Park — Couple Families: 36.5% Melrose Park — One Parent Families: 13.4% Melrose Park — Group Household: 4.8% Melrose Park — Other Families: 1.7%
St Marys 40.9% lone person
St Marys — Lone Person: 40.9% St Marys — Couple Families: 36.2% St Marys — One Parent Families: 13.9% St Marys — Group Household: 7.4% St Marys — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 27.3% renting
Melrose Park — Owned Outright: 32.2% Melrose Park — Mortgage: 40.5% Melrose Park — Renting: 27.3%
St Marys 36.5% renting
St Marys — Owned Outright: 24.9% St Marys — Mortgage: 38.5% St Marys — Renting: 36.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Melrose Park St Marys
Bachelor Degree 16.7% / 18.5%
Melrose Park — Bachelor Degree: 16.7% St Marys — Bachelor Degree: 18.5%
Certificate III & IV 12.9% / 12.5%
Melrose Park — Certificate III & IV: 12.9% St Marys — Certificate III & IV: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 7.7%
Melrose Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% St Marys — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 5.7% / 7.6%
Melrose Park — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7% St Marys — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.8%
Melrose Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% St Marys — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

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.

Melrose Park St Marys
India 2.2% / 6.2%
Melrose Park — India: 2.2% St Marys — India: 6.2%
England 2.8% / 2.2%
Melrose Park — England: 2.8% St Marys — England: 2.2%
Nepal 2.1% / 2.7%
Melrose Park — Nepal: 2.1% St Marys — Nepal: 2.7%
China 2.4% / 1.9%
Melrose Park — China: 2.4% St Marys — China: 1.9%
Greece 1.9% / —
Melrose Park — Greece: 1.9% St Marys — Greece: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.8%
Melrose Park — Philippines: not among its largest St Marys — Philippines: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 74.6% houses
Melrose Park — Houses: 74.6% Melrose Park — Townhouses: 11.6% Melrose Park — Flats / Apartments: 13.8%
St Marys 66.6% houses
St Marys — Houses: 66.6% St Marys — Townhouses: 22.8% St Marys — Flats / Apartments: 10.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Melrose Park St Marys
Median house price $1,120,500 $1,000,000
Median unit price $650,000 $522,500
Median land price $740,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 24 sales
 18 days
from 18 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.

Melrose Park St Marys
3 bed $1.1M / $980K
Melrose Park — 3 bed: $1.1M (27 sales) St Marys — 3 bed: $980K (27 sales)

27 vs 27 sales

4 bed $1.45M / $1.1M
Melrose Park — 4 bed: $1.45M (11 sales) St Marys — 4 bed: $1.1M (13 sales)

11 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Melrose Park has more industrially zoned land (39% vs 20%); St Marys has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 0%).

Melrose Park St Marys
Residential 61% 57%
Industrial 39% 20%
Environmental 0% 12%
Parks and recreation 0% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 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

Melrose Park St Marys
New dwellings approved 188
across Mitcham
same for both
Approvals change year on year +32%
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.

Melrose Park St Marys
Houses 3.2%
$700/wk on $1.12M
 3.7%
$735/wk on $1.03M
Units — 4.5%
$500/wk on $575K

Ranking within SA

Melrose Park St Marys
House price Higher than 54% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
Income Higher than 58% of SA Higher than 53% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Affordability Higher than 43% of SA Higher than 40% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 88% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 37% of SA
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 46% of SA

Liveability

Melrose Park scores higher overall (57 vs 39); Melrose Park is more walkable (88 vs 65).

Melrose Park St Marys
Grade B C
Score 57/100 39/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

St Marys carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 0).

Melrose Park St Marys
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
21/100
Crime High
80/100
 High
85/100
Flood High
82/100
 High
81/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Melrose Park St Marys
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Tonsley, 1.6 km
 3
Tonsley, 1.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.4% 3.2%

Schools in Melrose Park

  • Edwardstown Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in St Marys

  • St Bernadette's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Melrose Park St Marys
Cafes & restaurants 5 2
Parks & reserves 8 6
Childcare 1 2
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 2
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

St Marys sits further from the CBD (10.5 km vs 8.4 km).

Melrose Park St Marys
Walkability score 88/100 65/100
Distance to Adelaide 8.4 km 10.5 km
+25% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 14 min 17 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 78.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 5039
 1.5%
postcode 5042
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 5039
 54
postcode 5042

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.

Melrose Park St Marys
Car (driver) 70.4% / 72.0%
Melrose Park — Car (driver): 70.4% St Marys — Car (driver): 72.0%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 10.6%
Melrose Park — Worked from Home: 12.5% St Marys — Worked from Home: 10.6%
Bus 5.9% / 7.7%
Melrose Park — Bus: 5.9% St Marys — Bus: 7.7%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 5.6%
Melrose Park — Car (passenger): 3.7% St Marys — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only 4.0% / 1.5%
Melrose Park — Walked Only: 4.0% St Marys — Walked Only: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.0%).

Setting

Melrose Park St Marys
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.2 km
same for both

NBN connectivity

Melrose Park St Marys
Connectivity score 90/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 73%
1,393 premises
 48%
1,612 premises

Climate

Melrose Park St Marys
Annual rainfall 394 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Melrose Park St Marys
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

Melrose Park St Marys
Average residential rate $2,296/yr
same for both
Council Mitcham
same for both

Federal electorate

Melrose Park St Marys
Division Boothby
same for both
Member Louise Miller-Frost
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Melrose Park St Marys
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Melrose Park

Inner Parks

St Marys

Middle-Ring Parks Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Melrose Park

Melrose Park vs Edwardstown Melrose Park vs Colonel Light Gardens Melrose Park vs Clovelly Park Melrose Park vs Pasadena Melrose Park vs Daw Park Melrose Park vs Cumberland Park

Other comparisons with St Marys

St Marys vs Edwardstown St Marys vs Clovelly Park St Marys vs Pasadena St Marys vs Eden Hills St Marys vs Bedford Park St Marys vs Tonsley
Full data on Melrose Park Full data on St Marys
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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