Mont Albert vs Surrey Hills

In both, most households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Surrey Hills, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Mont Albert: a median of $2.31 million, against $2.12 million in Surrey Hills. Surrey Hills is closer to the city centre: 13 km, against 19.9 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

Surrey Hills

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (12 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 3)

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

Surrey Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (13 km vs 19.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Surrey Hills

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 74/100)
  • But Mont Albert has more units and townhouses to downsize into (46% vs 33%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Walkability 90 / 94
Mont Albert — Walkability: 90/100 Surrey Hills — Walkability: 94/100
Safety 26 / 49
Mont Albert — Safety: 26/100 Surrey Hills — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mont Albert — Low fire risk: 100/100 Surrey Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 84 / 79
Mont Albert — Low flood risk: 84/100 Surrey Hills — Low flood risk: 79/100

Demographics

Surrey Hills has more residents (13,655 vs 4,948).

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Population 4,948 13,655
+176% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.2% +0.4%
Median age 42
same for both
Median household income $120,848/yr $130,156/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $451/wk $462/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
0-4 3.9% / 3.9%
Mont Albert — 0-4: 3.9% Surrey Hills — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 10.5% / 12.6%
Mont Albert — 5-14: 10.5% Surrey Hills — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 6.5% / 7.7%
Mont Albert — 15-19: 6.5% Surrey Hills — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 7.1% / 6.8%
Mont Albert — 20-24: 7.1% Surrey Hills — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 12.3% / 9.8%
Mont Albert — 25-34: 12.3% Surrey Hills — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 12.7% / 11.6%
Mont Albert — 35-44: 12.7% Surrey Hills — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 13.6% / 15.7%
Mont Albert — 45-54: 13.6% Surrey Hills — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 13.5% / 13.1%
Mont Albert — 55-64: 13.5% Surrey Hills — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 11.9% / 10.9%
Mont Albert — 65-74: 11.9% Surrey Hills — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 5.6% / 5.3%
Mont Albert — 75-84: 5.6% Surrey Hills — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 2.6% / 2.7%
Mont Albert — 85+: 2.6% Surrey Hills — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mont Albert 46.7% couple families
Mont Albert — Couple Families: 46.7% Mont Albert — Lone Person: 35.1% Mont Albert — One Parent Families: 12.3% Mont Albert — Group Household: 3.9% Mont Albert — Other Families: 2.0%
Surrey Hills 52.3% couple families
Surrey Hills — Couple Families: 52.3% Surrey Hills — Lone Person: 31.2% Surrey Hills — One Parent Families: 11.6% Surrey Hills — Group Household: 3.7% Surrey Hills — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mont Albert 28.5% renting
Mont Albert — Owned Outright: 40.9% Mont Albert — Mortgage: 30.6% Mont Albert — Renting: 28.5%
Surrey Hills 22.0% renting
Surrey Hills — Owned Outright: 42.6% Surrey Hills — Mortgage: 35.4% Surrey Hills — Renting: 22.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
China 10.2% / 6.0%
Mont Albert — China: 10.2% Surrey Hills — China: 6.0%
England 2.8% / 3.6%
Mont Albert — England: 2.8% Surrey Hills — England: 3.6%
Malaysia 2.0% / 2.1%
Mont Albert — Malaysia: 2.0% Surrey Hills — Malaysia: 2.1%
India 2.0% / 1.5%
Mont Albert — India: 2.0% Surrey Hills — India: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.3%
Mont Albert — New Zealand: 1.6% Surrey Hills — New Zealand: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.2%).

Qualifications

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

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Bachelor Degree 26.2% / 26.5%
Mont Albert — Bachelor Degree: 26.2% Surrey Hills — Bachelor Degree: 26.5%
Postgraduate Degree 13.2% / 12.8%
Mont Albert — Postgraduate Degree: 13.2% Surrey Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 12.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 7.5%
Mont Albert — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Surrey Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 4.7% / 4.5%
Mont Albert — Certificate III & IV: 4.7% Surrey Hills — Certificate III & IV: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.6% / 4.6%
Mont Albert — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6% Surrey Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mont Albert 53.7% houses
Mont Albert — Houses: 53.7% Mont Albert — Townhouses: 35.0% Mont Albert — Flats / Apartments: 11.3%
Surrey Hills 66.9% houses
Surrey Hills — Houses: 66.9% Surrey Hills — Townhouses: 20.5% Surrey Hills — Flats / Apartments: 12.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Median house price $2,310,000 $2,125,000
Median unit price $783,000 $825,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 49 sales
 24 days
from 118 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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
2 bed $730K / $808K
Mont Albert — 2 bed: $730K (37 sales) Surrey Hills — 2 bed: $808K (88 sales)

37 vs 88 sales

3 bed $1.01M / $995K
Mont Albert — 3 bed: $1.01M (8 sales) Surrey Hills — 3 bed: $995K (21 sales)

8 vs 21 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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
3 bed $1.85M / $1.88M
Mont Albert — 3 bed: $1.85M (22 sales) Surrey Hills — 3 bed: $1.88M (58 sales)

22 vs 58 sales

4 bed $2.3M / $2.28M
Mont Albert — 4 bed: $2.3M (36 sales) Surrey Hills — 4 bed: $2.28M (76 sales)

36 vs 76 sales

5 bed $3.1M / $2.94M
Mont Albert — 5 bed: $3.1M (16 sales) Surrey Hills — 5 bed: $2.94M (23 sales)

16 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Residential 83% 87%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 5%
Commercial 5% 4%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
Planning zones cover 99% of Mont Albert and 99% of Surrey Hills. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
New dwellings approved 879
across Whitehorse
 711
across Boroondara
Approvals change year on year +17% -40%

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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Houses — 3.2%
$1,200/wk on $1.97M
Units 4.4%
$640/wk on $765K
 4.6%
$700/wk on $788K

Ranking within VIC

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
House price Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Income Higher than 91% of VIC —
Schools — Higher than 83% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 4% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 21% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC

Liveability

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Grade A+
same for both
Score 88/100 92/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mont Albert carries more crime risk (74 vs 51).

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
74/100
 Moderate
51/100
Flood Low
16/100
 Low
21/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.6 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 2.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.0% 5.1%

Schools in Mont Albert

  • Mont Albert Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Surrey Hills

  • Chatham Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Holy Redeemer School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Surrey Hills Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Succour School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 10 13
Parks & reserves 3 9
Childcare 2 12
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 1 4
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 0 11

Mobility

Mont Albert sits further from the CBD (19.9 km vs 13 km).

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Walkability score 90/100 94/100
Distance to Melbourne 19.9 km
+35% vs other
 13 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 26 min 27 min
Public transport score 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 85.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 201.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 3127
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 3127
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.

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Worked from Home 47.9% / 51.7%
Mont Albert — Worked from Home: 47.9% Surrey Hills — Worked from Home: 51.7%
Car (driver) 40.4% / 37.2%
Mont Albert — Car (driver): 40.4% Surrey Hills — Car (driver): 37.2%
Train 4.8% / 4.5%
Mont Albert — Train: 4.8% Surrey Hills — Train: 4.5%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 2.7%
Mont Albert — Car (passenger): 3.0% Surrey Hills — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Walked Only 2.3% / 2.3%
Mont Albert — Walked Only: 2.3% Surrey Hills — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.7%).

Setting

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Elevation 102 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 110 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.0 km 11.8 km

NBN connectivity

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Connectivity score 77/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
2,387 premises
 3%
6,292 premises

Climate

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Average residential rate $1,516/yr $2,253/yr
Council Whitehorse Boroondara

Federal electorate

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Division Menzies Kooyong
Member Gabriel Ng Monique Ryan
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Mont Albert Surrey Hills
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mont Albert

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Village Feel

Surrey Hills

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals River Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mont Albert

Mont Albert vs Box Hill Mont Albert vs Balwyn Mont Albert vs Box Hill North Mont Albert vs Mont Albert North

Other comparisons with Surrey Hills

Surrey Hills vs Camberwell Surrey Hills vs Burwood Surrey Hills vs Box Hill Surrey Hills vs Balwyn Surrey Hills vs Box Hill South Surrey Hills vs Canterbury
Full data on Mont Albert Full data on Surrey Hills
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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