Mooroolbark vs Montrose

Mooroolbark is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 41 in Montrose. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mooroolbark, about half of households are couple families. In Montrose, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Montrose: a median of $980,000, against $870,000 in Mooroolbark, though rent is higher in Mooroolbark.

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

Mooroolbark

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (21 vs 8)
  • has more parks and reserves (32 vs 18)
  • But Montrose carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 50/100)

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

First-home buyers

Montrose

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($455,000 vs $858,500)
  • has cheaper units ($640,000 vs $712,500)
  • But Mooroolbark has cheaper houses ($870,000 vs $980,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Mooroolbark has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 9%)
  • Montrose has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Mooroolbark has more GPs (4 vs 1)
  • Montrose carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 50/100)

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 house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mooroolbark Montrose
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.

Mooroolbark Montrose
Walkability 71 / 69
Mooroolbark — Walkability: 71/100 Montrose — Walkability: 69/100
Safety 50 / 61
Mooroolbark — Safety: 50/100 Montrose — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 15 / 26
Mooroolbark — Low fire risk: 15/100 Montrose — Low fire risk: 26/100
Low flood risk 68 / 75
Mooroolbark — Low flood risk: 68/100 Montrose — Low flood risk: 75/100

Demographics

Mooroolbark has more residents (23,059 vs 6,900); Montrose skews older (41 vs 37).

Mooroolbark Montrose
Population 23,059
+70% vs other
 6,900
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.0% +2.1%
Median age 37 41
Median household income $103,688/yr $108,576/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+9% vs other
 $365/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mooroolbark Montrose
0-4 6.7% / 6.5%
Mooroolbark — 0-4: 6.7% Montrose — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 13.1% / 13.1%
Mooroolbark — 5-14: 13.1% Montrose — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 5.9% / 5.9%
Mooroolbark — 15-19: 5.9% Montrose — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 6.3% / 5.2%
Mooroolbark — 20-24: 6.3% Montrose — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 14.6% / 11.2%
Mooroolbark — 25-34: 14.6% Montrose — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 14.5% / 13.2%
Mooroolbark — 35-44: 14.5% Montrose — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 12.6% / 13.7%
Mooroolbark — 45-54: 12.6% Montrose — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 10.9% / 11.6%
Mooroolbark — 55-64: 10.9% Montrose — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 9.0% / 10.2%
Mooroolbark — 65-74: 9.0% Montrose — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 4.9% / 6.2%
Mooroolbark — 75-84: 4.9% Montrose — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 1.5% / 3.1%
Mooroolbark — 85+: 1.5% Montrose — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mooroolbark 52.5% couple families
Mooroolbark — Couple Families: 52.5% Mooroolbark — Lone Person: 25.8% Mooroolbark — One Parent Families: 17.4% Mooroolbark — Group Household: 2.9% Mooroolbark — Other Families: 1.3%
Montrose 58.5% couple families
Montrose — Couple Families: 58.5% Montrose — Lone Person: 26.1% Montrose — One Parent Families: 12.7% Montrose — Group Household: 1.8% Montrose — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mooroolbark 20.7% renting
Mooroolbark — Owned Outright: 32.3% Mooroolbark — Mortgage: 47.0% Mooroolbark — Renting: 20.7%
Montrose 8.9% renting
Montrose — Owned Outright: 37.7% Montrose — Mortgage: 53.5% Montrose — Renting: 8.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mooroolbark Montrose
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 17.8%
Mooroolbark — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Montrose — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 11.8% / 12.0%
Mooroolbark — Bachelor Degree: 11.8% Montrose — Bachelor Degree: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 8.9%
Mooroolbark — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Montrose — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 2.8%
Mooroolbark — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Montrose — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.3%
Mooroolbark — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Montrose — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

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.

Mooroolbark Montrose
England 3.8% / 5.2%
Mooroolbark — England: 3.8% Montrose — England: 5.2%
Myanmar 3.3% / —
Mooroolbark — Myanmar: 3.3% Montrose — Myanmar: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Mooroolbark — New Zealand: 1.1% Montrose — New Zealand: 1.0%
India 1.6% / 0.4%
Mooroolbark — India: 1.6% Montrose — India: 0.4%
China 1.5% / 0.4%
Mooroolbark — China: 1.5% Montrose — China: 0.4%
Netherlands — / 1.4%
Mooroolbark — Netherlands: not among its largest Montrose — Netherlands: 1.4%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.4%
Mooroolbark — South Africa: 0.7% Montrose — South Africa: 0.4%
Germany — / 0.6%
Mooroolbark — Germany: not among its largest Montrose — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mooroolbark 95.4% houses
Mooroolbark — Houses: 95.4% Mooroolbark — Townhouses: 4.3% Mooroolbark — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Montrose 92.0% houses
Montrose — Houses: 92.0% Montrose — Townhouses: 4.0% Montrose — Flats / Apartments: 4.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mooroolbark Montrose
Median house price $870,000 $980,000
Median unit price $712,500 $640,000
Median land price $858,500 $455,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 305 sales
 15 days
from 65 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.

Mooroolbark Montrose
2 bed $715K / $798K
Mooroolbark — 2 bed: $715K (17 sales) Montrose — 2 bed: $798K (10 sales)

17 vs 10 sales

3 bed $818K / $892K
Mooroolbark — 3 bed: $818K (285 sales) Montrose — 3 bed: $892K (51 sales)

285 vs 51 sales

4 bed $988K / $1.06M
Mooroolbark — 4 bed: $988K (166 sales) Montrose — 4 bed: $1.06M (63 sales)

166 vs 63 sales

5 bed $1.16M / $1.05M
Mooroolbark — 5 bed: $1.16M (38 sales) Montrose — 5 bed: $1.05M (14 sales)

38 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

Montrose has more rural and farming land (36% vs 12%).

Mooroolbark Montrose
Residential 73% 31%
Rural and farming 12% 36%
Parks and recreation 4% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 8%
Other and special use 1% 7%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Mooroolbark Montrose
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

Mooroolbark Montrose
Houses 4.1%
$670/wk on $842K
 3.9%
$700/wk on $930K
Units 4.3%
$588/wk on $705K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Mooroolbark Montrose
House price Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC
Income Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 24% of VIC —

Liveability

Montrose scores higher overall (66 vs 56).

Mooroolbark Montrose
Grade B
same for both
Score 56/100 66/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Mooroolbark carries more crime risk (50 vs 39); Mooroolbark carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 74).

Mooroolbark Montrose
Bushfire High
85/100
 High
74/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 Low
39/100
Flood Low
32/100
 Low
25/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mooroolbark Montrose
Inside the suburb 10 3
Rated above peers 4 2
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 3 0

Schools in Mooroolbark

  • Mooroolbark East Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mooroolbark Grammar Independent · Combined above peers
  • Pembroke Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Rolling Hills Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Billanook College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Mooroolbark College Government · Secondary at peers

Schools in Montrose

  • Billanook Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Montrose Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount Evelyn Christian School Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mooroolbark Montrose
Supermarkets 6 1
Cafes & restaurants 15 7
Parks & reserves 32 18
Childcare 21 8
GPs 4 1
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 3 1
Waterways 11 7

Mobility

Mooroolbark Montrose
Walkability score 71/100 69/100
Distance to Melbourne 37.2 km 38.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 43 min 46 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 111.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 99.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3138
 0.8%
postcode 3765
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 3138
 35
postcode 3765

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.

Mooroolbark Montrose
Car (driver) 66.1% / 66.3%
Mooroolbark — Car (driver): 66.1% Montrose — Car (driver): 66.3%
Worked from Home 26.1% / 27.0%
Mooroolbark — Worked from Home: 26.1% Montrose — Worked from Home: 27.0%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 4.2%
Mooroolbark — Car (passenger): 4.2% Montrose — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Train 2.4% / 1.1%
Mooroolbark — Train: 2.4% Montrose — Train: 1.1%
Walked Only 0.6% / 0.7%
Mooroolbark — Walked Only: 0.6% Montrose — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.3%).

Setting

Mooroolbark Montrose
Elevation 110 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 193 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 32.3 km 31.7 km

NBN connectivity

Mooroolbark Montrose
Connectivity score 90/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
9,281 premises
 52%
2,716 premises

Climate

Mooroolbark Montrose
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)

Mooroolbark Montrose
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Mooroolbark Montrose
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Mooroolbark Montrose
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mooroolbark Montrose
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mooroolbark

Easy Commute Outer Parks Transport Hub

Montrose

Large Blocks Outer Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mooroolbark

Mooroolbark vs Croydon Mooroolbark vs Lilydale Mooroolbark vs Chirnside Park Mooroolbark vs Kilsyth

Other comparisons with Montrose

Montrose vs Lilydale Montrose vs Kilsyth Montrose vs Mount Evelyn Montrose vs The Basin Montrose vs Kalorama Montrose vs Mount Dandenong
Full data on Mooroolbark Full data on Montrose
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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