Mount Waverley vs Clayton

Clayton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 40 in Mount Waverley. In Mount Waverley, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. In Clayton, most households rent. Houses cost more in Mount Waverley: a median of $1.6 million, against $1.36 million in Clayton, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mount Waverley tends to suit couples, while Clayton suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

Mount Waverley

ahead on 6 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (10 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (69% vs 35%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 36%)

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

First-home buyers

Clayton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($550,000 vs $905,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,365,000 vs $1,600,000)

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

Renters

Clayton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (63% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $476/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Clayton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (10% vs 4%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Waverley

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 10%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 85/100)
  • But Clayton has more units and townhouses to downsize into (64% vs 31%)

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

Investors

Clayton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.3% vs 3.8%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.1%)
  • But Mount Waverley is growing faster (5.1% vs -1.9%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Waverley Clayton
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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
Walkability 91 / 97
Mount Waverley — Walkability: 91/100 Clayton — Walkability: 97/100
Safety 43 / 15
Mount Waverley — Safety: 43/100 Clayton — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mount Waverley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Clayton — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 74 / 66
Mount Waverley — Low flood risk: 74/100 Clayton — Low flood risk: 66/100

Demographics

Mount Waverley has more residents (35,340 vs 18,988); Mount Waverley skews older (40 vs 28).

Mount Waverley Clayton
Population 35,340
+46% vs other
 18,988
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% -1.9%
Median age 40 28
Median household income $107,432/yr
+28% vs other
 $77,688/yr
Median weekly rent $476/wk
+16% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley Clayton
0-4 4.4% / 3.7%
Mount Waverley — 0-4: 4.4% Clayton — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 12.6% / 4.6%
Mount Waverley — 5-14: 12.6% Clayton — 5-14: 4.6%
15-19 6.5% / 6.3%
Mount Waverley — 15-19: 6.5% Clayton — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 6.9% / 22.0%
Mount Waverley — 20-24: 6.9% Clayton — 20-24: 22.0%
25-34 12.1% / 30.6%
Mount Waverley — 25-34: 12.1% Clayton — 25-34: 30.6%
35-44 13.6% / 11.0%
Mount Waverley — 35-44: 13.6% Clayton — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 13.7% / 6.3%
Mount Waverley — 45-54: 13.7% Clayton — 45-54: 6.3%
55-64 11.6% / 5.4%
Mount Waverley — 55-64: 11.6% Clayton — 55-64: 5.4%
65-74 8.5% / 4.1%
Mount Waverley — 65-74: 8.5% Clayton — 65-74: 4.1%
75-84 6.8% / 3.5%
Mount Waverley — 75-84: 6.8% Clayton — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ 3.4% / 2.5%
Mount Waverley — 85+: 3.4% Clayton — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley 54.2% couple families
Mount Waverley — Couple Families: 54.2% Mount Waverley — Lone Person: 25.2% Mount Waverley — Group Household: 4.9% Mount Waverley — One Parent Families: 13.9% Mount Waverley — Other Families: 1.7%
Clayton 25.3% couple families
Clayton — Couple Families: 25.3% Clayton — Lone Person: 33.5% Clayton — Group Household: 26.5% Clayton — One Parent Families: 10.2% Clayton — Other Families: 4.6%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley 24.8% renting
Mount Waverley — Owned Outright: 42.9% Mount Waverley — Mortgage: 32.3% Mount Waverley — Renting: 24.8%
Clayton 63.0% renting
Clayton — Owned Outright: 19.4% Clayton — Mortgage: 17.6% Clayton — Renting: 63.0%
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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
China 13.0% / 14.7%
Mount Waverley — China: 13.0% Clayton — China: 14.7%
India 6.1% / 16.4%
Mount Waverley — India: 6.1% Clayton — India: 16.4%
Sri Lanka 4.2% / 3.6%
Mount Waverley — Sri Lanka: 4.2% Clayton — Sri Lanka: 3.6%
Malaysia 3.0% / 3.4%
Mount Waverley — Malaysia: 3.0% Clayton — Malaysia: 3.4%
Greece 2.0% / 2.7%
Mount Waverley — Greece: 2.0% Clayton — Greece: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Qualifications

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

Mount Waverley Clayton
Bachelor Degree 22.0% / 21.6%
Mount Waverley — Bachelor Degree: 22.0% Clayton — Bachelor Degree: 21.6%
Postgraduate Degree 11.9% / 15.8%
Mount Waverley — Postgraduate Degree: 11.9% Clayton — Postgraduate Degree: 15.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 7.1%
Mount Waverley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Clayton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 5.4%
Mount Waverley — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Clayton — Certificate III & IV: 5.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 1.4%
Mount Waverley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Clayton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley 68.6% houses
Mount Waverley — Houses: 68.6% Mount Waverley — Townhouses: 9.8% Mount Waverley — Flats / Apartments: 21.6%
Clayton 35.4% houses
Clayton — Houses: 35.4% Clayton — Townhouses: 42.5% Clayton — Flats / Apartments: 22.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Waverley Clayton
Median house price $1,600,000 $1,365,000
Median unit price $905,000 $550,000
Median land price $1,692,500 $1,541,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 408 sales
 25 days
from 56 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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
1 bed $782K / $375K
Mount Waverley — 1 bed: $782K (7 sales) Clayton — 1 bed: $375K (31 sales)

7 vs 31 sales

2 bed $792K / $532K
Mount Waverley — 2 bed: $792K (62 sales) Clayton — 2 bed: $532K (126 sales)

62 vs 126 sales

3 bed $1.09M / $820K
Mount Waverley — 3 bed: $1.09M (60 sales) Clayton — 3 bed: $820K (48 sales)

60 vs 48 sales

4 bed $1.34M / $965K
Mount Waverley — 4 bed: $1.34M (7 sales) Clayton — 4 bed: $965K (9 sales)

7 vs 9 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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
2 bed $1.42M / $1.2M
Mount Waverley — 2 bed: $1.42M (18 sales) Clayton — 2 bed: $1.2M (8 sales)

18 vs 8 sales

3 bed $1.48M / $1.28M
Mount Waverley — 3 bed: $1.48M (205 sales) Clayton — 3 bed: $1.28M (63 sales)

205 vs 63 sales

4 bed $1.6M / $1.43M
Mount Waverley — 4 bed: $1.6M (182 sales) Clayton — 4 bed: $1.43M (17 sales)

182 vs 17 sales

5 bed $1.86M / $1.21M
Mount Waverley — 5 bed: $1.86M (60 sales) Clayton — 5 bed: $1.21M (7 sales)

60 vs 7 sales

6 bed $2.08M / $1.58M
Mount Waverley — 6 bed: $2.08M (12 sales) Clayton — 6 bed: $1.58M (6 sales)

12 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Clayton has more commercially zoned land (48% vs 2%); Clayton has more industrially zoned land (12% vs 0%).

Mount Waverley Clayton
Residential 74% 4%
Commercial 2% 48%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 24%
Industrial 0% 12%
Other and special use 6% 11%
Parks and recreation 7% 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

Mount Waverley Clayton
New dwellings approved 1,233
across Monash
same for both
Approvals change year on year -4%
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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
Houses 3.1%
$850/wk on $1.44M
 3.9%
$700/wk on $945K
Units 3.8%
$620/wk on $840K
 5.3%
$550/wk on $544K

Ranking within VIC

Mount Waverley Clayton
House price Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
Schools Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 7% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC

Liveability

Mount Waverley scores higher overall (90 vs 55).

Mount Waverley Clayton
Grade A+ B
Score 90/100 55/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Clayton carries more crime risk (85 vs 57).

Mount Waverley Clayton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
85/100
Flood Low
26/100
 Low
34/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 21
within 5 km

Schools

Mount Waverley Clayton
Inside the suburb 11 5
Rated above peers 10 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.5 km
 3
Monash Clayton, 0.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.6% 17.3%

Schools in Mount Waverley

  • Avila College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Essex Heights Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Holy Family School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Huntingtower School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Mount Waverley Heights Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount Waverley North Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Clayton

  • Clayton North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Peter's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • John Monash Science School Government · Secondary
  • SEDA College (Victoria) - AFL - Clayton Independent · Secondary
  • Monash Children's Hospital School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Waverley Clayton
Supermarkets 5 11
Cafes & restaurants 34 81
Parks & reserves 32 21
Childcare 25 14
GPs 10
same for both
Pharmacies 8 5
Hospitals 0 4
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 7 6
Fuel stations 5
same for both
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 17 2

Mobility

Mount Waverley Clayton
Walkability score 91/100 97/100
Distance to Melbourne 22.4 km
+1% vs other
 22.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 29 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 84/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 471.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 590.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.7%
postcode 3149
 2.0%
postcode 3168
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 3149
 14
postcode 3168

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.

Mount Waverley Clayton
Car (driver) 49.0% / 49.9%
Mount Waverley — Car (driver): 49.0% Clayton — Car (driver): 49.9%
Worked from Home 40.9% / 23.9%
Mount Waverley — Worked from Home: 40.9% Clayton — Worked from Home: 23.9%
Train 4.2% / 9.4%
Mount Waverley — Train: 4.2% Clayton — Train: 9.4%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 4.3%
Mount Waverley — Car (passenger): 3.5% Clayton — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 1.0% / 6.8%
Mount Waverley — Walked Only: 1.0% Clayton — Walked Only: 6.8%
Bus 0.9% / 4.7%
Mount Waverley — Bus: 0.9% Clayton — Bus: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.9%).

Setting

Mount Waverley Clayton
Elevation 121 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.6 km 10.1 km

NBN connectivity

Mount Waverley Clayton
Connectivity score 77/100 87/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
15,814 premises
 49%
10,841 premises

Climate

Mount Waverley Clayton
Annual rainfall 777 mm 644 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C 26.0°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C 6.9°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Mount Waverley Clayton
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³ 6.3 µg/m³
PM10 — 20.8 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.98 pphm

Council rates

Mount Waverley Clayton
Average residential rate $1,697/yr
same for both
Council Monash
same for both

Federal electorate

Mount Waverley Clayton
Division Chisholm Hotham
Member Carina Garland Clare O'Neil
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Waverley Clayton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Waverley

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Premium Professionals Transport Hub

Clayton

Cafe Culture Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Students Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Waverley

Mount Waverley vs Glen Waverley Mount Waverley vs Burwood Mount Waverley vs Burwood East Mount Waverley vs Chadstone Mount Waverley vs Oakleigh Mount Waverley vs Ashwood

Other comparisons with Clayton

Clayton vs Springvale Clayton vs Mulgrave Clayton vs Clayton South Clayton vs Oakleigh South Clayton vs Clarinda Clayton vs Oakleigh East
Full data on Mount Waverley Full data on Clayton
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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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