Mount Waverley vs Oakleigh

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Mount Waverley, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mount Waverley: a median of $1.6 million, against $1.38 million in Oakleigh, and rent is higher there too. Oakleigh is closer to the city centre: 18.8 km, against 22.4 km. On these figures, Mount Waverley tends to suit couples, while Oakleigh suits people living alone.

Mount Waverley is a larger, more affluent suburb with a median household income of $107,432 compared to Oakleigh's $100,152, and significantly higher property prices—median houses at $1,600,000 versus $1,382,500, and units at $915,000 versus $505,275. Mount Waverley scores higher on liveability (90 versus 78) and has lower crime risk (57 versus 95), though Oakleigh is slightly closer to the CBD at 18.8 km and offers better walkability at 96 versus 91. Mount Waverley suits buyers prioritising a more established, lower-crime neighbourhood with premium amenities, while Oakleigh appeals to those seeking more affordable entry points and proximity to the city.

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

Mount Waverley

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (25 vs 5)
  • has more parks and reserves (32 vs 8)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Oakleigh

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($505,550 vs $905,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,382,500 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Oakleigh

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (36% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($410/wk vs $476/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Oakleigh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (18.8 km vs 22.4 km)

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 GPs (10 vs 4)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 95/100)

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

Investors

Oakleigh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.6% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Mount Waverley and Oakleigh 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 Oakleigh
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 Oakleigh
Walkability 91 / 96
Mount Waverley — Walkability: 91/100 Oakleigh — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 43 / 5
Mount Waverley — Safety: 43/100 Oakleigh — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mount Waverley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Oakleigh — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 74 / 62
Mount Waverley — Low flood risk: 74/100 Oakleigh — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Mount Waverley has more residents (35,340 vs 8,442); Mount Waverley rents higher ($476/wk vs $410/wk).

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Population 35,340
+76% vs other
 8,442
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +7.0%
Median age 40 38
Median household income $107,432/yr
+7% vs other
 $100,152/yr
Median weekly rent $476/wk
+14% vs other
 $410/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
0-4 4.4% / 4.9%
Mount Waverley — 0-4: 4.4% Oakleigh — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 12.6% / 9.6%
Mount Waverley — 5-14: 12.6% Oakleigh — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 6.5% / 5.0%
Mount Waverley — 15-19: 6.5% Oakleigh — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 6.9% / 8.4%
Mount Waverley — 20-24: 6.9% Oakleigh — 20-24: 8.4%
25-34 12.1% / 17.0%
Mount Waverley — 25-34: 12.1% Oakleigh — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 13.6% / 13.7%
Mount Waverley — 35-44: 13.6% Oakleigh — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 13.7% / 13.9%
Mount Waverley — 45-54: 13.7% Oakleigh — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 11.6% / 11.6%
Mount Waverley — 55-64: 11.6% Oakleigh — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 8.5% / 7.7%
Mount Waverley — 65-74: 8.5% Oakleigh — 65-74: 7.7%
75-84 6.8% / 4.9%
Mount Waverley — 75-84: 6.8% Oakleigh — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 3.4% / 3.1%
Mount Waverley — 85+: 3.4% Oakleigh — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

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 — One Parent Families: 13.9% Mount Waverley — Group Household: 4.9% Mount Waverley — Other Families: 1.7%
Oakleigh 41.9% couple families
Oakleigh — Couple Families: 41.9% Oakleigh — Lone Person: 35.7% Oakleigh — One Parent Families: 12.7% Oakleigh — Group Household: 7.2% Oakleigh — Other Families: 2.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household 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%
Oakleigh 35.5% renting
Oakleigh — Owned Outright: 32.3% Oakleigh — Mortgage: 32.2% Oakleigh — Renting: 35.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Bachelor Degree 22.0% / 20.3%
Mount Waverley — Bachelor Degree: 22.0% Oakleigh — Bachelor Degree: 20.3%
Postgraduate Degree 11.9% / 9.9%
Mount Waverley — Postgraduate Degree: 11.9% Oakleigh — Postgraduate Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.4%
Mount Waverley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Oakleigh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 8.2%
Mount Waverley — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Oakleigh — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 2.6%
Mount Waverley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Oakleigh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

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

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 Oakleigh
China 13.0% / 5.6%
Mount Waverley — China: 13.0% Oakleigh — China: 5.6%
India 6.1% / 4.3%
Mount Waverley — India: 6.1% Oakleigh — India: 4.3%
Greece 2.0% / 6.0%
Mount Waverley — Greece: 2.0% Oakleigh — Greece: 6.0%
Sri Lanka 4.2% / 1.1%
Mount Waverley — Sri Lanka: 4.2% Oakleigh — Sri Lanka: 1.1%
England 1.9% / 2.2%
Mount Waverley — England: 1.9% Oakleigh — England: 2.2%
Malaysia 3.0% / —
Mount Waverley — Malaysia: 3.0% Oakleigh — Malaysia: not among its largest
Italy — / 1.6%
Mount Waverley — Italy: not among its largest Oakleigh — Italy: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Waverley 68.6% houses
Mount Waverley — Houses: 68.6% Mount Waverley — Flats / Apartments: 21.6% Mount Waverley — Townhouses: 9.8%
Oakleigh 61.9% houses
Oakleigh — Houses: 61.9% Oakleigh — Flats / Apartments: 25.9% Oakleigh — Townhouses: 12.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Median house price $1,600,000 $1,382,500
Median unit price $905,000 $505,550
Median land price $1,692,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 408 sales
 23 days
from 50 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 Oakleigh
1 bed $782K / $360K
Mount Waverley — 1 bed: $782K (7 sales) Oakleigh — 1 bed: $360K (23 sales)

7 vs 23 sales

2 bed $792K / $537K
Mount Waverley — 2 bed: $792K (62 sales) Oakleigh — 2 bed: $537K (56 sales)

62 vs 56 sales

3 bed $1.09M / $901K
Mount Waverley — 3 bed: $1.09M (60 sales) Oakleigh — 3 bed: $901K (8 sales)

60 vs 8 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 Oakleigh
2 bed $1.42M / $1.21M
Mount Waverley — 2 bed: $1.42M (18 sales) Oakleigh — 2 bed: $1.21M (8 sales)

18 vs 8 sales

3 bed $1.48M / $1.3M
Mount Waverley — 3 bed: $1.48M (205 sales) Oakleigh — 3 bed: $1.3M (31 sales)

205 vs 31 sales

4 bed $1.6M / $1.56M
Mount Waverley — 4 bed: $1.6M (182 sales) Oakleigh — 4 bed: $1.56M (23 sales)

182 vs 23 sales

5 bed $1.86M / $1.62M
Mount Waverley — 5 bed: $1.86M (60 sales) Oakleigh — 5 bed: $1.62M (9 sales)

60 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

Oakleigh has more industrially zoned land (17% vs 0%).

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Residential 74% 57%
Industrial 0% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 10%
same for both
Commercial 2% 9%
Parks and recreation 7%
same for both
Other and special use 6% 0%
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 Oakleigh
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 Oakleigh
Houses 3.1%
$850/wk on $1.44M
 2.8%
$710/wk on $1.3M
Units 3.8%
$620/wk on $840K
 6.6%
$600/wk on $474K

Ranking within VIC

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
House price Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Schools Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC

Liveability

Mount Waverley scores higher overall (90 vs 78).

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Grade A+ A
Score 90/100 78/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Oakleigh carries more crime risk (95 vs 57); Oakleigh carries more flood risk (38 vs 26).

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
95/100
Flood Low
26/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Inside the suburb 11 3
Rated above peers 10 3
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 3.5 km
 3
Monash Clayton, 3.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.6%
same for both

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 Oakleigh

  • Christ Our Holy Redeemer School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Oakleigh Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Supermarkets 5 6
Cafes & restaurants 34 54
Parks & reserves 32 8
Childcare 25 5
GPs 10 4
Pharmacies 8 4
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 7 6
Fuel stations 5 4
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 17 3

Mobility

Mount Waverley sits further from the CBD (22.4 km vs 18.8 km).

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Walkability score 91/100 96/100
Distance to Melbourne 22.4 km
+16% vs other
 18.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 26 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 471.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 456.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.7%
postcode 3149
 1.7%
postcode 3166
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 3149
 20
postcode 3166

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 Oakleigh
Car (driver) 49.0% / 46.5%
Mount Waverley — Car (driver): 49.0% Oakleigh — Car (driver): 46.5%
Worked from Home 40.9% / 39.8%
Mount Waverley — Worked from Home: 40.9% Oakleigh — Worked from Home: 39.8%
Train 4.2% / 5.4%
Mount Waverley — Train: 4.2% Oakleigh — Train: 5.4%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.5%
Mount Waverley — Car (passenger): 3.5% Oakleigh — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 1.0% / 2.3%
Mount Waverley — Walked Only: 1.0% Oakleigh — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.0%).

Setting

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Elevation 121 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.6 km 9.6 km

NBN connectivity

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
Connectivity score 77/100 72/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
15,814 premises
 13%
4,912 premises

Climate

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
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 Oakleigh
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Waverley Oakleigh
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

Oakleigh

Cafe Culture Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Waverley

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

Other comparisons with Oakleigh

Oakleigh vs Bentleigh East Oakleigh vs Malvern East Oakleigh vs Oakleigh South Oakleigh vs Chadstone Oakleigh vs Hughesdale Oakleigh vs Oakleigh East
Full data on Mount Waverley Full data on Oakleigh
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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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