Parkville vs Brunswick

Parkville is the younger of the two, with a median age of 26 against 34 in Brunswick. In both, about half of households are people living alone. In Parkville, most households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. In Brunswick, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Parkville: a median of $1.82 million, against $1.26 million in Brunswick, though rent is higher in Brunswick. Parkville is closer to the city centre: 3.6 km, against 5.6 km. On these figures, Parkville tends to suit renters, while Brunswick suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Parkville has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 3)
  • Brunswick has more separate houses rather than flats (35% vs 2%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Parkville has cheaper units ($460,000 vs $555,000)
  • Brunswick has cheaper houses ($1,260,000 vs $1,820,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Parkville

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (66% vs 49%)
  • has cheaper rent ($396/wk vs $441/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Brunswick

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 91/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Brunswick

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (14 vs 2)
  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 91/100)
  • But Parkville has more units and townhouses to downsize into (98% vs 65%)

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

Investors

Brunswick

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (1.7% vs -4.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 2.6%)
  • But Parkville returns a higher gross yield on units (6.9% vs 5.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Parkville Brunswick
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.

Parkville Brunswick
Walkability 91 / 99
Parkville — Walkability: 91/100 Brunswick — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 11 / 18
Parkville — Safety: 11/100 Brunswick — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Parkville — Low fire risk: 100/100 Brunswick — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 75 / 56
Parkville — Low flood risk: 75/100 Brunswick — Low flood risk: 56/100

Demographics

Brunswick has more residents (24,896 vs 7,074); Brunswick skews older (34 vs 26).

Parkville Brunswick
Population 7,074 24,896
+252% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.5% +1.7%
Median age 26 34
Median household income $98,020/yr $108,992/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $396/wk $441/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Parkville Brunswick
0-4 2.5% / 3.9%
Parkville — 0-4: 2.5% Brunswick — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 4.1% / 6.3%
Parkville — 5-14: 4.1% Brunswick — 5-14: 6.3%
15-19 17.5% / 2.7%
Parkville — 15-19: 17.5% Brunswick — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 21.5% / 9.3%
Parkville — 20-24: 21.5% Brunswick — 20-24: 9.3%
25-34 23.4% / 29.2%
Parkville — 25-34: 23.4% Brunswick — 25-34: 29.2%
35-44 10.2% / 17.8%
Parkville — 35-44: 10.2% Brunswick — 35-44: 17.8%
45-54 5.9% / 11.2%
Parkville — 45-54: 5.9% Brunswick — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 5.2% / 8.4%
Parkville — 55-64: 5.2% Brunswick — 55-64: 8.4%
65-74 4.5% / 5.7%
Parkville — 65-74: 4.5% Brunswick — 65-74: 5.7%
75-84 3.1% / 3.7%
Parkville — 75-84: 3.1% Brunswick — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 2.1% / 1.8%
Parkville — 85+: 2.1% Brunswick — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Parkville 48.9% lone person
Parkville — Lone Person: 48.9% Parkville — Couple Families: 19.3% Parkville — Group Household: 21.6% Parkville — One Parent Families: 7.8% Parkville — Other Families: 2.4%
Brunswick 47.0% lone person
Brunswick — Lone Person: 47.0% Brunswick — Couple Families: 23.2% Brunswick — Group Household: 19.4% Brunswick — One Parent Families: 8.1% Brunswick — Other Families: 2.3%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Parkville 66.3% renting
Parkville — Owned Outright: 18.8% Parkville — Mortgage: 14.8% Parkville — Renting: 66.3%
Brunswick 49.1% renting
Brunswick — Owned Outright: 24.2% Brunswick — Mortgage: 26.8% Brunswick — Renting: 49.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Parkville Brunswick
Bachelor Degree 23.5% / 29.4%
Parkville — Bachelor Degree: 23.5% Brunswick — Bachelor Degree: 29.4%
Postgraduate Degree 17.2% / 15.6%
Parkville — Postgraduate Degree: 17.2% Brunswick — Postgraduate Degree: 15.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 6.7%
Parkville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Brunswick — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Certificate III & IV 3.7% / 6.1%
Parkville — Certificate III & IV: 3.7% Brunswick — Certificate III & IV: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 4.7%
Parkville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Brunswick — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.4%).

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.

Parkville Brunswick
England 3.4% / 3.6%
Parkville — England: 3.4% Brunswick — England: 3.6%
China 4.8% / 1.2%
Parkville — China: 4.8% Brunswick — China: 1.2%
New Zealand 2.2% / 3.0%
Parkville — New Zealand: 2.2% Brunswick — New Zealand: 3.0%
India 2.7% / 1.0%
Parkville — India: 2.7% Brunswick — India: 1.0%
Malaysia 2.6% / 0.9%
Parkville — Malaysia: 2.6% Brunswick — Malaysia: 0.9%
Italy — / 2.6%
Parkville — Italy: not among its largest Brunswick — Italy: 2.6%
Greece — / 2.5%
Parkville — Greece: not among its largest Brunswick — Greece: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Parkville 61.7% flats / apartments
Parkville — Flats / Apartments: 61.7% Parkville — Townhouses: 36.1% Parkville — Houses: 2.2%
Brunswick 35.4% flats / apartments
Brunswick — Flats / Apartments: 35.4% Brunswick — Townhouses: 29.3% Brunswick — Houses: 35.3%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Parkville Brunswick
Median house price $1,820,000 $1,260,000
Median unit price $460,000 $555,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 19 sales
 23 days
from 169 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.

Parkville Brunswick
3 bed $1.82M / $1.36M
Parkville — 3 bed: $1.82M (13 sales) Brunswick — 3 bed: $1.36M (131 sales)

13 vs 131 sales

4 bed $1.86M / $1.5M
Parkville — 4 bed: $1.86M (6 sales) Brunswick — 4 bed: $1.5M (32 sales)

6 vs 32 sales

5 bed $1.81M / $2.1M
Parkville — 5 bed: $1.81M (14 sales) Brunswick — 5 bed: $2.1M (11 sales)

14 vs 11 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.

Parkville Brunswick
1 bed $380K / $376K
Parkville — 1 bed: $380K (42 sales) Brunswick — 1 bed: $376K (173 sales)

42 vs 173 sales

2 bed $508K / $629K
Parkville — 2 bed: $508K (68 sales) Brunswick — 2 bed: $629K (301 sales)

68 vs 301 sales

3 bed $1.02M / $1.06M
Parkville — 3 bed: $1.02M (7 sales) Brunswick — 3 bed: $1.06M (29 sales)

7 vs 29 sales

Zoning mix

Parkville Brunswick
Residential 16% 68%
Parks and recreation 50% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 29% 5%
Industrial 3% 11%
Commercial 2% 11%
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

Parkville Brunswick
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
 1,387
across Merri-bek
Approvals change year on year +195% +68%

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.

Parkville Brunswick
Houses 2.6%
$875/wk on $1.75M
 3.8%
$880/wk on $1.2M
Units 6.9%
$585/wk on $442K
 5.5%
$625/wk on $592K

Ranking within VIC

Parkville Brunswick
House price Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Income Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 5% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC

Liveability

Parkville scores higher overall (71 vs 64); Brunswick is more walkable (99 vs 91).

Parkville Brunswick
Grade A B
Score 71/100 64/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brunswick carries more flood risk (44 vs 25).

Parkville Brunswick
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
89/100
 High
82/100
Flood Low
25/100
 Moderate
44/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 24
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Parkville Brunswick
Inside the suburb 9 3
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 0.0 km
 3
The University of Melbourne, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 29.8% 4.3%

Schools in Parkville

  • University High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • SEDA College (Victoria) - Brens Pavilion Royal Park Independent · Secondary
  • SEDA College (Victoria) - Melbourne Sports Centres Parkville Independent · Secondary
  • University High School-Elizabeth Blackburn School of Sciences Government · Secondary
  • Parkville College Government · Secondary · Special school
  • Parkville College-Ascot Vale Secure Welfare Campus Government · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Brunswick

  • Brunswick Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Margaret Mary's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Sydney Road Community School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Parkville Brunswick
Supermarkets 1 12
Cafes & restaurants 37 132
Parks & reserves 38 29
Childcare 3 14
GPs 2 14
Pharmacies 2 7
Hospitals 2 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 4
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 5
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Parkville Brunswick
Walkability score 91/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 3.6 km 5.6 km
+56% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 15 min
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 375.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 516.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.0%
postcode 3052
 1.7%
postcode 3056
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 6
postcode 3052
 14
postcode 3056

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.

Parkville Brunswick
Worked from Home 42.9% / 52.1%
Parkville — Worked from Home: 42.9% Brunswick — Worked from Home: 52.1%
Car (driver) 26.1% / 24.7%
Parkville — Car (driver): 26.1% Brunswick — Car (driver): 24.7%
Walked Only 11.6% / 4.4%
Parkville — Walked Only: 11.6% Brunswick — Walked Only: 4.4%
Tram / Light Rail 7.7% / 5.5%
Parkville — Tram / Light Rail: 7.7% Brunswick — Tram / Light Rail: 5.5%
Bicycle 5.6% / 7.0%
Parkville — Bicycle: 5.6% Brunswick — Bicycle: 7.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.1%).

Setting

Parkville Brunswick
Elevation 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.3 km 8.7 km

NBN connectivity

Parkville Brunswick
Connectivity score 94/100 91/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 81%
3,751 premises
 67%
15,802 premises

Climate

Parkville Brunswick
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Parkville Brunswick
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Parkville Brunswick
Average residential rate $2,345/yr $1,914/yr
Council Melbourne Merri-bek

Federal electorate

Parkville Brunswick
Division Melbourne Wills
Member Sarah Witty Peter Khalil
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Parkville Brunswick
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Parkville

Affordable Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals River Students Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

Brunswick

Apartments Arts Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Parkville

Parkville vs Melbourne Parkville vs Moonee Ponds Parkville vs Carlton Parkville vs Ascot Vale Parkville vs North Melbourne Parkville vs Brunswick West

Other comparisons with Brunswick

Brunswick vs Coburg Brunswick vs Brunswick West Brunswick vs Brunswick East Brunswick vs Carlton North Brunswick vs Princes Hill
Full data on Parkville Full data on Brunswick
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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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