Preston vs Reservoir

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Preston: a median of $1.18 million, against $920,000 in Reservoir, and rent is higher there too. Preston is closer to the city centre: 10.4 km, against 13 km. On these figures, Reservoir tends to suit 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

Reservoir

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (58 vs 28)
  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 91/100)

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

First-home buyers

Reservoir

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($920,000 vs $1,182,500)
  • has cheaper land ($815,000 vs $1,035,000)
  • But Preston has cheaper units ($490,000 vs $588,750)

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

Renters

Reservoir

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $392/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (10.4 km vs 13 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Reservoir

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (14 vs 11)
  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Preston returns a higher gross yield on units (5.7% vs 4.5%)
  • Reservoir returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Preston Reservoir
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.

Preston Reservoir
Walkability 99 / 95
Preston — Walkability: 99/100 Reservoir — Walkability: 95/100
Safety 9 / 22
Preston — Safety: 9/100 Reservoir — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Preston — Low fire risk: 100/100 Reservoir — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 62 / 57
Preston — Low flood risk: 62/100 Reservoir — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Reservoir has more residents (51,096 vs 33,790); Preston has higher household incomes ($95,888 vs $80,132).

Preston Reservoir
Population 33,790 51,096
+51% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% +1.2%
Median age 37 38
Median household income $95,888/yr
+16% vs other
 $80,132/yr
Median weekly rent $392/wk
+8% vs other
 $360/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Preston Reservoir
0-4 5.3% / 6.1%
Preston — 0-4: 5.3% Reservoir — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 9.7% / 9.5%
Preston — 5-14: 9.7% Reservoir — 5-14: 9.5%
15-19 4.2% / 4.1%
Preston — 15-19: 4.2% Reservoir — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 6.0% / 6.1%
Preston — 20-24: 6.0% Reservoir — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 19.8% / 18.5%
Preston — 25-34: 19.8% Reservoir — 25-34: 18.5%
35-44 17.6% / 15.7%
Preston — 35-44: 17.6% Reservoir — 35-44: 15.7%
45-54 14.0% / 12.6%
Preston — 45-54: 14.0% Reservoir — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 10.1% / 10.1%
Preston — 55-64: 10.1% Reservoir — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 6.8% / 7.8%
Preston — 65-74: 6.8% Reservoir — 65-74: 7.8%
75-84 4.4% / 6.0%
Preston — 75-84: 4.4% Reservoir — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 2.2% / 3.4%
Preston — 85+: 2.2% Reservoir — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Preston 38.8% lone person
Preston — Lone Person: 38.8% Preston — Couple Families: 34.9% Preston — One Parent Families: 13.0% Preston — Group Household: 10.8% Preston — Other Families: 2.6%
Reservoir 40.2% lone person
Reservoir — Lone Person: 40.2% Reservoir — Couple Families: 35.6% Reservoir — One Parent Families: 14.9% Reservoir — Group Household: 6.9% Reservoir — Other Families: 2.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Preston 41.2% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 27.9% Preston — Mortgage: 30.9% Preston — Renting: 41.2%
Reservoir 37.8% renting
Reservoir — Owned Outright: 32.1% Reservoir — Mortgage: 30.1% Reservoir — Renting: 37.8%
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.

Preston Reservoir
Italy 3.0% / 5.5%
Preston — Italy: 3.0% Reservoir — Italy: 5.5%
India 2.5% / 3.7%
Preston — India: 2.5% Reservoir — India: 3.7%
China 3.0% / 3.1%
Preston — China: 3.0% Reservoir — China: 3.1%
Greece 2.8% / 2.4%
Preston — Greece: 2.8% Reservoir — Greece: 2.4%
Vietnam 2.2% / 2.0%
Preston — Vietnam: 2.2% Reservoir — Vietnam: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

Qualifications

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

Preston Reservoir
Bachelor Degree 21.1% / 15.5%
Preston — Bachelor Degree: 21.1% Reservoir — Bachelor Degree: 15.5%
Certificate III & IV 8.2% / 10.1%
Preston — Certificate III & IV: 8.2% Reservoir — Certificate III & IV: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.8%
Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Reservoir — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Postgraduate Degree 8.6% / 6.6%
Preston — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6% Reservoir — Postgraduate Degree: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 2.3%
Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Reservoir — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Preston 55.7% houses
Preston — Houses: 55.7% Preston — Townhouses: 24.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 19.4%
Reservoir 63.2% houses
Reservoir — Houses: 63.2% Reservoir — Townhouses: 32.5% Reservoir — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Preston Reservoir
Median house price $1,182,500 $920,000
Median unit price $490,000 $588,750
Median land price $1,035,000 $815,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 273 sales
 24 days
from 455 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.

Preston Reservoir
1 bed $375K / $430K
Preston — 1 bed: $375K (98 sales) Reservoir — 1 bed: $430K (83 sales)

98 vs 83 sales

2 bed $530K / $588K
Preston — 2 bed: $530K (213 sales) Reservoir — 2 bed: $588K (287 sales)

213 vs 287 sales

3 bed $775K / $750K
Preston — 3 bed: $775K (27 sales) Reservoir — 3 bed: $750K (85 sales)

27 vs 85 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.

Preston Reservoir
1 bed $415K / $483K
Preston — 1 bed: $415K (5 sales) Reservoir — 1 bed: $483K (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

2 bed $1.02M / $812K
Preston — 2 bed: $1.02M (98 sales) Reservoir — 2 bed: $812K (142 sales)

98 vs 142 sales

3 bed $1.18M / $900K
Preston — 3 bed: $1.18M (235 sales) Reservoir — 3 bed: $900K (468 sales)

235 vs 468 sales

4 bed $1.36M / $1.11M
Preston — 4 bed: $1.36M (76 sales) Reservoir — 4 bed: $1.11M (153 sales)

76 vs 153 sales

5 bed $1.57M / $1.34M
Preston — 5 bed: $1.57M (8 sales) Reservoir — 5 bed: $1.34M (23 sales)

8 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

Preston Reservoir
Residential 64% 74%
Industrial 12% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 10%
Commercial 9% 1%
Parks and recreation 4% 9%
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

Preston Reservoir
New dwellings approved 1,213
across Darebin
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

Preston Reservoir
Houses 3.4%
$720/wk on $1.1M
 3.9%
$650/wk on $865K
Units 5.7%
$550/wk on $498K
 4.5%
$500/wk on $575K

Ranking within VIC

Preston Reservoir
House price Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 47% of VIC
Schools Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 28% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC

Liveability

Preston scores higher overall (68 vs 61).

Preston Reservoir
Grade A B
Score 68/100 61/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Preston carries more crime risk (91 vs 78).

Preston Reservoir
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 High
78/100
Flood Low
38/100
 Moderate
43/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 19
within 5 km

Schools

Preston Reservoir
Inside the suburb 16 17
Rated above peers 4
same for both
Rated at peers 6 4
Rated below peers 1 3
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 6.6 km
 3
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 4.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.3%

Schools in Preston

  • Newlands Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Preston Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • East Preston Islamic College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Preston North East Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Reservoir

  • Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment Independent · Primary above peers
  • Reservoir High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Reservoir Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Reservoir West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Holy Name School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Reservoir East Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Preston Reservoir
Supermarkets 13 10
Cafes & restaurants 107 35
Parks & reserves 28 58
Childcare 30
same for both
GPs 11 14
Pharmacies 9
same for both
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 14 5
Fuel stations 10 8
Waterways 0 15

Mobility

Reservoir sits further from the CBD (13 km vs 10.4 km).

Preston Reservoir
Walkability score 99/100 95/100
Distance to Melbourne 10.4 km 13 km
+25% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min 27 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 1062.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 997.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3072
 0.9%
postcode 3073
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 21
postcode 3072
 20
postcode 3073

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.

Preston Reservoir
Car (driver) 42.1% / 53.7%
Preston — Car (driver): 42.1% Reservoir — Car (driver): 53.7%
Worked from Home 41.8% / 32.5%
Preston — Worked from Home: 41.8% Reservoir — Worked from Home: 32.5%
Train 4.4% / 6.0%
Preston — Train: 4.4% Reservoir — Train: 6.0%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 3.5%
Preston — Car (passenger): 2.7% Reservoir — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Bicycle 2.6% / 1.1%
Preston — Bicycle: 2.6% Reservoir — Bicycle: 1.1%
Bus 1.6% / 1.4%
Preston — Bus: 1.6% Reservoir — Bus: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.7%).

Setting

Preston Reservoir
Elevation 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.9 km 15.8 km

NBN connectivity

Preston Reservoir
Connectivity score 79/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 17%
18,580 premises
 9%
26,272 premises

Climate

Preston Reservoir
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)

Preston Reservoir
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³ 3.9 µg/m³
PM10 17.8 µg/m³ —
NO₂ 0.82 pphm —

Council rates

Preston Reservoir
Average residential rate $1,764/yr
same for both
Council Darebin
same for both

Federal electorate

Preston Reservoir
Division Cooper
same for both
Member Ged Kearney
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Preston Reservoir
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Preston

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

Reservoir

Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Coburg Preston vs Thornbury Preston vs Ivanhoe Preston vs Coburg North Preston vs Heidelberg West Preston vs Bellfield

Other comparisons with Reservoir

Reservoir vs Bundoora Reservoir vs Thomastown Reservoir vs Fawkner Reservoir vs Coburg North Reservoir vs Heidelberg West Reservoir vs Campbellfield
Full data on Preston Full data on Reservoir
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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