Richmond vs South Yarra

In both, most households rent. In Richmond, about half of homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are people living alone. In South Yarra, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. Richmond is closer to the city centre: 4.4 km, against 5.6 km. On these figures, South Yarra tends to suit 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

Richmond

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (19 vs 9)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (13 vs 8)
  • is already more of a family suburb (29% vs 18%)

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

First-home buyers

Richmond

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,330,000 vs $1,790,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Richmond

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (14 vs 7)

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

Investors

Richmond

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Richmond South Yarra
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.

Richmond South Yarra
Walkability 100 / 99
Richmond — Walkability: 100/100 South Yarra — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 9 / 13
Richmond — Safety: 9/100 South Yarra — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Richmond — Low fire risk: 100/100 South Yarra — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 56 / 41
Richmond — Low flood risk: 56/100 South Yarra — Low flood risk: 41/100

Demographics

Richmond South Yarra
Population 28,587
+12% vs other
 25,028
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.2% -0.5%
Median age 34 33
Median household income $116,740/yr
+8% vs other
 $107,276/yr
Median weekly rent $441/wk
+6% vs other
 $415/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Richmond South Yarra
0-4 3.7% / 2.8%
Richmond — 0-4: 3.7% South Yarra — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 6.0% / 4.3%
Richmond — 5-14: 6.0% South Yarra — 5-14: 4.3%
15-19 2.8% / 3.0%
Richmond — 15-19: 2.8% South Yarra — 15-19: 3.0%
20-24 7.7% / 8.7%
Richmond — 20-24: 7.7% South Yarra — 20-24: 8.7%
25-34 31.5% / 34.1%
Richmond — 25-34: 31.5% South Yarra — 25-34: 34.1%
35-44 16.4% / 16.7%
Richmond — 35-44: 16.4% South Yarra — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 11.4% / 9.8%
Richmond — 45-54: 11.4% South Yarra — 45-54: 9.8%
55-64 9.3% / 8.4%
Richmond — 55-64: 9.3% South Yarra — 55-64: 8.4%
65-74 6.5% / 6.8%
Richmond — 65-74: 6.5% South Yarra — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 3.4% / 4.1%
Richmond — 75-84: 3.4% South Yarra — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 1.4% / 1.4%
Richmond — 85+: 1.4% South Yarra — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Richmond 52.9% lone person
Richmond — Lone Person: 52.9% Richmond — Couple Families: 19.7% Richmond — Group Household: 15.9% Richmond — One Parent Families: 8.9% Richmond — Other Families: 2.5%
South Yarra 67.7% lone person
South Yarra — Lone Person: 67.7% South Yarra — Couple Families: 12.3% South Yarra — Group Household: 11.6% South Yarra — One Parent Families: 6.2% South Yarra — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Richmond 56.0% renting
Richmond — Owned Outright: 19.2% Richmond — Mortgage: 24.8% Richmond — Renting: 56.0%
South Yarra 63.5% renting
South Yarra — Owned Outright: 18.3% South Yarra — Mortgage: 18.2% South Yarra — Renting: 63.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Richmond South Yarra
Bachelor Degree 31.8% / 33.9%
Richmond — Bachelor Degree: 31.8% South Yarra — Bachelor Degree: 33.9%
Postgraduate Degree 11.8% / 15.7%
Richmond — Postgraduate Degree: 11.8% South Yarra — Postgraduate Degree: 15.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.8%
Richmond — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% South Yarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Certificate III & IV 6.4% / 4.7%
Richmond — Certificate III & IV: 6.4% South Yarra — Certificate III & IV: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.0% / 3.7%
Richmond — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0% South Yarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.9%).

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.

Richmond South Yarra
England 3.7% / 4.4%
Richmond — England: 3.7% South Yarra — England: 4.4%
China 1.7% / 4.4%
Richmond — China: 1.7% South Yarra — China: 4.4%
New Zealand 2.9% / 3.1%
Richmond — New Zealand: 2.9% South Yarra — New Zealand: 3.1%
Vietnam 4.3% / 0.8%
Richmond — Vietnam: 4.3% South Yarra — Vietnam: 0.8%
India 1.1% / 2.1%
Richmond — India: 1.1% South Yarra — India: 2.1%
Malaysia 0.9% / 1.5%
Richmond — Malaysia: 0.9% South Yarra — Malaysia: 1.5%
Greece 1.7% / —
Richmond — Greece: 1.7% South Yarra — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Richmond 53.7% flats / apartments
Richmond — Flats / Apartments: 53.7% Richmond — Townhouses: 30.7% Richmond — Houses: 15.6%
South Yarra 79.8% flats / apartments
South Yarra — Flats / Apartments: 79.8% South Yarra — Townhouses: 12.8% South Yarra — Houses: 7.4%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Richmond South Yarra
Median house price $1,330,000 $1,790,000
Median unit price $520,000 $542,000
Median land price — $702,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 181 sales
 25 days
from 113 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.

Richmond South Yarra
1 bed $410K / $388K
Richmond — 1 bed: $410K (251 sales) South Yarra — 1 bed: $388K (542 sales)

251 vs 542 sales

2 bed $640K / $640K
Richmond — 2 bed: $640K (266 sales) South Yarra — 2 bed: $640K (603 sales)

266 vs 603 sales

3 bed $1.13M / $1.47M
Richmond — 3 bed: $1.13M (27 sales) South Yarra — 3 bed: $1.47M (100 sales)

27 vs 100 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.

Richmond South Yarra
1 bed $920K / $535K
Richmond — 1 bed: $920K (5 sales) South Yarra — 1 bed: $535K (19 sales)

5 vs 19 sales

2 bed $1.2M / $1.36M
Richmond — 2 bed: $1.2M (120 sales) South Yarra — 2 bed: $1.36M (57 sales)

120 vs 57 sales

3 bed $1.5M / $2.04M
Richmond — 3 bed: $1.5M (132 sales) South Yarra — 3 bed: $2.04M (81 sales)

132 vs 81 sales

4 bed $2M / $3M
Richmond — 4 bed: $2M (25 sales) South Yarra — 4 bed: $3M (41 sales)

25 vs 41 sales

Zoning mix

Richmond South Yarra
Residential 62% 55%
Parks and recreation 6% 19%
Commercial 13% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 10%
same for both
Industrial 5% 0%
Other and special use 3% 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

Richmond South Yarra
New dwellings approved 1,675
across Yarra
 818
across Stonnington
Approvals change year on year +646% +67%

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.

Richmond South Yarra
Houses 3.9%
$980/wk on $1.31M
 2.4%
$910/wk on $1.94M
Units 6.2%
$672/wk on $560K
 5.9%
$630/wk on $555K

Ranking within VIC

Richmond South Yarra
House price Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Income Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools Higher than 64% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 100% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 2% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC

Liveability

Richmond South Yarra
Grade A
same for both
Score 75/100 77/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

South Yarra carries more flood risk (59 vs 44).

Richmond South Yarra
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 High
87/100
Flood Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
59/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 17
within 5 km
 14
within 5 km

Schools

Richmond South Yarra
Inside the suburb 13 8
Rated above peers 4 3
Rated at peers 2 1
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 2.6 km
 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.0% 3.9%

Schools in Richmond

  • Bindjiroo Yaluk Community School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Melbourne Girls College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Richmond West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Yarra Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Richmond High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Trinity Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in South Yarra

  • Christ Church Grammar School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Melbourne High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • South Yarra Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Melbourne Girls Grammar Independent · Combined at peers
  • Centre for Higher Education Studies Government · Secondary
  • Melbourne Girls Grammar - Morris Hall Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Richmond South Yarra
Supermarkets 6 7
Cafes & restaurants 104 82
Parks & reserves 24 17
Childcare 19 9
GPs 14 7
Pharmacies 8 10
Hospitals 3 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6
same for both
Fuel stations 4 2
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Richmond South Yarra
Walkability score 100/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 4.4 km 5.6 km
+27% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min
same for both
Public transport score 97/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 678.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 408.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.0%
postcode 3121
 2.4%
postcode 3141
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 7
postcode 3121
 3
postcode 3141

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.

Richmond South Yarra
Worked from Home 51.8% / 53.0%
Richmond — Worked from Home: 51.8% South Yarra — Worked from Home: 53.0%
Car (driver) 27.4% / 23.0%
Richmond — Car (driver): 27.4% South Yarra — Car (driver): 23.0%
Walked Only 7.4% / 8.8%
Richmond — Walked Only: 7.4% South Yarra — Walked Only: 8.8%
Train 4.2% / 8.4%
Richmond — Train: 4.2% South Yarra — Train: 8.4%
Tram / Light Rail 4.6% / 2.9%
Richmond — Tram / Light Rail: 4.6% South Yarra — Tram / Light Rail: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.0%).

Setting

Richmond South Yarra
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.2 km 3.1 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Richmond South Yarra
Connectivity score 83/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 36%
20,694 premises
 23%
20,401 premises

Climate

Richmond South Yarra
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)

Richmond South Yarra
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Richmond South Yarra
Average residential rate $1,937/yr $1,647/yr
Council Yarra Stonnington

Federal electorate

Richmond South Yarra
Division Melbourne
same for both
Member Sarah Witty
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Richmond South Yarra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Richmond

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

South Yarra

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

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Richmond

Richmond vs Melbourne Richmond vs Kew Richmond vs Hawthorn Richmond vs Collingwood Richmond vs Abbotsford Richmond vs East Melbourne

Other comparisons with South Yarra

South Yarra vs Melbourne South Yarra vs Toorak South Yarra vs Prahran South Yarra vs Cremorne South Yarra vs Burnley
Full data on Richmond Full data on South Yarra
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or