Sandringham vs Black Rock

In both, most households own their home. In Black Rock, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Black Rock: a median of $2.5 million, against $2.19 million in Sandringham, and rent is higher there too.

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

Sandringham

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 5)
  • But Black Rock carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Sandringham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($650,000 vs $950,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,195,000 vs $2,502,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sandringham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($460/wk vs $541/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandringham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 76/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Sandringham

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (8 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 76/100)
  • But Black Rock carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 54/100)

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

Investors

Sandringham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.0% vs 4.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandringham Black Rock
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.

Sandringham Black Rock
Walkability 89 / 76
Sandringham — Walkability: 89/100 Black Rock — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 46 / 70
Sandringham — Safety: 46/100 Black Rock — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Sandringham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Black Rock — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 75 / 100
Sandringham — Low flood risk: 75/100 Black Rock — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sandringham has more residents (10,926 vs 6,389); Black Rock rents higher ($541/wk vs $460/wk).

Sandringham Black Rock
Population 10,926
+42% vs other
 6,389
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.7% +3.7%
Median age 47 49
Median household income $120,276/yr $125,632/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $460/wk $541/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandringham Black Rock
0-4 4.0% / 3.9%
Sandringham — 0-4: 4.0% Black Rock — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 11.9% / 11.8%
Sandringham — 5-14: 11.9% Black Rock — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 6.4% / 7.2%
Sandringham — 15-19: 6.4% Black Rock — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 4.7% / 4.6%
Sandringham — 20-24: 4.7% Black Rock — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 7.6% / 6.2%
Sandringham — 25-34: 7.6% Black Rock — 25-34: 6.2%
35-44 11.9% / 10.0%
Sandringham — 35-44: 11.9% Black Rock — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 16.0% / 15.5%
Sandringham — 45-54: 16.0% Black Rock — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 14.5% / 15.5%
Sandringham — 55-64: 14.5% Black Rock — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 11.6% / 13.9%
Sandringham — 65-74: 11.6% Black Rock — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 7.0% / 8.0%
Sandringham — 75-84: 7.0% Black Rock — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 4.5% / 3.4%
Sandringham — 85+: 4.5% Black Rock — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandringham 44.4% couple families
Sandringham — Couple Families: 44.4% Sandringham — Lone Person: 41.5% Sandringham — One Parent Families: 11.0% Sandringham — Group Household: 2.4% Sandringham — Other Families: 0.6%
Black Rock 50.1% couple families
Black Rock — Couple Families: 50.1% Black Rock — Lone Person: 35.8% Black Rock — One Parent Families: 11.6% Black Rock — Group Household: 1.7% Black Rock — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandringham 26.0% renting
Sandringham — Owned Outright: 40.7% Sandringham — Mortgage: 33.2% Sandringham — Renting: 26.0%
Black Rock 17.8% renting
Black Rock — Owned Outright: 50.8% Black Rock — Mortgage: 31.4% Black Rock — Renting: 17.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sandringham Black Rock
Bachelor Degree 23.4% / 23.9%
Sandringham — Bachelor Degree: 23.4% Black Rock — Bachelor Degree: 23.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 9.5%
Sandringham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Black Rock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Postgraduate Degree 9.2% / 8.3%
Sandringham — Postgraduate Degree: 9.2% Black Rock — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3%
Certificate III & IV 6.5% / 7.2%
Sandringham — Certificate III & IV: 6.5% Black Rock — Certificate III & IV: 7.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.0% / 3.4%
Sandringham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0% Black Rock — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.9%).

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.

Sandringham Black Rock
England 7.2% / 7.1%
Sandringham — England: 7.2% Black Rock — England: 7.1%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.7%
Sandringham — New Zealand: 1.9% Black Rock — New Zealand: 1.7%
South Africa 1.4% / 1.3%
Sandringham — South Africa: 1.4% Black Rock — South Africa: 1.3%
China 1.3% / 1.4%
Sandringham — China: 1.3% Black Rock — China: 1.4%
Scotland 1.0% / 1.0%
Sandringham — Scotland: 1.0% Black Rock — Scotland: 1.0%
Germany 0.9% / 1.0%
Sandringham — Germany: 0.9% Black Rock — Germany: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandringham 50.0% houses
Sandringham — Houses: 50.0% Sandringham — Townhouses: 22.4% Sandringham — Flats / Apartments: 27.6%
Black Rock 56.0% houses
Black Rock — Houses: 56.0% Black Rock — Townhouses: 34.2% Black Rock — Flats / Apartments: 9.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Sandringham Black Rock
Median house price $2,195,000 $2,502,500
Median unit price $650,000 $950,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 59 sales
 22 days
from 26 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.

Sandringham Black Rock
2 bed $664K / $830K
Sandringham — 2 bed: $664K (74 sales) Black Rock — 2 bed: $830K (29 sales)

74 vs 29 sales

3 bed $1.33M / $1.33M
Sandringham — 3 bed: $1.33M (25 sales) Black Rock — 3 bed: $1.33M (15 sales)

25 vs 15 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.

Sandringham Black Rock
3 bed $1.85M / $1.78M
Sandringham — 3 bed: $1.85M (31 sales) Black Rock — 3 bed: $1.78M (20 sales)

31 vs 20 sales

4 bed $2.31M / $2.52M
Sandringham — 4 bed: $2.31M (44 sales) Black Rock — 4 bed: $2.52M (36 sales)

44 vs 36 sales

5 bed $2.9M / $3.93M
Sandringham — 5 bed: $2.9M (20 sales) Black Rock — 5 bed: $3.93M (8 sales)

20 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Sandringham Black Rock
Residential 71% 82%
Parks and recreation 16% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 5%
Commercial 4% 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

Sandringham Black Rock
New dwellings approved 473
across Bayside (Vic.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -47%
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.

Sandringham Black Rock
Houses 2.5%
$1,000/wk on $2.1M
 2.9%
$1,298/wk on $2.3M
Units 5.0%
$665/wk on $688K
 4.5%
$722/wk on $840K

Ranking within VIC

Sandringham Black Rock
House price Higher than 96% of VIC
same for both
Income Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools Higher than 51% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 5% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Sandringham is more walkable (89 vs 76); Black Rock scores higher overall (91 vs 80).

Sandringham Black Rock
Grade A A+
Score 80/100 91/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Sandringham carries more flood risk (25 vs 0); Sandringham carries more crime risk (54 vs 30).

Sandringham Black Rock
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
30/100
Flood Low
25/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
60/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Sandringham Black Rock
Inside the suburb 5 2
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Monash Caulfield, 8.4 km
 None

Schools in Sandringham

  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Sandringham College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Sandringham East Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Sandringham Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Firbank Grammar School - Sandringham Campus Independent · Combined

Schools in Black Rock

  • Black Rock Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Sandringham Black Rock
Supermarkets 2
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 24 10
Parks & reserves 13 2
Childcare 12 5
GPs 8 1
Pharmacies 2 1
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 2 1
Beaches 1 0

Mobility

Sandringham Black Rock
Walkability score 89/100 76/100
Distance to Melbourne 18.8 km 20.6 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 30 min 33 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 164.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 129.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 3191
 2.3%
postcode 3193
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 3191
 27
postcode 3193

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.

Sandringham Black Rock
Worked from Home 50.6% / 48.8%
Sandringham — Worked from Home: 50.6% Black Rock — Worked from Home: 48.8%
Car (driver) 39.3% / 44.0%
Sandringham — Car (driver): 39.3% Black Rock — Car (driver): 44.0%
Train 3.7% / 2.0%
Sandringham — Train: 3.7% Black Rock — Train: 2.0%
Walked Only 2.7% / 2.3%
Sandringham — Walked Only: 2.7% Black Rock — Walked Only: 2.3%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 2.1%
Sandringham — Car (passenger): 2.2% Black Rock — Car (passenger): 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.6%).

Setting

Sandringham Black Rock
Elevation 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 782 m
952 m to a named beach
 772 m
1.5 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Sandringham Black Rock
Connectivity score 79/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 17%
5,622 premises
 1%
3,000 premises

Climate

Sandringham Black Rock
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Sandringham Black Rock
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Sandringham Black Rock
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (Vic.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Sandringham Black Rock
Division Goldstein
same for both
Member Tim Wilson
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sandringham Black Rock
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sandringham

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Village Feel

Black Rock

Beach Coastal Luxury Middle-Ring Professionals Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandringham

Sandringham vs Cheltenham Sandringham vs Hampton Sandringham vs Highett

Other comparisons with Black Rock

Black Rock vs Cheltenham Black Rock vs Beaumaris
Full data on Sandringham Full data on Black Rock
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