Sassafras vs Olinda

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Olinda: a median of $1.09 million, against $957,000 in Sassafras. On these figures, Olinda 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

Sassafras

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 59/100)
  • But Olinda has more parks and reserves (32 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

Sassafras

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($957,000 vs $1,089,500)

Weighs house 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

Sassafras

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 31/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (52 min vs 63 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (45.6 km vs 50.4 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Sassafras

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 59/100)
  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 31/100)

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

Investors

Olinda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.0% vs -8.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sassafras Olinda
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.

Sassafras Olinda
Walkability 45 / 31
Sassafras — Walkability: 45/100 Olinda — Walkability: 31/100
Safety 69 / 41
Sassafras — Safety: 69/100 Olinda — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 17 / 29
Sassafras — Low fire risk: 17/100 Olinda — Low fire risk: 29/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Sassafras — Low flood risk: 100/100 Olinda — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Olinda has more residents (1,773 vs 970); Sassafras skews older (47 vs 45).

Sassafras Olinda
Population 970 1,773
+83% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.6% +2.0%
Median age 47 45
Median household income $111,644/yr
+7% vs other
 $103,740/yr
Median weekly rent $410/wk
+3% vs other
 $398/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sassafras Olinda
0-4 3.4% / 4.9%
Sassafras — 0-4: 3.4% Olinda — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 11.3% / 13.0%
Sassafras — 5-14: 11.3% Olinda — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 7.7% / 5.3%
Sassafras — 15-19: 7.7% Olinda — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 4.3% / 4.1%
Sassafras — 20-24: 4.3% Olinda — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 8.9% / 8.7%
Sassafras — 25-34: 8.9% Olinda — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 10.8% / 12.6%
Sassafras — 35-44: 10.8% Olinda — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 16.6% / 16.9%
Sassafras — 45-54: 16.6% Olinda — 45-54: 16.9%
55-64 16.6% / 14.9%
Sassafras — 55-64: 16.6% Olinda — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 13.9% / 13.8%
Sassafras — 65-74: 13.9% Olinda — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 4.4% / 4.5%
Sassafras — 75-84: 4.4% Olinda — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 0.9% / 0.8%
Sassafras — 85+: 0.9% Olinda — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sassafras 52.2% couple families
Sassafras — Couple Families: 52.2% Sassafras — Lone Person: 23.7% Sassafras — One Parent Families: 18.8% Sassafras — Group Household: 3.7% Sassafras — Other Families: 1.6%
Olinda 47.9% couple families
Olinda — Couple Families: 47.9% Olinda — Lone Person: 32.7% Olinda — One Parent Families: 16.1% Olinda — Group Household: 2.2% Olinda — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sassafras 9.6% renting
Sassafras — Owned Outright: 41.3% Sassafras — Mortgage: 49.2% Sassafras — Renting: 9.6%
Olinda 12.3% renting
Olinda — Owned Outright: 38.8% Olinda — Mortgage: 48.9% Olinda — Renting: 12.3%
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.

Sassafras Olinda
England 7.3% / 6.4%
Sassafras — England: 7.3% Olinda — England: 6.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.2%
Sassafras — New Zealand: 1.1% Olinda — New Zealand: 1.2%
South Africa 0.9% / 1.0%
Sassafras — South Africa: 0.9% Olinda — South Africa: 1.0%
Germany 0.8% / 0.8%
Sassafras — Germany: 0.8% Olinda — Germany: 0.8%
China 0.8% / 0.5%
Sassafras — China: 0.8% Olinda — China: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.3%).

Qualifications

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

Sassafras Olinda
Bachelor Degree 18.1% / 17.3%
Sassafras — Bachelor Degree: 18.1% Olinda — Bachelor Degree: 17.3%
Certificate III & IV 11.5% / 12.1%
Sassafras — Certificate III & IV: 11.5% Olinda — Certificate III & IV: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 11.3%
Sassafras — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Olinda — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.3%
Postgraduate Degree 7.0% / 7.2%
Sassafras — Postgraduate Degree: 7.0% Olinda — Postgraduate Degree: 7.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 3.9%
Sassafras — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Olinda — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sassafras 98.6% houses
Sassafras — Houses: 98.6% Sassafras — Flats / Apartments: 1.4% Sassafras — Townhouses: 0.0%
Olinda 99.1% houses
Olinda — Houses: 99.1% Olinda — Flats / Apartments: 0.3% Olinda — Townhouses: 0.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Sassafras Olinda
Median house price $957,000 $1,089,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 4 sales
 36 days
from 29 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.

Sassafras Olinda
3 bed $942K / $860K
Sassafras — 3 bed: $942K (16 sales) Olinda — 3 bed: $860K (30 sales)

16 vs 30 sales

4 bed $1.08M / $1.1M
Sassafras — 4 bed: $1.08M (6 sales) Olinda — 4 bed: $1.1M (39 sales)

6 vs 39 sales

Zoning mix

Sassafras Olinda
Parks and recreation 47% 57%
Rural and farming 44% 39%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 2%
Other and special use 2% 0%
Environmental 0% 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

Sassafras Olinda
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

Sassafras Olinda
Houses — 4.6%
$900/wk on $1.02M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Sassafras Olinda
House price Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 61% of VIC
Income Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 93% of VIC

Liveability

Sassafras is more walkable (45 vs 31); Sassafras scores higher overall (67 vs 59).

Sassafras Olinda
Grade B
same for both
Score 67/100 59/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Olinda carries more crime risk (59 vs 31); Sassafras carries more bushfire risk (83 vs 71).

Sassafras Olinda
Bushfire High
83/100
 High
71/100
Crime Low
31/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Sassafras Olinda
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Sassafras

  • Sherbrooke Community School Government · Combined above peers
  • Sassafras Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Olinda

  • Olinda Primary School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Sassafras Olinda
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 7 13
Parks & reserves 6 32
Childcare 2 0
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Waterways 11 17

Mobility

Olinda sits further from the CBD (50.4 km vs 45.6 km).

Sassafras Olinda
Walkability score 45/100 31/100
Distance to Melbourne 45.6 km 50.4 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 52 min 63 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 66/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 28.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 19.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.0%
postcode 3787
 1.9%
postcode 3788
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 24
postcode 3787
 25
postcode 3788

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.

Sassafras Olinda
Car (driver) 53.8% / 52.5%
Sassafras — Car (driver): 53.8% Olinda — Car (driver): 52.5%
Worked from Home 38.2% / 38.0%
Sassafras — Worked from Home: 38.2% Olinda — Worked from Home: 38.0%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 3.3%
Sassafras — Car (passenger): 3.7% Olinda — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.4% / 3.3%
Sassafras — Walked Only: 1.4% Olinda — Walked Only: 3.3%
Train 3.0% / 1.4%
Sassafras — Train: 3.0% Olinda — Train: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.8%).

Setting

Sassafras Olinda
Elevation 468 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 493 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.1 km 31.1 km

NBN connectivity

Sassafras Olinda
Connectivity score 78/100 91/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
502 premises
 61%
944 premises

Climate

Sassafras Olinda
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Sassafras Olinda
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Sassafras Olinda
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Sassafras Olinda
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sassafras Olinda
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sassafras

Acreage Outer River Village Feel

Olinda

Acreage Outer Parks Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sassafras

Sassafras vs The Basin Sassafras vs Ferny Creek Sassafras vs Mount Dandenong Sassafras vs Sherbrooke Sassafras vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Olinda

Olinda vs Monbulk Olinda vs Kallista Olinda vs Silvan Olinda vs Kalorama Olinda vs Mount Dandenong Olinda vs The Patch
Full data on Sassafras Full data on Olinda
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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