South Morang vs Doreen

Doreen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 36 in South Morang. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. South Morang is closer to the city centre: 32.1 km, against 35.8 km. On these figures, Doreen tends to suit families with children.

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

Doreen

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 55/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (130 vs 108)

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

First-home buyers

South Morang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($625,000 vs $747,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

South Morang

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (70/100 vs 40/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (32.1 km vs 35.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (46 min vs 51 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

South Morang

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (16% vs 5%)
  • is more walkable (70/100 vs 40/100)
  • But Doreen carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 55/100)

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

Investors

Doreen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.3% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

South Morang Doreen
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.

South Morang Doreen
Walkability 70 / 40
South Morang — Walkability: 70/100 Doreen — Walkability: 40/100
Safety 45 / 61
South Morang — Safety: 45/100 Doreen — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 48 / 74
South Morang — Low fire risk: 48/100 Doreen — Low fire risk: 74/100
Low flood risk 51 / 62
South Morang — Low flood risk: 51/100 Doreen — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

South Morang skews older (36 vs 33).

South Morang Doreen
Population 24,989 27,122
+9% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.9% +27.3%
Median age 36 33
Median household income $108,056/yr $111,852/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $397/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Morang Doreen
0-4 6.0% / 8.5%
South Morang — 0-4: 6.0% Doreen — 0-4: 8.5%
5-14 14.9% / 18.4%
South Morang — 5-14: 14.9% Doreen — 5-14: 18.4%
15-19 7.3% / 6.8%
South Morang — 15-19: 7.3% Doreen — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 6.7% / 4.9%
South Morang — 20-24: 6.7% Doreen — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 13.2% / 13.9%
South Morang — 25-34: 13.2% Doreen — 25-34: 13.9%
35-44 15.9% / 18.6%
South Morang — 35-44: 15.9% Doreen — 35-44: 18.6%
45-54 15.1% / 13.0%
South Morang — 45-54: 15.1% Doreen — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 10.1% / 7.6%
South Morang — 55-64: 10.1% Doreen — 55-64: 7.6%
65-74 6.1% / 5.7%
South Morang — 65-74: 6.1% Doreen — 65-74: 5.7%
75-84 3.2% / 2.3%
South Morang — 75-84: 3.2% Doreen — 75-84: 2.3%
85+ 1.5% / 0.3%
South Morang — 85+: 1.5% Doreen — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Morang 61.0% couple families
South Morang — Couple Families: 61.0% South Morang — Lone Person: 19.5% South Morang — One Parent Families: 15.9% South Morang — Group Household: 2.4% South Morang — Other Families: 1.2%
Doreen 61.8% couple families
Doreen — Couple Families: 61.8% Doreen — Lone Person: 17.8% Doreen — One Parent Families: 17.6% Doreen — Group Household: 1.8% Doreen — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Morang 21.3% renting
South Morang — Owned Outright: 24.5% South Morang — Mortgage: 54.2% South Morang — Renting: 21.3%
Doreen 21.6% renting
Doreen — Owned Outright: 19.3% Doreen — Mortgage: 59.1% Doreen — Renting: 21.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

South Morang Doreen
Certificate III & IV 12.8% / 15.2%
South Morang — Certificate III & IV: 12.8% Doreen — Certificate III & IV: 15.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 11.6%
South Morang — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Doreen — Bachelor Degree: 11.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.8%
South Morang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Doreen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 3.7%
South Morang — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Doreen — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 2.0%
South Morang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Doreen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

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.

South Morang Doreen
India 6.5% / 3.9%
South Morang — India: 6.5% Doreen — India: 3.9%
England 1.2% / 2.5%
South Morang — England: 1.2% Doreen — England: 2.5%
Italy 2.4% / 0.8%
South Morang — Italy: 2.4% Doreen — Italy: 0.8%
Sri Lanka 1.7% / 1.1%
South Morang — Sri Lanka: 1.7% Doreen — Sri Lanka: 1.1%
Iran 1.3% / 0.8%
South Morang — Iran: 1.3% Doreen — Iran: 0.8%
Philippines 1.4% / 0.6%
South Morang — Philippines: 1.4% Doreen — Philippines: 0.6%
New Zealand — / 1.2%
South Morang — New Zealand: not among its largest Doreen — New Zealand: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Morang 84.4% houses
South Morang — Houses: 84.4% South Morang — Townhouses: 15.2% South Morang — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Doreen 94.6% houses
Doreen — Houses: 94.6% Doreen — Townhouses: 5.1% Doreen — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

South Morang Doreen
Median house price $813,000 $805,500
Median unit price $546,750 $570,000
Median land price $625,000 $747,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 233 sales
 20 days
from 359 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.

South Morang Doreen
2 bed $530K / $502K
South Morang — 2 bed: $530K (19 sales) Doreen — 2 bed: $502K (5 sales)

19 vs 5 sales

3 bed $739K / $721K
South Morang — 3 bed: $739K (154 sales) Doreen — 3 bed: $721K (193 sales)

154 vs 193 sales

4 bed $900K / $842K
South Morang — 4 bed: $900K (183 sales) Doreen — 4 bed: $842K (401 sales)

183 vs 401 sales

5 bed $1.12M / $1.09M
South Morang — 5 bed: $1.12M (22 sales) Doreen — 5 bed: $1.09M (24 sales)

22 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Doreen has more rural and farming land (38% vs 0%).

South Morang Doreen
Residential 48% 33%
Rural and farming 0% 38%
Environmental 20% 21%
Parks and recreation 19% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 1%
Commercial 4% 0%
Other and special use 3%
same for both
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

South Morang Doreen
New dwellings approved 2,632
across Whittlesea
 98
across Nillumbik
Approvals change year on year -28% +8%

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.

South Morang Doreen
Houses 3.9%
$570/wk on $755K
 3.8%
$585/wk on $810K
Units 5.3%
$468/wk on $456K
 —

Ranking within VIC

South Morang Doreen
House price Higher than 52% of VIC
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Schools Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 77% of VIC —

Liveability

South Morang is more walkable (70 vs 40); Doreen scores higher overall (58 vs 43).

South Morang Doreen
Grade C B
Score 43/100 58/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

South Morang carries more bushfire risk (52 vs 26); South Morang carries more crime risk (55 vs 39).

South Morang Doreen
Bushfire Moderate
52/100
 Low
26/100
Crime Moderate
55/100
 Low
39/100
Flood Moderate
49/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

South Morang Doreen
Inside the suburb 8
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 4
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 2
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 7.7 km
 None

Schools in South Morang

  • Marymede Catholic College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Morang South Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • The Lakes South Morang College Government · Combined below peers
  • Plenty River College Independent · Secondary
  • The Lakes South Morang College-Primary Campus Government · Combined
  • Collingwood English Language School-South Morang Campus Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Doreen

  • Doreen Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ashley Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Hazel Glen College Government · Combined at peers
  • Laurimar Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Plenty Valley Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Paul the Apostle Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

South Morang Doreen
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 6
same for both
Parks & reserves 108 130
Childcare 16
same for both
GPs 7
same for both
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 5 2
Waterways 21 7

Mobility

Doreen sits further from the CBD (35.8 km vs 32.1 km).

South Morang Doreen
Walkability score 70/100 40/100
Distance to Melbourne 32.1 km 35.8 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 46 min 51 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 379.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 263.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3752
 1.2%
postcode 3754
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 3752
 45
postcode 3754

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.

South Morang Doreen
Car (driver) 66.7% / 65.4%
South Morang — Car (driver): 66.7% Doreen — Car (driver): 65.4%
Worked from Home 24.2% / 27.0%
South Morang — Worked from Home: 24.2% Doreen — Worked from Home: 27.0%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.5%
South Morang — Car (passenger): 4.1% Doreen — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Train 3.5% / 3.0%
South Morang — Train: 3.5% Doreen — Train: 3.0%
Bus 1.0% / 0.3%
South Morang — Bus: 1.0% Doreen — Bus: 0.3%
Walked Only 0.4% / 0.6%
South Morang — Walked Only: 0.4% Doreen — Walked Only: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).

Setting

South Morang Doreen
Elevation 149 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 195 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.8 km 32.8 km

NBN connectivity

South Morang Doreen
Connectivity score 98/100 86/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 96%
10,106 premises
 74%
8,430 premises

Climate

South Morang Doreen
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)

South Morang Doreen
PM2.5 3.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

South Morang Doreen
Average residential rate $1,899/yr $2,696/yr
Council Whittlesea Nillumbik

Federal electorate

South Morang Doreen
Division Scullin Mcewen
Member Andrew Giles Rob Mitchell
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

South Morang

Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Transport Hub

Doreen

Family Large Blocks Outer Parks Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Morang

South Morang vs Epping South Morang vs Mill Park South Morang vs Wollert South Morang vs Mernda South Morang vs Plenty South Morang vs Yarrambat

Other comparisons with Doreen

Doreen vs Mernda Doreen vs Hurstbridge Doreen vs Yarrambat Doreen vs Arthurs Creek Doreen vs Yan Yean Doreen vs Nutfield
Full data on South Morang Full data on Doreen
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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