South Wharf vs Southbank

Southbank is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 34 in South Wharf. In both, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In South Wharf, about half of households are people living alone. In Southbank, most households are people living alone. Southbank is closer to the city centre: 2.4 km, against 3.1 km. On these figures, South Wharf tends to suit families with children and couples, while Southbank suits young adults.

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

Southbank

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • But South Wharf is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 17%)

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

First-home buyers

South Wharf

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 23%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Southbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($411/wk vs $622/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Southbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)

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

Investors

Southbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.0% vs -33.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

South Wharf and Southbank 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 Wharf Southbank
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 Wharf Southbank
Walkability 98 / 100
South Wharf — Walkability: 98/100 Southbank — Walkability: 100/100
Safety 0 / 7
South Wharf — Safety: 0/100 Southbank — Safety: 7/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
South Wharf — Low fire risk: 100/100 Southbank — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 21 / 7
South Wharf — Low flood risk: 21/100 Southbank — Low flood risk: 7/100

Demographics

Southbank has more residents (22,631 vs 71); South Wharf rents higher ($622/wk vs $411/wk).

South Wharf Southbank
Population 71 22,631
+31775% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -33.0% +21.0%
Median age 34 31
Median household income $149,448/yr
+33% vs other
 $100,152/yr
Median weekly rent $622/wk
+34% vs other
 $411/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Wharf Southbank
0-4 9.9% / 3.1%
South Wharf — 0-4: 9.9% Southbank — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 8.5% / 2.9%
South Wharf — 5-14: 8.5% Southbank — 5-14: 2.9%
15-19 — / 2.0%
South Wharf — 15-19: not among its largest Southbank — 15-19: 2.0%
20-24 — / 12.6%
South Wharf — 20-24: not among its largest Southbank — 20-24: 12.6%
25-34 18.3% / 41.6%
South Wharf — 25-34: 18.3% Southbank — 25-34: 41.6%
35-44 18.3% / 18.6%
South Wharf — 35-44: 18.3% Southbank — 35-44: 18.6%
45-54 8.5% / 7.7%
South Wharf — 45-54: 8.5% Southbank — 45-54: 7.7%
55-64 9.9% / 5.8%
South Wharf — 55-64: 9.9% Southbank — 55-64: 5.8%
65-74 5.6% / 3.8%
South Wharf — 65-74: 5.6% Southbank — 65-74: 3.8%
75-84 — / 1.6%
South Wharf — 75-84: not among its largest Southbank — 75-84: 1.6%
85+ — / 0.3%
South Wharf — 85+: not among its largest Southbank — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (41.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Wharf 54.5% lone person
South Wharf — Lone Person: 54.5% South Wharf — Couple Families: 45.5% South Wharf — Group Household: 0.0% South Wharf — One Parent Families: 0.0% South Wharf — Other Families: 0.0%
Southbank 61.4% lone person
Southbank — Lone Person: 61.4% Southbank — Couple Families: 11.5% Southbank — Group Household: 18.3% Southbank — One Parent Families: 5.8% Southbank — Other Families: 3.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Wharf 66.7% renting
South Wharf — Owned Outright: 14.3% South Wharf — Mortgage: 19.0% South Wharf — Renting: 66.7%
Southbank 68.9% renting
Southbank — Owned Outright: 12.9% Southbank — Mortgage: 18.2% Southbank — Renting: 68.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

South Wharf Southbank
Bachelor Degree 22.5% / 33.1%
South Wharf — Bachelor Degree: 22.5% Southbank — Bachelor Degree: 33.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 19.3%
South Wharf — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Southbank — Postgraduate Degree: 19.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.2% / 8.8%
South Wharf — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.2% Southbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.6% / 3.1%
South Wharf — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.6% Southbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%
Certificate III & IV — / 5.1%
South Wharf — Certificate III & IV: not among its largest Southbank — Certificate III & IV: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.1%).

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 Wharf Southbank
Afghanistan 23.9% / —
South Wharf — Afghanistan: 23.9% Southbank — Afghanistan: not among its largest
China 4.2% / 8.9%
South Wharf — China: 4.2% Southbank — China: 8.9%
India — / 9.4%
South Wharf — India: not among its largest Southbank — India: 9.4%
Egypt 4.2% / —
South Wharf — Egypt: 4.2% Southbank — Egypt: not among its largest
Malaysia — / 3.7%
South Wharf — Malaysia: not among its largest Southbank — Malaysia: 3.7%
England — / 3.0%
South Wharf — England: not among its largest Southbank — England: 3.0%
New Zealand — / 2.7%
South Wharf — New Zealand: not among its largest Southbank — New Zealand: 2.7%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Wharf 100.0% flats / apartments
South Wharf — Flats / Apartments: 100.0% South Wharf — Townhouses: 0.0% South Wharf — Houses: 0.0%
Southbank 98.6% flats / apartments
Southbank — Flats / Apartments: 98.6% Southbank — Townhouses: 1.3% Southbank — Houses: 0.0%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

South Wharf Southbank
Median house price — $660,000
Median unit price — $570,000
Median land price — $680,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 84 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

South Wharf Southbank
Commercial 63% 54%
Infrastructure and transport 22% 28%
Parks and recreation 15% 6%
Residential 0% 9%
Other and special use 0% 4%
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 Wharf Southbank
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
same for both
Approvals change year on year +195%
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.

South Wharf Southbank
Houses — 4.4%
$750/wk on $877K
Units — 6.6%
$740/wk on $579K

Ranking within VIC

South Wharf Southbank
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 95% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 90% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 97% of VIC

Liveability

South Wharf Southbank
Grade — B
Score — 67/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Southbank carries more flood risk (93 vs 79).

South Wharf Southbank
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
100/100
 High
93/100
Flood High
79/100
 High
93/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 38
within 5 km
 29
within 5 km

Schools

South Wharf Southbank
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 1.7 km
 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 0.8 km

Schools in South Wharf

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Southbank

  • South Melbourne Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Victorian College Of The Arts Secondary School Government · Secondary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

South Wharf Southbank
Supermarkets 0 8
Cafes & restaurants 11 75
Parks & reserves 1 15
Childcare 1 6
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2

Mobility

South Wharf Southbank
Walkability score 98/100 100/100
Distance to Melbourne 3.1 km
+23% vs other
 2.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 8 min
Public transport score 77/100
Tram
 82/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 24.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 391.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 3006
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 0
postcode 3006
same for both

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 Wharf Southbank
Worked from Home 50.0% / 47.6%
South Wharf — Worked from Home: 50.0% Southbank — Worked from Home: 47.6%
Car (driver) 50.0% / 17.7%
South Wharf — Car (driver): 50.0% Southbank — Car (driver): 17.7%
Walked Only — / 15.1%
South Wharf — Walked Only: not among its largest Southbank — Walked Only: 15.1%
Tram / Light Rail — / 9.9%
South Wharf — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest Southbank — Tram / Light Rail: 9.9%
Train — / 5.6%
South Wharf — Train: not among its largest Southbank — Train: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.0%).

Setting

South Wharf Southbank
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.5 km to a named beach
 2.8 km
2.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

South Wharf Southbank
Connectivity score 66/100 81/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 2%
389 premises
 46%
18,885 premises

Climate

South Wharf Southbank
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 Wharf Southbank
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

South Wharf Southbank
Average residential rate $2,345/yr
same for both
Council Melbourne
same for both

Federal electorate

South Wharf Southbank
Division Macnamara
same for both
Member Josh Burns
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

South Wharf

Apartments Cafe Culture Coastal Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals River Trams Young Families

Southbank

Apartments Coastal Inner Multicultural Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Wharf

South Wharf vs Melbourne South Wharf vs Docklands

Other comparisons with Southbank

Southbank vs Melbourne Southbank vs Docklands Southbank vs South Melbourne
Full data on South Wharf Full data on Southbank
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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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