South Yarra vs Toorak

South Yarra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 47 in Toorak. In South Yarra, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Toorak, most households own their home, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in Toorak: a median of $816,000, against $542,000 in South Yarra, and rent is higher there too. South Yarra is closer to the city centre: 5.6 km, against 7.8 km. On these figures, South Yarra tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Toorak suits older residents.

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

Toorak

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (30% vs 7%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (40% vs 18%)
  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 87/100)
  • But South Yarra has more parks and reserves (17 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

South Yarra

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,790,000 vs $3,150,000)
  • has cheaper units ($542,000 vs $815,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 29%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

South Yarra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (64% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($415/wk vs $486/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

South Yarra

ahead on 4 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 6%)
  • sits closer to the CBD (5.6 km vs 7.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (13 min vs 18 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

South Yarra

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 4)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (93% vs 70%)
  • is more walkable (99/100 vs 88/100)
  • But Toorak has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 12%)

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

Investors

South Yarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.9% vs 4.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

South Yarra and Toorak 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 Yarra Toorak
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 Yarra Toorak
Walkability 99 / 88
South Yarra — Walkability: 99/100 Toorak — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 13 / 27
South Yarra — Safety: 13/100 Toorak — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
South Yarra — Low fire risk: 100/100 Toorak — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 41 / 44
South Yarra — Low flood risk: 41/100 Toorak — Low flood risk: 44/100

Demographics

South Yarra has more residents (25,028 vs 12,817); Toorak skews older (47 vs 33).

South Yarra Toorak
Population 25,028
+49% vs other
 12,817
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.5% -0.7%
Median age 33 47
Median household income $107,276/yr $131,716/yr
+23% vs other
Median weekly rent $415/wk $486/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Yarra Toorak
0-4 2.8% / 3.2%
South Yarra — 0-4: 2.8% Toorak — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 4.3% / 7.7%
South Yarra — 5-14: 4.3% Toorak — 5-14: 7.7%
15-19 3.0% / 4.9%
South Yarra — 15-19: 3.0% Toorak — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 8.7% / 6.7%
South Yarra — 20-24: 8.7% Toorak — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 34.1% / 14.6%
South Yarra — 25-34: 34.1% Toorak — 25-34: 14.6%
35-44 16.7% / 10.6%
South Yarra — 35-44: 16.7% Toorak — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 9.8% / 11.9%
South Yarra — 45-54: 9.8% Toorak — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 8.4% / 13.1%
South Yarra — 55-64: 8.4% Toorak — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 6.8% / 13.6%
South Yarra — 65-74: 6.8% Toorak — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 4.1% / 9.6%
South Yarra — 75-84: 4.1% Toorak — 75-84: 9.6%
85+ 1.4% / 4.0%
South Yarra — 85+: 1.4% Toorak — 85+: 4.0%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Toorak 51.0% lone person
Toorak — Lone Person: 51.0% Toorak — Couple Families: 30.1% Toorak — Group Household: 7.6% Toorak — One Parent Families: 9.9% Toorak — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Yarra 63.5% renting
South Yarra — Owned Outright: 18.3% South Yarra — Mortgage: 18.2% South Yarra — Renting: 63.5%
Toorak 32.3% renting
Toorak — Owned Outright: 44.2% Toorak — Mortgage: 23.5% Toorak — Renting: 32.3%
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.

South Yarra Toorak
China 4.4% / 5.0%
South Yarra — China: 4.4% Toorak — China: 5.0%
England 4.4% / 3.4%
South Yarra — England: 4.4% Toorak — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 3.1% / 2.0%
South Yarra — New Zealand: 3.1% Toorak — New Zealand: 2.0%
India 2.1% / 1.9%
South Yarra — India: 2.1% Toorak — India: 1.9%
Malaysia 1.5% / 1.4%
South Yarra — Malaysia: 1.5% Toorak — Malaysia: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

Qualifications

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

South Yarra Toorak
Bachelor Degree 33.9% / 30.4%
South Yarra — Bachelor Degree: 33.9% Toorak — Bachelor Degree: 30.4%
Postgraduate Degree 15.7% / 12.4%
South Yarra — Postgraduate Degree: 15.7% Toorak — Postgraduate Degree: 12.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 8.0%
South Yarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Toorak — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Certificate III & IV 4.7% / 3.7%
South Yarra — Certificate III & IV: 4.7% Toorak — Certificate III & IV: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 3.2%
South Yarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Toorak — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Yarra 79.8% flats / apartments
South Yarra — Flats / Apartments: 79.8% South Yarra — Houses: 7.4% South Yarra — Townhouses: 12.8%
Toorak 49.9% flats / apartments
Toorak — Flats / Apartments: 49.9% Toorak — Houses: 30.4% Toorak — Townhouses: 19.8%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

South Yarra Toorak
Median house price $1,790,000 $3,150,000
Median unit price $542,000 $815,500
Median land price $702,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 113 sales
 28 days
from 61 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 Yarra Toorak
3 bed $2.04M / $2.55M
South Yarra — 3 bed: $2.04M (81 sales) Toorak — 3 bed: $2.55M (37 sales)

81 vs 37 sales

4 bed $3M / $4.75M
South Yarra — 4 bed: $3M (41 sales) Toorak — 4 bed: $4.75M (23 sales)

41 vs 23 sales

5 bed $4.3M / $7.85M
South Yarra — 5 bed: $4.3M (7 sales) Toorak — 5 bed: $7.85M (7 sales)

7 vs 7 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.

South Yarra Toorak
1 bed $388K / $462K
South Yarra — 1 bed: $388K (542 sales) Toorak — 1 bed: $462K (48 sales)

542 vs 48 sales

2 bed $640K / $808K
South Yarra — 2 bed: $640K (603 sales) Toorak — 2 bed: $808K (156 sales)

603 vs 156 sales

3 bed $1.47M / $1.69M
South Yarra — 3 bed: $1.47M (100 sales) Toorak — 3 bed: $1.69M (54 sales)

100 vs 54 sales

Zoning mix

South Yarra has more commercially zoned land (14% vs 2%).

South Yarra Toorak
Residential 55% 88%
Parks and recreation 19% 2%
Commercial 14% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 5%
Other and special use 1% 3%
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 Yarra Toorak
New dwellings approved 818
across Stonnington
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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 Yarra Toorak
Houses 2.4%
$910/wk on $1.94M
 2.4%
$1,550/wk on $3.29M
Units 5.9%
$630/wk on $555K
 4.1%
$700/wk on $890K

Ranking within VIC

South Yarra Toorak
House price Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Schools Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 2% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 3% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC

Liveability

South Yarra is more walkable (99 vs 88).

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

Risk profile

South Yarra carries more crime risk (87 vs 73).

South Yarra Toorak
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
87/100
 High
73/100
Flood Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
56/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 14
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

South Yarra Toorak
Inside the suburb 8 6
Rated above peers 3 2
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 2.4 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 2.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.9% 4.3%

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

Schools in Toorak

  • St Catherine's School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Toorak Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Kevin's College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Loreto Mandeville Hall Catholic · Combined below peers
  • Geelong Grammar School - Toorak campus Independent · Combined
  • St Kevin's College - Glendalough Catholic · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

South Yarra Toorak
Supermarkets 7 3
Cafes & restaurants 82 3
Parks & reserves 17 6
Childcare 9 10
GPs 7 4
Pharmacies 10 4
Banks & Bank@Post 6 4
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Toorak sits further from the CBD (7.8 km vs 5.6 km).

South Yarra Toorak
Walkability score 99/100 88/100
Distance to Melbourne 5.6 km 7.8 km
+39% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 18 min
Public transport score 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 408.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 298.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.4%
postcode 3141
 3.5%
postcode 3142
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 3141
 7
postcode 3142

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 Yarra Toorak
Worked from Home 53.0% / 48.7%
South Yarra — Worked from Home: 53.0% Toorak — Worked from Home: 48.7%
Car (driver) 23.0% / 38.0%
South Yarra — Car (driver): 23.0% Toorak — Car (driver): 38.0%
Walked Only 8.8% / 3.3%
South Yarra — Walked Only: 8.8% Toorak — Walked Only: 3.3%
Train 8.4% / 3.7%
South Yarra — Train: 8.4% Toorak — Train: 3.7%
Tram / Light Rail 2.9% / 2.4%
South Yarra — Tram / Light Rail: 2.9% Toorak — Tram / Light Rail: 2.4%

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

Setting

South Yarra Toorak
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km
3.0 km to a named beach
 4.7 km
4.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

South Yarra Toorak
Connectivity score 79/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
20,401 premises
 4%
8,025 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

South Yarra Toorak
Average residential rate $1,647/yr
same for both
Council Stonnington
same for both

Federal electorate

South Yarra Toorak
Division Melbourne Kooyong
Member Sarah Witty Monique Ryan
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

South Yarra

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

Toorak

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Retirees Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Yarra

South Yarra vs Melbourne South Yarra vs Richmond South Yarra vs Prahran South Yarra vs Cremorne South Yarra vs Burnley

Other comparisons with Toorak

Toorak vs Hawthorn Toorak vs Prahran Toorak vs Malvern Toorak vs Armadale Toorak vs Kooyong Toorak vs Burnley
Full data on South Yarra Full data on Toorak
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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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