Strathewen vs St Andrews
Strathewen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 46 in St Andrews. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Strathewen, about half of households are couple families. In St Andrews, most households are couple families. St Andrews is closer to the city centre: 47.1 km, against 55 km.
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
St Andrews
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 32/100)
- But Strathewen has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs 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
St Andrews
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (60 min vs 72 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (47.1 km vs 55 km)
- But Strathewen is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
St Andrews
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 10%)
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 32/100)
- But Strathewen is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Strathewen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (11.2% vs -3.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Strathewen and St Andrews drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
St Andrews has more residents (1,186 vs 198); St Andrews skews older (46 vs 41).
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 198 | 1,186 +499% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +11.2% | -3.3% |
| Median age | 41 | 46 |
| Median household income | $108,888/yr | $115,232/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $351/wk +3% vs other | $340/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,075,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 21 days from 7 sales |
Zoning mix
Strathewen has more rural and farming land (25% vs 0%); St Andrews has more land zoned for conservation (93% vs 73%).
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 73% | 93% |
| Rural and farming | 25% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 5% |
| 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
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 98 across Nillumbik same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +8% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | — | Higher than 87% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 81% of VIC | Higher than 40% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 83% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 41% of VIC | Higher than 62% of VIC |
Liveability
Strathewen is more walkable (23 vs 0).
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | B |
| Score | — | 55/100 |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Strathewen carries more crime risk (32 vs 19).
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 99/100 | High 98/100 |
| Crime | Low 32/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Strathewen
- Strathewen Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in St Andrews
- St Andrews Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 5 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 10 | 15 |
Mobility
Strathewen sits further from the CBD (55 km vs 47.1 km).
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 23/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 55 km +14% vs other | 47.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 72 min | 60 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.2% postcode 3099 | 1.2% postcode 3761 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 41 postcode 3099 | 60 postcode 3761 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.2%).
Setting
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 183 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 164 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 44.4 km | 41.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 25 premises | 0% 401 premises |
Climate
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,215 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 22.9°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.8°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | — same for both | |
| PM10 | 15.5 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,696/yr same for both | |
| Council | Nillumbik same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mcewen same for both | |
| Member | Rob Mitchell same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Strathewen | St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Strathewen
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.