Surrey Hills vs Box Hill South

Box Hill South is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 42 in Surrey Hills. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Surrey Hills: a median of $2.12 million, against $1.45 million in Box Hill South, and rent is higher there too. Surrey Hills is closer to the city centre: 13 km, against 22.2 km. On these figures, Box Hill South tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Surrey Hills

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (12 vs 3)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Box Hill South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,451,000 vs $2,125,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Box Hill South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($425/wk vs $462/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Surrey Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (13 km vs 22.2 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Surrey Hills

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Box Hill South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (7.9% vs 4.6%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Walkability 94 / 92
Surrey Hills — Walkability: 94/100 Box Hill South — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 49 / 29
Surrey Hills — Safety: 49/100 Box Hill South — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Surrey Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Box Hill South — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 79 / 51
Surrey Hills — Low flood risk: 79/100 Box Hill South — Low flood risk: 51/100

Demographics

Surrey Hills has more residents (13,655 vs 8,491); Surrey Hills has higher household incomes ($130,156 vs $100,256).

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Population 13,655
+38% vs other
 8,491
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.4% +0.7%
Median age 42 39
Median household income $130,156/yr
+23% vs other
 $100,256/yr
Median weekly rent $462/wk
+8% vs other
 $425/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
0-4 3.9% / 4.5%
Surrey Hills — 0-4: 3.9% Box Hill South — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 12.6% / 12.5%
Surrey Hills — 5-14: 12.6% Box Hill South — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 7.7% / 6.7%
Surrey Hills — 15-19: 7.7% Box Hill South — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.8% / 7.5%
Surrey Hills — 20-24: 6.8% Box Hill South — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 9.8% / 13.4%
Surrey Hills — 25-34: 9.8% Box Hill South — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 11.6% / 13.8%
Surrey Hills — 35-44: 11.6% Box Hill South — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 15.7% / 14.3%
Surrey Hills — 45-54: 15.7% Box Hill South — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 13.1% / 12.0%
Surrey Hills — 55-64: 13.1% Box Hill South — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 10.9% / 8.6%
Surrey Hills — 65-74: 10.9% Box Hill South — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 5.3% / 4.4%
Surrey Hills — 75-84: 5.3% Box Hill South — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.7% / 2.3%
Surrey Hills — 85+: 2.7% Box Hill South — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Surrey Hills 52.3% couple families
Surrey Hills — Couple Families: 52.3% Surrey Hills — Lone Person: 31.2% Surrey Hills — One Parent Families: 11.6% Surrey Hills — Group Household: 3.7% Surrey Hills — Other Families: 1.3%
Box Hill South 46.2% couple families
Box Hill South — Couple Families: 46.2% Box Hill South — Lone Person: 32.3% Box Hill South — One Parent Families: 13.5% Box Hill South — Group Household: 6.3% Box Hill South — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Surrey Hills 22.0% renting
Surrey Hills — Owned Outright: 42.6% Surrey Hills — Mortgage: 35.4% Surrey Hills — Renting: 22.0%
Box Hill South 28.7% renting
Box Hill South — Owned Outright: 33.8% Box Hill South — Mortgage: 37.5% Box Hill South — Renting: 28.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Bachelor Degree 26.5% / 22.4%
Surrey Hills — Bachelor Degree: 26.5% Box Hill South — Bachelor Degree: 22.4%
Postgraduate Degree 12.8% / 11.8%
Surrey Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 12.8% Box Hill South — Postgraduate Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.0%
Surrey Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Box Hill South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Certificate III & IV 4.5% / 6.3%
Surrey Hills — Certificate III & IV: 4.5% Box Hill South — Certificate III & IV: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.6% / 3.3%
Surrey Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6% Box Hill South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.5%).

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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
China 6.0% / 13.3%
Surrey Hills — China: 6.0% Box Hill South — China: 13.3%
England 3.6% / 2.2%
Surrey Hills — England: 3.6% Box Hill South — England: 2.2%
India 1.5% / 3.8%
Surrey Hills — India: 1.5% Box Hill South — India: 3.8%
Malaysia 2.1% / 2.6%
Surrey Hills — Malaysia: 2.1% Box Hill South — Malaysia: 2.6%
Vietnam 0.8% / 2.1%
Surrey Hills — Vietnam: 0.8% Box Hill South — Vietnam: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.2%
Surrey Hills — New Zealand: 1.3% Box Hill South — New Zealand: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Surrey Hills 66.9% houses
Surrey Hills — Houses: 66.9% Surrey Hills — Townhouses: 20.5% Surrey Hills — Flats / Apartments: 12.6%
Box Hill South 66.1% houses
Box Hill South — Houses: 66.1% Box Hill South — Townhouses: 22.6% Box Hill South — Flats / Apartments: 11.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Median house price $2,125,000 $1,451,000
Median unit price $825,000 $774,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 118 sales
 22 days
from 70 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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
2 bed $808K / $685K
Surrey Hills — 2 bed: $808K (88 sales) Box Hill South — 2 bed: $685K (21 sales)

88 vs 21 sales

3 bed $995K / $920K
Surrey Hills — 3 bed: $995K (21 sales) Box Hill South — 3 bed: $920K (18 sales)

21 vs 18 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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
2 bed $1.36M / $1.28M
Surrey Hills — 2 bed: $1.36M (18 sales) Box Hill South — 2 bed: $1.28M (13 sales)

18 vs 13 sales

3 bed $1.88M / $1.33M
Surrey Hills — 3 bed: $1.88M (58 sales) Box Hill South — 3 bed: $1.33M (60 sales)

58 vs 60 sales

4 bed $2.28M / $1.54M
Surrey Hills — 4 bed: $2.28M (76 sales) Box Hill South — 4 bed: $1.54M (43 sales)

76 vs 43 sales

5 bed $2.94M / $2.25M
Surrey Hills — 5 bed: $2.94M (23 sales) Box Hill South — 5 bed: $2.25M (21 sales)

23 vs 21 sales

Zoning mix

Box Hill South has more industrially zoned land (10% vs 0%).

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Residential 87% 68%
Industrial 0% 10%
Other and special use 0% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 7%
Commercial 4% 2%
Parks and recreation 3%
same for both
Planning zones cover 99% of Surrey Hills and 100% of Box Hill South. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
 879
across Whitehorse
Approvals change year on year -40% +17%

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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Houses 3.2%
$1,200/wk on $1.97M
 3.0%
$780/wk on $1.35M
Units 4.6%
$700/wk on $788K
 7.9%
$650/wk on $430K

Ranking within VIC

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
House price Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Income — Higher than 73% of VIC
Schools Higher than 83% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 13% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC

Liveability

Surrey Hills scores higher overall (92 vs 76).

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Grade A+ A
Score 92/100 76/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Box Hill South carries more flood risk (49 vs 21); Box Hill South carries more crime risk (71 vs 51).

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
71/100
Flood Low
21/100
 Moderate
49/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 2.8 km
 3
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 1.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.1% 4.7%

Schools in Surrey Hills

  • Chatham Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Holy Redeemer School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Surrey Hills Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Succour School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Box Hill South

  • Kingswood College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Roberts McCubbin Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Supermarkets 1 2
Cafes & restaurants 13 5
Parks & reserves 9 4
Childcare 12 3
GPs 4 2
Pharmacies 4 2
Banks & Bank@Post 3
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 11 1

Mobility

Box Hill South sits further from the CBD (22.2 km vs 13 km).

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Walkability score 94/100 92/100
Distance to Melbourne 13 km 22.2 km
+71% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 30 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 201.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 247.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 3127
 2.1%
postcode 3128
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 3127
 14
postcode 3128

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.

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Worked from Home 51.7% / 40.8%
Surrey Hills — Worked from Home: 51.7% Box Hill South — Worked from Home: 40.8%
Car (driver) 37.2% / 46.7%
Surrey Hills — Car (driver): 37.2% Box Hill South — Car (driver): 46.7%
Train 4.5% / 4.0%
Surrey Hills — Train: 4.5% Box Hill South — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 3.6%
Surrey Hills — Car (passenger): 2.7% Box Hill South — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Walked Only 2.3% / 1.6%
Surrey Hills — Walked Only: 2.3% Box Hill South — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus 0.4% / 2.2%
Surrey Hills — Bus: 0.4% Box Hill South — Bus: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.7%).

Setting

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Elevation 110 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.8 km 13.5 km

NBN connectivity

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Connectivity score 76/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
6,292 premises
 4%
4,010 premises

Climate

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
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)

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Average residential rate $2,253/yr $1,516/yr
Council Boroondara Whitehorse

Federal electorate

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Division Kooyong Menzies
Member Monique Ryan Gabriel Ng
Party Independent Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Surrey Hills Box Hill South
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Surrey Hills

Easy Commute Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Professionals River Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Box Hill South

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

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Surrey Hills vs Camberwell Surrey Hills vs Burwood Surrey Hills vs Box Hill Surrey Hills vs Balwyn Surrey Hills vs Canterbury Surrey Hills vs Mont Albert

Other comparisons with Box Hill South

Box Hill South vs Burwood Box Hill South vs Blackburn Box Hill South vs Box Hill Box Hill South vs Blackburn South
Full data on Surrey Hills Full data on Box Hill South
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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