The Basin vs Mount Dandenong

The Basin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Mount Dandenong. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mount Dandenong: a median of $1.01 million, against $865,000 in The Basin, and rent is higher there too. The Basin is closer to the city centre: 39.4 km, against 47.4 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

The Basin

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • But Mount Dandenong carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 52/100)

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

First-home buyers

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($865,000 vs $1,007,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $415/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

The Basin

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 40/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (43 min vs 55 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (39.4 km vs 47.4 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • The Basin is more walkable (52/100 vs 40/100)
  • Mount Dandenong carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 52/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

The Basin and Mount Dandenong drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
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.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Walkability 52 / 40
The Basin — Walkability: 52/100 Mount Dandenong — Walkability: 40/100
Safety 48 / 64
The Basin — Safety: 48/100 Mount Dandenong — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 19 / 23
The Basin — Low fire risk: 19/100 Mount Dandenong — Low fire risk: 23/100
Low flood risk 71 / 100
The Basin — Low flood risk: 71/100 Mount Dandenong — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

The Basin has more residents (4,497 vs 1,271); Mount Dandenong rents higher ($415/wk vs $365/wk).

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Population 4,497
+72% vs other
 1,271
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% +1.6%
Median age 40 45
Median household income $104,988/yr $106,860/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk $415/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
0-4 5.7% / 4.4%
The Basin — 0-4: 5.7% Mount Dandenong — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 13.6% / 12.7%
The Basin — 5-14: 13.6% Mount Dandenong — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 6.1% / 5.1%
The Basin — 15-19: 6.1% Mount Dandenong — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 4.9% / 5.2%
The Basin — 20-24: 4.9% Mount Dandenong — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 11.7% / 8.9%
The Basin — 25-34: 11.7% Mount Dandenong — 25-34: 8.9%
35-44 13.3% / 12.7%
The Basin — 35-44: 13.3% Mount Dandenong — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 14.7% / 13.5%
The Basin — 45-54: 14.7% Mount Dandenong — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 12.7% / 14.6%
The Basin — 55-64: 12.7% Mount Dandenong — 55-64: 14.6%
65-74 9.7% / 13.1%
The Basin — 65-74: 9.7% Mount Dandenong — 65-74: 13.1%
75-84 4.9% / 6.8%
The Basin — 75-84: 4.9% Mount Dandenong — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 2.6% / 2.0%
The Basin — 85+: 2.6% Mount Dandenong — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

The Basin 53.9% couple families
The Basin — Couple Families: 53.9% The Basin — Lone Person: 26.6% The Basin — One Parent Families: 15.8% The Basin — Group Household: 2.6% The Basin — Other Families: 1.1%
Mount Dandenong 49.4% couple families
Mount Dandenong — Couple Families: 49.4% Mount Dandenong — Lone Person: 31.9% Mount Dandenong — One Parent Families: 14.2% Mount Dandenong — Group Household: 4.5% Mount Dandenong — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

The Basin 10.5% renting
The Basin — Owned Outright: 36.7% The Basin — Mortgage: 52.8% The Basin — Renting: 10.5%
Mount Dandenong 9.2% renting
Mount Dandenong — Owned Outright: 40.8% Mount Dandenong — Mortgage: 50.0% Mount Dandenong — Renting: 9.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Certificate III & IV 16.9% / 13.7%
The Basin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9% Mount Dandenong — Certificate III & IV: 13.7%
Bachelor Degree 11.7% / 16.2%
The Basin — Bachelor Degree: 11.7% Mount Dandenong — Bachelor Degree: 16.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 10.6%
The Basin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Mount Dandenong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 6.1%
The Basin — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Mount Dandenong — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 5.2%
The Basin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Mount Dandenong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

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.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
England 5.0% / 7.6%
The Basin — England: 5.0% Mount Dandenong — England: 7.6%
Germany 2.0% / 0.9%
The Basin — Germany: 2.0% Mount Dandenong — Germany: 0.9%
Netherlands 0.8% / 1.3%
The Basin — Netherlands: 0.8% Mount Dandenong — Netherlands: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
The Basin — New Zealand: 1.2% Mount Dandenong — New Zealand: not among its largest
China 0.8% / —
The Basin — China: 0.8% Mount Dandenong — China: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.8%
The Basin — South Africa: not among its largest Mount Dandenong — South Africa: 0.8%
Canada — / 0.6%
The Basin — Canada: not among its largest Mount Dandenong — Canada: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

The Basin 94.6% houses
The Basin — Houses: 94.6% The Basin — Townhouses: 4.8% The Basin — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Mount Dandenong 98.3% houses
Mount Dandenong — Houses: 98.3% Mount Dandenong — Townhouses: 1.7% Mount Dandenong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Median house price $865,000 $1,007,500
Median unit price $718,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 26 sales
 50 days
from 9 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.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
2 bed $850K / $760K
The Basin — 2 bed: $850K (7 sales) Mount Dandenong — 2 bed: $760K (9 sales)

7 vs 9 sales

3 bed $826K / $932K
The Basin — 3 bed: $826K (42 sales) Mount Dandenong — 3 bed: $932K (18 sales)

42 vs 18 sales

4 bed $945K / $1.19M
The Basin — 4 bed: $945K (31 sales) Mount Dandenong — 4 bed: $1.19M (21 sales)

31 vs 21 sales

Zoning mix

The Basin has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 0%); Mount Dandenong has more rural and farming land (33% vs 7%).

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Parks and recreation 3% 64%
Residential 36% 0%
Rural and farming 7% 33%
Environmental 33% 0%
Other and special use 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 2%
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

The Basin Mount Dandenong
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
 416
across Yarra Ranges
Approvals change year on year -14% -57%

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.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Houses 3.8%
$615/wk on $840K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

The Basin Mount Dandenong
House price Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Income — Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 31% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 55% of VIC —

Liveability

Mount Dandenong scores higher overall (67 vs 49); The Basin is more walkable (52 vs 40).

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Grade C B
Score 49/100 67/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

The Basin carries more flood risk (29 vs 0); The Basin carries more crime risk (52 vs 36).

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Bushfire High
81/100
 High
77/100
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Low
36/100
Flood Low
29/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in The Basin

  • St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • The Basin Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Mount Dandenong

  • Mount Dandenong Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Cafes & restaurants 4 2
Parks & reserves 13 4
Childcare 3 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 7 3

Mobility

Mount Dandenong sits further from the CBD (47.4 km vs 39.4 km).

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Walkability score 52/100 40/100
Distance to Melbourne 39.4 km 47.4 km
+20% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 43 min 55 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 40.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3154
 1.6%
postcode 3767
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3154
 19
postcode 3767

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.

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Car (driver) 66.7% / 59.4%
The Basin — Car (driver): 66.7% Mount Dandenong — Car (driver): 59.4%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 35.1%
The Basin — Worked from Home: 26.5% Mount Dandenong — Worked from Home: 35.1%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 2.9%
The Basin — Car (passenger): 3.3% Mount Dandenong — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.1%
The Basin — Walked Only: 1.5% Mount Dandenong — Walked Only: 1.1%
Train 1.2% / 0.7%
The Basin — Train: 1.2% Mount Dandenong — Train: 0.7%

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

Setting

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 586 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.7 km 30.2 km

NBN connectivity

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Connectivity score 75/100 94/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
1,733 premises
 70%
583 premises

Climate

The Basin Mount Dandenong
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)

The Basin Mount Dandenong
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Average residential rate $1,732/yr $2,161/yr
Council Knox Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Division Aston Casey
Member Mary Doyle Aaron Violi
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

The Basin Mount Dandenong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

The Basin

Large Blocks Outer Parks Quiet River

Mount Dandenong

Acreage Outer Professionals Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with The Basin

The Basin vs Boronia The Basin vs Kilsyth The Basin vs Montrose The Basin vs Ferny Creek The Basin vs Sassafras The Basin vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Mount Dandenong

Mount Dandenong vs Montrose Mount Dandenong vs Olinda Mount Dandenong vs Kalorama Mount Dandenong vs Sassafras
Full data on The Basin Full data on Mount Dandenong
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or