The Basin vs Sassafras

The Basin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Sassafras. 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 Sassafras: a median of $957,000, against $865,000 in The Basin, and rent is higher there too. The Basin is closer to the city centre: 39.4 km, against 45.6 km. On these figures, The Basin tends to suit families with children.

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 6)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)
  • But Sassafras carries lower crime risk (31/100 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 $957,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $410/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

The Basin

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (43 min vs 52 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (39.4 km vs 45.6 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Sassafras

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 52/100)

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

Investors

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.8% vs -8.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

The Basin and Sassafras 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 Sassafras
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 Sassafras
Walkability 52 / 45
The Basin — Walkability: 52/100 Sassafras — Walkability: 45/100
Safety 48 / 69
The Basin — Safety: 48/100 Sassafras — Safety: 69/100
Low fire risk 19 / 17
The Basin — Low fire risk: 19/100 Sassafras — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 71 / 100
The Basin — Low flood risk: 71/100 Sassafras — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

The Basin has more residents (4,497 vs 970); Sassafras skews older (47 vs 40).

The Basin Sassafras
Population 4,497
+78% vs other
 970
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% -8.6%
Median age 40 47
Median household income $104,988/yr $111,644/yr
+6% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk $410/wk
+12% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

The Basin Sassafras
0-4 5.7% / 3.4%
The Basin — 0-4: 5.7% Sassafras — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 13.6% / 11.3%
The Basin — 5-14: 13.6% Sassafras — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 6.1% / 7.7%
The Basin — 15-19: 6.1% Sassafras — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 4.9% / 4.3%
The Basin — 20-24: 4.9% Sassafras — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 11.7% / 8.9%
The Basin — 25-34: 11.7% Sassafras — 25-34: 8.9%
35-44 13.3% / 10.8%
The Basin — 35-44: 13.3% Sassafras — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 14.7% / 16.6%
The Basin — 45-54: 14.7% Sassafras — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 12.7% / 16.6%
The Basin — 55-64: 12.7% Sassafras — 55-64: 16.6%
65-74 9.7% / 13.9%
The Basin — 65-74: 9.7% Sassafras — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 4.9% / 4.4%
The Basin — 75-84: 4.9% Sassafras — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.6% / 0.9%
The Basin — 85+: 2.6% Sassafras — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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%
Sassafras 52.2% couple families
Sassafras — Couple Families: 52.2% Sassafras — Lone Person: 23.7% Sassafras — One Parent Families: 18.8% Sassafras — Group Household: 3.7% Sassafras — Other Families: 1.6%
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%
Sassafras 9.6% renting
Sassafras — Owned Outright: 41.3% Sassafras — Mortgage: 49.2% Sassafras — Renting: 9.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

The Basin Sassafras
Bachelor Degree 11.7% / 18.1%
The Basin — Bachelor Degree: 11.7% Sassafras — Bachelor Degree: 18.1%
Certificate III & IV 16.9% / 11.5%
The Basin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9% Sassafras — Certificate III & IV: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 9.7%
The Basin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Sassafras — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 7.0%
The Basin — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Sassafras — Postgraduate Degree: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 4.1%
The Basin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Sassafras — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

The Basin Sassafras
England 5.0% / 7.3%
The Basin — England: 5.0% Sassafras — England: 7.3%
Germany 2.0% / 0.8%
The Basin — Germany: 2.0% Sassafras — Germany: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.1%
The Basin — New Zealand: 1.2% Sassafras — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 0.8% / 0.8%
The Basin — China: 0.8% Sassafras — China: 0.8%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.4%
The Basin — Netherlands: 0.8% Sassafras — Netherlands: 0.4%
South Africa — / 0.9%
The Basin — South Africa: not among its largest Sassafras — South Africa: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.3%).

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%
Sassafras 98.6% houses
Sassafras — Houses: 98.6% Sassafras — Townhouses: 0.0% Sassafras — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

The Basin Sassafras
Median house price $865,000 $957,000
Median unit price $718,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 26 sales
 32 days
from 4 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 Sassafras
3 bed $826K / $942K
The Basin — 3 bed: $826K (42 sales) Sassafras — 3 bed: $942K (16 sales)

42 vs 16 sales

4 bed $945K / $1.08M
The Basin — 4 bed: $945K (31 sales) Sassafras — 4 bed: $1.08M (6 sales)

31 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Sassafras has more rural and farming land (44% vs 7%); The Basin has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 0%).

The Basin Sassafras
Parks and recreation 3% 47%
Rural and farming 7% 44%
Residential 36% 0%
Environmental 33% 0%
Other and special use 15% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 7%
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 Sassafras
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 Sassafras
Houses 3.8%
$615/wk on $840K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

The Basin Sassafras
House price Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Income — Higher than 84% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 63% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 55% of VIC —

Liveability

Sassafras scores higher overall (67 vs 49).

The Basin Sassafras
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 31).

The Basin Sassafras
Bushfire High
81/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Low
31/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

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

Schools in The Basin

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

Schools in Sassafras

  • Sherbrooke Community School Government · Combined above peers
  • Sassafras Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

The Basin Sassafras
Cafes & restaurants 4 7
Parks & reserves 13 6
Childcare 3 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 7 11

Mobility

Sassafras sits further from the CBD (45.6 km vs 39.4 km).

The Basin Sassafras
Walkability score 52/100 45/100
Distance to Melbourne 39.4 km 45.6 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 43 min 52 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 75/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 28.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3154
 2.0%
postcode 3787
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3154
 24
postcode 3787

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 Sassafras
Car (driver) 66.7% / 53.8%
The Basin — Car (driver): 66.7% Sassafras — Car (driver): 53.8%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 38.2%
The Basin — Worked from Home: 26.5% Sassafras — Worked from Home: 38.2%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 3.7%
The Basin — Car (passenger): 3.3% Sassafras — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Train 1.2% / 3.0%
The Basin — Train: 1.2% Sassafras — Train: 3.0%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.4%
The Basin — Walked Only: 1.5% Sassafras — Walked Only: 1.4%

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

Setting

The Basin Sassafras
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 468 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.7 km 28.1 km

NBN connectivity

The Basin Sassafras
Connectivity score 75/100 78/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
1,733 premises
 50%
502 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

The Basin Sassafras
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

Sassafras

Acreage Outer River Village Feel

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 Mount Dandenong The Basin vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Sassafras

Sassafras vs Olinda Sassafras vs Ferny Creek Sassafras vs Mount Dandenong Sassafras vs Sherbrooke Sassafras vs Tremont
Full data on The Basin Full data on Sassafras
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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