The Patch vs Monbulk

Monbulk is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 46 in The Patch. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Patch, most households are couple families. In Monbulk, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in The Patch: a median of $1.01 million, against $831,000 in Monbulk, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Monbulk 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • The Patch carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 38/100)
  • Monbulk has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • The Patch has cheaper land ($370,000 vs $600,000)
  • Monbulk has cheaper houses ($831,000 vs $1,010,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Monbulk

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($369/wk vs $415/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

The Patch

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (24/100 vs 14/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (53.5 km vs 55.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

The Patch

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 38/100)
  • is more walkable (24/100 vs 14/100)
  • But Monbulk has more GPs (4 vs 0)

Weighs 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 Patch and Monbulk 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 Patch Monbulk
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 Patch Monbulk
Walkability 24 / 14
The Patch — Walkability: 24/100 Monbulk — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 83 / 62
The Patch — Safety: 83/100 Monbulk — Safety: 62/100
Low fire risk 100 / 33
The Patch — Low fire risk: 100/100 Monbulk — Low fire risk: 33/100
Low flood risk 100 / 89
The Patch — Low flood risk: 100/100 Monbulk — Low flood risk: 89/100

Demographics

Monbulk has more residents (3,651 vs 1,046); The Patch has higher household incomes ($108,784 vs $89,544).

The Patch Monbulk
Population 1,046 3,651
+249% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.8% +2.1%
Median age 46 41
Median household income $108,784/yr
+18% vs other
 $89,544/yr
Median weekly rent $415/wk
+11% vs other
 $369/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

The Patch Monbulk
0-4 5.3% / 5.1%
The Patch — 0-4: 5.3% Monbulk — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 14.2% / 14.3%
The Patch — 5-14: 14.2% Monbulk — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 5.6% / 7.1%
The Patch — 15-19: 5.6% Monbulk — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 3.2% / 4.9%
The Patch — 20-24: 3.2% Monbulk — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 7.7% / 10.0%
The Patch — 25-34: 7.7% Monbulk — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 11.7% / 12.7%
The Patch — 35-44: 11.7% Monbulk — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 15.5% / 15.9%
The Patch — 45-54: 15.5% Monbulk — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 15.2% / 12.1%
The Patch — 55-64: 15.2% Monbulk — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 14.7% / 11.4%
The Patch — 65-74: 14.7% Monbulk — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 4.8% / 5.0%
The Patch — 75-84: 4.8% Monbulk — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 1.6% / 1.7%
The Patch — 85+: 1.6% Monbulk — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

The Patch 59.7% couple families
The Patch — Couple Families: 59.7% The Patch — Lone Person: 21.4% The Patch — One Parent Families: 15.3% The Patch — Group Household: 2.0% The Patch — Other Families: 1.6%
Monbulk 50.3% couple families
Monbulk — Couple Families: 50.3% Monbulk — Lone Person: 28.4% Monbulk — One Parent Families: 16.7% Monbulk — Group Household: 3.1% Monbulk — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

The Patch 6.8% renting
The Patch — Owned Outright: 40.8% The Patch — Mortgage: 52.4% The Patch — Renting: 6.8%
Monbulk 14.8% renting
Monbulk — Owned Outright: 38.9% Monbulk — Mortgage: 46.3% Monbulk — Renting: 14.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

The Patch Monbulk
Certificate III & IV 14.4% / 18.1%
The Patch — Certificate III & IV: 14.4% Monbulk — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Bachelor Degree 16.3% / 11.1%
The Patch — Bachelor Degree: 16.3% Monbulk — Bachelor Degree: 11.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.5% / 9.2%
The Patch — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.5% Monbulk — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.3% / 3.3%
The Patch — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3% Monbulk — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.2% / 2.1%
The Patch — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2% Monbulk — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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 Patch Monbulk
England 4.9% / 5.8%
The Patch — England: 4.9% Monbulk — England: 5.8%
New Zealand 2.0% / 1.2%
The Patch — New Zealand: 2.0% Monbulk — New Zealand: 1.2%
Netherlands 0.9% / 2.3%
The Patch — Netherlands: 0.9% Monbulk — Netherlands: 2.3%
Germany 1.2% / 0.7%
The Patch — Germany: 1.2% Monbulk — Germany: 0.7%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.3%
The Patch — South Africa: 0.9% Monbulk — South Africa: 0.3%
Italy — / 0.5%
The Patch — Italy: not among its largest Monbulk — Italy: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

The Patch 100.8% houses
The Patch — Houses: 100.8% The Patch — Townhouses: 0.0% The Patch — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Monbulk 95.9% houses
Monbulk — Houses: 95.9% Monbulk — Townhouses: 3.0% Monbulk — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

The Patch Monbulk
Median house price $1,010,000 $831,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $370,000 $600,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 5 sales
 18 days
from 23 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 Patch Monbulk
3 bed $860K / $775K
The Patch — 3 bed: $860K (7 sales) Monbulk — 3 bed: $775K (59 sales)

7 vs 59 sales

4 bed $1.06M / $1.03M
The Patch — 4 bed: $1.06M (5 sales) Monbulk — 4 bed: $1.03M (18 sales)

5 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

The Patch has more rural and farming land (93% vs 79%).

The Patch Monbulk
Rural and farming 93% 79%
Residential 0% 8%
Parks and recreation 2% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 3%
Industrial 0% 1%
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 Patch Monbulk
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

The Patch Monbulk
Houses — 4.3%
$670/wk on $802K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

The Patch Monbulk
House price — Higher than 44% of VIC
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 57% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 66% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 86% of VIC

Liveability

The Patch is more walkable (24 vs 14); The Patch scores higher overall (75 vs 54).

The Patch Monbulk
Grade A B
Score 75/100 54/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Monbulk carries more bushfire risk (67 vs 0); Monbulk carries more flood risk (11 vs 0).

The Patch Monbulk
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
67/100
Crime Low
17/100
 Low
38/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
11/100
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

The Patch Monbulk
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in The Patch

  • The Patch Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Monbulk

  • St Paul's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Monbulk College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Monbulk Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Cire Community School - Monbulk Campus Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

The Patch Monbulk
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 2 3
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 5 7

Mobility

Monbulk sits further from the CBD (55.8 km vs 53.5 km).

The Patch Monbulk
Walkability score 24/100 14/100
Distance to Melbourne 53.5 km 55.8 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 63 min
Public transport score 60/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 19.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 31.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 3792
 0.9%
postcode 3793
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 3792
 39
postcode 3793

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 Patch Monbulk
Car (driver) 51.3% / 66.4%
The Patch — Car (driver): 51.3% Monbulk — Car (driver): 66.4%
Worked from Home 42.8% / 25.0%
The Patch — Worked from Home: 42.8% Monbulk — Worked from Home: 25.0%
Walked Only 2.4% / 3.9%
The Patch — Walked Only: 2.4% Monbulk — Walked Only: 3.9%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 3.2%
The Patch — Car (passenger): 2.6% Monbulk — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Train 0.9% / 0.9%
The Patch — Train: 0.9% Monbulk — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.4%).

Setting

The Patch Monbulk
Elevation 253 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 263 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 30.4 km 33.4 km

NBN connectivity

The Patch Monbulk
Connectivity score 47/100 62/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 5%
419 premises
 34%
1,599 premises

Climate

The Patch Monbulk
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 Patch Monbulk
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

The Patch Monbulk
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

The Patch Monbulk
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

The Patch Monbulk
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

The Patch

Acreage Outer Professionals Quiet

Monbulk

Acreage Outer River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with The Patch

The Patch vs Olinda The Patch vs Kallista

Other comparisons with Monbulk

Monbulk vs Emerald Monbulk vs Olinda Monbulk vs Kallista Monbulk vs Silvan Monbulk vs Macclesfield
Full data on The Patch Full data on Monbulk
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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