Thornbury vs Alphington

In both, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Alphington: a median of $1.88 million, against $1.44 million in Thornbury, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Thornbury 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

Thornbury

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (25 vs 7)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 7)

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

First-home buyers

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,440,000 vs $1,880,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($391/wk vs $451/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (97/100 vs 66/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Thornbury

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (97/100 vs 66/100)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Thornbury returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 4.1%)
  • Alphington is growing faster (12.2% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Thornbury Alphington
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.

Thornbury Alphington
Walkability 97 / 66
Thornbury — Walkability: 97/100 Alphington — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 30 / 24
Thornbury — Safety: 30/100 Alphington — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Thornbury — Low fire risk: 100/100 Alphington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 60 / 20
Thornbury — Low flood risk: 60/100 Alphington — Low flood risk: 20/100

Demographics

Thornbury has more residents (19,005 vs 5,702); Alphington has higher household incomes ($126,308 vs $102,492).

Thornbury Alphington
Population 19,005
+70% vs other
 5,702
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +12.2%
Median age 37 39
Median household income $102,492/yr $126,308/yr
+23% vs other
Median weekly rent $391/wk $451/wk
+15% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thornbury Alphington
0-4 5.1% / 4.7%
Thornbury — 0-4: 5.1% Alphington — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 9.6% / 10.6%
Thornbury — 5-14: 9.6% Alphington — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 4.3% / 5.1%
Thornbury — 15-19: 4.3% Alphington — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 5.4% / 6.9%
Thornbury — 20-24: 5.4% Alphington — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 20.3% / 16.2%
Thornbury — 25-34: 20.3% Alphington — 25-34: 16.2%
35-44 17.7% / 14.3%
Thornbury — 35-44: 17.7% Alphington — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 14.1% / 14.6%
Thornbury — 45-54: 14.1% Alphington — 45-54: 14.6%
55-64 9.8% / 13.6%
Thornbury — 55-64: 9.8% Alphington — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 6.5% / 8.7%
Thornbury — 65-74: 6.5% Alphington — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 4.5% / 3.8%
Thornbury — 75-84: 4.5% Alphington — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 2.6% / 1.7%
Thornbury — 85+: 2.6% Alphington — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Thornbury 44.0% lone person
Thornbury — Lone Person: 44.0% Thornbury — Couple Families: 33.6% Thornbury — One Parent Families: 11.1% Thornbury — Group Household: 9.7% Thornbury — Other Families: 1.5%
Alphington 39.1% lone person
Alphington — Lone Person: 39.1% Alphington — Couple Families: 40.7% Alphington — One Parent Families: 10.5% Alphington — Group Household: 8.4% Alphington — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Thornbury 42.8% renting
Thornbury — Owned Outright: 27.7% Thornbury — Mortgage: 29.5% Thornbury — Renting: 42.8%
Alphington 34.4% renting
Alphington — Owned Outright: 32.9% Alphington — Mortgage: 32.8% Alphington — Renting: 34.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thornbury Alphington
Bachelor Degree 24.4% / 26.6%
Thornbury — Bachelor Degree: 24.4% Alphington — Bachelor Degree: 26.6%
Postgraduate Degree 10.9% / 13.5%
Thornbury — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9% Alphington — Postgraduate Degree: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 6.9%
Thornbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Alphington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Certificate III & IV 7.4% / 5.3%
Thornbury — Certificate III & IV: 7.4% Alphington — Certificate III & IV: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.7% / 5.5%
Thornbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7% Alphington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.6%).

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.

Thornbury Alphington
England 2.9% / 3.6%
Thornbury — England: 2.9% Alphington — England: 3.6%
Greece 4.2% / 1.7%
Thornbury — Greece: 4.2% Alphington — Greece: 1.7%
Italy 2.9% / 1.4%
Thornbury — Italy: 2.9% Alphington — Italy: 1.4%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.4%
Thornbury — New Zealand: 2.2% Alphington — New Zealand: 1.4%
China 0.9% / 2.3%
Thornbury — China: 0.9% Alphington — China: 2.3%
India 1.2% / 1.0%
Thornbury — India: 1.2% Alphington — India: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Thornbury 51.4% houses
Thornbury — Houses: 51.4% Thornbury — Townhouses: 23.4% Thornbury — Flats / Apartments: 25.2%
Alphington 51.9% houses
Alphington — Houses: 51.9% Alphington — Townhouses: 25.0% Alphington — Flats / Apartments: 23.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Thornbury Alphington
Median house price $1,440,000 $1,880,000
Median unit price $527,000 $557,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 134 sales
 23 days
from 34 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.

Thornbury Alphington
2 bed $1.28M / $1.76M
Thornbury — 2 bed: $1.28M (65 sales) Alphington — 2 bed: $1.76M (5 sales)

65 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.4M / $1.58M
Thornbury — 3 bed: $1.4M (140 sales) Alphington — 3 bed: $1.58M (15 sales)

140 vs 15 sales

4 bed $1.75M / $2.01M
Thornbury — 4 bed: $1.75M (52 sales) Alphington — 4 bed: $2.01M (22 sales)

52 vs 22 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.

Thornbury Alphington
1 bed $395K / $378K
Thornbury — 1 bed: $395K (98 sales) Alphington — 1 bed: $378K (26 sales)

98 vs 26 sales

2 bed $611K / $694K
Thornbury — 2 bed: $611K (112 sales) Alphington — 2 bed: $694K (30 sales)

112 vs 30 sales

3 bed $910K / $1.17M
Thornbury — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales) Alphington — 3 bed: $1.17M (7 sales)

7 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Thornbury Alphington
Residential 71% 52%
Other and special use 0% 19%
Parks and recreation 10% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 9%
Industrial 6%
same for both
Commercial 3% 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

Thornbury Alphington
New dwellings approved 1,213
across Darebin
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

Thornbury Alphington
Houses 3.5%
$878/wk on $1.31M
 3.2%
$950/wk on $1.55M
Units 5.1%
$550/wk on $559K
 4.1%
$565/wk on $719K

Ranking within VIC

Thornbury Alphington
House price Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC

Liveability

Thornbury is more walkable (97 vs 66).

Thornbury Alphington
Grade A B
Score 71/100 68/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Alphington carries more flood risk (80 vs 40).

Thornbury Alphington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 High
76/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 High
80/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Thornbury Alphington
Inside the suburb 9 3
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 4 2
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 5.3 km
 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 4.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 3.7%

Schools in Thornbury

  • Virtual School Victoria Government · Combined above peers
  • Penders Grove Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Thornbury High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Wales Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Spirit School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Alphington

  • Alphington Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Alphington Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Anthony's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Thornbury Alphington
Supermarkets 6 0
Cafes & restaurants 37 4
Parks & reserves 25 7
Childcare 17 7
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 5 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 5 1
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Thornbury Alphington
Walkability score 97/100 66/100
Distance to Melbourne 8.8 km 9.6 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 17 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 386.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 92.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3071
 3.0%
postcode 3078
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 3071
 25
postcode 3078

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.

Thornbury Alphington
Worked from Home 49.4% / 51.9%
Thornbury — Worked from Home: 49.4% Alphington — Worked from Home: 51.9%
Car (driver) 35.3% / 35.1%
Thornbury — Car (driver): 35.3% Alphington — Car (driver): 35.1%
Train 3.6% / 4.2%
Thornbury — Train: 3.6% Alphington — Train: 4.2%
Bicycle 4.0% / 3.4%
Thornbury — Bicycle: 4.0% Alphington — Bicycle: 3.4%
Walked Only 2.3% / 2.1%
Thornbury — Walked Only: 2.3% Alphington — Walked Only: 2.1%
Tram / Light Rail 2.5% / 0.1%
Thornbury — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5% Alphington — Tram / Light Rail: 0.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.9%).

Setting

Thornbury Alphington
Elevation 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.2 km 10.3 km

NBN connectivity

Thornbury Alphington
Connectivity score 76/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
10,177 premises
 4%
2,538 premises

Climate

Thornbury Alphington
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Thornbury Alphington
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.82 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Thornbury Alphington
Average residential rate $1,764/yr
same for both
Council Darebin
same for both

Federal electorate

Thornbury Alphington
Division Cooper
same for both
Member Ged Kearney
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Thornbury Alphington
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Thornbury

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Alphington

Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thornbury

Thornbury vs Preston Thornbury vs Coburg Thornbury vs Northcote Thornbury vs Ivanhoe Thornbury vs Brunswick East Thornbury vs Fairfield

Other comparisons with Alphington

Alphington vs Kew Alphington vs Ivanhoe Alphington vs Kew East Alphington vs Fairfield
Full data on Thornbury Full data on Alphington
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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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