Thornbury vs Ivanhoe

Thornbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in Ivanhoe. In both, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Ivanhoe: a median of $1.85 million, against $1.44 million in Thornbury, and rent is higher there too. Thornbury is closer to the city centre: 8.8 km, against 11.5 km. 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 schools inside the suburb (9 vs 5)
  • has more parks and reserves (25 vs 18)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 13)
  • But Ivanhoe has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Thornbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($527,000 vs $731,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,440,000 vs $1,846,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($391/wk vs $430/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Thornbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (8.8 km vs 11.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Ivanhoe

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (8 vs 6)

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

Investors

Thornbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 2.7%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 4.1%)
  • But Ivanhoe is growing faster (9.9% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Thornbury and Ivanhoe 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 Ivanhoe
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 Ivanhoe
Walkability 97 / 93
Thornbury — Walkability: 97/100 Ivanhoe — Walkability: 93/100
Safety 30 / 22
Thornbury — Safety: 30/100 Ivanhoe — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Thornbury — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ivanhoe — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 60 / 28
Thornbury — Low flood risk: 60/100 Ivanhoe — Low flood risk: 28/100

Demographics

Thornbury has more residents (19,005 vs 13,374); Ivanhoe has higher household incomes ($116,064 vs $102,492).

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Population 19,005
+30% vs other
 13,374
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +9.9%
Median age 37 40
Median household income $102,492/yr $116,064/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $391/wk $430/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thornbury Ivanhoe
0-4 5.1% / 4.4%
Thornbury — 0-4: 5.1% Ivanhoe — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 9.6% / 10.7%
Thornbury — 5-14: 9.6% Ivanhoe — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 4.3% / 5.5%
Thornbury — 15-19: 4.3% Ivanhoe — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 5.4% / 6.4%
Thornbury — 20-24: 5.4% Ivanhoe — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 20.3% / 14.4%
Thornbury — 25-34: 20.3% Ivanhoe — 25-34: 14.4%
35-44 17.7% / 14.2%
Thornbury — 35-44: 17.7% Ivanhoe — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 14.1% / 13.5%
Thornbury — 45-54: 14.1% Ivanhoe — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 9.8% / 13.0%
Thornbury — 55-64: 9.8% Ivanhoe — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 6.5% / 10.1%
Thornbury — 65-74: 6.5% Ivanhoe — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 4.5% / 5.1%
Thornbury — 75-84: 4.5% Ivanhoe — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 2.6% / 2.8%
Thornbury — 85+: 2.6% Ivanhoe — 85+: 2.8%

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%
Ivanhoe 39.7% lone person
Ivanhoe — Lone Person: 39.7% Ivanhoe — Couple Families: 42.4% Ivanhoe — One Parent Families: 11.7% Ivanhoe — Group Household: 4.7% Ivanhoe — Other Families: 1.5%
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%
Ivanhoe 33.3% renting
Ivanhoe — Owned Outright: 35.9% Ivanhoe — Mortgage: 30.7% Ivanhoe — Renting: 33.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Bachelor Degree 24.4% / 25.7%
Thornbury — Bachelor Degree: 24.4% Ivanhoe — Bachelor Degree: 25.7%
Postgraduate Degree 10.9% / 12.3%
Thornbury — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9% Ivanhoe — Postgraduate Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 7.4%
Thornbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Ivanhoe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Certificate III & IV 7.4% / 6.3%
Thornbury — Certificate III & IV: 7.4% Ivanhoe — Certificate III & IV: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.7% / 4.4%
Thornbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7% Ivanhoe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).

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 Ivanhoe
England 2.9% / 3.0%
Thornbury — England: 2.9% Ivanhoe — England: 3.0%
Greece 4.2% / 1.2%
Thornbury — Greece: 4.2% Ivanhoe — Greece: 1.2%
China 0.9% / 4.3%
Thornbury — China: 0.9% Ivanhoe — China: 4.3%
Italy 2.9% / 1.6%
Thornbury — Italy: 2.9% Ivanhoe — Italy: 1.6%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.4%
Thornbury — New Zealand: 2.2% Ivanhoe — New Zealand: 1.4%
India 1.2% / 1.9%
Thornbury — India: 1.2% Ivanhoe — India: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Thornbury 51.4% houses
Thornbury — Houses: 51.4% Thornbury — Flats / Apartments: 25.2% Thornbury — Townhouses: 23.4%
Ivanhoe 52.8% houses
Ivanhoe — Houses: 52.8% Ivanhoe — Flats / Apartments: 25.0% Ivanhoe — Townhouses: 22.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Median house price $1,440,000 $1,846,250
Median unit price $527,000 $731,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 134 sales
 28 days
from 88 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 Ivanhoe
1 bed $395K / $400K
Thornbury — 1 bed: $395K (98 sales) Ivanhoe — 1 bed: $400K (14 sales)

98 vs 14 sales

2 bed $611K / $706K
Thornbury — 2 bed: $611K (112 sales) Ivanhoe — 2 bed: $706K (60 sales)

112 vs 60 sales

3 bed $910K / $940K
Thornbury — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales) Ivanhoe — 3 bed: $940K (19 sales)

7 vs 19 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 Ivanhoe
2 bed $1.28M / $1.21M
Thornbury — 2 bed: $1.28M (65 sales) Ivanhoe — 2 bed: $1.21M (11 sales)

65 vs 11 sales

3 bed $1.4M / $1.62M
Thornbury — 3 bed: $1.4M (140 sales) Ivanhoe — 3 bed: $1.62M (65 sales)

140 vs 65 sales

4 bed $1.75M / $2.08M
Thornbury — 4 bed: $1.75M (52 sales) Ivanhoe — 4 bed: $2.08M (49 sales)

52 vs 49 sales

5 bed $1.95M / $2.5M
Thornbury — 5 bed: $1.95M (7 sales) Ivanhoe — 5 bed: $2.5M (15 sales)

7 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Residential 71% 66%
Parks and recreation 10% 21%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 9%
Industrial 6% 0%
Commercial 3% 4%
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 Ivanhoe
New dwellings approved 1,213
across Darebin
 722
across Banyule
Approvals change year on year +0% -75%

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 Ivanhoe
Houses 3.5%
$878/wk on $1.31M
 2.7%
$890/wk on $1.73M
Units 5.1%
$550/wk on $559K
 4.1%
$600/wk on $760K

Ranking within VIC

Thornbury Ivanhoe
House price Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC

Liveability

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 75/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ivanhoe carries more flood risk (72 vs 40).

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 High
78/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 High
72/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Inside the suburb 9 5
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 4 3
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, 6.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 4.0%

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 Ivanhoe

  • Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Ivanhoe Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ivanhoe Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Mary Immaculate School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • St Bernadette's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Supermarkets 6 2
Cafes & restaurants 37 20
Parks & reserves 25 18
Childcare 17 13
GPs 6 8
Pharmacies 5 4
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 4
Fuel stations 5 1
Waterways 2 3

Mobility

Ivanhoe sits further from the CBD (11.5 km vs 8.8 km).

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Walkability score 97/100 93/100
Distance to Melbourne 8.8 km 11.5 km
+31% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min
same for both
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 386.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 256.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3071
 2.6%
postcode 3079
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 3071
 21
postcode 3079

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 Ivanhoe
Worked from Home 49.4% / 46.5%
Thornbury — Worked from Home: 49.4% Ivanhoe — Worked from Home: 46.5%
Car (driver) 35.3% / 40.8%
Thornbury — Car (driver): 35.3% Ivanhoe — Car (driver): 40.8%
Train 3.6% / 4.3%
Thornbury — Train: 3.6% Ivanhoe — Train: 4.3%
Walked Only 2.3% / 3.8%
Thornbury — Walked Only: 2.3% Ivanhoe — Walked Only: 3.8%
Bicycle 4.0% / 1.3%
Thornbury — Bicycle: 4.0% Ivanhoe — Bicycle: 1.3%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 2.4%
Thornbury — Car (passenger): 1.9% Ivanhoe — Car (passenger): 2.4%
Tram / Light Rail 2.5% / —
Thornbury — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5% Ivanhoe — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.4%).

Setting

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Elevation 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.2 km 12.0 km

NBN connectivity

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Connectivity score 76/100 80/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
10,177 premises
 20%
7,330 premises

Climate

Thornbury Ivanhoe
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 Ivanhoe
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 Ivanhoe
Average residential rate $1,764/yr $1,787/yr
Council Darebin Banyule

Federal electorate

Thornbury Ivanhoe
Division Cooper Jagajaga
Member Ged Kearney Kate Thwaites
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Thornbury Ivanhoe
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

Ivanhoe

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thornbury

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

Other comparisons with Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe vs Preston Ivanhoe vs Balwyn North Ivanhoe vs Heidelberg Ivanhoe vs Heidelberg Heights Ivanhoe vs Kew East Ivanhoe vs Alphington
Full data on Thornbury Full data on Ivanhoe
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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