Thornbury vs Preston

In both, most households own their home. In Preston, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Thornbury: a median of $1.44 million, against $1.18 million in Preston. Thornbury is closer to the city centre: 8.8 km, against 10.4 km. On these figures, Preston 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

Preston

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (30 vs 17)
  • has more parks and reserves (28 vs 25)
  • But Thornbury carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 91/100)

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

First-home buyers

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,182,500 vs $1,440,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Thornbury carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 91/100)
  • Preston has more GPs (11 vs 6)

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

Investors

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.7% vs 5.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Thornbury and Preston 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 Preston
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 Preston
Walkability 97 / 99
Thornbury — Walkability: 97/100 Preston — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 30 / 9
Thornbury — Safety: 30/100 Preston — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Thornbury — Low fire risk: 100/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 60 / 62
Thornbury — Low flood risk: 60/100 Preston — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Preston has more residents (33,790 vs 19,005).

Thornbury Preston
Population 19,005 33,790
+78% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +2.9%
Median age 37
same for both
Median household income $102,492/yr
+6% vs other
 $95,888/yr
Median weekly rent $391/wk $392/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thornbury Preston
0-4 5.1% / 5.3%
Thornbury — 0-4: 5.1% Preston — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 9.6% / 9.7%
Thornbury — 5-14: 9.6% Preston — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 4.3% / 4.2%
Thornbury — 15-19: 4.3% Preston — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 5.4% / 6.0%
Thornbury — 20-24: 5.4% Preston — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 20.3% / 19.8%
Thornbury — 25-34: 20.3% Preston — 25-34: 19.8%
35-44 17.7% / 17.6%
Thornbury — 35-44: 17.7% Preston — 35-44: 17.6%
45-54 14.1% / 14.0%
Thornbury — 45-54: 14.1% Preston — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 9.8% / 10.1%
Thornbury — 55-64: 9.8% Preston — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 6.5% / 6.8%
Thornbury — 65-74: 6.5% Preston — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 4.5% / 4.4%
Thornbury — 75-84: 4.5% Preston — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.6% / 2.2%
Thornbury — 85+: 2.6% Preston — 85+: 2.2%

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%
Preston 38.8% lone person
Preston — Lone Person: 38.8% Preston — Couple Families: 34.9% Preston — One Parent Families: 13.0% Preston — Group Household: 10.8% Preston — Other Families: 2.6%
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%
Preston 41.2% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 27.9% Preston — Mortgage: 30.9% Preston — Renting: 41.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thornbury Preston
Bachelor Degree 24.4% / 21.1%
Thornbury — Bachelor Degree: 24.4% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 21.1%
Postgraduate Degree 10.9% / 8.6%
Thornbury — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Certificate III & IV 7.4% / 8.2%
Thornbury — Certificate III & IV: 7.4% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 8.0%
Thornbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.7% / 3.5%
Thornbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7% Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.4%).

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 Preston
Greece 4.2% / 2.8%
Thornbury — Greece: 4.2% Preston — Greece: 2.8%
Italy 2.9% / 3.0%
Thornbury — Italy: 2.9% Preston — Italy: 3.0%
England 2.9% / 2.1%
Thornbury — England: 2.9% Preston — England: 2.1%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.9%
Thornbury — New Zealand: 2.2% Preston — New Zealand: 1.9%
China 0.9% / 3.0%
Thornbury — China: 0.9% Preston — China: 3.0%
India 1.2% / 2.5%
Thornbury — India: 1.2% Preston — India: 2.5%
Vietnam 1.0% / 2.2%
Thornbury — Vietnam: 1.0% Preston — Vietnam: 2.2%

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%
Preston 55.7% houses
Preston — Houses: 55.7% Preston — Townhouses: 24.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 19.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Thornbury Preston
Median house price $1,440,000 $1,182,500
Median unit price $527,000 $490,000
Median land price — $1,035,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 134 sales
 24 days
from 273 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 Preston
1 bed $395K / $375K
Thornbury — 1 bed: $395K (98 sales) Preston — 1 bed: $375K (98 sales)

98 vs 98 sales

2 bed $611K / $530K
Thornbury — 2 bed: $611K (112 sales) Preston — 2 bed: $530K (213 sales)

112 vs 213 sales

3 bed $910K / $775K
Thornbury — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales) Preston — 3 bed: $775K (27 sales)

7 vs 27 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 Preston
2 bed $1.28M / $1.02M
Thornbury — 2 bed: $1.28M (65 sales) Preston — 2 bed: $1.02M (98 sales)

65 vs 98 sales

3 bed $1.4M / $1.18M
Thornbury — 3 bed: $1.4M (140 sales) Preston — 3 bed: $1.18M (235 sales)

140 vs 235 sales

4 bed $1.75M / $1.36M
Thornbury — 4 bed: $1.75M (52 sales) Preston — 4 bed: $1.36M (76 sales)

52 vs 76 sales

5 bed $1.95M / $1.57M
Thornbury — 5 bed: $1.95M (7 sales) Preston — 5 bed: $1.57M (8 sales)

7 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Thornbury Preston
Residential 71% 64%
Industrial 6% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 12%
Parks and recreation 10% 4%
Commercial 3% 9%
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 Preston
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 Preston
Houses 3.5%
$878/wk on $1.31M
 3.4%
$720/wk on $1.1M
Units 5.1%
$550/wk on $559K
 5.7%
$550/wk on $498K

Ranking within VIC

Thornbury Preston
House price Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Schools Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC

Liveability

Thornbury Preston
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 68/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Preston carries more crime risk (91 vs 70).

Thornbury Preston
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 High
91/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Thornbury Preston
Inside the suburb 9 16
Rated above peers 1 4
Rated at peers 4 6
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 5.3 km
 3
Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus, 6.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 2.6%

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 Preston

  • Newlands Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Preston Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Preston West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • East Preston Islamic College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Preston North East Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Thornbury Preston
Supermarkets 6 13
Cafes & restaurants 37 107
Parks & reserves 25 28
Childcare 17 30
GPs 6 11
Pharmacies 5 9
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 14
Fuel stations 5 10
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Thornbury Preston
Walkability score 97/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 8.8 km 10.4 km
+18% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 23 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 386.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1062.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3071
 1.2%
postcode 3072
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 3071
 21
postcode 3072

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 Preston
Worked from Home 49.4% / 41.8%
Thornbury — Worked from Home: 49.4% Preston — Worked from Home: 41.8%
Car (driver) 35.3% / 42.1%
Thornbury — Car (driver): 35.3% Preston — Car (driver): 42.1%
Train 3.6% / 4.4%
Thornbury — Train: 3.6% Preston — Train: 4.4%
Bicycle 4.0% / 2.6%
Thornbury — Bicycle: 4.0% Preston — Bicycle: 2.6%
Tram / Light Rail 2.5% / 2.4%
Thornbury — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5% Preston — Tram / Light Rail: 2.4%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 2.7%
Thornbury — Car (passenger): 1.9% Preston — Car (passenger): 2.7%

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

Setting

Thornbury Preston
Elevation 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.2 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

Thornbury Preston
Connectivity score 76/100 79/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
10,177 premises
 17%
18,580 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Thornbury Preston
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

Preston

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thornbury

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

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Reservoir Preston vs Coburg Preston vs Ivanhoe Preston vs Coburg North Preston vs Heidelberg West Preston vs Bellfield
Full data on Thornbury Full data on Preston
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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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