West Melbourne vs Yarraville

West Melbourne is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 37 in Yarraville. In West Melbourne, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Yarraville, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. West Melbourne is closer to the city centre: 4.6 km, against 9.9 km. On these figures, West Melbourne tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Yarraville suits 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

Yarraville

ahead on 6 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (72% vs 1%)
  • has more childcare (9 vs 2)
  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 22%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

West Melbourne

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (67% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($388/wk vs $462/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

West Melbourne

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (16% vs 6%)
  • sits closer to the CBD (4.6 km vs 9.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (11 min vs 16 min)
  • But Yarraville is more walkable (96/100 vs 38/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Yarraville

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 38/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (11% vs 4%)
  • But West Melbourne has more units and townhouses to downsize into (99% vs 28%)

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

Investors

West Melbourne

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (45.5% vs 4.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.5% vs 5.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

West Melbourne Yarraville
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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
Walkability 38 / 96
West Melbourne — Walkability: 38/100 Yarraville — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 8 / 29
West Melbourne — Safety: 8/100 Yarraville — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
West Melbourne — Low fire risk: 100/100 Yarraville — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 36 / 49
West Melbourne — Low flood risk: 36/100 Yarraville — Low flood risk: 49/100

Demographics

Yarraville has more residents (15,636 vs 8,025); Yarraville has higher household incomes ($129,220 vs $92,976).

West Melbourne Yarraville
Population 8,025 15,636
+95% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +45.5% +4.5%
Median age 31 37
Median household income $92,976/yr $129,220/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $388/wk $462/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Melbourne Yarraville
0-4 3.1% / 6.7%
West Melbourne — 0-4: 3.1% Yarraville — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 4.2% / 12.4%
West Melbourne — 5-14: 4.2% Yarraville — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 2.8% / 4.4%
West Melbourne — 15-19: 2.8% Yarraville — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 13.7% / 4.6%
West Melbourne — 20-24: 13.7% Yarraville — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 40.5% / 17.0%
West Melbourne — 25-34: 40.5% Yarraville — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 17.2% / 18.6%
West Melbourne — 35-44: 17.2% Yarraville — 35-44: 18.6%
45-54 8.7% / 15.3%
West Melbourne — 45-54: 8.7% Yarraville — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 5.4% / 10.3%
West Melbourne — 55-64: 5.4% Yarraville — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 3.1% / 5.6%
West Melbourne — 65-74: 3.1% Yarraville — 65-74: 5.6%
75-84 1.1% / 3.3%
West Melbourne — 75-84: 1.1% Yarraville — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 0.2% / 1.9%
West Melbourne — 85+: 0.2% Yarraville — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (40.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Melbourne 56.2% lone person
West Melbourne — Lone Person: 56.2% West Melbourne — Couple Families: 16.2% West Melbourne — Group Household: 19.1% West Melbourne — One Parent Families: 5.8% West Melbourne — Other Families: 2.7%
Yarraville 34.4% lone person
Yarraville — Lone Person: 34.4% Yarraville — Couple Families: 44.9% Yarraville — Group Household: 7.1% Yarraville — One Parent Families: 11.6% Yarraville — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West Melbourne 66.8% renting
West Melbourne — Owned Outright: 12.1% West Melbourne — Mortgage: 21.1% West Melbourne — Renting: 66.8%
Yarraville 33.8% renting
Yarraville — Owned Outright: 27.1% Yarraville — Mortgage: 39.1% Yarraville — Renting: 33.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

West Melbourne Yarraville
Bachelor Degree 31.6% / 23.4%
West Melbourne — Bachelor Degree: 31.6% Yarraville — Bachelor Degree: 23.4%
Postgraduate Degree 17.5% / 9.3%
West Melbourne — Postgraduate Degree: 17.5% Yarraville — Postgraduate Degree: 9.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 7.3%
West Melbourne — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Yarraville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Certificate III & IV 5.4% / 8.2%
West Melbourne — Certificate III & IV: 5.4% Yarraville — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.7%
West Melbourne — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Yarraville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.6%).

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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
China 10.6% / —
West Melbourne — China: 10.6% Yarraville — China: not among its largest
India 6.9% / 0.8%
West Melbourne — India: 6.9% Yarraville — India: 0.8%
England 2.4% / 3.7%
West Melbourne — England: 2.4% Yarraville — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 2.0% / 2.3%
West Melbourne — New Zealand: 2.0% Yarraville — New Zealand: 2.3%
Vietnam 1.8% / 2.1%
West Melbourne — Vietnam: 1.8% Yarraville — Vietnam: 2.1%
Malaysia 3.2% / —
West Melbourne — Malaysia: 3.2% Yarraville — Malaysia: not among its largest
Greece — / 1.8%
West Melbourne — Greece: not among its largest Yarraville — Greece: 1.8%
Italy — / 1.1%
West Melbourne — Italy: not among its largest Yarraville — Italy: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Melbourne 80.2% flats / apartments
West Melbourne — Flats / Apartments: 80.2% West Melbourne — Houses: 1.2% West Melbourne — Townhouses: 18.6%
Yarraville 12.1% flats / apartments
Yarraville — Flats / Apartments: 12.1% Yarraville — Houses: 71.7% Yarraville — Townhouses: 16.2%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

West Melbourne Yarraville
Median house price $1,272,500 $1,200,000
Median unit price $530,000 $546,000
Median land price — $1,070,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 18 sales
 25 days
from 180 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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
2 bed $1.07M / $1.02M
West Melbourne — 2 bed: $1.07M (12 sales) Yarraville — 2 bed: $1.02M (81 sales)

12 vs 81 sales

3 bed $1.45M / $1.24M
West Melbourne — 3 bed: $1.45M (11 sales) Yarraville — 3 bed: $1.24M (176 sales)

11 vs 176 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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
1 bed $392K / $418K
West Melbourne — 1 bed: $392K (112 sales) Yarraville — 1 bed: $418K (30 sales)

112 vs 30 sales

2 bed $605K / $576K
West Melbourne — 2 bed: $605K (164 sales) Yarraville — 2 bed: $576K (58 sales)

164 vs 58 sales

3 bed $978K / $732K
West Melbourne — 3 bed: $978K (28 sales) Yarraville — 3 bed: $732K (9 sales)

28 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

West Melbourne has more commercially zoned land (44% vs 5%).

West Melbourne Yarraville
Residential 5% 56%
Commercial 44% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 28% 11%
Industrial 15%
same for both
Parks and recreation 3% 12%
Other and special use 5% 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

West Melbourne Yarraville
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
 774
across Maribyrnong
Approvals change year on year +195% +198%

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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
Houses 3.7%
$810/wk on $1.15M
 3.9%
$850/wk on $1.12M
Units 6.5%
$670/wk on $536K
 5.1%
$510/wk on $525K

Ranking within VIC

West Melbourne Yarraville
House price Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Income Higher than 62% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools Higher than 7% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 54% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC

Liveability

Yarraville is more walkable (96 vs 38); Yarraville scores higher overall (65 vs 52).

West Melbourne Yarraville
Grade B
same for both
Score 52/100 65/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

West Melbourne carries more crime risk (92 vs 71); West Melbourne carries more flood risk (64 vs 51).

West Melbourne Yarraville
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 High
71/100
Flood Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
51/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 42
within 5 km
 45
within 5 km

Schools

West Melbourne Yarraville
Inside the suburb 3 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 2.8 km
 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 2.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 6.8% 2.3%

Schools in West Melbourne

  • Simonds Catholic College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Haileybury College - City Boys Independent · Combined
  • Haileybury College - City Girls Independent · Combined

Schools in Yarraville

  • Kingsville Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Wembley Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Augustine's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Yarraville West Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Yarraville Special Developmental School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

West Melbourne Yarraville
Supermarkets 3 4
Cafes & restaurants 31 27
Parks & reserves 12 20
Childcare 2 9
GPs 1 3
Pharmacies 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 1 4
Waterways 12 6

Mobility

Yarraville sits further from the CBD (9.9 km vs 4.6 km).

West Melbourne Yarraville
Walkability score 38/100 96/100
Distance to Melbourne 4.6 km 9.9 km
+115% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 16 min
Public transport score 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 309.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 260.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 3003
 2.1%
postcode 3013
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 3003
 22
postcode 3013

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.

West Melbourne Yarraville
Worked from Home 45.4% / 50.4%
West Melbourne — Worked from Home: 45.4% Yarraville — Worked from Home: 50.4%
Car (driver) 19.3% / 36.6%
West Melbourne — Car (driver): 19.3% Yarraville — Car (driver): 36.6%
Walked Only 13.6% / 2.4%
West Melbourne — Walked Only: 13.6% Yarraville — Walked Only: 2.4%
Train 8.8% / 6.5%
West Melbourne — Train: 8.8% Yarraville — Train: 6.5%
Tram / Light Rail 7.0% / —
West Melbourne — Tram / Light Rail: 7.0% Yarraville — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 1.9%
West Melbourne — Car (passenger): 2.1% Yarraville — Car (passenger): 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.4%).

Setting

West Melbourne Yarraville
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.4 km
3.4 km to a named beach
 3.3 km
4.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West Melbourne Yarraville
Connectivity score 87/100 93/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 56%
6,126 premises
 76%
7,912 premises

Climate

West Melbourne Yarraville
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)

West Melbourne Yarraville
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³ —
PM10 — 18.9 µg/m³
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

West Melbourne Yarraville
Average residential rate $2,345/yr $2,450/yr
Council Melbourne Maribyrnong

Federal electorate

West Melbourne Yarraville
Division Melbourne Fraser
Member Sarah Witty Daniel Mulino
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West Melbourne Yarraville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West Melbourne

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Professionals Trains Trams Transport Hub

Yarraville

Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Melbourne

West Melbourne vs Melbourne West Melbourne vs Port Melbourne West Melbourne vs Footscray West Melbourne vs Docklands West Melbourne vs North Melbourne West Melbourne vs Kensington

Other comparisons with Yarraville

Yarraville vs Port Melbourne Yarraville vs Footscray Yarraville vs Altona North Yarraville vs West Footscray Yarraville vs Seddon Yarraville vs Kingsville
Full data on West Melbourne Full data on Yarraville
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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