Westbury vs Willow Grove
Willow Grove is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 48 in Westbury. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Willow Grove, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Westbury tends to suit people living alone and older residents.
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
Willow Grove
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- But Westbury carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 42/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Willow Grove
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 40%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Willow Grove
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 24%)
- has cheaper rent ($243/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Willow Grove
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (126.9 km vs 144 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Westbury
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 42/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 18%)
- But Willow Grove is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Willow Grove
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (10.8% vs 3.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Westbury and Willow Grove drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Willow Grove has more residents (654 vs 163); Willow Grove has higher household incomes ($93,652 vs $64,012).
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 163 | 654 +301% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.8% | +10.8% |
| Median age | 48 | 42 |
| Median household income | $64,012/yr | $93,652/yr +46% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +19% vs other | $243/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.0%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $627,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 30 days from 4 sales |
Zoning mix
Westbury has more rural and farming land (98% vs 68%).
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 98% | 68% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 23% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 8% |
| 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
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 619 across Baw Baw same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +49% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | — | Higher than 63% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 21% of VIC | Higher than 74% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 21% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 55% of VIC | Higher than 50% of VIC |
Liveability
Willow Grove is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 30/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Willow Grove carries more crime risk (42 vs 19); Westbury carries more flood risk (85 vs 52).
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 99/100 | High 97/100 |
| Crime | Low 19/100 | Moderate 42/100 |
| Flood | High 85/100 | Moderate 52/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 3 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Westbury
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Willow Grove
- Willow Grove Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 4 |
| Childcare | 0 | 2 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 75 |
Mobility
Westbury sits further from the CBD (144 km vs 126.9 km).
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 144 km +12% vs other | 126.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 107 min | 103 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 3825 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 38 postcode 3825 same for both | |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.3%).
Setting
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 72 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 164 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 78 premises | 0% 264 premises |
Climate
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 700 mm | 1,090 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.7°C | 25.1°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.1°C | 3.7°C |
Council rates
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,138/yr same for both | |
| Council | Baw Baw same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Westbury | Willow Grove | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Westbury
Other comparisons with Willow Grove
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.