Balwyn vs Kew
Property investment comparison - Balwyn, VIC 3103 vs Kew, VIC 3101
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Balwyn wins 0, Kew wins 5. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Balwyn | Kew |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $2.7M | $2.5M |
| Median unit price | $860K | $850K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | - | 2.35% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 3.74% | 4.05% |
| 1-year house growth | -11.1%estimate | -3.4% |
| 3-year house growth | - | -9.3% |
| Vacancy rate | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Population | 13,495 | 24,499 |
Balwyn vs Kew: what the numbers say
The median house price is $2.7M in Balwyn and $2.5M in Kew, so Kew is the cheaper entry point, with Balwyn houses about 5% dearer.
For units, Balwyn sits at a median of $860K against $850K in Kew, which makes Kew the more affordable unit market and Balwyn the pricier one.
Over the past year house prices moved -11.1% in Balwyn (an estimate) and -3.4% in Kew, so recent momentum favours Kew, while Balwyn went backwards.
Rental vacancy is 1.6% in Kew and 1.7% in Balwyn, so landlords in Kew face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Kew is the bigger suburb, with a population of 24,499 against 13,495, larger than Balwyn; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Kew for a lower purchase price, Kew for recent price momentum, Kew for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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