Chelsea vs Heatherton
Property investment comparison - Chelsea, VIC 3196 vs Heatherton, VIC 3202
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Chelsea wins 2, Heatherton wins 2. 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 | Chelsea | Heatherton |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1.1M | $1.1M |
| Median unit price | $745K | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 3.25% | - |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.02% | 3.52% |
| 1-year house growth | +8.1%estimate | +1.0%estimate |
| 3-year house growth | - | - |
| Vacancy rate | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| Population | 8,347 | 2,826 |
Chelsea vs Heatherton: what the numbers say
The median house price is $1.1M in Chelsea and $1.1M in Heatherton, so Heatherton is the cheaper entry point.
Over the past year house prices moved +8.1% in Chelsea (an estimate) and +1.0% in Heatherton (an estimate), so recent momentum favours Chelsea, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Rental vacancy is 0.7% in Heatherton and 1.3% in Chelsea, so landlords in Heatherton face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Chelsea is the bigger suburb, with a population of 8,347 against 2,826, roughly 3.0 times the size of Heatherton; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Heatherton for a lower purchase price, Chelsea for recent price momentum, Heatherton 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
Compare any 2-4 Australian suburbs
Build your own multi-suburb comparison with the full interactive tool.
Open interactive comparison