Forest Hill vs Mount Buffalo
Property investment comparison - Forest Hill, VIC 3131 vs Mount Buffalo, VIC 3740
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Forest Hill wins 0, Mount Buffalo wins 3. 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 | Forest Hill | Mount Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1.2M | $1.2M |
| Median unit price | $765K | $155K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 2.75% | 2.80% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.22% | - |
| 1-year house growth | +1.6% | - |
| 3-year house growth | -1.7% | - |
| Vacancy rate | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Population | 10,780 | 5 |
Forest Hill vs Mount Buffalo: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $1.2M in Forest Hill and $1.2M in Mount Buffalo.
For units, Forest Hill sits at a median of $765K against $155K in Mount Buffalo, which makes Mount Buffalo the more affordable unit market and Forest Hill the pricier one.
Gross rental yield on houses is effectively level, at 2.75% in Forest Hill and 2.80% in Mount Buffalo, so neither suburb has a cash flow edge on houses.
Rental vacancy is 0.9% in Mount Buffalo and 1.0% in Forest Hill, so landlords in Mount Buffalo face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Forest Hill is the bigger suburb, with a population of 10,780 against 5, roughly 2156 times the size of Mount Buffalo; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Mount Buffalo 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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