Hawthorndene vs South Plympton

The median house price is $1.2M in Hawthorndene and $1.2M in South Plympton, so South Plympton is the cheaper entry point, with Hawthorndene houses about 2% dearer.

Gross rental yield on houses is effectively level, at 3.02% in Hawthorndene and 3.06% in South Plympton, so neither suburb has a cash flow edge on houses.

Over the past year house prices moved +11.2% in Hawthorndene and +11.9% in South Plympton (an estimate), so recent momentum favours South Plympton, although both suburbs recorded growth.

Rental vacancy is 0.8% in Hawthorndene and 0.9% in South Plympton, so landlords in Hawthorndene face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.

South Plympton is the bigger suburb, with a population of 4,721 against 3,389, larger than Hawthorndene; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.

In short: South Plympton for a lower purchase price, South Plympton for recent price momentum, Hawthorndene for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.