Mernda vs Shelford
Property investment comparison - Mernda, VIC 3754 vs Shelford, VIC 3329
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Mernda wins 3, Shelford wins 1. 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 | Mernda | Shelford |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $750K | $745K |
| Median unit price | $500K | $570K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 3.81% | 2.23% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.95% | - |
| 1-year house growth | +4.9%estimate | - |
| 3-year house growth | - | - |
| Vacancy rate | 2.0% | 5.5% |
| Population | 23,369 | 263 |
Mernda vs Shelford: what the numbers say
The median house price is $750K in Mernda and $745K in Shelford, so Shelford is the cheaper entry point, with Mernda houses about 1% dearer.
For units, Mernda sits at a median of $500K against $570K in Shelford, which makes Mernda the more affordable unit market and Shelford the pricier one.
On cash flow, Mernda leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 3.81%, compared with 2.23% in Shelford, a gap of 1.58 percentage points.
Rental vacancy is 2.0% in Mernda and 5.5% in Shelford, so landlords in Mernda face less competition for tenants.
Mernda is the bigger suburb, with a population of 23,369 against 263, roughly 89 times the size of Shelford; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Mernda for rental income, Shelford for a lower purchase price, Mernda 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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