Charlestown vs Garden Suburb.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $990,000 and $960,000.
Garden Suburb (median $960,000) is roughly 3% cheaper to buy into than Charlestown ($990,000). Over the past year, Charlestown (+8.8%) ran 16.9 percentage points ahead of Garden Suburb (-8.1%) on house-price growth.
Charlestown scores higher on walkability (22/100 vs 2/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Garden Suburb (1030) sits above Charlestown (1017). Garden Suburb skews owner-occupied (88%), Charlestown runs more rental-dense (72% owner).
For buyers
Garden Suburb is the lower entry point at $960,000 median, 3% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Garden Suburb delivers the better gross yield (4.06% vs 3.82%), but Charlestown has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Garden Suburb edges out on average school ICSEA (1030 vs 1017). Garden Suburb also has a higher family-household share (82% vs 70%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Charlestown or Garden Suburb cheaper to buy in?
Garden Suburb has the lower median house price at $960,000, roughly 3% below Charlestown ($990,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Charlestown or Garden Suburb?
Over the past 12 months, Charlestown grew +8.8% vs -8.1% in Garden Suburb, a gap of 16.9 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Charlestown or Garden Suburb have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Garden Suburb scores 1030 vs 1017 in Charlestown. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Charlestown or Garden Suburb?
Charlestown scores 22/100 on walkability vs 2/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Charlestown or Garden Suburb?
Gross rental yield on houses is 4.06% in Garden Suburb vs 3.82% in Charlestown. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
Compare Charlestown against another suburb