Melrose Park vs St Marys.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,157,500 and $1,115,500. St Marys edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
St Marys (median $1,115,500) is roughly 4% cheaper to buy into than Melrose Park ($1,157,500). Over the past year, St Marys (+21.9%) ran 20.4 percentage points ahead of Melrose Park (+1.5%) on house-price growth.
Melrose Park scores higher on walkability (30/100 vs 16/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving St Marys (1073) sits above Melrose Park (1070).
For buyers
St Marys is the lower entry point at $1,115,500 median, 4% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
St Marys carries both higher gross yield (3.25% vs 2.61%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
St Marys edges out on average school ICSEA (1073 vs 1070).
Common questions
Is Melrose Park or St Marys cheaper to buy in?
St Marys has the lower median house price at $1,115,500, roughly 4% below Melrose Park ($1,157,500). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Melrose Park or St Marys?
Over the past 12 months, St Marys grew +21.9% vs +1.5% in Melrose Park, a gap of 20.4 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 Melrose Park or St Marys have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), St Marys scores 1073 vs 1070 in Melrose Park. 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, Melrose Park or St Marys?
Melrose Park scores 30/100 on walkability vs 16/100. 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, Melrose Park or St Marys?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.25% in St Marys vs 2.61% in Melrose Park. 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).
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