Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Donvale

Donvale is an established, leafy suburb in Melbourne’s east with roomy, mostly detached homes on generous blocks and streets that slope into native gullies. The Mullum Mullum Creek corridor and surrounding reserves give a bushland feel and plenty of walking and cycling options, while parks, sports fields, small shopping strips and community facilities cover everyday needs. Public buses and nearby arterial roads link to neighbouring suburbs and the city, so it suits households that value outdoor space and an established residential setting.

About 12,644 people live in Donvale, with a median age of 45 and a typical household income of $2,100 a week (about $109,200 a year). The suburb is family-oriented by composition, with couple families with children the largest group, and most homes are owner-occupied rather than rented. Council planning has produced a draft masterplan for the Donvale Indoor Sports Centre that is currently on hold while feedback is considered, and Donvale Reserve has recently received a new playspace and upgraded public toilet, with another toilet planned along the Mullum Mullum Trail.

Housing in Donvale looks stretched against local incomes at the last Census, particularly for buyers. Buying sits well above what a typical local household earned at the last Census, while renting is less extreme but still significant for houses.

The median house price of $1,505,000 is about 13.8 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, and the median unit price of $946,000 is about 8.7 times that income. On the rental side, an average house rent of $800 a week would take about 38.1% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, while a unit at $595 a week would take about 28.3%.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Unit values in Donvale jumped 15.7% over the past year, a strong rise, while house values rose a more modest 2.6% over the same period. Rents for both houses and units each climbed 3.5%, a modest increase, so rental income moved upward at the same pace for both property types.

Put simply, units delivered the stronger capital growth this year, while rental income rose modestly and evenly across houses and units. Which of those outcomes matters most to you depends on whether you are prioritising capital growth or rental income and on your own circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.