Overall score
Ashby Heights
37.7/100
Townsend
40.8/100
Ashby Heights for schools; Townsend for retirees and families.
See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Head to head
Overall score
Ashby Heights
37.7/100
Townsend
40.8/100
Crime rate
Ashby Heights
51.8 / 1k
Townsend
53.3 / 1k
Nearby amenities
Ashby Heights
0
Townsend
9
Population
Ashby Heights
292
Townsend
991
Desirability pillars scored 0–100 vs comparable suburbs
Clearer edge on lifestyle fit (score gap ≥ 3)
Who each suburb suits — composite scores out of 100
Side-by-side scores for every compared metric.
Exact figures for every metric — winner highlighted in bold.
| Category | Ashby Heights | Townsend |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 37.7/100 | 40.8/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 63.5/100 | 74.2/100 |
| Crime rate | 51.8 / 1k | 53.3 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | — | 4 |
| Weather (desirability) | 46.3/100 | 64.0/100 |
| Public transport stops | 11 | 16 |
| Walkability | 16.5/100 | 26.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 0 | 9 |
| Planning activity | 2 | 13 |
| Green cover | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Population | 292 | 991 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 3/10 | 1/10 |
Ashby Heights is a hills smaller community where tree cover and calm define the mood, while Townsend is a more rural smaller community that rewards people who want room to breathe. Ashby Heights sits among greener hillside streets, while Townsend keeps a flatter suburban layout.
Ashby Heights pulls ahead on a quieter safety profile, a calmer planning outlook, and stronger socioeconomic advantage, whereas Townsend is the better pick for housing affordability, public transport access, and walkability.
On balance, retirees, families, investors, value-focused buyers, and households prioritising schools are more likely to prefer Townsend, while Ashby Heights remains a solid alternative depending on what matters most day to day.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.