Overall score
Ashton
54.9/100
Forest Range
40.8/100
Ashton for retirees and families; Forest Range for investment.
See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Head to head
Overall score
Ashton
54.9/100
Forest Range
40.8/100
Crime rate
Ashton
10.0 / 1k
Forest Range
19.6 / 1k
Nearby amenities
Ashton
8
Forest Range
2
Population
Ashton
481
Forest Range
290
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 | Ashton | Forest Range |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 54.9/100 | 40.8/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 65.2/100 | 37.5/100 |
| Crime rate | 10.0 / 1k | 19.6 / 1k |
| Weather (desirability) | 37.3/100 | 37.3/100 |
| Walkability | 2.0/100 | 0.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 8 | 2 |
| Planning activity | 12 | 7 |
| Green cover | 14.5% | 6.1% |
| Population | 481 | 290 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 10/10 | 9/10 |
Ashton reads as a hillside smaller community with greener streets and a quieter pace; Forest Range is a hillside smaller community with greener streets and a quieter pace. Ashton sits in a middle-ring position, whereas Forest Range is within day-trip reach of the capital.
Ashton tends to lead on housing affordability, a quieter safety profile, and walkability, while Forest Range stands out for a calmer planning outlook.
On balance, families, investors, value-focused buyers, and households prioritising schools are more likely to prefer Ashton, while Forest Range 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.