Balaclava vs South Melbourne, VIC suburb comparison
Which suburb suits you better?
Side-by-side comparison of 16 categories from official government and open data.
| Category | Balaclava | South Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 45.8/100 | 66.4/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 21.6/100 | 7.9/100 |
| Crime rate | 166.9 / 1k | 308.4 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | — | 3 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 10 |
| Public transport stops | 21 | 45 |
| Walkability | 100.0/100 | 100.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 76 | 559 |
| Planning activity | 83 | 247 |
| Population | 5,392 | 11,548 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 10/10 | 10/10 |
Quick verdicts
- Best for familiesSouth Melbourne
- Best for investmentSouth Melbourne
- Best for best valueSouth Melbourne
- Best for best schoolsSouth Melbourne
Comparison summary
Balaclava (Vic.) and South Melbourne offer different strengths across official suburb data. South Melbourne leads on more comparison categories overall. Overall score favours South Melbourne; Housing (desirability) favours Balaclava (Vic.); Crime rate favours Balaclava (Vic.). Quick verdicts: Families → South Melbourne, Investment → South Melbourne, Best value → South Melbourne, Best schools → South Melbourne.