Alfredton vs Cardigan

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Alfredton, about half of households are couple families. In Cardigan, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cardigan: a median of $1.14 million, against $652,000 in Alfredton. On these figures, Alfredton tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Cardigan suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Alfredton

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Cardigan is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 68%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Alfredton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($652,500 vs $1,142,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Alfredton has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 7%)
  • Cardigan leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 19%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Alfredton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (125.2 km vs 132.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Alfredton

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 8%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Alfredton returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 2.8%)
  • Cardigan is growing faster (41.1% vs 28.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Alfredton and Cardigan drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Alfredton Cardigan
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Alfredton Cardigan
Walkability 56 / 0
Alfredton — Walkability: 56/100 Cardigan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 33 / 18
Alfredton — Safety: 33/100 Cardigan — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 86 / 77
Alfredton — Low fire risk: 86/100 Cardigan — Low fire risk: 77/100
Low flood risk 100 / 64
Alfredton — Low flood risk: 100/100 Cardigan — Low flood risk: 64/100

Demographics

Alfredton has more residents (11,822 vs 1,064); Cardigan has higher household incomes ($141,076 vs $97,916).

Alfredton Cardigan
Population 11,822
+91% vs other
 1,064
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +28.2% +41.1%
Median age 35 36
Median household income $97,916/yr $141,076/yr
+44% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk
+4% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alfredton Cardigan
0-4 6.5% / 5.5%
Alfredton — 0-4: 6.5% Cardigan — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 16.5% / 18.3%
Alfredton — 5-14: 16.5% Cardigan — 5-14: 18.3%
15-19 7.9% / 11.7%
Alfredton — 15-19: 7.9% Cardigan — 15-19: 11.7%
20-24 6.4% / 5.1%
Alfredton — 20-24: 6.4% Cardigan — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 11.8% / 8.2%
Alfredton — 25-34: 11.8% Cardigan — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 14.0% / 14.3%
Alfredton — 35-44: 14.0% Cardigan — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 12.8% / 17.9%
Alfredton — 45-54: 12.8% Cardigan — 45-54: 17.9%
55-64 10.0% / 12.1%
Alfredton — 55-64: 10.0% Cardigan — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 8.4% / 6.0%
Alfredton — 65-74: 8.4% Cardigan — 65-74: 6.0%
75-84 4.5% / 2.1%
Alfredton — 75-84: 4.5% Cardigan — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ 1.2% / 0.3%
Alfredton — 85+: 1.2% Cardigan — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alfredton 48.7% couple families
Alfredton — Couple Families: 48.7% Alfredton — Lone Person: 26.7% Alfredton — One Parent Families: 19.2% Alfredton — Group Household: 4.4% Alfredton — Other Families: 1.0%
Cardigan 81.2% couple families
Cardigan — Couple Families: 81.2% Cardigan — Lone Person: 10.5% Cardigan — One Parent Families: 6.1% Cardigan — Group Household: 2.2% Cardigan — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alfredton 30.3% renting
Alfredton — Owned Outright: 31.6% Alfredton — Mortgage: 38.1% Alfredton — Renting: 30.3%
Cardigan 7.4% renting
Cardigan — Owned Outright: 37.5% Cardigan — Mortgage: 55.2% Cardigan — Renting: 7.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Alfredton Cardigan
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 17.1%
Alfredton — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Cardigan — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Bachelor Degree 13.8% / 9.7%
Alfredton — Bachelor Degree: 13.8% Cardigan — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 6.9%
Alfredton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Cardigan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 3.2%
Alfredton — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% Cardigan — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 2.3%
Alfredton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Cardigan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Alfredton Cardigan
India 4.0% / 1.1%
Alfredton — India: 4.0% Cardigan — India: 1.1%
England 1.8% / 2.6%
Alfredton — England: 1.8% Cardigan — England: 2.6%
New Zealand 0.9% / 0.7%
Alfredton — New Zealand: 0.9% Cardigan — New Zealand: 0.7%
China 1.3% / —
Alfredton — China: 1.3% Cardigan — China: not among its largest
Philippines 0.6% / 0.4%
Alfredton — Philippines: 0.6% Cardigan — Philippines: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.3% / 0.6%
Alfredton — Netherlands: 0.3% Cardigan — Netherlands: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.8%
Alfredton — Germany: not among its largest Cardigan — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alfredton 90.4% houses
Alfredton — Houses: 90.4% Alfredton — Flats / Apartments: 5.6% Alfredton — Townhouses: 3.9%
Cardigan 98.7% houses
Cardigan — Houses: 98.7% Cardigan — Flats / Apartments: 1.3% Cardigan — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Alfredton Cardigan
Median house price $652,500 $1,142,500
Median unit price $340,000 —
Median land price $602,500 $547,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 181 sales
 30 days
from 19 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Alfredton Cardigan
4 bed $682K / $1.08M
Alfredton — 4 bed: $682K (262 sales) Cardigan — 4 bed: $1.08M (18 sales)

262 vs 18 sales

5 bed $845K / $1.18M
Alfredton — 5 bed: $845K (11 sales) Cardigan — 5 bed: $1.18M (8 sales)

11 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Cardigan has more rural and farming land (67% vs 0%); Alfredton has more industrially zoned land (18% vs 0%).

Alfredton Cardigan
Rural and farming 0% 67%
Residential 67% 9%
Other and special use 8% 20%
Industrial 18% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 2%
Parks and recreation 2%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Alfredton Cardigan
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Alfredton Cardigan
Houses 3.5%
$500/wk on $740K
 2.8%
$700/wk on $1.3M
Units 4.9%
$385/wk on $410K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Alfredton Cardigan
House price Higher than 27% of VIC —
Income Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 90% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of VIC —

Liveability

Alfredton is more walkable (56 vs 0); Alfredton scores higher overall (61 vs 44).

Alfredton Cardigan
Grade B C
Score 61/100 44/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Cardigan carries more flood risk (36 vs 0); Cardigan carries more crime risk (82 vs 67).

Alfredton Cardigan
Bushfire Low
14/100
 Low
23/100
Crime Moderate
67/100
 High
82/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
36/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 17
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Alfredton Cardigan
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 4.4 km
 None

Schools in Alfredton

  • Alfredton Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Thomas More School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Cardigan

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Alfredton Cardigan
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 22 2
Childcare 7 1
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Cardigan sits further from the CBD (132.1 km vs 125.2 km).

Alfredton Cardigan
Walkability score 56/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 125.2 km 132.1 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 94 min 98 min
Public transport score 75/100 24/100
Peak arrivals per hour 57.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 36 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3350
 0.4%
postcode 3352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 3350
 51
postcode 3352

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Alfredton Cardigan
Car (driver) 73.7% / 77.5%
Alfredton — Car (driver): 73.7% Cardigan — Car (driver): 77.5%
Worked from Home 17.1% / 15.5%
Alfredton — Worked from Home: 17.1% Cardigan — Worked from Home: 15.5%
Car (passenger) 6.6% / 6.0%
Alfredton — Car (passenger): 6.6% Cardigan — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.0%
Alfredton — Walked Only: 1.0% Cardigan — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bicycle 0.6% / —
Alfredton — Bicycle: 0.6% Cardigan — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.5%).

Setting

Alfredton Cardigan
Elevation 455 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 418 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Alfredton Cardigan
Connectivity score 86/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 74%
5,628 premises
 68%
973 premises

Climate

Alfredton Cardigan
Annual rainfall 605 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Alfredton Cardigan
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Alfredton Cardigan
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alfredton Cardigan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alfredton

Family Large Blocks Parks Quiet Regional Centre

Cardigan

Acreage Family Luxury

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alfredton

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Other comparisons with Cardigan

Cardigan vs Wendouree Cardigan vs Lucas Cardigan vs Haddon Cardigan vs Cardigan Village Cardigan vs Mitchell Park Cardigan vs Bunkers Hill
Full data on Alfredton Full data on Cardigan
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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