Allendale vs Smeaton

Allendale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 51 in Smeaton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Allendale, about half of households are couple families. In Smeaton, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Allendale tends to suit families with children and couples, while Smeaton suits people living alone and older residents.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Allendale is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 40%)
  • Smeaton carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 41/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Allendale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (129.7 km vs 136.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Smeaton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 41/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 17%)

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

Investors

Allendale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.4% vs 6.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Allendale Smeaton
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.

Allendale Smeaton
Walkability 5 / 0
Allendale — Walkability: 5/100 Smeaton — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 59 / 87
Allendale — Safety: 59/100 Smeaton — Safety: 87/100
Low fire risk 21 / 30
Allendale — Low fire risk: 21/100 Smeaton — Low fire risk: 30/100
Low flood risk 100 / 85
Allendale — Low flood risk: 100/100 Smeaton — Low flood risk: 85/100

Demographics

Smeaton has more residents (245 vs 185); Allendale has higher household incomes ($83,200 vs $70,408).

Allendale Smeaton
Population 185 245
+32% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.4% +6.1%
Median age 48 51
Median household income $83,200/yr
+15% vs other
 $70,408/yr
Median weekly rent $187/wk
+4% vs other
 $180/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Allendale Smeaton
0-4 6.5% / 4.1%
Allendale — 0-4: 6.5% Smeaton — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 14.1% / 11.4%
Allendale — 5-14: 14.1% Smeaton — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.5% / 3.7%
Allendale — 15-19: 6.5% Smeaton — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 2.7% / 1.6%
Allendale — 20-24: 2.7% Smeaton — 20-24: 1.6%
25-34 5.4% / 5.3%
Allendale — 25-34: 5.4% Smeaton — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 12.4% / 12.2%
Allendale — 35-44: 12.4% Smeaton — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 24.3% / 15.1%
Allendale — 45-54: 24.3% Smeaton — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 17.8% / 13.9%
Allendale — 55-64: 17.8% Smeaton — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 12.4% / 21.6%
Allendale — 65-74: 12.4% Smeaton — 65-74: 21.6%
75-84 2.2% / 6.9%
Allendale — 75-84: 2.2% Smeaton — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ 2.7% / 2.4%
Allendale — 85+: 2.7% Smeaton — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Allendale 44.7% lone person
Allendale — Lone Person: 44.7% Allendale — Couple Families: 46.8% Allendale — One Parent Families: 8.5%
Smeaton 59.7% lone person
Smeaton — Lone Person: 59.7% Smeaton — Couple Families: 27.4% Smeaton — One Parent Families: 12.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Allendale 5.3% renting
Allendale — Owned Outright: 45.3% Allendale — Mortgage: 49.3% Allendale — Renting: 5.3%
Smeaton 8.2% renting
Smeaton — Owned Outright: 63.3% Smeaton — Mortgage: 28.6% Smeaton — Renting: 8.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Allendale Smeaton
England 4.9% / 4.5%
Allendale — England: 4.9% Smeaton — England: 4.5%
New Zealand — / 1.6%
Allendale — New Zealand: not among its largest Smeaton — New Zealand: 1.6%
South Africa — / 1.6%
Allendale — South Africa: not among its largest Smeaton — South Africa: 1.6%
Germany — / 1.2%
Allendale — Germany: not among its largest Smeaton — Germany: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

Qualifications

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

Allendale Smeaton
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 15.9%
Allendale — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Smeaton — Certificate III & IV: 15.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 10.2%
Allendale — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Smeaton — Bachelor Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.8% / 8.2%
Allendale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8% Smeaton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 5.9% / 6.9%
Allendale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9% Smeaton — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 4.1%
Allendale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Smeaton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Allendale 100.0% houses
Allendale — Houses: 100.0%
Smeaton 102.8% houses
Smeaton — Houses: 102.8%
Houses

Property market

Allendale Smeaton
Median house price — $680,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Smeaton has more rural and farming land (98% vs 85%).

Allendale Smeaton
Rural and farming 85% 98%
Residential 7% 1%
Environmental 6% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
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

Allendale Smeaton
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Allendale Smeaton
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Allendale Smeaton
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Smeaton carries more flood risk (15 vs 0); Allendale carries more crime risk (41 vs 13).

Allendale Smeaton
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
70/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Low
13/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
15/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Allendale Smeaton
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Allendale Smeaton
Parks & reserves 1 2
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Smeaton sits further from the CBD (136.7 km vs 129.7 km).

Allendale Smeaton
Walkability score 5/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 129.7 km 136.7 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 101 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3364
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 3364
same for both

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.

Allendale Smeaton
Car (driver) 75.6% / 61.0%
Allendale — Car (driver): 75.6% Smeaton — Car (driver): 61.0%
Worked from Home 20.5% / 29.0%
Allendale — Worked from Home: 20.5% Smeaton — Worked from Home: 29.0%
Walked Only — / 7.0%
Allendale — Walked Only: not among its largest Smeaton — Walked Only: 7.0%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 3.0%
Allendale — Car (passenger): 3.8% Smeaton — Car (passenger): 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).

Setting

Allendale Smeaton
Elevation 477 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 421 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Allendale Smeaton
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
87 premises
 0%
137 premises

Climate

Allendale Smeaton
Annual rainfall 714 mm 531 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Allendale Smeaton
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Allendale Smeaton
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Allendale Smeaton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Allendale

Rural

Smeaton

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Allendale

Allendale vs Broomfield Allendale vs Kingston Allendale vs Creswick North

Other comparisons with Smeaton

Smeaton vs Blampied Smeaton vs Kingston Smeaton vs Campbelltown
Full data on Allendale Full data on Smeaton
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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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