Alma vs Wareek

Alma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 61 in Wareek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Wareek tends to suit 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

Wareek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Wareek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 29%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Wareek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $275/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Alma

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (132 min vs 138 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (182.7 km vs 190.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wareek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 54/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 23%)

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

Investors

Wareek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.9% vs -3.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Alma Wareek
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.

Alma Wareek
Walkability 10 / 10
Alma — Walkability: 10/100 Wareek — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 46 / 79
Alma — Safety: 46/100 Wareek — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 100 / 67
Alma — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wareek — Low fire risk: 67/100
Low flood risk 27 / 13
Alma — Low flood risk: 27/100 Wareek — Low flood risk: 13/100

Demographics

Alma has more residents (195 vs 72); Alma rents higher ($275/wk vs $150/wk).

Alma Wareek
Population 195
+63% vs other
 72
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.0% +5.9%
Median age 52 61
Median household income $58,500/yr
+7% vs other
 $54,132/yr
Median weekly rent $275/wk
+45% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alma Wareek
0-4 3.1% / 4.2%
Alma — 0-4: 3.1% Wareek — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 13.8% / —
Alma — 5-14: 13.8% Wareek — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 6.2% / —
Alma — 15-19: 6.2% Wareek — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.1% / 5.6%
Alma — 20-24: 2.1% Wareek — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 5.6% / 12.5%
Alma — 25-34: 5.6% Wareek — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 10.3% / 12.5%
Alma — 35-44: 10.3% Wareek — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 22.1% / 4.2%
Alma — 45-54: 22.1% Wareek — 45-54: 4.2%
55-64 15.9% / 23.6%
Alma — 55-64: 15.9% Wareek — 55-64: 23.6%
65-74 14.9% / 26.4%
Alma — 65-74: 14.9% Wareek — 65-74: 26.4%
75-84 6.2% / 8.3%
Alma — 75-84: 6.2% Wareek — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 2.1% / —
Alma — 85+: 2.1% Wareek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

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.

Alma Wareek
England 3.6% / 5.6%
Alma — England: 3.6% Wareek — England: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alma 46.8% lone person
Alma — Lone Person: 46.8% Alma — Couple Families: 34.0% Alma — One Parent Families: 19.1%
Wareek 52.2% lone person
Wareek — Lone Person: 52.2% Wareek — Couple Families: 26.1% Wareek — One Parent Families: 21.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alma 104.4% houses
Alma — Houses: 104.4%
Wareek 100.0% houses
Wareek — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Alma Wareek
Certificate III & IV 18.5% / 15.3%
Alma — Certificate III & IV: 18.5% Wareek — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 4.6% / 15.3%
Alma — Bachelor Degree: 4.6% Wareek — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.1% / 12.5%
Alma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1% Wareek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 9.7%
Alma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wareek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 9.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alma 4.5% renting
Alma — Owned Outright: 62.7% Alma — Mortgage: 32.8% Alma — Renting: 4.5%
Wareek 9.1% renting
Wareek — Owned Outright: 57.6% Wareek — Mortgage: 33.3% Wareek — Renting: 9.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Alma Wareek
Median house price $575,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Wareek has more land zoned for conservation (18% vs 0%); Alma has more rural and farming land (92% vs 81%).

Alma Wareek
Rural and farming 92% 81%
Environmental 0% 18%
Parks and recreation 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

Alma Wareek
New dwellings approved 40
across Central Goldfields
same for both
Approvals change year on year +129%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Alma Wareek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 14% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC

Liveability

Alma Wareek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Wareek carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0); Alma carries more crime risk (54 vs 21).

Alma Wareek
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
21/100
Flood High
73/100
 High
87/100
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

Alma Wareek
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

Alma Wareek
Parks & reserves 4 2
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Wareek sits further from the CBD (190.3 km vs 182.7 km).

Alma Wareek
Walkability score 10/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 182.7 km 190.3 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 132 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3465
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3465
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.

Alma Wareek
Car (driver) 95.2% / 63.0%
Alma — Car (driver): 95.2% Wareek — Car (driver): 63.0%
Worked from Home — / 37.0%
Alma — Worked from Home: not among its largest Wareek — Worked from Home: 37.0%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / —
Alma — Car (passenger): 4.8% Wareek — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (95.2%).

Setting

Alma Wareek
Elevation 204 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 207 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Alma Wareek
Connectivity score 29/100 21/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
89 premises
 0%
34 premises

Climate

Alma Wareek
Annual rainfall 510 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Alma Wareek
Average residential rate $1,555/yr
same for both
Council Central Goldfields
same for both

Federal electorate

Alma Wareek
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alma Wareek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alma

River Rural

Wareek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alma

Alma vs Maryborough Alma vs Bowenvale Alma vs Moonlight Flat

Other comparisons with Wareek

Wareek vs Bowenvale Wareek vs Moonlight Flat Wareek vs Bung Bong
Full data on Alma Full data on Wareek
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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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