Bacchus Marsh vs Pentland Hills

Bacchus Marsh is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 49 in Pentland Hills. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pentland Hills, most households are couple families. On these figures, Bacchus Marsh tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and older residents, while Pentland Hills 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

Bacchus Marsh

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Pentland Hills is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 53%)

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 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Bacchus Marsh

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (57.4 km vs 63.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bacchus Marsh

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Bacchus Marsh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs -14.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
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.

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Walkability 80 / 0
Bacchus Marsh — Walkability: 80/100 Pentland Hills — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 14 / 5
Bacchus Marsh — Safety: 14/100 Pentland Hills — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 100 / 83
Bacchus Marsh — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pentland Hills — Low fire risk: 83/100
Low flood risk 18 / 64
Bacchus Marsh — Low flood risk: 18/100 Pentland Hills — Low flood risk: 64/100

Demographics

Bacchus Marsh has more residents (7,808 vs 158); Pentland Hills has higher household incomes ($101,816 vs $78,416).

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Population 7,808
+98% vs other
 158
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.1% -14.6%
Median age 39 49
Median household income $78,416/yr $101,816/yr
+30% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
0-4 6.4% / 3.2%
Bacchus Marsh — 0-4: 6.4% Pentland Hills — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 12.4% / 8.9%
Bacchus Marsh — 5-14: 12.4% Pentland Hills — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 4.7% / 7.6%
Bacchus Marsh — 15-19: 4.7% Pentland Hills — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 5.1% / 7.0%
Bacchus Marsh — 20-24: 5.1% Pentland Hills — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 15.3% / 10.1%
Bacchus Marsh — 25-34: 15.3% Pentland Hills — 25-34: 10.1%
35-44 12.3% / 5.7%
Bacchus Marsh — 35-44: 12.3% Pentland Hills — 35-44: 5.7%
45-54 11.3% / 25.9%
Bacchus Marsh — 45-54: 11.3% Pentland Hills — 45-54: 25.9%
55-64 10.7% / 20.3%
Bacchus Marsh — 55-64: 10.7% Pentland Hills — 55-64: 20.3%
65-74 12.0% / 5.1%
Bacchus Marsh — 65-74: 12.0% Pentland Hills — 65-74: 5.1%
75-84 7.6% / 8.2%
Bacchus Marsh — 75-84: 7.6% Pentland Hills — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 2.3% / —
Bacchus Marsh — 85+: 2.3% Pentland Hills — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bacchus Marsh 35.4% couple families
Bacchus Marsh — Couple Families: 35.4% Bacchus Marsh — Lone Person: 42.3% Bacchus Marsh — One Parent Families: 18.0% Bacchus Marsh — Group Household: 2.7% Bacchus Marsh — Other Families: 1.6%
Pentland Hills 59.0% couple families
Pentland Hills — Couple Families: 59.0% Pentland Hills — Lone Person: 20.5% Pentland Hills — One Parent Families: 20.5% Pentland Hills — Group Household: 0.0% Pentland Hills — 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.

Bacchus Marsh 27.0% renting
Bacchus Marsh — Owned Outright: 33.8% Bacchus Marsh — Mortgage: 39.2% Bacchus Marsh — Renting: 27.0%
Pentland Hills 0.0% renting
Pentland Hills — Owned Outright: 67.4% Pentland Hills — Mortgage: 32.6% Pentland Hills — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 16.5%
Bacchus Marsh — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Pentland Hills — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.0% / 7.6%
Bacchus Marsh — Bachelor Degree: 10.0% Pentland Hills — Bachelor Degree: 7.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 7.0%
Bacchus Marsh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Pentland Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 5.7%
Bacchus Marsh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Pentland Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 4.4%
Bacchus Marsh — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Pentland Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
England 3.3% / 2.5%
Bacchus Marsh — England: 3.3% Pentland Hills — England: 2.5%
Netherlands 0.4% / 3.2%
Bacchus Marsh — Netherlands: 0.4% Pentland Hills — Netherlands: 3.2%
India 2.6% / —
Bacchus Marsh — India: 2.6% Pentland Hills — India: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.5% / —
Bacchus Marsh — New Zealand: 1.5% Pentland Hills — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.8% / —
Bacchus Marsh — Scotland: 0.8% Pentland Hills — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / —
Bacchus Marsh — Germany: 0.6% Pentland Hills — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bacchus Marsh 84.2% houses
Bacchus Marsh — Houses: 84.2% Bacchus Marsh — Townhouses: 12.5% Bacchus Marsh — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Pentland Hills 100.0% houses
Pentland Hills — Houses: 100.0% Pentland Hills — Townhouses: 0.0% Pentland Hills — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Median house price $650,000 —
Median unit price $420,000 —
Median land price $406,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 125 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Pentland Hills has more rural and farming land (81% vs 49%).

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Rural and farming 49% 81%
Residential 37% 5%
Parks and recreation 3% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 4%
Commercial 2% 0%
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

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
New dwellings approved 338
across Moorabool
same for both
Approvals change year on year +4%
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.

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Houses 3.7%
$500/wk on $710K
 —
Units 5.4%
$430/wk on $414K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
House price Higher than 27% of VIC —
Income Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Schools Higher than 31% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 71% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 44% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 79% of VIC —

Liveability

Bacchus Marsh is more walkable (80 vs 0).

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Grade C —
Score 35/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Pentland Hills carries more bushfire risk (17 vs 0); Bacchus Marsh carries more flood risk (82 vs 36).

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
17/100
Crime High
86/100
 High
95/100
Flood High
82/100
 Low
36/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Bacchus Marsh

  • Bacchus Marsh Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Indie School (Bacchus Marsh) Independent · Secondary · Special school at peers
  • St Bernard's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Pentland Hills

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

Amenities in the suburb

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 14 0
Parks & reserves 7 0
Childcare 6 0
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 6 0
Beaches 0 2
Waterways 2 5

Mobility

Pentland Hills sits further from the CBD (63.3 km vs 57.4 km).

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Walkability score 80/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 57.4 km 63.3 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 50 min 51 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3340
 0.4%
postcode 3341
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3340
 55
postcode 3341

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.

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Car (driver) 66.5% / 72.6%
Bacchus Marsh — Car (driver): 66.5% Pentland Hills — Car (driver): 72.6%
Worked from Home 23.3% / 20.5%
Bacchus Marsh — Worked from Home: 23.3% Pentland Hills — Worked from Home: 20.5%
Car (passenger) 4.4% / 6.8%
Bacchus Marsh — Car (passenger): 4.4% Pentland Hills — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Walked Only 3.0% / —
Bacchus Marsh — Walked Only: 3.0% Pentland Hills — Walked Only: not among its largest
Train 2.5% / —
Bacchus Marsh — Train: 2.5% Pentland Hills — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.6%).

Setting

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Elevation 101 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 331 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.8 km 43.1 km
2.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Connectivity score 99/100 87/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
4,136 premises
 82%
276 premises

Climate

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Annual rainfall 578 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
PM2.5 4.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Average residential rate $1,979/yr
same for both
Council Moorabool
same for both

Federal electorate

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Division Hawke
same for both
Member Sam Rae
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bacchus Marsh Pentland Hills
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bacchus Marsh

Outer Village Feel

Pentland Hills

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bacchus Marsh

Bacchus Marsh vs Darley Bacchus Marsh vs Maddingley Bacchus Marsh vs Hopetoun Park Bacchus Marsh vs Merrimu Bacchus Marsh vs Parwan

Other comparisons with Pentland Hills

Pentland Hills vs Darley Pentland Hills vs Maddingley Pentland Hills vs Myrniong Pentland Hills vs Ingliston
Full data on Bacchus Marsh Full data on Pentland Hills
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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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