Ballarat Central vs Golden Point

In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Ballarat Central: a median of $675,000, against $562,000 in Golden Point. On these figures, Golden Point tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Ballarat Central has more childcare (9 vs 1)
  • Golden Point has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Golden Point

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($335,000 vs $407,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($562,500 vs $675,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and 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

Ballarat Central

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 68/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ballarat Central

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (12 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 14%)
  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Golden Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.2% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ballarat Central Golden Point
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.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Walkability 81 / 68
Ballarat Central — Walkability: 81/100 Golden Point — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 2 / 9
Ballarat Central — Safety: 2/100 Golden Point — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ballarat Central — Low fire risk: 100/100 Golden Point — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 18
Ballarat Central — Low flood risk: 100/100 Golden Point — Low flood risk: 18/100

Demographics

Ballarat Central has more residents (5,378 vs 2,217); Ballarat Central has higher household incomes ($75,608 vs $68,068).

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Population 5,378
+59% vs other
 2,217
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.9% +5.2%
Median age 41 40
Median household income $75,608/yr
+10% vs other
 $68,068/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+3% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
0-4 4.7% / 4.1%
Ballarat Central — 0-4: 4.7% Golden Point — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 9.6% / 10.0%
Ballarat Central — 5-14: 9.6% Golden Point — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 4.8% / 5.0%
Ballarat Central — 15-19: 4.8% Golden Point — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 7.4% / 7.7%
Ballarat Central — 20-24: 7.4% Golden Point — 20-24: 7.7%
25-34 15.0% / 16.9%
Ballarat Central — 25-34: 15.0% Golden Point — 25-34: 16.9%
35-44 13.0% / 11.5%
Ballarat Central — 35-44: 13.0% Golden Point — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 13.2% / 13.1%
Ballarat Central — 45-54: 13.2% Golden Point — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 13.4% / 12.4%
Ballarat Central — 55-64: 13.4% Golden Point — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 11.2% / 11.4%
Ballarat Central — 65-74: 11.2% Golden Point — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 5.3% / 6.2%
Ballarat Central — 75-84: 5.3% Golden Point — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 2.2% / 1.9%
Ballarat Central — 85+: 2.2% Golden Point — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central 52.0% lone person
Ballarat Central — Lone Person: 52.0% Ballarat Central — Couple Families: 25.7% Ballarat Central — One Parent Families: 12.2% Ballarat Central — Group Household: 8.6% Ballarat Central — Other Families: 1.6%
Golden Point 52.6% lone person
Golden Point — Lone Person: 52.6% Golden Point — Couple Families: 22.8% Golden Point — One Parent Families: 16.4% Golden Point — Group Household: 7.1% Golden Point — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central 41.0% renting
Ballarat Central — Owned Outright: 33.1% Ballarat Central — Mortgage: 25.9% Ballarat Central — Renting: 41.0%
Golden Point 39.3% renting
Golden Point — Owned Outright: 32.0% Golden Point — Mortgage: 28.6% Golden Point — Renting: 39.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Bachelor Degree 18.2% / 14.2%
Ballarat Central — Bachelor Degree: 18.2% Golden Point — Bachelor Degree: 14.2%
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 13.6%
Ballarat Central — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Golden Point — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 7.3%
Ballarat Central — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Golden Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree 8.3% / 5.8%
Ballarat Central — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3% Golden Point — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 3.2%
Ballarat Central — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% Golden Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
England 2.4% / 3.6%
Ballarat Central — England: 2.4% Golden Point — England: 3.6%
India 1.8% / 1.7%
Ballarat Central — India: 1.8% Golden Point — India: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.8%
Ballarat Central — New Zealand: 1.1% Golden Point — New Zealand: 0.8%
China 0.5% / 0.7%
Ballarat Central — China: 0.5% Golden Point — China: 0.7%
Nepal 0.4% / 0.6%
Ballarat Central — Nepal: 0.4% Golden Point — Nepal: 0.6%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.5%
Ballarat Central — Scotland: 0.4% Golden Point — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central 74.0% houses
Ballarat Central — Houses: 74.0% Ballarat Central — Townhouses: 12.9% Ballarat Central — Flats / Apartments: 13.1%
Golden Point 85.9% houses
Golden Point — Houses: 85.9% Golden Point — Townhouses: 13.1% Golden Point — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Median house price $675,000 $562,500
Median unit price $407,000 $335,000
Median land price — $297,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 39 sales
 55 days
from 21 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.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
2 bed $489K / $462K
Ballarat Central — 2 bed: $489K (13 sales) Golden Point — 2 bed: $462K (15 sales)

13 vs 15 sales

3 bed $646K / $570K
Ballarat Central — 3 bed: $646K (52 sales) Golden Point — 3 bed: $570K (57 sales)

52 vs 57 sales

4 bed $1.06M / $612K
Ballarat Central — 4 bed: $1.06M (17 sales) Golden Point — 4 bed: $612K (13 sales)

17 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Ballarat Central has more commercially zoned land (22% vs 0%).

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Residential 57% 67%
Commercial 22% 0%
Other and special use 2% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 15% 5%
Parks and recreation 3% 11%
Industrial 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

Ballarat Central Golden Point
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.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Houses 3.7%
$460/wk on $645K
 4.2%
$440/wk on $550K
Units 4.7%
$350/wk on $384K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ballarat Central Golden Point
House price Higher than 34% of VIC —
Income Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
Schools Higher than 55% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 59% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 46% of VIC —

Liveability

Ballarat Central scores higher overall (64 vs 35); Ballarat Central is more walkable (81 vs 68).

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Grade B C
Score 64/100 35/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Golden Point carries more flood risk (82 vs 0).

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 High
91/100
Flood None
0/100
 High
82/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 18
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 0.0 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 1.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 1.9%

Schools in Ballarat Central

  • Ballarat Primary School (Dana Street) Government · Primary above peers
  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Ballarat Clarendon College - Second Campus Independent · Combined
  • Mount Rowan Secondary College-LinkUp - Ballarat Learning Exchange Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Golden Point

  • Mount Clear College-G Place Campus Government · Secondary
  • Sovereign Hill School Government · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 62 6
Parks & reserves 1 7
Childcare 9 1
GPs 12 1
Pharmacies 9 0
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 11 1
Fuel stations 3 2
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 13 15

Mobility

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Walkability score 81/100 68/100
Distance to Melbourne 115.2 km 114.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 85 min
Public transport score 76/100
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 191.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 42.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3350
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 3350
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.

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Car (driver) 53.4% / 61.9%
Ballarat Central — Car (driver): 53.4% Golden Point — Car (driver): 61.9%
Worked from Home 24.0% / 22.8%
Ballarat Central — Worked from Home: 24.0% Golden Point — Worked from Home: 22.8%
Walked Only 14.1% / 7.3%
Ballarat Central — Walked Only: 14.1% Golden Point — Walked Only: 7.3%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 4.9%
Ballarat Central — Car (passenger): 4.7% Golden Point — Car (passenger): 4.9%
Bicycle 1.8% / 0.9%
Ballarat Central — Bicycle: 1.8% Golden Point — Bicycle: 0.9%
Bus 1.2% / 1.3%
Ballarat Central — Bus: 1.2% Golden Point — Bus: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.9%).

Setting

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Elevation 453 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 457 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Connectivity score 98/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 94%
4,537 premises
 100%
1,328 premises

Climate

Ballarat Central Golden Point
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

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballarat Central Golden Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballarat Central

Cafe Culture Gentrifying Nightlife Professionals

Golden Point

Affordable Large Blocks Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballarat Central

Ballarat Central vs Wendouree Ballarat Central vs Ballarat East Ballarat Central vs Redan Ballarat Central vs Lake Wendouree Ballarat Central vs Soldiers Hill Ballarat Central vs Mount Pleasant

Other comparisons with Golden Point

Golden Point vs Ballarat East Golden Point vs Canadian Golden Point vs Mount Pleasant Golden Point vs Bakery Hill
Full data on Ballarat Central Full data on Golden Point
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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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