Ballarat Central vs Lake Wendouree

Ballarat Central is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 53 in Lake Wendouree. 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 Lake Wendouree: a median of $962,000, against $675,000 in Ballarat Central, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ballarat Central tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Lake Wendouree suits 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

Lake Wendouree

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (76/100 vs 98/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (48% vs 38%)
  • But Ballarat Central has more childcare (9 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Ballarat Central

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($675,000 vs $962,500)
  • has cheaper units ($407,000 vs $501,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ballarat Central

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 26%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ballarat Central

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 41/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (115.2 km vs 121.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Ballarat Central has more GPs (12 vs 1)
  • Lake Wendouree has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Ballarat Central

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.7% vs 2.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Ballarat Central and Lake Wendouree 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 Lake Wendouree
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 Lake Wendouree
Walkability 81 / 41
Ballarat Central — Walkability: 81/100 Lake Wendouree — Walkability: 41/100
Safety 2 / 24
Ballarat Central — Safety: 2/100 Lake Wendouree — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ballarat Central — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lake Wendouree — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Ballarat Central — Low flood risk: 100/100 Lake Wendouree — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ballarat Central has more residents (5,378 vs 2,878); Lake Wendouree has higher household incomes ($101,556 vs $75,608).

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Population 5,378
+46% vs other
 2,878
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.9% -0.1%
Median age 41 53
Median household income $75,608/yr $101,556/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $321/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
0-4 4.7% / 2.7%
Ballarat Central — 0-4: 4.7% Lake Wendouree — 0-4: 2.7%
5-14 9.6% / 11.0%
Ballarat Central — 5-14: 9.6% Lake Wendouree — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 4.8% / 6.2%
Ballarat Central — 15-19: 4.8% Lake Wendouree — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 7.4% / 4.1%
Ballarat Central — 20-24: 7.4% Lake Wendouree — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 15.0% / 5.9%
Ballarat Central — 25-34: 15.0% Lake Wendouree — 25-34: 5.9%
35-44 13.0% / 9.1%
Ballarat Central — 35-44: 13.0% Lake Wendouree — 35-44: 9.1%
45-54 13.2% / 13.6%
Ballarat Central — 45-54: 13.2% Lake Wendouree — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 13.4% / 15.0%
Ballarat Central — 55-64: 13.4% Lake Wendouree — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 11.2% / 15.3%
Ballarat Central — 65-74: 11.2% Lake Wendouree — 65-74: 15.3%
75-84 5.3% / 11.0%
Ballarat Central — 75-84: 5.3% Lake Wendouree — 75-84: 11.0%
85+ 2.2% / 6.3%
Ballarat Central — 85+: 2.2% Lake Wendouree — 85+: 6.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

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%
Lake Wendouree 48.7% lone person
Lake Wendouree — Lone Person: 48.7% Lake Wendouree — Couple Families: 37.1% Lake Wendouree — One Parent Families: 10.6% Lake Wendouree — Group Household: 3.1% Lake Wendouree — Other Families: 0.5%
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%
Lake Wendouree 25.6% renting
Lake Wendouree — Owned Outright: 51.8% Lake Wendouree — Mortgage: 22.6% Lake Wendouree — Renting: 25.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Bachelor Degree 18.2% / 20.4%
Ballarat Central — Bachelor Degree: 18.2% Lake Wendouree — Bachelor Degree: 20.4%
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 8.8%
Ballarat Central — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Lake Wendouree — Certificate III & IV: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 9.1%
Ballarat Central — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Lake Wendouree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 8.3% / 8.6%
Ballarat Central — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3% Lake Wendouree — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 4.3%
Ballarat Central — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% Lake Wendouree — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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.

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
England 2.4% / 1.9%
Ballarat Central — England: 2.4% Lake Wendouree — England: 1.9%
India 1.8% / 1.0%
Ballarat Central — India: 1.8% Lake Wendouree — India: 1.0%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.1%
Ballarat Central — New Zealand: 1.1% Lake Wendouree — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 0.5% / 0.5%
Ballarat Central — China: 0.5% Lake Wendouree — China: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.3% / 0.7%
Ballarat Central — Netherlands: 0.3% Lake Wendouree — Netherlands: 0.7%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.5%
Ballarat Central — Scotland: 0.4% Lake Wendouree — Scotland: 0.5%
Vietnam — / 0.5%
Ballarat Central — Vietnam: not among its largest Lake Wendouree — Vietnam: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.4%).

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%
Lake Wendouree 79.1% houses
Lake Wendouree — Houses: 79.1% Lake Wendouree — Townhouses: 18.8% Lake Wendouree — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Median house price $675,000 $962,500
Median unit price $407,000 $501,250
Median land price — $920,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 39 sales
 42 days
from 34 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 Lake Wendouree
2 bed $489K / $588K
Ballarat Central — 2 bed: $489K (13 sales) Lake Wendouree — 2 bed: $588K (10 sales)

13 vs 10 sales

3 bed $646K / $830K
Ballarat Central — 3 bed: $646K (52 sales) Lake Wendouree — 3 bed: $830K (39 sales)

52 vs 39 sales

4 bed $1.06M / $1.41M
Ballarat Central — 4 bed: $1.06M (17 sales) Lake Wendouree — 4 bed: $1.41M (30 sales)

17 vs 30 sales

Zoning mix

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

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Parks and recreation 3% 64%
Residential 57% 30%
Commercial 22% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 15% 3%
Other and special use 2% 3%
Industrial 1% 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

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
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 Lake Wendouree
Houses 3.7%
$460/wk on $645K
 2.5%
$650/wk on $1.35M
Units 4.7%
$350/wk on $384K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
House price Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
Income Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Schools Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 46% of VIC —

Liveability

Ballarat Central is more walkable (81 vs 41); Lake Wendouree scores higher overall (71 vs 64).

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Grade B A
Score 64/100 71/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Ballarat Central carries more crime risk (98 vs 76).

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 High
76/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 18
within 5 km
 20
within 5 km

Schools

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Inside the suburb 4 3
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 0.0 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 2.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 1.8%

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 Lake Wendouree

  • Loreto College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat) Government · Primary below peers
  • Loreto College - The Little Flower Campus Catholic · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Lake Wendouree sits further from the CBD (121.9 km vs 115.2 km).

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Walkability score 81/100 41/100
Distance to Melbourne 115.2 km 121.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 90 min
Public transport score 76/100 75/100
Peak arrivals per hour 191.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 30.2
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 Lake Wendouree
Car (driver) 53.4% / 61.6%
Ballarat Central — Car (driver): 53.4% Lake Wendouree — Car (driver): 61.6%
Worked from Home 24.0% / 22.8%
Ballarat Central — Worked from Home: 24.0% Lake Wendouree — Worked from Home: 22.8%
Walked Only 14.1% / 7.4%
Ballarat Central — Walked Only: 14.1% Lake Wendouree — Walked Only: 7.4%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 5.8%
Ballarat Central — Car (passenger): 4.7% Lake Wendouree — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Bicycle 1.8% / 1.6%
Ballarat Central — Bicycle: 1.8% Lake Wendouree — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.6%).

Setting

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Elevation 453 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 449 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Connectivity score 98/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 94%
4,537 premises
 70%
1,516 premises

Climate

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
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 Lake Wendouree
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballarat Central Lake Wendouree
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

Lake Wendouree

Professionals Quiet Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballarat Central

Ballarat Central vs Wendouree Ballarat Central vs Ballarat East Ballarat Central vs Redan Ballarat Central vs Soldiers Hill Ballarat Central vs Mount Pleasant Ballarat Central vs Golden Point

Other comparisons with Lake Wendouree

Lake Wendouree vs Alfredton Lake Wendouree vs Wendouree Lake Wendouree vs Newington Lake Wendouree vs Lake Gardens
Full data on Ballarat Central Full data on Lake Wendouree
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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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