Ballarat Central vs Soldiers Hill

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 $600,000 in Soldiers Hill.

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

Ballarat Central

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Soldiers Hill has more separate houses rather than flats (84% vs 74%)

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

First-home buyers

Soldiers Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($600,000 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Ballarat Central

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (12 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 16%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Ballarat Central and Soldiers Hill 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 Soldiers Hill
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 Soldiers Hill
Walkability 81 / 87
Ballarat Central — Walkability: 81/100 Soldiers Hill — Walkability: 87/100
Safety 2 / 10
Ballarat Central — Safety: 2/100 Soldiers Hill — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ballarat Central — Low fire risk: 100/100 Soldiers Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Ballarat Central — Low flood risk: 100/100 Soldiers Hill — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ballarat Central has more residents (5,378 vs 2,813).

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Population 5,378
+48% vs other
 2,813
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.9% +0.4%
Median age 41 40
Median household income $75,608/yr $75,972/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
0-4 4.7% / 5.7%
Ballarat Central — 0-4: 4.7% Soldiers Hill — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 9.6% / 11.2%
Ballarat Central — 5-14: 9.6% Soldiers Hill — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 4.8% / 5.3%
Ballarat Central — 15-19: 4.8% Soldiers Hill — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 7.4% / 5.8%
Ballarat Central — 20-24: 7.4% Soldiers Hill — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 15.0% / 15.3%
Ballarat Central — 25-34: 15.0% Soldiers Hill — 25-34: 15.3%
35-44 13.0% / 14.2%
Ballarat Central — 35-44: 13.0% Soldiers Hill — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 13.2% / 12.6%
Ballarat Central — 45-54: 13.2% Soldiers Hill — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 13.4% / 12.9%
Ballarat Central — 55-64: 13.4% Soldiers Hill — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 11.2% / 10.1%
Ballarat Central — 65-74: 11.2% Soldiers Hill — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 5.3% / 5.5%
Ballarat Central — 75-84: 5.3% Soldiers Hill — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 2.2% / 1.4%
Ballarat Central — 85+: 2.2% Soldiers Hill — 85+: 1.4%

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%
Soldiers Hill 49.3% lone person
Soldiers Hill — Lone Person: 49.3% Soldiers Hill — Couple Families: 30.7% Soldiers Hill — One Parent Families: 12.4% Soldiers Hill — Group Household: 6.8% Soldiers Hill — Other Families: 0.9%
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%
Soldiers Hill 39.9% renting
Soldiers Hill — Owned Outright: 30.4% Soldiers Hill — Mortgage: 29.8% Soldiers Hill — Renting: 39.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Bachelor Degree 18.2% / 18.7%
Ballarat Central — Bachelor Degree: 18.2% Soldiers Hill — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 11.9%
Ballarat Central — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Soldiers Hill — Certificate III & IV: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 8.0%
Ballarat Central — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Soldiers Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 8.3% / 7.7%
Ballarat Central — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3% Soldiers Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 4.7%
Ballarat Central — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% Soldiers Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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 Soldiers Hill
England 2.4% / 2.8%
Ballarat Central — England: 2.4% Soldiers Hill — England: 2.8%
India 1.8% / 0.9%
Ballarat Central — India: 1.8% Soldiers Hill — India: 0.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Ballarat Central — New Zealand: 1.1% Soldiers Hill — New Zealand: 1.0%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.6%
Ballarat Central — Scotland: 0.4% Soldiers Hill — Scotland: 0.6%
China 0.5% / 0.3%
Ballarat Central — China: 0.5% Soldiers Hill — China: 0.3%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Ballarat Central — Philippines: not among its largest Soldiers Hill — Philippines: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

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%
Soldiers Hill 84.1% houses
Soldiers Hill — Houses: 84.1% Soldiers Hill — Townhouses: 9.7% Soldiers Hill — Flats / Apartments: 6.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Median house price $675,000 $600,000
Median unit price $407,000 $401,000
Median land price — $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 39 sales
 28 days
from 30 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 Soldiers Hill
2 bed $489K / $476K
Ballarat Central — 2 bed: $489K (13 sales) Soldiers Hill — 2 bed: $476K (12 sales)

13 vs 12 sales

3 bed $646K / $595K
Ballarat Central — 3 bed: $646K (52 sales) Soldiers Hill — 3 bed: $595K (57 sales)

52 vs 57 sales

4 bed $1.06M / $830K
Ballarat Central — 4 bed: $1.06M (17 sales) Soldiers Hill — 4 bed: $830K (12 sales)

17 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

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

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Residential 57% 86%
Commercial 22% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 15% 8%
Other and special use 2% 5%
Parks and recreation 3% 1%
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 Soldiers Hill
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 Soldiers Hill
Houses 3.7%
$460/wk on $645K
 3.5%
$445/wk on $668K
Units 4.7%
$350/wk on $384K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
House price Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Income Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Schools Higher than 55% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 46% of VIC —

Liveability

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 68/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 High
90/100
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
same for both

Schools

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 0.0 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 1.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 2.0%

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 Soldiers Hill

  • Macarthur Street Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Columba's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 62 4
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 9 4
GPs 12 1
Pharmacies 9 0
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 11 1
Fuel stations 3 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 13 5

Mobility

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Walkability score 81/100 87/100
Distance to Melbourne 115.2 km 115 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min
same for both
Public transport score 76/100 85/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 191.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 58.2
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 Soldiers Hill
Car (driver) 53.4% / 60.2%
Ballarat Central — Car (driver): 53.4% Soldiers Hill — Car (driver): 60.2%
Worked from Home 24.0% / 26.6%
Ballarat Central — Worked from Home: 24.0% Soldiers Hill — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Walked Only 14.1% / 5.1%
Ballarat Central — Walked Only: 14.1% Soldiers Hill — Walked Only: 5.1%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 5.1%
Ballarat Central — Car (passenger): 4.7% Soldiers Hill — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Bicycle 1.8% / 1.8%
Ballarat Central — Bicycle: 1.8% Soldiers Hill — Bicycle: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.2%).

Setting

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Elevation 453 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 452 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
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%
1,589 premises

Climate

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
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 Soldiers Hill
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballarat Central Soldiers Hill
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

Soldiers Hill

Parks Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Soldiers Hill

Soldiers Hill vs Wendouree Soldiers Hill vs Ballarat East Soldiers Hill vs Ballarat North Soldiers Hill vs Black Hill
Full data on Ballarat Central Full data on Soldiers Hill
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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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