Ballarat East vs Brown Hill

Brown Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Ballarat East. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ballarat East, about half of households are people living alone. In Brown Hill, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Brown Hill: a median of $650,000, against $540,000 in Ballarat East. On these figures, Ballarat East tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Brown Hill suits families with children and 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

Brown Hill

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 87/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Ballarat East has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Brown Hill

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper units ($352,500 vs $391,000)
  • But Ballarat East has cheaper houses ($540,000 vs $650,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Ballarat East has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 25%)
  • Brown Hill leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 26%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ballarat East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 30/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Ballarat East

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 30/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 15%)
  • But Brown Hill carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Ballarat East returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.1%)
  • Brown Hill is growing faster (25.3% vs 5.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Ballarat East and Brown 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 East Brown 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 East Brown Hill
Walkability 71 / 30
Ballarat East — Walkability: 71/100 Brown Hill — Walkability: 30/100
Safety 13 / 60
Ballarat East — Safety: 13/100 Brown Hill — Safety: 60/100
Low fire risk 29 / 31
Ballarat East — Low fire risk: 29/100 Brown Hill — Low fire risk: 31/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Ballarat East — Low flood risk: 100/100 Brown Hill — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Brown Hill has higher household incomes ($91,364 vs $58,396); Ballarat East has more residents (5,937 vs 4,489).

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Population 5,937
+24% vs other
 4,489
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% +25.3%
Median age 43 36
Median household income $58,396/yr $91,364/yr
+56% vs other
Median weekly rent $290/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballarat East Brown Hill
0-4 4.4% / 8.5%
Ballarat East — 0-4: 4.4% Brown Hill — 0-4: 8.5%
5-14 10.5% / 12.9%
Ballarat East — 5-14: 10.5% Brown Hill — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 4.2% / 4.3%
Ballarat East — 15-19: 4.2% Brown Hill — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 6.3% / 5.0%
Ballarat East — 20-24: 6.3% Brown Hill — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 15.0% / 15.8%
Ballarat East — 25-34: 15.0% Brown Hill — 25-34: 15.8%
35-44 11.7% / 15.0%
Ballarat East — 35-44: 11.7% Brown Hill — 35-44: 15.0%
45-54 10.6% / 11.3%
Ballarat East — 45-54: 10.6% Brown Hill — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 11.8% / 12.0%
Ballarat East — 55-64: 11.8% Brown Hill — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 12.0% / 9.7%
Ballarat East — 65-74: 12.0% Brown Hill — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 7.9% / 4.2%
Ballarat East — 75-84: 7.9% Brown Hill — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 5.5% / 1.3%
Ballarat East — 85+: 5.5% Brown Hill — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballarat East 52.2% lone person
Ballarat East — Lone Person: 52.2% Ballarat East — Couple Families: 22.2% Ballarat East — One Parent Families: 16.9% Ballarat East — Group Household: 7.5% Ballarat East — Other Families: 1.2%
Brown Hill 35.2% lone person
Brown Hill — Lone Person: 35.2% Brown Hill — Couple Families: 45.4% Brown Hill — One Parent Families: 13.1% Brown Hill — Group Household: 4.8% Brown Hill — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballarat East 41.3% renting
Ballarat East — Owned Outright: 32.9% Ballarat East — Mortgage: 25.9% Ballarat East — Renting: 41.3%
Brown Hill 25.0% renting
Brown Hill — Owned Outright: 30.0% Brown Hill — Mortgage: 45.0% Brown Hill — Renting: 25.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 16.6%
Ballarat East — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Brown Hill — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.8% / 13.2%
Ballarat East — Bachelor Degree: 12.8% Brown Hill — Bachelor Degree: 13.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.3%
Ballarat East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Brown Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.4% / 3.5%
Ballarat East — Postgraduate Degree: 4.4% Brown Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 2.4%
Ballarat East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Brown Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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 East Brown Hill
England 2.6% / 2.4%
Ballarat East — England: 2.6% Brown Hill — England: 2.4%
India 1.3% / 0.7%
Ballarat East — India: 1.3% Brown Hill — India: 0.7%
New Zealand 0.9% / 0.6%
Ballarat East — New Zealand: 0.9% Brown Hill — New Zealand: 0.6%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.4%
Ballarat East — Scotland: 0.4% Brown Hill — Scotland: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.4% / 0.3%
Ballarat East — Netherlands: 0.4% Brown Hill — Netherlands: 0.3%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.3%
Ballarat East — Philippines: 0.4% Brown Hill — Philippines: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballarat East 89.3% houses
Ballarat East — Houses: 89.3% Ballarat East — Townhouses: 9.4% Ballarat East — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Brown Hill 87.5% houses
Brown Hill — Houses: 87.5% Brown Hill — Townhouses: 11.6% Brown Hill — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Median house price $540,000 $650,000
Median unit price $391,000 $352,500
Median land price $274,250 $300,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 98 sales
 34 days
from 63 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 East Brown Hill
2 bed $430K / $435K
Ballarat East — 2 bed: $430K (37 sales) Brown Hill — 2 bed: $435K (14 sales)

37 vs 14 sales

3 bed $540K / $591K
Ballarat East — 3 bed: $540K (140 sales) Brown Hill — 3 bed: $591K (46 sales)

140 vs 46 sales

4 bed $648K / $738K
Ballarat East — 4 bed: $648K (42 sales) Brown Hill — 4 bed: $738K (62 sales)

42 vs 62 sales

Zoning mix

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Residential 56% 64%
Other and special use 16% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 12%
Parks and recreation 8% 11%
Rural and farming 4% 11%
Industrial 4% 1%
Commercial 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 East Brown 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 East Brown Hill
Houses 3.8%
$450/wk on $615K
 3.1%
$450/wk on $752K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Ballarat East Brown Hill
House price Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC
Income Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Schools Higher than 10% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 54% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC

Liveability

Ballarat East is more walkable (71 vs 30); Brown Hill scores higher overall (55 vs 30).

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Grade D B
Score 30/100 55/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Ballarat East carries more crime risk (87 vs 40).

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Bushfire High
71/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime High
87/100
 Moderate
40/100
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 7
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 3.3 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 5.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.0%

Schools in Ballarat East

  • St Francis Xavier School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Woodmans Hill Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Alipius' Parish School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • SEDA College (Victoria) - Multi Ballarat Independent · Secondary

Schools in Brown Hill

  • Caledonian Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 1 4
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 50 8

Mobility

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Walkability score 71/100 30/100
Distance to Melbourne 112.2 km
+2% vs other
 110.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 78 min
Public transport score 76/100 74/100
Peak arrivals per hour 78.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 East Brown Hill
Car (driver) 65.7% / 74.5%
Ballarat East — Car (driver): 65.7% Brown Hill — Car (driver): 74.5%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 17.7%
Ballarat East — Worked from Home: 21.8% Brown Hill — Worked from Home: 17.7%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 5.1%
Ballarat East — Car (passenger): 6.0% Brown Hill — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Walked Only 4.1% / 0.9%
Ballarat East — Walked Only: 4.1% Brown Hill — Walked Only: 0.9%
Bus 1.2% / 0.9%
Ballarat East — Bus: 1.2% Brown Hill — Bus: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.5%).

Setting

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Elevation 452 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 495 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Connectivity score 99/100 96/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 97%
3,621 premises
 94%
2,372 premises

Climate

Ballarat East Brown 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 East Brown Hill
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballarat East Brown Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballarat East

Affordable Large Blocks Retirees River

Brown Hill

Large Blocks River Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballarat East

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Other comparisons with Brown Hill

Brown Hill vs Black Hill Brown Hill vs Nerrina Brown Hill vs Warrenheip Brown Hill vs Glen Park
Full data on Ballarat East Full data on Brown 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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