Balmattum vs Kithbrook
Balmattum is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 55 in Kithbrook. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Balmattum, about half of households are couple families. In Kithbrook, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Balmattum tends to suit families with children and couples, while Kithbrook suits people living alone.
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
- Balmattum is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 35%)
- Kithbrook carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 75/100)
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
Kithbrook
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $260/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Balmattum
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (121 min vs 131 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (175.7 km vs 183.3 km)
- But Kithbrook is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Kithbrook
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 75/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Kithbrook
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (42.6% vs 22.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Balmattum and Kithbrook drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Balmattum has more residents (135 vs 67); Balmattum rents higher ($260/wk vs $175/wk).
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135 +50% vs other | 67 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +22.7% | +42.6% |
| Median age | 51 | 55 |
| Median household income | $75,816/yr +23% vs other | $58,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk +33% vs other | $175/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 99% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 3% | 1% |
| 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
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 75 across Strathbogie same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +167% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 43% of VIC | Higher than 17% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of VIC | Higher than 69% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 60% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 29% of VIC | Higher than 51% of VIC |
Liveability
Kithbrook is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Balmattum carries more flood risk (75 vs 0); Kithbrook carries more bushfire risk (77 vs 18).
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 18/100 | High 77/100 |
| Crime | High 75/100 | Low 22/100 |
| Flood | High 75/100 | None 0/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Kithbrook sits further from the CBD (183.3 km vs 175.7 km).
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 175.7 km | 183.3 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 121 min | 131 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 3666 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 54 postcode 3666 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.8%).
Setting
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 184 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 625 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 57 premises | 0% 37 premises |
Climate
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 865 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.2°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,476/yr same for both | |
| Council | Strathbogie same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Indi same for both | |
| Member | Helen Haines same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Balmattum | Kithbrook | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Balmattum
Other comparisons with Kithbrook
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.