Barfold vs Redesdale
Barfold is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 57 in Redesdale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Barfold, about half of households are people living alone. In Redesdale, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Barfold tends to suit couples, while Redesdale 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
Barfold
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 51/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 41%)
- But Redesdale has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
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
Barfold
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 27%)
- has cheaper rent ($165/wk vs $320/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Barfold
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (104.8 km vs 117.6 km)
- has a shorter drive in (79 min vs 88 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Barfold carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 51/100)
- Redesdale has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 23%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Redesdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.6% vs -6.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Barfold and Redesdale 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
Redesdale has more residents (299 vs 82); Redesdale rents higher ($320/wk vs $165/wk).
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 82 | 299 +265% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -6.8% | +24.6% |
| Median age | 53 | 57 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr +10% vs other | $61,360/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $165/wk | $320/wk +94% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $799,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Barfold has more rural and farming land (99% vs 63%); Redesdale has more land zoned for conservation (29% vs 0%).
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 63% |
| Environmental | 0% | 29% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 7% |
| 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
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 102 across Mount Alexander same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -7% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 30% of VIC | Higher than 22% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 53% of VIC | Higher than 17% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 76% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 22% of VIC | Higher than 40% of VIC |
Liveability
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Redesdale carries more crime risk (51 vs 34); Barfold carries more bushfire risk (69 vs 57).
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 69/100 | Moderate 57/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Barfold
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Redesdale
- Redesdale Mia Mia Primary School Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 4 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 5 | 8 |
Mobility
Redesdale sits further from the CBD (117.6 km vs 104.8 km).
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 104.8 km | 117.6 km +12% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 79 min | 88 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.0% postcode 3444 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 49 postcode 3444 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 (61.7%).
Setting
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 364 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 312 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 22/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 39 premises | 0% 183 premises |
Climate
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 553 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,885/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mount Alexander same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo same for both | |
| Member | Lisa Chesters same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Barfold | Redesdale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Barfold
Other comparisons with Redesdale
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.