Barkers Creek vs Muckleford

Muckleford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 50 in Barkers Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Barkers Creek: a median of $995,000, against $695,000 in Muckleford, though rent is higher in Muckleford. On these figures, Barkers Creek tends to suit people living alone, while Muckleford suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Barkers Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 46/100)

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

First-home buyers

Muckleford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($695,000 vs $995,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Barkers Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Barkers Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (87 min vs 97 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (124.2 km vs 128.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Barkers Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 46/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Barkers Creek and Muckleford drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Barkers Creek Muckleford
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.

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Walkability 4 / 10
Barkers Creek — Walkability: 4/100 Muckleford — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 87 / 54
Barkers Creek — Safety: 87/100 Muckleford — Safety: 54/100
Low fire risk 27 / 62
Barkers Creek — Low fire risk: 27/100 Muckleford — Low fire risk: 62/100
Low flood risk 87 / 53
Barkers Creek — Low flood risk: 87/100 Muckleford — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Muckleford rents higher ($330/wk vs $250/wk); Muckleford has higher household incomes ($96,096 vs $80,860).

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Population 487
+13% vs other
 426
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.6% +5.2%
Median age 50 46
Median household income $80,860/yr $96,096/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $330/wk
+32% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barkers Creek Muckleford
0-4 6.0% / 2.6%
Barkers Creek — 0-4: 6.0% Muckleford — 0-4: 2.6%
5-14 13.3% / 12.9%
Barkers Creek — 5-14: 13.3% Muckleford — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 2.5% / 8.2%
Barkers Creek — 15-19: 2.5% Muckleford — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 3.3% / 4.9%
Barkers Creek — 20-24: 3.3% Muckleford — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 8.6% / 7.0%
Barkers Creek — 25-34: 8.6% Muckleford — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 10.1% / 9.6%
Barkers Creek — 35-44: 10.1% Muckleford — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 12.7% / 17.4%
Barkers Creek — 45-54: 12.7% Muckleford — 45-54: 17.4%
55-64 20.3% / 16.4%
Barkers Creek — 55-64: 20.3% Muckleford — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 15.4% / 13.4%
Barkers Creek — 65-74: 15.4% Muckleford — 65-74: 13.4%
75-84 6.0% / 5.9%
Barkers Creek — 75-84: 6.0% Muckleford — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 2.1% / 0.9%
Barkers Creek — 85+: 2.1% Muckleford — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barkers Creek 51.8% couple families
Barkers Creek — Couple Families: 51.8% Barkers Creek — Lone Person: 37.5% Barkers Creek — One Parent Families: 8.0% Barkers Creek — Group Household: 2.7% Barkers Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Muckleford 49.1% couple families
Muckleford — Couple Families: 49.1% Muckleford — Lone Person: 27.4% Muckleford — One Parent Families: 16.0% Muckleford — Group Household: 4.7% Muckleford — Other Families: 2.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barkers Creek 7.5% renting
Barkers Creek — Owned Outright: 50.6% Barkers Creek — Mortgage: 42.0% Barkers Creek — Renting: 7.5%
Muckleford 11.2% renting
Muckleford — Owned Outright: 44.7% Muckleford — Mortgage: 44.1% Muckleford — Renting: 11.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Certificate III & IV 11.7% / 15.3%
Barkers Creek — Certificate III & IV: 11.7% Muckleford — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 16.6% / 9.9%
Barkers Creek — Bachelor Degree: 16.6% Muckleford — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.5% / 8.2%
Barkers Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.5% Muckleford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.8% / 5.4%
Barkers Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8% Muckleford — Postgraduate Degree: 5.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.3% / 4.5%
Barkers Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3% Muckleford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

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.

Barkers Creek Muckleford
England 3.5% / 2.8%
Barkers Creek — England: 3.5% Muckleford — England: 2.8%
New Zealand 1.6% / 0.9%
Barkers Creek — New Zealand: 1.6% Muckleford — New Zealand: 0.9%
South Africa — / 0.9%
Barkers Creek — South Africa: not among its largest Muckleford — South Africa: 0.9%
Japan 0.8% / —
Barkers Creek — Japan: 0.8% Muckleford — Japan: not among its largest
India — / 0.7%
Barkers Creek — India: not among its largest Muckleford — India: 0.7%
Ireland — / 0.7%
Barkers Creek — Ireland: not among its largest Muckleford — Ireland: 0.7%
France 0.6% / —
Barkers Creek — France: 0.6% Muckleford — France: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barkers Creek 100.0% houses
Barkers Creek — Houses: 100.0%
Muckleford 100.0% houses
Muckleford — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Median house price $995,000 $695,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $247,000

Zoning mix

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Rural and farming 70% 80%
Parks and recreation 28% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Barkers Creek Muckleford
New dwellings approved 102
across Mount Alexander
same for both
Approvals change year on year -7%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Barkers Creek Muckleford
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 64% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 82% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC

Liveability

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Muckleford carries more flood risk (47 vs 13); Muckleford carries more crime risk (46 vs 13).

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Bushfire High
73/100
 Low
38/100
Crime Low
13/100
 Moderate
46/100
Flood Low
13/100
 Moderate
47/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Barkers Creek

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Muckleford

  • Castlemaine Steiner School & Kindergarten Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Parks & reserves 4 3
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 5 12

Mobility

Muckleford sits further from the CBD (128.1 km vs 124.2 km).

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Walkability score 4/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 124.2 km 128.1 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 87 min 97 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3451
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 3451
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.

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Car (driver) 67.2% / 61.7%
Barkers Creek — Car (driver): 67.2% Muckleford — Car (driver): 61.7%
Worked from Home 28.2% / 30.6%
Barkers Creek — Worked from Home: 28.2% Muckleford — Worked from Home: 30.6%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 5.6%
Barkers Creek — Car (passenger): 2.6% Muckleford — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only 2.1% / 2.2%
Barkers Creek — Walked Only: 2.1% Muckleford — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).

Setting

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Elevation 323 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 286 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Connectivity score 28/100 43/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
208 premises
 20%
224 premises

Climate

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Annual rainfall 598 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Average residential rate $1,885/yr
same for both
Council Mount Alexander
same for both

Federal electorate

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Barkers Creek Muckleford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barkers Creek

Professionals River Rural

Muckleford

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barkers Creek

Barkers Creek vs Castlemaine Barkers Creek vs Harcourt Barkers Creek vs Walmer Barkers Creek vs Faraday Barkers Creek vs Golden Point Barkers Creek vs Moonlight Flat

Other comparisons with Muckleford

Muckleford vs Castlemaine Muckleford vs Campbells Creek Muckleford vs Newstead Muckleford vs McKenzie Hill Muckleford vs Yapeen Muckleford vs Walmer
Full data on Barkers Creek Full data on Muckleford
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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