Black Hill vs Soldiers Hill

Comparing Black Hill and Soldiers Hill, VIC: Soldiers Hill carries more crime risk (90 vs 62); Soldiers Hill has more residents (2,813 vs 2,124); and Soldiers Hill is more walkable (87 vs 68).

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

Black Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 90/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Soldiers Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (87/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Black Hill carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 90/100)
  • Soldiers Hill is more walkable (87/100 vs 68/100)

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

Black Hill 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.

Black Hill 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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Walkability 68 / 87
Black Hill — Walkability: 68/100 Soldiers Hill — Walkability: 87/100
Safety 38 / 10
Black Hill — Safety: 38/100 Soldiers Hill — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Black Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 Soldiers Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Black Hill — Low flood risk: 100/100 Soldiers Hill — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Soldiers Hill has more residents (2,813 vs 2,124).

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Population 2,124 2,813
+32% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.1% +0.4%
Median age 40
same for both
Median household income $76,492/yr $75,972/yr
Median weekly rent $290/wk $300/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
0-4 5.7% / 5.7%
Black Hill — 0-4: 5.7% Soldiers Hill — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 11.4% / 11.2%
Black Hill — 5-14: 11.4% Soldiers Hill — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 5.1% / 5.3%
Black Hill — 15-19: 5.1% Soldiers Hill — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 5.0% / 5.8%
Black Hill — 20-24: 5.0% Soldiers Hill — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 13.5% / 15.3%
Black Hill — 25-34: 13.5% Soldiers Hill — 25-34: 15.3%
35-44 15.1% / 14.2%
Black Hill — 35-44: 15.1% Soldiers Hill — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 12.7% / 12.6%
Black Hill — 45-54: 12.7% Soldiers Hill — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 12.9% / 12.9%
Black Hill — 55-64: 12.9% Soldiers Hill — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 11.6% / 10.1%
Black Hill — 65-74: 11.6% Soldiers Hill — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 4.4% / 5.5%
Black Hill — 75-84: 4.4% Soldiers Hill — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 2.7% / 1.4%
Black Hill — 85+: 2.7% Soldiers Hill — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 46.2% lone person
Black Hill — Lone Person: 46.2% Black Hill — Couple Families: 31.2% Black Hill — One Parent Families: 14.7% Black Hill — Group Household: 5.7% Black Hill — Other Families: 2.2%
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.

Black Hill 35.8% renting
Black Hill — Owned Outright: 33.2% Black Hill — Mortgage: 31.1% Black Hill — Renting: 35.8%
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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Bachelor Degree 14.1% / 18.7%
Black Hill — Bachelor Degree: 14.1% Soldiers Hill — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 13.6% / 11.9%
Black Hill — Certificate III & IV: 13.6% Soldiers Hill — Certificate III & IV: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.0%
Black Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Soldiers Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 6.0% / 7.7%
Black Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0% Soldiers Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 4.7%
Black Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% 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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
England 2.7% / 2.8%
Black Hill — England: 2.7% Soldiers Hill — England: 2.8%
India 1.3% / 0.9%
Black Hill — India: 1.3% Soldiers Hill — India: 0.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Black Hill — New Zealand: 1.1% Soldiers Hill — New Zealand: 1.0%
China 1.1% / 0.3%
Black Hill — China: 1.1% Soldiers Hill — China: 0.3%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Black Hill — Philippines: not among its largest Soldiers Hill — Philippines: 0.7%
Netherlands 0.6% / —
Black Hill — Netherlands: 0.6% Soldiers Hill — Netherlands: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.6%
Black Hill — Scotland: not among its largest Soldiers Hill — Scotland: 0.6%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 83.9% houses
Black Hill — Houses: 83.9% Black Hill — Townhouses: 15.7% Black Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
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

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Median house price $600,000
same for both
Median unit price $435,000 $401,000
Median land price — $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 49 days
from 27 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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
2 bed $442K / $476K
Black Hill — 2 bed: $442K (6 sales) Soldiers Hill — 2 bed: $476K (12 sales)

6 vs 12 sales

3 bed $568K / $595K
Black Hill — 3 bed: $568K (50 sales) Soldiers Hill — 3 bed: $595K (57 sales)

50 vs 57 sales

4 bed $770K / $830K
Black Hill — 4 bed: $770K (18 sales) Soldiers Hill — 4 bed: $830K (12 sales)

18 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Residential 74% 86%
Parks and recreation 25% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 8%
Other and special use 0% 5%
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

Black Hill 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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Houses 3.8%
$440/wk on $610K
 3.5%
$445/wk on $668K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
House price Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Income Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC

Liveability

Soldiers Hill is more walkable (87 vs 68); Soldiers Hill scores higher overall (68 vs 62).

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 62/100 68/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Soldiers Hill carries more crime risk (90 vs 62).

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 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 13
within 5 km
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 2.4 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 1.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.9% 2.0%

Schools in Black Hill

  • Black Hill Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Soldiers Hill

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

Amenities in the suburb

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 6 3
Childcare 2 4
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 5

Mobility

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Walkability score 68/100 87/100
Distance to Melbourne 113.7 km 115 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 83 min 86 min
Public transport score 69/100 85/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 24.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 58.2
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.

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Car (driver) 66.7% / 60.2%
Black Hill — Car (driver): 66.7% Soldiers Hill — Car (driver): 60.2%
Worked from Home 23.9% / 26.6%
Black Hill — Worked from Home: 23.9% Soldiers Hill — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 5.1%
Black Hill — Car (passenger): 4.3% Soldiers Hill — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Walked Only 2.8% / 5.1%
Black Hill — Walked Only: 2.8% Soldiers Hill — Walked Only: 5.1%
Bicycle 0.7% / 1.8%
Black Hill — Bicycle: 0.7% Soldiers Hill — Bicycle: 1.8%
Train 1.1% / 0.9%
Black Hill — Train: 1.1% Soldiers Hill — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).

Setting

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Elevation 486 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 452 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
1,105 premises
 100%
1,589 premises

Climate

Black Hill 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Black Hill Soldiers Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Black Hill

Parks Quiet

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 Central Soldiers Hill vs Ballarat North
Full data on Black Hill 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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