Black Range vs Pomonal
Black Range is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 51 in Pomonal. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Black Range, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Pomonal tends to suit 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
Pomonal
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 85%)
- But Black Range is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 58%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Pomonal
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 22%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Black Range
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Pomonal
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (169 min vs 185 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (239.6 km vs 244.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Black Range
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Black Range
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (45.0% vs 10.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Black Range and Pomonal 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
Pomonal has more residents (356 vs 274); Pomonal rents higher ($250/wk vs $200/wk).
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 274 | 356 +30% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +45.0% | +10.6% |
| Median age | 48 | 51 |
| Median household income | $79,612/yr | $84,500/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk | $250/wk +25% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (3.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $615,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $322,500 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 343 days from 3 sales |
Zoning mix
Black Range has more land zoned for conservation (61% vs 4%); Pomonal has more rural and farming land (45% vs 32%).
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 61% | 4% |
| Parks and recreation | 6% | 50% |
| Rural and farming | 32% | 45% |
| 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 Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 28 across Northern Grampians | 56 across Ararat |
| Approvals change year on year | -62% | +80% |
Ranking within VIC
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 53% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 60% of VIC | Higher than 3% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 23% of VIC | Higher than 22% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 49% of VIC |
Liveability
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Black Range carries more flood risk (22 vs 11); Pomonal carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 61).
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 61/100 | High 82/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 45/100 | Moderate 54/100 |
| Flood | Low 22/100 | Low 11/100 |
| 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
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Black Range
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Pomonal
- Pomonal Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 7 | 5 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 2 | 23 |
Mobility
Black Range sits further from the CBD (244.3 km vs 239.6 km).
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 244.3 km +2% vs other | 239.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 185 min | 169 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 3381 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 3381 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 (80.5%).
Setting
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 418 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 303 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 85 premises | 0% 181 premises |
Climate
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 554 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.5°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,730/yr | $2,002/yr |
| Council | Northern Grampians | Ararat |
Federal electorate
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mallee | Wannon |
| Member | Anne Webster | Dan Tehan |
| Party | The Nationals | Liberal |
First Home Owner Grant
| Black Range | Pomonal | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Black Range
Other comparisons with Pomonal
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.