Blowhard vs Miners Rest

Miners Rest is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 56 in Blowhard. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Blowhard, most households are people living alone. In Miners Rest, most households are couple families. On these figures, Blowhard tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Miners Rest suits families with children and couples.

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

Miners Rest

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 63/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 38%)
  • But Blowhard has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Miners Rest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 33%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Blowhard

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $360/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)

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

Commuting to the city

Miners Rest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 20/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (125.2 km vs 129.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Miners Rest

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 20/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 63/100)
  • But Blowhard has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Miners Rest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.7% vs -2.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Blowhard Miners Rest
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.

Blowhard Miners Rest
Walkability 20 / 50
Blowhard — Walkability: 20/100 Miners Rest — Walkability: 50/100
Safety 37 / 67
Blowhard — Safety: 37/100 Miners Rest — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 85 / 100
Blowhard — Low fire risk: 85/100 Miners Rest — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 34 / 22
Blowhard — Low flood risk: 34/100 Miners Rest — Low flood risk: 22/100

Demographics

Miners Rest has more residents (3,829 vs 82); Miners Rest rents higher ($360/wk vs $150/wk).

Blowhard Miners Rest
Population 82 3,829
+4570% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.4% +23.7%
Median age 56 33
Median household income $75,816/yr $103,116/yr
+36% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $360/wk
+140% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Blowhard Miners Rest
0-4 6.1% / 8.2%
Blowhard — 0-4: 6.1% Miners Rest — 0-4: 8.2%
5-14 4.9% / 16.8%
Blowhard — 5-14: 4.9% Miners Rest — 5-14: 16.8%
15-19 6.1% / 5.9%
Blowhard — 15-19: 6.1% Miners Rest — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 3.7% / 5.2%
Blowhard — 20-24: 3.7% Miners Rest — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 8.5% / 16.1%
Blowhard — 25-34: 8.5% Miners Rest — 25-34: 16.1%
35-44 — / 16.2%
Blowhard — 35-44: not among its largest Miners Rest — 35-44: 16.2%
45-54 15.9% / 11.8%
Blowhard — 45-54: 15.9% Miners Rest — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 26.8% / 10.3%
Blowhard — 55-64: 26.8% Miners Rest — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 19.5% / 6.8%
Blowhard — 65-74: 19.5% Miners Rest — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 4.9% / 2.5%
Blowhard — 75-84: 4.9% Miners Rest — 75-84: 2.5%
85+ 4.9% / 0.7%
Blowhard — 85+: 4.9% Miners Rest — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Blowhard 38.1% couple families
Blowhard — Couple Families: 38.1% Blowhard — Lone Person: 61.9% Blowhard — One Parent Families: 0.0% Blowhard — Group Household: 0.0% Blowhard — Other Families: 0.0%
Miners Rest 55.9% couple families
Miners Rest — Couple Families: 55.9% Miners Rest — Lone Person: 22.3% Miners Rest — One Parent Families: 16.3% Miners Rest — Group Household: 4.1% Miners Rest — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Blowhard 24.0% renting
Blowhard — Owned Outright: 60.0% Blowhard — Mortgage: 16.0% Blowhard — Renting: 24.0%
Miners Rest 16.9% renting
Miners Rest — Owned Outright: 23.8% Miners Rest — Mortgage: 59.3% Miners Rest — Renting: 16.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Blowhard Miners Rest
England 3.7% / 2.0%
Blowhard — England: 3.7% Miners Rest — England: 2.0%
New Zealand — / 0.8%
Blowhard — New Zealand: not among its largest Miners Rest — New Zealand: 0.8%
South Africa — / 0.6%
Blowhard — South Africa: not among its largest Miners Rest — South Africa: 0.6%
India — / 0.4%
Blowhard — India: not among its largest Miners Rest — India: 0.4%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Blowhard — Philippines: not among its largest Miners Rest — Philippines: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

Qualifications

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

Blowhard Miners Rest
Certificate III & IV 30.5% / 19.5%
Blowhard — Certificate III & IV: 30.5% Miners Rest — Certificate III & IV: 19.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.3% / 9.8%
Blowhard — Bachelor Degree: 7.3% Miners Rest — Bachelor Degree: 9.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 7.4%
Blowhard — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Miners Rest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.2%
Blowhard — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Miners Rest — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.1%
Blowhard — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Miners Rest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Blowhard 100.0% houses
Blowhard — Houses: 100.0% Blowhard — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Blowhard — Townhouses: 0.0%
Miners Rest 98.6% houses
Miners Rest — Houses: 98.6% Miners Rest — Flats / Apartments: 0.7% Miners Rest — Townhouses: 0.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Blowhard Miners Rest
Median house price — $640,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $302,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 37 days
from 56 sales

Zoning mix

Blowhard has more rural and farming land (99% vs 61%).

Blowhard Miners Rest
Rural and farming 99% 61%
Residential 0% 18%
Other and special use 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 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

Blowhard Miners Rest
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.

Blowhard Miners Rest
Houses — 3.7%
$505/wk on $710K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Blowhard Miners Rest
House price — Higher than 25% of VIC
Income Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 94% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 38% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 46% of VIC

Liveability

Miners Rest is more walkable (50 vs 20).

Blowhard Miners Rest
Grade — B
Score — 52/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Blowhard carries more bushfire risk (15 vs 0); Blowhard carries more crime risk (63 vs 33).

Blowhard Miners Rest
Bushfire Low
15/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
 Low
33/100
Flood Moderate
66/100
 High
78/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Blowhard Miners Rest
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Blowhard

  • Mount Blowhard Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Miners Rest

  • Miners Rest Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Blowhard Miners Rest
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 4
Childcare 1 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Blowhard sits further from the CBD (129.8 km vs 125.2 km).

Blowhard Miners Rest
Walkability score 20/100 50/100
Distance to Melbourne 129.8 km
+4% vs other
 125.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 89 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3352
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3352
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.

Blowhard Miners Rest
Car (driver) 71.9% / 77.6%
Blowhard — Car (driver): 71.9% Miners Rest — Car (driver): 77.6%
Worked from Home 28.1% / 14.8%
Blowhard — Worked from Home: 28.1% Miners Rest — Worked from Home: 14.8%
Car (passenger) — / 5.0%
Blowhard — Car (passenger): not among its largest Miners Rest — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Walked Only — / 1.4%
Blowhard — Walked Only: not among its largest Miners Rest — Walked Only: 1.4%
Train — / 0.5%
Blowhard — Train: not among its largest Miners Rest — Train: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.6%).

Setting

Blowhard Miners Rest
Elevation 416 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 424 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Blowhard Miners Rest
Connectivity score 30/100 70/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
49 premises
 40%
1,552 premises

Climate

Blowhard Miners Rest
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

Blowhard Miners Rest
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Blowhard Miners Rest
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Blowhard Miners Rest
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Blowhard

Retirees Rural

Miners Rest

Acreage Family River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Blowhard

Blowhard vs Learmonth Blowhard vs Bald Hills Blowhard vs Windermere Blowhard vs Ascot Blowhard vs Coghills Creek

Other comparisons with Miners Rest

Miners Rest vs Wendouree Miners Rest vs Mitchell Park Miners Rest vs Learmonth Miners Rest vs Mount Rowan Miners Rest vs Sulky Miners Rest vs Bald Hills
Full data on Blowhard Full data on Miners Rest
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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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