Bolwarra vs Heathmere
Heathmere is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Bolwarra. 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 Heathmere: a median of $810,000, against $725,000 in Bolwarra, though rent is higher in Bolwarra. On these figures, Bolwarra 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
Heathmere
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 34/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 62%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Bolwarra has cheaper houses ($725,000 vs $810,000)
- Heathmere leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Heathmere
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $220/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Bolwarra is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
- Heathmere sits closer to the CBD (344.3 km vs 347.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Bolwarra is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
- Heathmere carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 34/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Bolwarra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (7.7% vs 0.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bolwarra and Heathmere 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
Bolwarra has more residents (647 vs 238); Bolwarra rents higher ($220/wk vs $200/wk).
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 647 +63% vs other | 238 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.7% | +0.4% |
| Median age | 49 | 45 |
| Median household income | $72,488/yr | $76,648/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk +9% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).
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 (1.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $725,000 | $810,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Bolwarra has more rural and farming land (85% vs 71%).
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 85% | 71% |
| Parks and recreation | 8% | 28% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 4% | 1% |
| Environmental | 3% | 0% |
| 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
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 60 across Glenelg same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -65% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of VIC | Higher than 44% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 81% of VIC | Higher than 53% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 6% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 73% of VIC | Higher than 67% of VIC |
Liveability
Bolwarra is more walkable (23 vs 0).
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | — |
| Score | 35/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Heathmere carries more flood risk (19 vs 0); Bolwarra carries more crime risk (34 vs 16).
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 95/100 | High 91/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Low 16/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 19/100 |
| Coastal erosion | Low 33/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Bolwarra
- Bolwarra Primary School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Heathmere
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 3 |
| Waterways | 0 | 5 |
Mobility
Bolwarra sits further from the CBD (347.4 km vs 344.3 km).
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 23/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 347.4 km | 344.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 259 min | 258 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 3305 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 33 postcode 3305 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 (86.2%).
Setting
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 42 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 16 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 2.2 km | 7.7 km |
NBN connectivity
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 36/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 8% 281 premises | 0% 106 premises |
Climate
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 661 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,852/yr same for both | |
| Council | Glenelg same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bolwarra | Heathmere | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Bolwarra
Other comparisons with Heathmere
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.