Bona Vista vs Ellinbank

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bona Vista, about half of households are people living alone. In Ellinbank, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bona Vista 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

Ellinbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • 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

Bona Vista

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Ellinbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($225/wk vs $285/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Bona Vista

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (87 min vs 93 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (112.1 km vs 117.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

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

Bona Vista Ellinbank
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.

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Walkability 17 / 13
Bona Vista — Walkability: 17/100 Ellinbank — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 73 / 66
Bona Vista — Safety: 73/100 Ellinbank — Safety: 66/100
Low fire risk 100 / 60
Bona Vista — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ellinbank — Low fire risk: 60/100
Low flood risk 52 / 100
Bona Vista — Low flood risk: 52/100 Ellinbank — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ellinbank has more residents (229 vs 107); Bona Vista rents higher ($285/wk vs $225/wk).

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Population 107 229
+114% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.8% -3.0%
Median age 47 46
Median household income $96,200/yr
+10% vs other
 $86,632/yr
Median weekly rent $285/wk
+21% vs other
 $225/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bona Vista Ellinbank
0-4 3.7% / 3.1%
Bona Vista — 0-4: 3.7% Ellinbank — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 14.0% / 13.5%
Bona Vista — 5-14: 14.0% Ellinbank — 5-14: 13.5%
15-19 6.5% / 4.4%
Bona Vista — 15-19: 6.5% Ellinbank — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 4.7% / 5.7%
Bona Vista — 20-24: 4.7% Ellinbank — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 14.0% / 9.2%
Bona Vista — 25-34: 14.0% Ellinbank — 25-34: 9.2%
35-44 8.4% / 11.8%
Bona Vista — 35-44: 8.4% Ellinbank — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 15.9% / 14.0%
Bona Vista — 45-54: 15.9% Ellinbank — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 17.8% / 16.2%
Bona Vista — 55-64: 17.8% Ellinbank — 55-64: 16.2%
65-74 9.3% / 11.8%
Bona Vista — 65-74: 9.3% Ellinbank — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 11.2% / 6.6%
Bona Vista — 75-84: 11.2% Ellinbank — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ — / —
Bona Vista — 85+: not among its largest Ellinbank — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bona Vista 52.6% couple families
Bona Vista — Couple Families: 52.6% Bona Vista — Lone Person: 47.4% Bona Vista — One Parent Families: 0.0% Bona Vista — Group Household: 0.0%
Ellinbank 45.9% couple families
Ellinbank — Couple Families: 45.9% Ellinbank — Lone Person: 31.1% Ellinbank — One Parent Families: 13.1% Ellinbank — Group Household: 9.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bona Vista 12.5% renting
Bona Vista — Owned Outright: 66.7% Bona Vista — Mortgage: 20.8% Bona Vista — Renting: 12.5%
Ellinbank 10.7% renting
Ellinbank — Owned Outright: 57.3% Ellinbank — Mortgage: 32.0% Ellinbank — Renting: 10.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bona Vista 100.0% houses
Bona Vista — Houses: 100.0%
Ellinbank 100.0% houses
Ellinbank — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Certificate III & IV 22.4% / 17.0%
Bona Vista — Certificate III & IV: 22.4% Ellinbank — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.1% / 12.2%
Bona Vista — Bachelor Degree: 12.1% Ellinbank — Bachelor Degree: 12.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / 9.6%
Bona Vista — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Ellinbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 2.6%
Bona Vista — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Ellinbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 5.7%
Bona Vista — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ellinbank — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

Zoning mix

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Rural and farming 96% 89%
Parks and recreation 4% 11%
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

Bona Vista Ellinbank
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bona Vista Ellinbank
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 47% of VIC

Liveability

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Bona Vista carries more flood risk (48 vs 0); Ellinbank carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Low
34/100
Flood Moderate
48/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Bona Vista

  • Bona Vista Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Ellinbank

  • Ellinbank Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Waterways 6 0

Mobility

Ellinbank sits further from the CBD (117.6 km vs 112.1 km).

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Walkability score 17/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 112.1 km 117.6 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 87 min 93 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3820
 0.6%
postcode 3821
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 3820
 55
postcode 3821

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.

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Car (driver) 63.0% / 66.1%
Bona Vista — Car (driver): 63.0% Ellinbank — Car (driver): 66.1%
Worked from Home 24.1% / 26.6%
Bona Vista — Worked from Home: 24.1% Ellinbank — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 7.3%
Bona Vista — Car (passenger): 5.6% Ellinbank — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only 7.4% / —
Bona Vista — Walked Only: 7.4% Ellinbank — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Elevation 149 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 135 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 39.5 km 35.1 km

NBN connectivity

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
44 premises
 0%
98 premises

Climate

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bona Vista Ellinbank
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bona Vista

Rural

Ellinbank

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bona Vista

Bona Vista vs Warragul Bona Vista vs Darnum Bona Vista vs Nilma Bona Vista vs Warragul South Bona Vista vs Cloverlea Bona Vista vs Gainsborough

Other comparisons with Ellinbank

Ellinbank vs Warragul South Ellinbank vs Cloverlea Ellinbank vs Seaview Ellinbank vs Tetoora Road Ellinbank vs Gainsborough
Full data on Bona Vista Full data on Ellinbank
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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