Boorolite vs Howqua

Howqua is the younger of the two, with a median age of 15 against 50 in Boorolite. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Boorolite, about half of households are couple families. In Howqua, most households are couple families. On these figures, Boorolite tends to suit older residents, while Howqua suits people living alone and families with children.

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

Boorolite

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 71%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 59%)

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

First-home buyers

Howqua

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 24%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Howqua

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $225/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Boorolite

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (175 min vs 184 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (207.5 km vs 215.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Boorolite

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Howqua

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (43.6% vs 16.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Boorolite Howqua
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.

Boorolite Howqua
Walkability 0 / 0
Boorolite — Walkability: 0/100 Howqua — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 86 / 89
Boorolite — Safety: 86/100 Howqua — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 3 / 2
Boorolite — Low fire risk: 3/100 Howqua — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 61 / 61
Boorolite — Low flood risk: 61/100 Howqua — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Boorolite rents higher ($225/wk vs $0/wk); Boorolite skews older (50 vs 15).

Boorolite Howqua
Population 166
+5% vs other
 158
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.1% +43.6%
Median age 50 15
Median household income $97,500/yr
same for both
Median weekly rent $225/wk
(not reported on the other side)
 —

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Boorolite Howqua
0-4 4.8% / 3.8%
Boorolite — 0-4: 4.8% Howqua — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 14.5% / 37.3%
Boorolite — 5-14: 14.5% Howqua — 5-14: 37.3%
15-19 3.6% / 24.1%
Boorolite — 15-19: 3.6% Howqua — 15-19: 24.1%
20-24 7.2% / —
Boorolite — 20-24: 7.2% Howqua — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 5.4% / 7.6%
Boorolite — 25-34: 5.4% Howqua — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 8.4% / 4.4%
Boorolite — 35-44: 8.4% Howqua — 35-44: 4.4%
45-54 10.8% / 4.4%
Boorolite — 45-54: 10.8% Howqua — 45-54: 4.4%
55-64 21.1% / 10.1%
Boorolite — 55-64: 21.1% Howqua — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 12.7% / 7.6%
Boorolite — 65-74: 12.7% Howqua — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 5.4% / 1.9%
Boorolite — 75-84: 5.4% Howqua — 75-84: 1.9%
85+ 3.0% / —
Boorolite — 85+: 3.0% Howqua — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Boorolite 51.4% couple families
Boorolite — Couple Families: 51.4% Boorolite — Lone Person: 29.7% Boorolite — One Parent Families: 18.9%
Howqua 58.8% couple families
Howqua — Couple Families: 58.8% Howqua — Lone Person: 41.2% Howqua — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Boorolite 16.1% renting
Boorolite — Owned Outright: 53.6% Boorolite — Mortgage: 30.4% Boorolite — Renting: 16.1%
Howqua 0.0% renting
Howqua — Owned Outright: 50.0% Howqua — Mortgage: 50.0% Howqua — Renting: 0.0%
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.

Boorolite Howqua
China — / 5.7%
Boorolite — China: not among its largest Howqua — China: 5.7%
England 3.0% / 2.5%
Boorolite — England: 3.0% Howqua — England: 2.5%
South Africa 3.6% / —
Boorolite — South Africa: 3.6% Howqua — South Africa: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.8% / —
Boorolite — New Zealand: 1.8% Howqua — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.7%).

Qualifications

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

Boorolite Howqua
Bachelor Degree 13.3% / 12.7%
Boorolite — Bachelor Degree: 13.3% Howqua — Bachelor Degree: 12.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.9% / 1.9%
Boorolite — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.9% Howqua — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.9%
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 2.5%
Boorolite — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Howqua — Certificate III & IV: 2.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 5.1%
Boorolite — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Howqua — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 3.2%
Boorolite — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Howqua — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Boorolite 100.0% houses
Boorolite — Houses: 100.0% Boorolite — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Howqua 70.8% houses
Howqua — Houses: 70.8% Howqua — Flats / Apartments: 29.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Boorolite has more rural and farming land (96% vs 39%).

Boorolite Howqua
Rural and farming 96% 39%
Parks and recreation 4% 61%
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

Boorolite Howqua
New dwellings approved 76
across Mansfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Boorolite Howqua
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 3% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC

Liveability

Boorolite Howqua
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Boorolite Howqua
Bushfire High
97/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
14/100
 Low
11/100
Flood Low
39/100
same for both
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

Boorolite Howqua
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Boorolite

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Howqua

  • Lauriston Girls' School - Howqua Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Boorolite Howqua
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 33 66

Mobility

Howqua sits further from the CBD (215.3 km vs 207.5 km).

Boorolite Howqua
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 207.5 km 215.3 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 175 min 184 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3723
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3723
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.

Boorolite Howqua
Car (driver) 60.9% / 28.6%
Boorolite — Car (driver): 60.9% Howqua — Car (driver): 28.6%
Walked Only — / 57.1%
Boorolite — Walked Only: not among its largest Howqua — Walked Only: 57.1%
Worked from Home 33.3% / 14.3%
Boorolite — Worked from Home: 33.3% Howqua — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / —
Boorolite — Car (passenger): 5.8% Howqua — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.9%).

Setting

Boorolite Howqua
Elevation 408 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 465 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Boorolite Howqua
Connectivity score 30/100 19/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
80 premises
 0%
32 premises

Climate

Boorolite Howqua
Annual rainfall 1,633 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 17.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) -2.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Boorolite Howqua
Average residential rate $1,697/yr
same for both
Council Mansfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Boorolite Howqua
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Boorolite Howqua
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Boorolite

Rural

Howqua

Family Professionals Rural Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Boorolite

Boorolite vs Mansfield Boorolite vs Merrijig Boorolite vs Piries

Other comparisons with Howqua

Howqua vs Jamieson Howqua vs Mount Buller Howqua vs Macs Cove Howqua vs Piries Howqua vs Howqua Inlet
Full data on Boorolite Full data on Howqua
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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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