Bowenvale vs Wareek

Bowenvale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 61 in Wareek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wareek, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Bowenvale tends to suit families with children, while Wareek suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Bowenvale is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 48%)
  • Wareek carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 76/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Wareek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $295/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 23%)

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

  • Bowenvale sits closer to the CBD (185.4 km vs 190.3 km)
  • Wareek is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wareek

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 76/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 27%)

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

Investors

Bowenvale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.5% vs 5.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bowenvale Wareek
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.

Bowenvale Wareek
Walkability 0 / 10
Bowenvale — Walkability: 0/100 Wareek — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 24 / 79
Bowenvale — Safety: 24/100 Wareek — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 58 / 67
Bowenvale — Low fire risk: 58/100 Wareek — Low fire risk: 67/100
Low flood risk 28 / 13
Bowenvale — Low flood risk: 28/100 Wareek — Low flood risk: 13/100

Demographics

Bowenvale has more residents (209 vs 72); Bowenvale rents higher ($295/wk vs $150/wk).

Bowenvale Wareek
Population 209
+66% vs other
 72
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.5% +5.9%
Median age 46 61
Median household income $66,924/yr
+19% vs other
 $54,132/yr
Median weekly rent $295/wk
+49% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowenvale Wareek
0-4 4.3% / 4.2%
Bowenvale — 0-4: 4.3% Wareek — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 18.2% / —
Bowenvale — 5-14: 18.2% Wareek — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 1.4% / —
Bowenvale — 15-19: 1.4% Wareek — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 1.9% / 5.6%
Bowenvale — 20-24: 1.9% Wareek — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 11.5% / 12.5%
Bowenvale — 25-34: 11.5% Wareek — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 11.0% / 12.5%
Bowenvale — 35-44: 11.0% Wareek — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 12.9% / 4.2%
Bowenvale — 45-54: 12.9% Wareek — 45-54: 4.2%
55-64 12.0% / 23.6%
Bowenvale — 55-64: 12.0% Wareek — 55-64: 23.6%
65-74 17.2% / 26.4%
Bowenvale — 65-74: 17.2% Wareek — 65-74: 26.4%
75-84 6.7% / 8.3%
Bowenvale — 75-84: 6.7% Wareek — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 2.9% / —
Bowenvale — 85+: 2.9% Wareek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

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.

Bowenvale Wareek
England 1.9% / 5.6%
Bowenvale — England: 1.9% Wareek — England: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowenvale 36.0% lone person
Bowenvale — Lone Person: 36.0% Bowenvale — Couple Families: 40.0% Bowenvale — One Parent Families: 24.0%
Wareek 52.2% lone person
Wareek — Lone Person: 52.2% Wareek — Couple Families: 26.1% Wareek — One Parent Families: 21.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowenvale 100.0% houses
Bowenvale — Houses: 100.0%
Wareek 100.0% houses
Wareek — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Bowenvale Wareek
Certificate III & IV 22.5% / 15.3%
Bowenvale — Certificate III & IV: 22.5% Wareek — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 12.5%
Bowenvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Wareek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.5%
Bachelor Degree 4.3% / 15.3%
Bowenvale — Bachelor Degree: 4.3% Wareek — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 9.7%
Bowenvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wareek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 9.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bowenvale 7.4% renting
Bowenvale — Owned Outright: 50.0% Bowenvale — Mortgage: 42.6% Bowenvale — Renting: 7.4%
Wareek 9.1% renting
Wareek — Owned Outright: 57.6% Wareek — Mortgage: 33.3% Wareek — Renting: 9.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Bowenvale Wareek
Median house price $730,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Wareek has more land zoned for conservation (18% vs 1%).

Bowenvale Wareek
Rural and farming 89% 81%
Environmental 1% 18%
Parks and recreation 6% 0%
Residential 3% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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

Bowenvale Wareek
New dwellings approved 40
across Central Goldfields
same for both
Approvals change year on year +129%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bowenvale Wareek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 28% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 14% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC

Liveability

Wareek is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Bowenvale Wareek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bowenvale carries more crime risk (76 vs 21); Wareek carries more flood risk (87 vs 72).

Bowenvale Wareek
Bushfire Moderate
42/100
 Low
33/100
Crime High
76/100
 Low
21/100
Flood High
72/100
 High
87/100
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

Bowenvale Wareek
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Bowenvale Wareek
Parks & reserves 3 2
Waterways 3 1

Mobility

Wareek sits further from the CBD (190.3 km vs 185.4 km).

Bowenvale Wareek
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 185.4 km 190.3 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 137 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3465
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3465
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.

Bowenvale Wareek
Car (driver) 83.1% / 63.0%
Bowenvale — Car (driver): 83.1% Wareek — Car (driver): 63.0%
Worked from Home 7.7% / 37.0%
Bowenvale — Worked from Home: 7.7% Wareek — Worked from Home: 37.0%
Car (passenger) 9.2% / —
Bowenvale — Car (passenger): 9.2% Wareek — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.1%).

Setting

Bowenvale Wareek
Elevation 200 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 207 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bowenvale Wareek
Connectivity score 27/100 21/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
112 premises
 0%
34 premises

Climate

Bowenvale Wareek
Annual rainfall 510 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Bowenvale Wareek
Average residential rate $1,555/yr
same for both
Council Central Goldfields
same for both

Federal electorate

Bowenvale Wareek
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowenvale Wareek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowenvale

Family Retirees Rural

Wareek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowenvale

Bowenvale vs Maryborough Bowenvale vs Alma Bowenvale vs Timor

Other comparisons with Wareek

Wareek vs Alma Wareek vs Moonlight Flat Wareek vs Bung Bong
Full data on Bowenvale Full data on Wareek
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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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