Bridgewater North vs Serpentine

Serpentine is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 49 in Bridgewater North. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bridgewater North, the large majority of households are couple families. In Serpentine, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bridgewater North tends to suit 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

Bridgewater North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 57%)

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

Serpentine

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $345/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 21%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bridgewater North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (132 min vs 141 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (188.7 km vs 197.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Serpentine

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 9%)

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

Investors

Serpentine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.6% vs -5.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bridgewater North Serpentine
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.

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Walkability 0 / 0
Bridgewater North — Walkability: 0/100 Serpentine — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 74 / 70
Bridgewater North — Safety: 74/100 Serpentine — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 89 / 81
Bridgewater North — Low fire risk: 89/100 Serpentine — Low fire risk: 81/100
Low flood risk 37 / 4
Bridgewater North — Low flood risk: 37/100 Serpentine — Low flood risk: 4/100

Demographics

Serpentine has more residents (222 vs 54); Bridgewater North rents higher ($345/wk vs $100/wk).

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Population 54 222
+311% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.3% +15.6%
Median age 49 40
Median household income $84,448/yr
+21% vs other
 $66,300/yr
Median weekly rent $345/wk
+71% vs other
 $100/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater North Serpentine
0-4 7.4% / 9.0%
Bridgewater North — 0-4: 7.4% Serpentine — 0-4: 9.0%
5-14 16.7% / 11.3%
Bridgewater North — 5-14: 16.7% Serpentine — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 5.6% / 8.6%
Bridgewater North — 15-19: 5.6% Serpentine — 15-19: 8.6%
20-24 5.6% / 5.9%
Bridgewater North — 20-24: 5.6% Serpentine — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 14.8% / 10.8%
Bridgewater North — 25-34: 14.8% Serpentine — 25-34: 10.8%
35-44 16.7% / 14.0%
Bridgewater North — 35-44: 16.7% Serpentine — 35-44: 14.0%
45-54 — / 9.9%
Bridgewater North — 45-54: not among its largest Serpentine — 45-54: 9.9%
55-64 27.8% / 13.5%
Bridgewater North — 55-64: 27.8% Serpentine — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 — / 9.9%
Bridgewater North — 65-74: not among its largest Serpentine — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 9.3% / 4.5%
Bridgewater North — 75-84: 9.3% Serpentine — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ — / 1.4%
Bridgewater North — 85+: not among its largest Serpentine — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater North 100.0% couple families
Bridgewater North — Couple Families: 100.0% Bridgewater North — Lone Person: 0.0% Bridgewater North — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Serpentine 50.0% couple families
Serpentine — Couple Families: 50.0% Serpentine — Lone Person: 42.9% Serpentine — One Parent Families: 7.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater North 25.0% renting
Bridgewater North — Owned Outright: 50.0% Bridgewater North — Mortgage: 25.0% Bridgewater North — Renting: 25.0%
Serpentine 16.7% renting
Serpentine — Owned Outright: 41.7% Serpentine — Mortgage: 41.7% Serpentine — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater North 100.0% houses
Bridgewater North — Houses: 100.0% Bridgewater North — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Serpentine 93.8% houses
Serpentine — Houses: 93.8% Serpentine — Flats / Apartments: 6.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Certificate III & IV 20.4% / 18.0%
Bridgewater North — Certificate III & IV: 20.4% Serpentine — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 8.6%
Bridgewater North — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Serpentine — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 6.3%
Bridgewater North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Serpentine — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.2%
Bridgewater North — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Serpentine — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.3%
Bridgewater North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Serpentine — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

Zoning mix

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Rural and farming 99% 97%
Residential 0% 1%
Parks and recreation 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

Bridgewater North Serpentine
New dwellings approved 27
across Loddon
same for both
Approvals change year on year +150%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bridgewater North Serpentine
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 27% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC

Liveability

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Serpentine carries more flood risk (96 vs 63).

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Bushfire Low
11/100
 Low
19/100
Crime Low
26/100
 Low
30/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 High
96/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Bridgewater North Serpentine
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

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
GPs 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 3 4

Mobility

Serpentine sits further from the CBD (197.5 km vs 188.7 km).

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 188.7 km 197.5 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 132 min 141 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3516
 0.3%
postcode 3517
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 3516
 58
postcode 3517

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.

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Car (driver) 54.1% / 62.4%
Bridgewater North — Car (driver): 54.1% Serpentine — Car (driver): 62.4%
Worked from Home 37.8% / 28.0%
Bridgewater North — Worked from Home: 37.8% Serpentine — Worked from Home: 28.0%
Walked Only 8.1% / 9.7%
Bridgewater North — Walked Only: 8.1% Serpentine — Walked Only: 9.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.4%).

Setting

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Elevation 132 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 119 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
17 premises
 0%
103 premises

Council rates

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Average residential rate $1,353/yr
same for both
Council Loddon
same for both

Federal electorate

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bridgewater North Serpentine
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bridgewater North

Family Rural

Serpentine

Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bridgewater North

Bridgewater North vs Bridgewater

Other comparisons with Serpentine

Serpentine vs Bears Lagoon
Full data on Bridgewater North Full data on Serpentine
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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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