Bridgewater vs Campbells Forest
Bridgewater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 56 in Campbells Forest. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bridgewater, most households are couple families. In Campbells Forest, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bridgewater tends to suit 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
Campbells Forest
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 64/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 59%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bridgewater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Bridgewater
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 13%)
- has cheaper rent ($115/wk vs $220/wk)
- But Campbells Forest has a bigger rental market to choose from (17% vs 6%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Campbells Forest
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (174 km vs 176.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Campbells Forest
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 64/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Campbells Forest
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (11.1% vs -6.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bridgewater and Campbells Forest 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
Bridgewater has more residents (133 vs 50); Campbells Forest rents higher ($220/wk vs $115/wk).
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 133 +62% vs other | 50 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -6.3% | +11.1% |
| Median age | 49 | 56 |
| Median household income | $92,092/yr +6% vs other | $86,112/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $115/wk | $220/wk +91% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).
Zoning mix
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 100% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 0% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 2% | 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
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 27 across Loddon same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +150% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 61% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 40% of VIC | Higher than 26% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 17% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 62% of VIC | Higher than 41% of VIC |
Liveability
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Bridgewater carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 0); Bridgewater carries more flood risk (67 vs 19).
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 59/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 64/100 | Low 28/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 67/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 0 |
Mobility
Bridgewater sits further from the CBD (176.2 km vs 174 km).
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 176.2 km +1% vs other | 174 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 127 min | 128 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3516 | 0.2% postcode 3556 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 45 postcode 3516 | 44 postcode 3556 |
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 (59.7%).
Setting
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 141 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 147 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 74 premises | 0% 26 premises |
Council rates
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,353/yr same for both | |
| Council | Loddon same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mallee same for both | |
| Member | Anne Webster same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bridgewater | Campbells Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Bridgewater
Other comparisons with Campbells Forest
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.