Bridgewater vs Newbridge

Bridgewater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 58 in Newbridge. 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 Newbridge, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Bridgewater tends to suit families with children and couples, while Newbridge 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

  • Bridgewater is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 40%)
  • Newbridge carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 64/100)

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

Bridgewater

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($115/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Newbridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (121 min vs 127 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (169.9 km vs 176.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Newbridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 64/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

Bridgewater and Newbridge 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 Newbridge
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 Newbridge
Walkability 0 / 0
Bridgewater — Walkability: 0/100 Newbridge — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 58
Bridgewater — Safety: 36/100 Newbridge — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 41 / 39
Bridgewater — Low fire risk: 41/100 Newbridge — Low fire risk: 39/100
Low flood risk 33 / 24
Bridgewater — Low flood risk: 33/100 Newbridge — Low flood risk: 24/100

Demographics

Newbridge rents higher ($200/wk vs $115/wk); Bridgewater has higher household incomes ($92,092 vs $54,132).

Bridgewater Newbridge
Population 133 171
+29% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.3% -10.9%
Median age 49 58
Median household income $92,092/yr
+41% vs other
 $54,132/yr
Median weekly rent $115/wk $200/wk
+74% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater Newbridge
0-4 3.8% / 2.9%
Bridgewater — 0-4: 3.8% Newbridge — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 15.0% / 8.2%
Bridgewater — 5-14: 15.0% Newbridge — 5-14: 8.2%
15-19 4.5% / 3.5%
Bridgewater — 15-19: 4.5% Newbridge — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 6.0% / 2.3%
Bridgewater — 20-24: 6.0% Newbridge — 20-24: 2.3%
25-34 6.0% / 5.3%
Bridgewater — 25-34: 6.0% Newbridge — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 12.0% / 8.8%
Bridgewater — 35-44: 12.0% Newbridge — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 18.8% / 12.9%
Bridgewater — 45-54: 18.8% Newbridge — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 11.3% / 24.6%
Bridgewater — 55-64: 11.3% Newbridge — 55-64: 24.6%
65-74 18.0% / 18.7%
Bridgewater — 65-74: 18.0% Newbridge — 65-74: 18.7%
75-84 6.8% / 7.6%
Bridgewater — 75-84: 6.8% Newbridge — 75-84: 7.6%
85+ 3.8% / 4.7%
Bridgewater — 85+: 3.8% Newbridge — 85+: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater 41.2% lone person
Bridgewater — Lone Person: 41.2% Bridgewater — Couple Families: 58.8% Bridgewater — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Newbridge 60.0% lone person
Newbridge — Lone Person: 60.0% Newbridge — Couple Families: 26.0% Newbridge — One Parent Families: 14.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater 5.8% renting
Bridgewater — Owned Outright: 61.5% Bridgewater — Mortgage: 32.7% Bridgewater — Renting: 5.8%
Newbridge 7.2% renting
Newbridge — Owned Outright: 72.5% Newbridge — Mortgage: 20.3% Newbridge — Renting: 7.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bridgewater 90.9% houses
Bridgewater — Houses: 90.9% Bridgewater — Flats / Apartments: 9.1%
Newbridge 98.7% houses
Newbridge — Houses: 98.7% Newbridge — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Bridgewater Newbridge
Certificate III & IV 11.3% / 14.6%
Bridgewater — Certificate III & IV: 11.3% Newbridge — Certificate III & IV: 14.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.5% / 11.7%
Bridgewater — Bachelor Degree: 7.5% Newbridge — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 9.4%
Bridgewater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Newbridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 1.8%
Bridgewater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Newbridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.8%
Bridgewater — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Newbridge — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

Property market

Bridgewater Newbridge
Median house price — $340,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Bridgewater Newbridge
Rural and farming 96% 90%
Parks and recreation 2% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
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 Newbridge
New dwellings approved 27
across Loddon
same for both
Approvals change year on year +150%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bridgewater Newbridge
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 55% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Bridgewater Newbridge
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Bridgewater carries more crime risk (64 vs 42).

Bridgewater Newbridge
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
61/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood Moderate
67/100
 High
76/100
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 Newbridge
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 Newbridge
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 7 13

Mobility

Bridgewater sits further from the CBD (176.2 km vs 169.9 km).

Bridgewater Newbridge
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 176.2 km
+4% vs other
 169.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 127 min 121 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3516
 0.6%
postcode 3551
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 3516
 64
postcode 3551

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 Newbridge
Car (driver) 59.7% / 64.9%
Bridgewater — Car (driver): 59.7% Newbridge — Car (driver): 64.9%
Worked from Home 30.6% / 19.5%
Bridgewater — Worked from Home: 30.6% Newbridge — Worked from Home: 19.5%
Walked Only 4.8% / 11.7%
Bridgewater — Walked Only: 4.8% Newbridge — Walked Only: 11.7%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 3.9%
Bridgewater — Car (passenger): 4.8% Newbridge — Car (passenger): 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.9%).

Setting

Bridgewater Newbridge
Elevation 141 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 154 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bridgewater Newbridge
Connectivity score 30/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
74 premises
 0%
97 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Bridgewater

Retirees Rural

Newbridge

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bridgewater

Bridgewater vs Inglewood Bridgewater vs Bridgewater On Loddon Bridgewater vs Leichardt Bridgewater vs Arnold Bridgewater vs Bridgewater North Bridgewater vs Campbells Forest

Other comparisons with Newbridge

Newbridge vs Laanecoorie Newbridge vs Tarnagulla Newbridge vs Llanelly Newbridge vs Waanyarra Newbridge vs Arnold
Full data on Bridgewater Full data on Newbridge
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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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