Browns Plains vs Rutherglen

Rutherglen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Browns Plains. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Browns Plains, most households are couple families. In Rutherglen, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Browns Plains tends to suit couples, while Rutherglen 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

Rutherglen

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (16 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 86/100)
  • But Browns Plains is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 51%)

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

First-home buyers

Rutherglen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Browns Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Rutherglen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (296.6 km vs 303.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rutherglen

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Rutherglen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.5% vs -2.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Browns Plains Rutherglen
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.

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Walkability 0 / 0
Browns Plains — Walkability: 0/100 Rutherglen — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 14 / 50
Browns Plains — Safety: 14/100 Rutherglen — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 27 / 81
Browns Plains — Low fire risk: 27/100 Rutherglen — Low fire risk: 81/100
Low flood risk 27 / 55
Browns Plains — Low flood risk: 27/100 Rutherglen — Low flood risk: 55/100

Demographics

Rutherglen has more residents (2,579 vs 99); Rutherglen rents higher ($250/wk vs $200/wk).

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Population 99 2,579
+2505% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.9% +8.5%
Median age 55 48
Median household income $73,112/yr
+7% vs other
 $67,912/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $250/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Browns Plains Rutherglen
0-4 — / 4.8%
Browns Plains — 0-4: not among its largest Rutherglen — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 13.1% / 11.8%
Browns Plains — 5-14: 13.1% Rutherglen — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 8.1% / 5.5%
Browns Plains — 15-19: 8.1% Rutherglen — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 3.0% / 3.8%
Browns Plains — 20-24: 3.0% Rutherglen — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 3.0% / 9.9%
Browns Plains — 25-34: 3.0% Rutherglen — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 4.0% / 10.4%
Browns Plains — 35-44: 4.0% Rutherglen — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 16.2% / 12.2%
Browns Plains — 45-54: 16.2% Rutherglen — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 25.3% / 14.8%
Browns Plains — 55-64: 25.3% Rutherglen — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 21.2% / 15.4%
Browns Plains — 65-74: 21.2% Rutherglen — 65-74: 15.4%
75-84 3.0% / 8.3%
Browns Plains — 75-84: 3.0% Rutherglen — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ — / 3.1%
Browns Plains — 85+: not among its largest Rutherglen — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Browns Plains 71.4% couple families
Browns Plains — Couple Families: 71.4% Browns Plains — Lone Person: 28.6% Browns Plains — One Parent Families: 0.0% Browns Plains — Group Household: 0.0% Browns Plains — Other Families: 0.0%
Rutherglen 35.4% couple families
Rutherglen — Couple Families: 35.4% Rutherglen — Lone Person: 45.0% Rutherglen — One Parent Families: 15.8% Rutherglen — Group Household: 2.1% Rutherglen — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Browns Plains 13.5% renting
Browns Plains — Owned Outright: 48.6% Browns Plains — Mortgage: 37.8% Browns Plains — Renting: 13.5%
Rutherglen 19.7% renting
Rutherglen — Owned Outright: 44.5% Rutherglen — Mortgage: 35.9% Rutherglen — Renting: 19.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Certificate III & IV 13.1% / 18.3%
Browns Plains — Certificate III & IV: 13.1% Rutherglen — Certificate III & IV: 18.3%
Bachelor Degree 14.1% / 9.2%
Browns Plains — Bachelor Degree: 14.1% Rutherglen — Bachelor Degree: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 15.2% / 7.8%
Browns Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 15.2% Rutherglen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 2.5%
Browns Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Rutherglen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.4%
Browns Plains — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Rutherglen — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

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.

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Indonesia 3.0% / —
Browns Plains — Indonesia: 3.0% Rutherglen — Indonesia: not among its largest
England — / 2.5%
Browns Plains — England: not among its largest Rutherglen — England: 2.5%
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Browns Plains — New Zealand: not among its largest Rutherglen — New Zealand: 1.4%
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Browns Plains — Netherlands: not among its largest Rutherglen — Netherlands: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.5%
Browns Plains — Germany: not among its largest Rutherglen — Germany: 0.5%
Scotland — / 0.3%
Browns Plains — Scotland: not among its largest Rutherglen — Scotland: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Browns Plains 100.0% houses
Browns Plains — Houses: 100.0% Browns Plains — Townhouses: 0.0% Browns Plains — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Rutherglen 92.5% houses
Rutherglen — Houses: 92.5% Rutherglen — Townhouses: 6.0% Rutherglen — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Median house price — $555,000
Median unit price — $320,550
Median land price — $265,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 84 days
from 32 sales

Zoning mix

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Rural and farming 95% 89%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
Residential 0% 3%
Parks and recreation 3%
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

Browns Plains Rutherglen
New dwellings approved 120
across Indigo
same for both
Approvals change year on year +15%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Houses — 4.1%
$550/wk on $690K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Browns Plains Rutherglen
House price — Higher than 20% of VIC
Income Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 24% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 48% of VIC
same for both
Affordability — Higher than 66% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 49% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 76% of VIC

Liveability

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Grade — D
Score — 28/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Browns Plains carries more bushfire risk (73 vs 19); Browns Plains carries more crime risk (86 vs 50).

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Bushfire High
73/100
 Low
19/100
Crime High
86/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood High
73/100
 Moderate
45/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Browns Plains

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

Schools in Rutherglen

  • Rutherglen Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Rutherglen High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 2 16
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 2 5

Mobility

Browns Plains sits further from the CBD (303.4 km vs 296.6 km).

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 303.4 km
+2% vs other
 296.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 196 min 193 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3685
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 67
postcode 3685
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.

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Car (driver) 68.6% / 77.9%
Browns Plains — Car (driver): 68.6% Rutherglen — Car (driver): 77.9%
Worked from Home 21.6% / 12.5%
Browns Plains — Worked from Home: 21.6% Rutherglen — Worked from Home: 12.5%
Car (passenger) 9.8% / 4.2%
Browns Plains — Car (passenger): 9.8% Rutherglen — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only — / 4.8%
Browns Plains — Walked Only: not among its largest Rutherglen — Walked Only: 4.8%
Bicycle — / 0.7%
Browns Plains — Bicycle: not among its largest Rutherglen — Bicycle: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.9%).

Setting

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 157 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Connectivity score 30/100 67/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
44 premises
 42%
1,370 premises

Climate

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Annual rainfall 567 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 2.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Average residential rate $1,828/yr
same for both
Council Indigo
same for both

Federal electorate

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Browns Plains Rutherglen
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Browns Plains

Rural

Rutherglen

Acreage Affordable Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Browns Plains

Browns Plains vs Barnawartha Browns Plains vs Cornishtown Browns Plains vs Gooramadda

Other comparisons with Rutherglen

Rutherglen vs Wahgunyah Rutherglen vs Norong Rutherglen vs Cornishtown Rutherglen vs Lilliput Rutherglen vs Carlyle Rutherglen vs Chiltern Valley
Full data on Browns Plains Full data on Rutherglen
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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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