Cambrian Hill vs Scotchmans Lead
Cambrian Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 50 in Scotchmans Lead. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cambrian Hill, most households are couple families. In Scotchmans Lead, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Cambrian Hill tends to suit families with children and 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
Cambrian Hill
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 80%)
- is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 71%)
- But Scotchmans Lead carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 52/100)
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
Scotchmans Lead
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $260/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Scotchmans Lead
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 52/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Cambrian Hill
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.3% vs 8.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cambrian Hill and Scotchmans Lead 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
Cambrian Hill rents higher ($260/wk vs $0/wk); Cambrian Hill has more residents (292 vs 105).
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 292 +64% vs other | 105 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.3% | +8.2% |
| Median age | 39 | 50 |
| Median household income | $106,184/yr | $106,600/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).
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 (16.8%).
Zoning mix
Scotchmans Lead has more rural and farming land (99% vs 88%).
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 88% | 99% |
| Residential | 9% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 1% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 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
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 186 across Golden Plains | 1,451 across Ballarat |
| Approvals change year on year | +10% | +42% |
Ranking within VIC
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 78% of VIC same for both | |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 62% of VIC | Higher than 1% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 39% of VIC | Higher than 37% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 71% of VIC | Higher than 48% of VIC |
Liveability
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Cambrian Hill carries more flood risk (43 vs 11); Cambrian Hill carries more crime risk (52 vs 27).
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 63/100 | High 91/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 52/100 | Low 27/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 43/100 | Low 11/100 |
| 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
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Universities within 10 km | 1 Federation University Ballarat, 9.1 km | None |
Amenities in the suburb
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 2 | 1 |
Mobility
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 124.5 km +1% vs other | 123.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 97 min | 95 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3352 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 3352 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (93.3%).
Setting
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 396 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 388 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 99 premises | 0% 36 premises |
Climate
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 605 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.7°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,052/yr | $2,086/yr |
| Council | Golden Plains | Ballarat |
Federal electorate
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Ballarat same for both | |
| Member | Catherine King same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cambrian Hill | Scotchmans Lead | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Cambrian Hill
Other comparisons with Scotchmans Lead
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.