Campbells Forest vs Sebastian
Sebastian is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 56 in Campbells Forest. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Campbells Forest tends to suit older residents, while Sebastian 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
Campbells Forest
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 58/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 56%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Sebastian
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Campbells Forest
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Sebastian
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Campbells Forest
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 13%)
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 58/100)
- But Sebastian is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs 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
Campbells Forest and Sebastian 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
Sebastian has more residents (251 vs 50); Campbells Forest skews older (56 vs 40).
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50 | 251 +402% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +11.1% | +15.7% |
| Median age | 56 | 40 |
| Median household income | $86,112/yr +12% vs other | $75,504/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk | $250/wk +14% 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
Campbells Forest has more rural and farming land (100% vs 75%); Sebastian has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 0%).
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 75% |
| Environmental | 0% | 14% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 11% |
| 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
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 27 across Loddon | 885 across Greater Bendigo |
| Approvals change year on year | +150% | +28% |
Ranking within VIC
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 56% of VIC | Higher than 42% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of VIC | Higher than 77% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 17% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 41% of VIC | Higher than 61% of VIC |
Liveability
Sebastian is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Sebastian carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0); Sebastian carries more flood risk (50 vs 19).
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 28/100 |
| Crime | Low 28/100 | Moderate 58/100 |
| Flood | Low 19/100 | Moderate 50/100 |
| 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
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 2 |
Mobility
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 174 km | 172.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 128 min | 127 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 3556 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 3556 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 (77.0%).
Setting
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 147 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 149 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 26 premises | 0% 101 premises |
Council rates
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,353/yr | $1,949/yr |
| Council | Loddon | Greater Bendigo |
Federal electorate
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mallee | Bendigo |
| Member | Anne Webster | Lisa Chesters |
| Party | The Nationals | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Campbells Forest | Sebastian | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Campbells Forest
Other comparisons with Sebastian
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.