Cardigan vs Mitchell Park

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cardigan, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cardigan: a median of $1.14 million, against $494,000 in Mitchell Park, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cardigan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Mitchell Park suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Cardigan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

Cardigan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($547,500 vs $800,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 24%)
  • But Mitchell Park has cheaper houses ($493,750 vs $1,142,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mitchell Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($263/wk vs $350/wk)
  • But Cardigan leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mitchell Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 98 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (124.2 km vs 132.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mitchell Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 8%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Cardigan is growing faster (41.1% vs 2.2%)
  • Mitchell Park returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.2% vs 2.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cardigan Mitchell Park
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.

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Walkability 0 / 0
Cardigan — Walkability: 0/100 Mitchell Park — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 18 / 9
Cardigan — Safety: 18/100 Mitchell Park — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 77 / 100
Cardigan — Low fire risk: 77/100 Mitchell Park — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 64 / 39
Cardigan — Low flood risk: 64/100 Mitchell Park — Low flood risk: 39/100

Demographics

Cardigan has higher household incomes ($141,076 vs $69,264); Cardigan rents higher ($350/wk vs $263/wk).

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Population 1,064
+17% vs other
 887
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +41.1% +2.2%
Median age 36 37
Median household income $141,076/yr
+51% vs other
 $69,264/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+25% vs other
 $263/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cardigan Mitchell Park
0-4 5.5% / 4.8%
Cardigan — 0-4: 5.5% Mitchell Park — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 18.3% / 12.5%
Cardigan — 5-14: 18.3% Mitchell Park — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 11.7% / 6.4%
Cardigan — 15-19: 11.7% Mitchell Park — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 5.1% / 7.0%
Cardigan — 20-24: 5.1% Mitchell Park — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 8.2% / 17.0%
Cardigan — 25-34: 8.2% Mitchell Park — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 14.3% / 10.1%
Cardigan — 35-44: 14.3% Mitchell Park — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 17.9% / 14.1%
Cardigan — 45-54: 17.9% Mitchell Park — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 12.1% / 11.2%
Cardigan — 55-64: 12.1% Mitchell Park — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 6.0% / 9.7%
Cardigan — 65-74: 6.0% Mitchell Park — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 2.1% / 4.6%
Cardigan — 75-84: 2.1% Mitchell Park — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 0.3% / 2.1%
Cardigan — 85+: 0.3% Mitchell Park — 85+: 2.1%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cardigan 81.2% couple families
Cardigan — Couple Families: 81.2% Cardigan — Lone Person: 10.5% Cardigan — One Parent Families: 6.1% Cardigan — Group Household: 2.2%
Mitchell Park 37.5% couple families
Mitchell Park — Couple Families: 37.5% Mitchell Park — Lone Person: 36.3% Mitchell Park — One Parent Families: 17.8% Mitchell Park — Group Household: 8.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cardigan 7.4% renting
Cardigan — Owned Outright: 37.5% Cardigan — Mortgage: 55.2% Cardigan — Renting: 7.4%
Mitchell Park 27.1% renting
Mitchell Park — Owned Outright: 33.8% Mitchell Park — Mortgage: 39.1% Mitchell Park — Renting: 27.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Certificate III & IV 17.1% / 17.8%
Cardigan — Certificate III & IV: 17.1% Mitchell Park — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 8.6%
Cardigan — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Mitchell Park — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.4%
Cardigan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Mitchell Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.1%
Cardigan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Mitchell Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 0.8%
Cardigan — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Mitchell Park — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

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.

Cardigan Mitchell Park
England 2.6% / 1.7%
Cardigan — England: 2.6% Mitchell Park — England: 1.7%
China — / 2.8%
Cardigan — China: not among its largest Mitchell Park — China: 2.8%
New Zealand 0.7% / 1.0%
Cardigan — New Zealand: 0.7% Mitchell Park — New Zealand: 1.0%
India 1.1% / —
Cardigan — India: 1.1% Mitchell Park — India: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.5%
Cardigan — Netherlands: 0.6% Mitchell Park — Netherlands: 0.5%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.7%
Cardigan — Philippines: 0.4% Mitchell Park — Philippines: 0.7%
Germany 0.8% / —
Cardigan — Germany: 0.8% Mitchell Park — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cardigan 98.7% houses
Cardigan — Houses: 98.7% Cardigan — Townhouses: 0.0% Cardigan — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Mitchell Park 90.9% houses
Mitchell Park — Houses: 90.9% Mitchell Park — Townhouses: 9.5% Mitchell Park — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Median house price $1,142,500 $493,750
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $547,500 $800,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 19 sales
 43 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Rural and farming 67% 63%
Other and special use 20% 23%
Residential 9% 2%
Industrial 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
Parks and recreation 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

Cardigan Mitchell Park
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
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.

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Houses 2.8%
$700/wk on $1.3M
 4.2%
$470/wk on $585K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Cardigan Mitchell Park
House price — Higher than 13% of VIC
Income Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 81% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC

Liveability

Cardigan scores higher overall (44 vs 22).

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Grade C D
Score 44/100 22/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Cardigan carries more bushfire risk (23 vs 0); Mitchell Park carries more flood risk (61 vs 36).

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Bushfire Low
23/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
82/100
 High
91/100
Flood Low
36/100
 Moderate
61/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Cardigan Mitchell Park
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 None 1
Federation University Ballarat, 8.7 km

Amenities in the suburb

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 3 5

Mobility

Cardigan sits further from the CBD (132.1 km vs 124.2 km).

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 132.1 km
+6% vs other
 124.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 90 min
Public transport score 24/100 31/100
Peak arrivals per hour 2.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 36 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3352
 0.5%
postcode 3355
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3352
 27
postcode 3355

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.

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Car (driver) 77.5% / 80.6%
Cardigan — Car (driver): 77.5% Mitchell Park — Car (driver): 80.6%
Worked from Home 15.5% / 11.3%
Cardigan — Worked from Home: 15.5% Mitchell Park — Worked from Home: 11.3%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 6.9%
Cardigan — Car (passenger): 6.0% Mitchell Park — Car (passenger): 6.9%
Bicycle — / 1.2%
Cardigan — Bicycle: not among its largest Mitchell Park — Bicycle: 1.2%
Walked Only 1.0% / —
Cardigan — Walked Only: 1.0% Mitchell Park — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.6%).

Setting

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Elevation 418 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 430 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Connectivity score 78/100 55/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 68%
973 premises
 32%
477 premises

Climate

Cardigan Mitchell Park
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

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cardigan Mitchell Park
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cardigan

Acreage Family Luxury

Mitchell Park

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

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Cardigan vs Alfredton Cardigan vs Wendouree Cardigan vs Lucas Cardigan vs Haddon Cardigan vs Cardigan Village Cardigan vs Bunkers Hill

Other comparisons with Mitchell Park

Mitchell Park vs Wendouree Mitchell Park vs Miners Rest Mitchell Park vs Windermere
Full data on Cardigan Full data on Mitchell Park
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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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