Clarkefield vs Bolinda
Clarkefield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 51 in Bolinda. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bolinda, most households are couple families. Clarkefield is closer to the city centre: 49.2 km, against 56.2 km. On these figures, Clarkefield tends to suit people living alone, while Bolinda suits share households 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
Bolinda
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 89/100)
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bolinda
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 32%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Clarkefield
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($345/wk vs $550/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 31%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Clarkefield
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (49.2 km vs 56.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Bolinda
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 89/100)
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
Clarkefield and Bolinda 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
Clarkefield has more residents (303 vs 185); Bolinda rents higher ($550/wk vs $345/wk).
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 303 +39% vs other | 185 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.3% | -6.1% |
| Median age | 44 | 51 |
| Median household income | $88,348/yr | $93,184/yr +5% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $345/wk | $550/wk +59% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 98% | 99% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% 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
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 331 across Macedon Ranges same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +80% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 58% of VIC | Higher than 62% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 31% of VIC | Higher than 5% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 59% of VIC | Higher than 49% of VIC |
Liveability
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Clarkefield carries more crime risk (89 vs 35).
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 68/100 | High 73/100 |
| Crime | High 89/100 | Low 35/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Clarkefield
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Bolinda
- Bolinda Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 4 |
Mobility
Bolinda sits further from the CBD (56.2 km vs 49.2 km).
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 49.2 km | 56.2 km +14% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 55 min | 54 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3430 | 0.0% postcode 3432 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 3430 | — |
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 (66.2%).
Setting
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 323 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 367 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 40.5 km | 46.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 130 premises | 0% 85 premises |
Climate
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 518 mm | 778 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.7°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 6.0°C | — |
Council rates
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,065/yr same for both | |
| Council | Macedon Ranges same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mcewen same for both | |
| Member | Rob Mitchell same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Clarkefield | Bolinda | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Clarkefield
Other comparisons with Bolinda
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.