Cobaw vs Rochford
Cobaw is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 51 in Rochford. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cobaw, most households are couple families. In Rochford, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Cobaw tends to suit couples, while Rochford 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
Cobaw
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 71/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 38%)
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
Rochford
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($406/wk vs $568/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
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
Cobaw
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 71/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Cobaw
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (48.6% vs 0.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cobaw and Rochford 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
Cobaw has more residents (104 vs 71); Cobaw rents higher ($568/wk vs $406/wk).
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104 +32% vs other | 71 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +48.6% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 39 | 51 |
| Median household income | $108,316/yr +22% vs other | $84,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $568/wk +29% vs other | $406/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).
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 (17.3%).
Zoning mix
Cobaw has more land zoned for conservation (99% vs 58%); Rochford has more rural and farming land (41% vs 0%).
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 99% | 58% |
| Rural and farming | 0% | 41% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 2% |
| 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
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 331 across Macedon Ranges same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +80% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 81% of VIC | Higher than 52% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 62% of VIC | Higher than 26% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 90% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 57% of VIC |
Liveability
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Cobaw carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 0); Rochford carries more crime risk (71 vs 10).
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 72/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 10/100 | High 71/100 |
| 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
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 2 same for both | |
Mobility
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 84.3 km +1% vs other | 83.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 65 min same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.6% postcode 3442 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 3442 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 (64.7%).
Setting
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 498 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 540 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 35 premises |
Climate
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 778 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,065/yr same for both | |
| Council | Macedon Ranges same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mcewen same for both | |
| Member | Rob Mitchell same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cobaw | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Cobaw
Other comparisons with Rochford
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.