Costerfield vs Heathcote

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Costerfield tends to suit 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

Heathcote

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 4)
  • is already more of a family suburb (38% vs 26%)
  • But Costerfield carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 77/100)

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

Costerfield

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($50/wk vs $255/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 27%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Costerfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (107 min vs 121 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (131.3 km vs 138.9 km)
  • But Heathcote is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Heathcote

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Costerfield carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 77/100)

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

Investors

Heathcote

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.1% vs -6.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Costerfield Heathcote
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.

Costerfield Heathcote
Walkability 0 / 15
Costerfield — Walkability: 0/100 Heathcote — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 60 / 23
Costerfield — Safety: 60/100 Heathcote — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 42 / 52
Costerfield — Low fire risk: 42/100 Heathcote — Low fire risk: 52/100
Low flood risk 100 / 73
Costerfield — Low flood risk: 100/100 Heathcote — Low flood risk: 73/100

Demographics

Heathcote has more residents (2,962 vs 70); Heathcote rents higher ($255/wk vs $50/wk).

Costerfield Heathcote
Population 70 2,962
+4131% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.7% +6.1%
Median age 59 57
Median household income $44,148/yr $49,192/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $50/wk $255/wk
+410% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Costerfield Heathcote
0-4 5.7% / 3.2%
Costerfield — 0-4: 5.7% Heathcote — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 8.6% / 8.1%
Costerfield — 5-14: 8.6% Heathcote — 5-14: 8.1%
15-19 — / 3.3%
Costerfield — 15-19: not among its largest Heathcote — 15-19: 3.3%
20-24 — / 2.9%
Costerfield — 20-24: not among its largest Heathcote — 20-24: 2.9%
25-34 5.7% / 6.9%
Costerfield — 25-34: 5.7% Heathcote — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 12.9% / 8.6%
Costerfield — 35-44: 12.9% Heathcote — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 14.3% / 13.2%
Costerfield — 45-54: 14.3% Heathcote — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 25.7% / 18.2%
Costerfield — 55-64: 25.7% Heathcote — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 25.7% / 18.6%
Costerfield — 65-74: 25.7% Heathcote — 65-74: 18.6%
75-84 7.1% / 12.5%
Costerfield — 75-84: 7.1% Heathcote — 75-84: 12.5%
85+ — / 4.1%
Costerfield — 85+: not among its largest Heathcote — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Costerfield 63.0% lone person
Costerfield — Lone Person: 63.0% Costerfield — Couple Families: 25.9% Costerfield — Group Household: 11.1% Costerfield — One Parent Families: 0.0% Costerfield — Other Families: 0.0%
Heathcote 55.0% lone person
Heathcote — Lone Person: 55.0% Heathcote — Couple Families: 24.3% Heathcote — Group Household: 5.3% Heathcote — One Parent Families: 13.2% Heathcote — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Costerfield 0.0% renting
Costerfield — Owned Outright: 75.8% Costerfield — Mortgage: 24.2% Costerfield — Renting: 0.0%
Heathcote 14.8% renting
Heathcote — Owned Outright: 53.9% Heathcote — Mortgage: 31.3% Heathcote — Renting: 14.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Costerfield Heathcote
England 4.3% / 4.0%
Costerfield — England: 4.3% Heathcote — England: 4.0%
Italy 4.3% / 0.5%
Costerfield — Italy: 4.3% Heathcote — Italy: 0.5%
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Costerfield — New Zealand: not among its largest Heathcote — New Zealand: 1.4%
Germany — / 0.8%
Costerfield — Germany: not among its largest Heathcote — Germany: 0.8%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Costerfield — Netherlands: not among its largest Heathcote — Netherlands: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

Qualifications

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

Costerfield Heathcote
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 16.8%
Costerfield — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Heathcote — Certificate III & IV: 16.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 14.3% / 7.2%
Costerfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.3% Heathcote — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 5.7% / 1.8%
Costerfield — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7% Heathcote — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.7% / 1.5%
Costerfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.7% Heathcote — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%
Bachelor Degree — / 6.4%
Costerfield — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Heathcote — Bachelor Degree: 6.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Costerfield 100.0% houses
Costerfield — Houses: 100.0% Costerfield — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Costerfield — Townhouses: 0.0%
Heathcote 94.8% houses
Heathcote — Houses: 94.8% Heathcote — Flats / Apartments: 2.8% Heathcote — Townhouses: 2.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Costerfield Heathcote
Median house price — $550,000
Median unit price — $395,000
Median land price — $400,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 106 days
from 50 sales

Zoning mix

Heathcote has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 0%).

Costerfield Heathcote
Rural and farming 62% 52%
Parks and recreation 37% 27%
Environmental 0% 14%
Residential 0% 4%
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

Costerfield Heathcote
New dwellings approved 885
across Greater Bendigo
same for both
Approvals change year on year +28%
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.

Costerfield Heathcote
Houses — 3.5%
$460/wk on $680K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Costerfield Heathcote
House price — Higher than 13% of VIC
Income Higher than 5% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 44% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 64% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 37% of VIC

Liveability

Heathcote is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Costerfield Heathcote
Grade — D
Score — 25/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Heathcote carries more flood risk (27 vs 0); Heathcote carries more crime risk (77 vs 40).

Costerfield Heathcote
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
48/100
Crime Moderate
40/100
 High
77/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
27/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Costerfield Heathcote
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Costerfield

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Heathcote

  • Holy Rosary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Heathcote Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Costerfield Heathcote
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 9
Parks & reserves 4 10
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 5 17

Mobility

Heathcote sits further from the CBD (138.9 km vs 131.3 km).

Costerfield Heathcote
Walkability score 0/100 15/100
Distance to Melbourne 131.3 km 138.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 107 min 121 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3523
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 3523
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.

Costerfield Heathcote
Car (driver) 69.6% / 75.9%
Costerfield — Car (driver): 69.6% Heathcote — Car (driver): 75.9%
Worked from Home 30.4% / 18.1%
Costerfield — Worked from Home: 30.4% Heathcote — Worked from Home: 18.1%
Car (passenger) — / 3.0%
Costerfield — Car (passenger): not among its largest Heathcote — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Walked Only — / 2.7%
Costerfield — Walked Only: not among its largest Heathcote — Walked Only: 2.7%
Train — / 0.4%
Costerfield — Train: not among its largest Heathcote — Train: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.9%).

Setting

Costerfield Heathcote
Elevation 204 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 330 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Costerfield Heathcote
Connectivity score 30/100 57/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
66 premises
 31%
1,882 premises

Climate

Costerfield Heathcote
Annual rainfall 553 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Costerfield Heathcote
Average residential rate $1,949/yr
same for both
Council Greater Bendigo
same for both

Federal electorate

Costerfield Heathcote
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Costerfield Heathcote
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Costerfield

Retirees Rural

Heathcote

Acreage Affordable Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Costerfield

Costerfield vs Puckapunyal Costerfield vs Mount Camel

Other comparisons with Heathcote

Heathcote vs Puckapunyal Heathcote vs Tooborac Heathcote vs Argyle Heathcote vs Mia Mia Heathcote vs Mount Camel Heathcote vs Ladys Pass
Full data on Costerfield Full data on Heathcote
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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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