Dales Creek vs Blackwood

Dales Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Blackwood. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dales Creek, most households are couple families. In Blackwood, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Dales Creek: a median of $710,000, against $598,000 in Blackwood, though rent is higher in Blackwood. On these figures, Dales Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Blackwood 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

Dales Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 40%)

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

First-home buyers

Blackwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($597,500 vs $710,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Dales Creek

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($271/wk vs $305/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Dales Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (65 min vs 71 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (82.3 km vs 87.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Blackwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (31.2% vs 1.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dales Creek Blackwood
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.

Dales Creek Blackwood
Walkability 0 / 0
Dales Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Blackwood — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 54 / 45
Dales Creek — Safety: 54/100 Blackwood — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 4 / 17
Dales Creek — Low fire risk: 4/100 Blackwood — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 100 / 77
Dales Creek — Low flood risk: 100/100 Blackwood — Low flood risk: 77/100

Demographics

Dales Creek has higher household incomes ($102,232 vs $74,048); Blackwood skews older (47 vs 40).

Dales Creek Blackwood
Population 403
+4% vs other
 387
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.3% +31.2%
Median age 40 47
Median household income $102,232/yr
+28% vs other
 $74,048/yr
Median weekly rent $271/wk $305/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dales Creek Blackwood
0-4 5.5% / 6.5%
Dales Creek — 0-4: 5.5% Blackwood — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 16.1% / 10.3%
Dales Creek — 5-14: 16.1% Blackwood — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 4.5% / 3.9%
Dales Creek — 15-19: 4.5% Blackwood — 15-19: 3.9%
20-24 4.5% / 2.1%
Dales Creek — 20-24: 4.5% Blackwood — 20-24: 2.1%
25-34 10.4% / 8.3%
Dales Creek — 25-34: 10.4% Blackwood — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 16.6% / 15.2%
Dales Creek — 35-44: 16.6% Blackwood — 35-44: 15.2%
45-54 17.1% / 22.2%
Dales Creek — 45-54: 17.1% Blackwood — 45-54: 22.2%
55-64 13.4% / 16.5%
Dales Creek — 55-64: 13.4% Blackwood — 55-64: 16.5%
65-74 8.7% / 11.6%
Dales Creek — 65-74: 8.7% Blackwood — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 2.0% / 3.9%
Dales Creek — 75-84: 2.0% Blackwood — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ — / —
Dales Creek — 85+: not among its largest Blackwood — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dales Creek 28.4% lone person
Dales Creek — Lone Person: 28.4% Dales Creek — Couple Families: 58.7% Dales Creek — One Parent Families: 12.8% Dales Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Blackwood 55.9% lone person
Blackwood — Lone Person: 55.9% Blackwood — Couple Families: 23.7% Blackwood — One Parent Families: 16.1% Blackwood — Group Household: 4.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dales Creek 0.0% renting
Dales Creek — Owned Outright: 20.2% Dales Creek — Mortgage: 79.8% Dales Creek — Renting: 0.0%
Blackwood 10.1% renting
Blackwood — Owned Outright: 38.6% Blackwood — Mortgage: 51.3% Blackwood — Renting: 10.1%
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.

Dales Creek Blackwood
England 4.2% / 4.7%
Dales Creek — England: 4.2% Blackwood — England: 4.7%
New Zealand — / 3.1%
Dales Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest Blackwood — New Zealand: 3.1%
Scotland — / 1.8%
Dales Creek — Scotland: not among its largest Blackwood — Scotland: 1.8%
Philippines 1.0% / —
Dales Creek — Philippines: 1.0% Blackwood — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Dales Creek Blackwood
Certificate III & IV 20.6% / 15.5%
Dales Creek — Certificate III & IV: 20.6% Blackwood — Certificate III & IV: 15.5%
Bachelor Degree 6.9% / 16.5%
Dales Creek — Bachelor Degree: 6.9% Blackwood — Bachelor Degree: 16.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.4% / 7.0%
Dales Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.4% Blackwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / 5.2%
Dales Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% Blackwood — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 3.6%
Dales Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Blackwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dales Creek 100.0% houses
Dales Creek — Houses: 100.0% Dales Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Blackwood 99.4% houses
Blackwood — Houses: 99.4% Blackwood — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dales Creek Blackwood
Median house price $710,000 $597,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $228,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 72 days
from 4 sales
 46 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Dales Creek has more land zoned for conservation (96% vs 4%).

Dales Creek Blackwood
Environmental 96% 4%
Parks and recreation 1% 92%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 1%
Residential 0% 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

Dales Creek Blackwood
New dwellings approved 338
across Moorabool
same for both
Approvals change year on year +4%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Dales Creek Blackwood
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC

Liveability

Dales Creek Blackwood
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Blackwood carries more flood risk (23 vs 0); Dales Creek carries more bushfire risk (96 vs 83).

Dales Creek Blackwood
Bushfire High
96/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
23/100
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

Dales Creek Blackwood
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Dales Creek

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

Schools in Blackwood

  • Frankston Special Developmental School-Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre Government · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Dales Creek Blackwood
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 0 9

Mobility

Blackwood sits further from the CBD (87.9 km vs 82.3 km).

Dales Creek Blackwood
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 82.3 km 87.9 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 65 min 71 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3341
 1.6%
postcode 3458
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3341
 50
postcode 3458

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.

Dales Creek Blackwood
Car (driver) 86.0% / 59.2%
Dales Creek — Car (driver): 86.0% Blackwood — Car (driver): 59.2%
Worked from Home 12.3% / 34.4%
Dales Creek — Worked from Home: 12.3% Blackwood — Worked from Home: 34.4%
Car (passenger) 1.7% / 3.2%
Dales Creek — Car (passenger): 1.7% Blackwood — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only — / 3.2%
Dales Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Blackwood — Walked Only: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.0%).

Setting

Dales Creek Blackwood
Elevation 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 658 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Dales Creek Blackwood
Connectivity score 29/100 17/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
184 premises
 0%
51 premises

Climate

Dales Creek Blackwood
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Dales Creek Blackwood
Average residential rate $1,979/yr
same for both
Council Moorabool
same for both

Federal electorate

Dales Creek Blackwood
Division Hawke
same for both
Member Sam Rae
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dales Creek Blackwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dales Creek

Acreage

Blackwood

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dales Creek

Dales Creek vs Greendale

Other comparisons with Blackwood

Blackwood vs Ballan Blackwood vs Greendale Blackwood vs Lyonville Blackwood vs Newbury
Full data on Dales Creek Full data on Blackwood
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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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