Daylesford vs Musk Vale

Musk Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Daylesford. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Daylesford, most households are people living alone. In Musk Vale, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Daylesford tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Musk Vale suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Daylesford has more parks and reserves (11 vs 0)
  • Musk Vale carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 74/100)

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

Daylesford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 11%)

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

Commuting to the city

Daylesford

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (112.6 km vs 114.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Daylesford

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 19%)
  • But Musk Vale carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 74/100)

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

Investors

Musk Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.8% vs 9.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Daylesford Musk Vale
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.

Daylesford Musk Vale
Walkability 67 / 0
Daylesford — Walkability: 67/100 Musk Vale — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 84
Daylesford — Safety: 26/100 Musk Vale — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 34 / 18
Daylesford — Low fire risk: 34/100 Musk Vale — Low fire risk: 18/100
Low flood risk 63 / 44
Daylesford — Low flood risk: 63/100 Musk Vale — Low flood risk: 44/100

Demographics

Daylesford has more residents (2,781 vs 170); Musk Vale has higher household incomes ($73,320 vs $61,620).

Daylesford Musk Vale
Population 2,781
+94% vs other
 170
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.1% +28.8%
Median age 55 48
Median household income $61,620/yr $73,320/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $331/wk $341/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Daylesford Musk Vale
0-4 3.2% / 4.1%
Daylesford — 0-4: 3.2% Musk Vale — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 8.2% / 11.2%
Daylesford — 5-14: 8.2% Musk Vale — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 3.4% / 5.9%
Daylesford — 15-19: 3.4% Musk Vale — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 2.2% / 2.4%
Daylesford — 20-24: 2.2% Musk Vale — 20-24: 2.4%
25-34 9.1% / 12.9%
Daylesford — 25-34: 9.1% Musk Vale — 25-34: 12.9%
35-44 9.6% / 8.8%
Daylesford — 35-44: 9.6% Musk Vale — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 13.2% / 20.0%
Daylesford — 45-54: 13.2% Musk Vale — 45-54: 20.0%
55-64 19.8% / 15.3%
Daylesford — 55-64: 19.8% Musk Vale — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 17.7% / 15.3%
Daylesford — 65-74: 17.7% Musk Vale — 65-74: 15.3%
75-84 9.0% / 3.5%
Daylesford — 75-84: 9.0% Musk Vale — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ 4.5% / —
Daylesford — 85+: 4.5% Musk Vale — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Daylesford 59.6% lone person
Daylesford — Lone Person: 59.6% Daylesford — Couple Families: 20.1% Daylesford — One Parent Families: 15.1% Daylesford — Group Household: 4.8% Daylesford — Other Families: 0.5%
Musk Vale 32.5% lone person
Musk Vale — Lone Person: 32.5% Musk Vale — Couple Families: 50.0% Musk Vale — One Parent Families: 7.5% Musk Vale — Group Household: 10.0% Musk Vale — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Daylesford 27.0% renting
Daylesford — Owned Outright: 47.7% Daylesford — Mortgage: 25.3% Daylesford — Renting: 27.0%
Musk Vale 11.1% renting
Musk Vale — Owned Outright: 58.7% Musk Vale — Mortgage: 30.2% Musk Vale — Renting: 11.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Daylesford Musk Vale
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 18.8%
Daylesford — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Musk Vale — Certificate III & IV: 18.8%
Bachelor Degree 15.9% / 8.8%
Daylesford — Bachelor Degree: 15.9% Musk Vale — Bachelor Degree: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.0% / 8.2%
Daylesford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0% Musk Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.3% / 7.1%
Daylesford — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3% Musk Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 2.4%
Daylesford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Musk Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

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.

Daylesford Musk Vale
England 5.2% / 2.4%
Daylesford — England: 5.2% Musk Vale — England: 2.4%
Thailand — / 3.5%
Daylesford — Thailand: not among its largest Musk Vale — Thailand: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.8%
Daylesford — New Zealand: 1.4% Musk Vale — New Zealand: 1.8%
India 1.3% / —
Daylesford — India: 1.3% Musk Vale — India: not among its largest
Nepal 0.9% / —
Daylesford — Nepal: 0.9% Musk Vale — Nepal: not among its largest
Italy 0.8% / —
Daylesford — Italy: 0.8% Musk Vale — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Daylesford 89.2% houses
Daylesford — Houses: 89.2% Daylesford — Townhouses: 9.7% Daylesford — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Musk Vale 103.2% houses
Musk Vale — Houses: 103.2% Musk Vale — Townhouses: 0.0% Musk Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Daylesford Musk Vale
Median house price $820,000 —
Median unit price $495,000 —
Median land price $392,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 63 days
from 72 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Daylesford Musk Vale
Rural and farming 54% 46%
Parks and recreation 28% 48%
Residential 13% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 7%
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

Daylesford Musk Vale
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
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.

Daylesford Musk Vale
Houses 3.2%
$625/wk on $1.01M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Daylesford Musk Vale
House price Higher than 57% of VIC —
Income Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Schools Higher than 86% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 16% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 22% of VIC —

Liveability

Daylesford is more walkable (67 vs 0).

Daylesford Musk Vale
Grade C —
Score 49/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Daylesford carries more crime risk (74 vs 16); Musk Vale carries more flood risk (56 vs 37).

Daylesford Musk Vale
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 High
82/100
Crime High
74/100
 Low
16/100
Flood Low
37/100
 Moderate
56/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Daylesford Musk Vale
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Daylesford

  • Daylesford Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Michael's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Daylesford Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Daylesford Dharma School Independent · Primary below peers

Schools in Musk Vale

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

Amenities in the suburb

Daylesford Musk Vale
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 11 0
Childcare 3 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 31 4

Mobility

Musk Vale sits further from the CBD (114.9 km vs 112.6 km).

Daylesford Musk Vale
Walkability score 67/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 112.6 km 114.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 91 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3460
 1.4%
postcode 3461
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 3460
 48
postcode 3461

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.

Daylesford Musk Vale
Car (driver) 53.8% / 67.2%
Daylesford — Car (driver): 53.8% Musk Vale — Car (driver): 67.2%
Worked from Home 31.7% / 25.4%
Daylesford — Worked from Home: 31.7% Musk Vale — Worked from Home: 25.4%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 7.5%
Daylesford — Car (passenger): 5.1% Musk Vale — Car (passenger): 7.5%
Walked Only 8.4% / —
Daylesford — Walked Only: 8.4% Musk Vale — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 0.7% / —
Daylesford — Bicycle: 0.7% Musk Vale — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).

Setting

Daylesford Musk Vale
Elevation 641 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 611 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Daylesford Musk Vale
Connectivity score 63/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 35%
2,342 premises
 0%
73 premises

Climate

Daylesford Musk Vale
Annual rainfall 531 mm 714 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Daylesford Musk Vale
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Daylesford Musk Vale
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Daylesford Musk Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Daylesford

Acreage Cafe Culture Parks Retirees River Village Feel

Musk Vale

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Daylesford

Daylesford vs Hepburn Daylesford vs Hepburn Springs Daylesford vs Coomoora Daylesford vs Eganstown Daylesford vs Musk Daylesford vs Porcupine Ridge

Other comparisons with Musk Vale

Musk Vale vs Eganstown Musk Vale vs Musk Musk Vale vs Sailors Falls Musk Vale vs Sailors Hill
Full data on Daylesford Full data on Musk Vale
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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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