Daylesford vs Porcupine Ridge

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 Porcupine Ridge, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Daylesford: a median of $820,000, against $710,000 in Porcupine Ridge, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Porcupine Ridge tends to suit share households.

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

Daylesford

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (11 vs 3)
  • But Porcupine Ridge carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 74/100)

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

First-home buyers

Porcupine Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($710,000 vs $820,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Porcupine Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $331/wk)
  • But Daylesford has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 10%)

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

Commuting to the city

Daylesford

ahead on 2 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)
  • But Porcupine Ridge sits closer to the CBD (107.8 km vs 112.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Daylesford

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Porcupine Ridge carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 74/100)

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

Investors

Porcupine Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs 9.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Daylesford and Porcupine Ridge 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 Porcupine Ridge
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 Porcupine Ridge
Walkability 67 / 0
Daylesford — Walkability: 67/100 Porcupine Ridge — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 76
Daylesford — Safety: 26/100 Porcupine Ridge — Safety: 76/100
Low fire risk 34 / 27
Daylesford — Low fire risk: 34/100 Porcupine Ridge — Low fire risk: 27/100
Low flood risk 63 / 100
Daylesford — Low flood risk: 63/100 Porcupine Ridge — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Daylesford has more residents (2,781 vs 149); Porcupine Ridge has higher household incomes ($72,280 vs $61,620).

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Population 2,781
+95% vs other
 149
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.1% +22.1%
Median age 55 54
Median household income $61,620/yr $72,280/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $331/wk
+9% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
0-4 3.2% / 5.4%
Daylesford — 0-4: 3.2% Porcupine Ridge — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 8.2% / 9.4%
Daylesford — 5-14: 8.2% Porcupine Ridge — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 3.4% / 2.7%
Daylesford — 15-19: 3.4% Porcupine Ridge — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 2.2% / —
Daylesford — 20-24: 2.2% Porcupine Ridge — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.1% / 8.1%
Daylesford — 25-34: 9.1% Porcupine Ridge — 25-34: 8.1%
35-44 9.6% / 14.8%
Daylesford — 35-44: 9.6% Porcupine Ridge — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 13.2% / 14.1%
Daylesford — 45-54: 13.2% Porcupine Ridge — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 19.8% / 20.1%
Daylesford — 55-64: 19.8% Porcupine Ridge — 55-64: 20.1%
65-74 17.7% / 20.1%
Daylesford — 65-74: 17.7% Porcupine Ridge — 65-74: 20.1%
75-84 9.0% / 8.1%
Daylesford — 75-84: 9.0% Porcupine Ridge — 75-84: 8.1%
85+ 4.5% / 2.0%
Daylesford — 85+: 4.5% Porcupine Ridge — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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%
Porcupine Ridge 53.5% lone person
Porcupine Ridge — Lone Person: 53.5% Porcupine Ridge — Couple Families: 27.9% Porcupine Ridge — One Parent Families: 7.0% Porcupine Ridge — Group Household: 11.6% Porcupine Ridge — 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%
Porcupine Ridge 10.3% renting
Porcupine Ridge — Owned Outright: 56.9% Porcupine Ridge — Mortgage: 32.8% Porcupine Ridge — Renting: 10.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Bachelor Degree 15.9% / 19.5%
Daylesford — Bachelor Degree: 15.9% Porcupine Ridge — Bachelor Degree: 19.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.0% / 13.4%
Daylesford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0% Porcupine Ridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.4%
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 12.1%
Daylesford — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Porcupine Ridge — Certificate III & IV: 12.1%
Postgraduate Degree 6.3% / 6.0%
Daylesford — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3% Porcupine Ridge — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 6.7%
Daylesford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Porcupine Ridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 6.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

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 Porcupine Ridge
England 5.2% / 4.0%
Daylesford — England: 5.2% Porcupine Ridge — England: 4.0%
Vietnam — / 5.4%
Daylesford — Vietnam: not among its largest Porcupine Ridge — Vietnam: 5.4%
South Africa 0.5% / 2.7%
Daylesford — South Africa: 0.5% Porcupine Ridge — South Africa: 2.7%
Canada — / 2.0%
Daylesford — Canada: not among its largest Porcupine Ridge — Canada: 2.0%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Daylesford — New Zealand: 1.4% Porcupine Ridge — New Zealand: not among its largest
India 1.3% / —
Daylesford — India: 1.3% Porcupine Ridge — India: not among its largest
Nepal 0.9% / —
Daylesford — Nepal: 0.9% Porcupine Ridge — Nepal: not among its largest
Italy 0.8% / —
Daylesford — Italy: 0.8% Porcupine Ridge — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

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%
Porcupine Ridge 100.0% houses
Porcupine Ridge — Houses: 100.0% Porcupine Ridge — Townhouses: 0.0% Porcupine Ridge — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Median house price $820,000 $710,000
Median unit price $495,000 —
Median land price $392,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 63 days
from 72 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Porcupine Ridge has more rural and farming land (89% vs 54%).

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Rural and farming 54% 89%
Parks and recreation 28% 11%
Residential 13% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 0%
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 Porcupine Ridge
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 Porcupine Ridge
Houses 3.2%
$625/wk on $1.01M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
House price Higher than 57% of VIC —
Income Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Schools Higher than 86% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 2% 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 27% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 22% of VIC —

Liveability

Daylesford is more walkable (67 vs 0).

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Grade C —
Score 49/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Daylesford carries more flood risk (37 vs 0); Daylesford carries more crime risk (74 vs 24).

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 High
73/100
Crime High
74/100
 Low
24/100
Flood Low
37/100
 None
0/100
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

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
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 Porcupine Ridge

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

Amenities in the suburb

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 11 3
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 0

Mobility

Daylesford sits further from the CBD (112.6 km vs 107.8 km).

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Walkability score 67/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 112.6 km
+4% vs other
 107.8 km
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 Porcupine Ridge
Car (driver) 53.8% / 61.7%
Daylesford — Car (driver): 53.8% Porcupine Ridge — Car (driver): 61.7%
Worked from Home 31.7% / 31.9%
Daylesford — Worked from Home: 31.7% Porcupine Ridge — Worked from Home: 31.9%
Walked Only 8.4% / 6.4%
Daylesford — Walked Only: 8.4% Porcupine Ridge — Walked Only: 6.4%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / —
Daylesford — Car (passenger): 5.1% Porcupine Ridge — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 0.7% / —
Daylesford — Bicycle: 0.7% Porcupine Ridge — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.7%).

Setting

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Elevation 641 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 546 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Connectivity score 63/100 26/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 35%
2,342 premises
 0%
84 premises

Climate

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Annual rainfall 531 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Daylesford Porcupine Ridge
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

Porcupine Ridge

Retirees 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 Musk Vale

Other comparisons with Porcupine Ridge

Porcupine Ridge vs Glenlyon Porcupine Ridge vs Guildford Porcupine Ridge vs Coomoora Porcupine Ridge vs Mount Franklin
Full data on Daylesford Full data on Porcupine Ridge
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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