Drummond North vs Malmsbury

Malmsbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Drummond North. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Drummond North, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Drummond North: a median of $1.43 million, against $750,000 in Malmsbury, though rent is higher in Malmsbury. On these figures, Malmsbury tends to suit 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

They split

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

  • Drummond North carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 53/100)
  • Malmsbury has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Malmsbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $1,425,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Drummond North

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $350/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 21%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Malmsbury

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (71 min vs 81 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (95.9 km vs 103.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Drummond North

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 53/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 19%)
  • But Malmsbury is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Drummond North Malmsbury
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.

Drummond North Malmsbury
Walkability 0 / 22
Drummond North — Walkability: 0/100 Malmsbury — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 59 / 47
Drummond North — Safety: 59/100 Malmsbury — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 37 / 59
Drummond North — Low fire risk: 37/100 Malmsbury — Low fire risk: 59/100
Low flood risk 100 / 33
Drummond North — Low flood risk: 100/100 Malmsbury — Low flood risk: 33/100

Demographics

Malmsbury has more residents (905 vs 203); Malmsbury rents higher ($350/wk vs $230/wk).

Drummond North Malmsbury
Population 203 905
+346% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.6% +8.9%
Median age 49 45
Median household income $74,256/yr $85,072/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $230/wk $350/wk
+52% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drummond North Malmsbury
0-4 3.0% / 5.9%
Drummond North — 0-4: 3.0% Malmsbury — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 10.8% / 12.0%
Drummond North — 5-14: 10.8% Malmsbury — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 6.4% / 4.8%
Drummond North — 15-19: 6.4% Malmsbury — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 3.9% / 3.4%
Drummond North — 20-24: 3.9% Malmsbury — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 2.5% / 10.6%
Drummond North — 25-34: 2.5% Malmsbury — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 11.3% / 11.8%
Drummond North — 35-44: 11.3% Malmsbury — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 17.2% / 15.6%
Drummond North — 45-54: 17.2% Malmsbury — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 16.3% / 17.0%
Drummond North — 55-64: 16.3% Malmsbury — 55-64: 17.0%
65-74 19.2% / 13.4%
Drummond North — 65-74: 19.2% Malmsbury — 65-74: 13.4%
75-84 3.0% / 4.6%
Drummond North — 75-84: 3.0% Malmsbury — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 2.0% / 1.1%
Drummond North — 85+: 2.0% Malmsbury — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drummond North 50.8% couple families
Drummond North — Couple Families: 50.8% Drummond North — Lone Person: 44.1% Drummond North — One Parent Families: 5.1% Drummond North — Group Household: 0.0%
Malmsbury 44.4% couple families
Malmsbury — Couple Families: 44.4% Malmsbury — Lone Person: 39.7% Malmsbury — One Parent Families: 10.7% Malmsbury — Group Household: 5.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Drummond North 0.0% renting
Drummond North — Owned Outright: 55.1% Drummond North — Mortgage: 44.9% Drummond North — Renting: 0.0%
Malmsbury 11.1% renting
Malmsbury — Owned Outright: 39.8% Malmsbury — Mortgage: 49.1% Malmsbury — Renting: 11.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Drummond North Malmsbury
Bachelor Degree 19.2% / 14.4%
Drummond North — Bachelor Degree: 19.2% Malmsbury — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Certificate III & IV 15.8% / 16.8%
Drummond North — Certificate III & IV: 15.8% Malmsbury — Certificate III & IV: 16.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 6.2%
Drummond North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Malmsbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.9% / 7.6%
Drummond North — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9% Malmsbury — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 4.1%
Drummond North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Malmsbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Drummond North Malmsbury
England 6.4% / 4.8%
Drummond North — England: 6.4% Malmsbury — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 2.5% / 1.8%
Drummond North — New Zealand: 2.5% Malmsbury — New Zealand: 1.8%
Malaysia 1.5% / —
Drummond North — Malaysia: 1.5% Malmsbury — Malaysia: not among its largest
Scotland — / 1.1%
Drummond North — Scotland: not among its largest Malmsbury — Scotland: 1.1%
Italy — / 0.4%
Drummond North — Italy: not among its largest Malmsbury — Italy: 0.4%
Ireland — / 0.4%
Drummond North — Ireland: not among its largest Malmsbury — Ireland: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drummond North 100.0% houses
Drummond North — Houses: 100.0% Drummond North — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Malmsbury 99.1% houses
Malmsbury — Houses: 99.1% Malmsbury — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Drummond North Malmsbury
Median house price $1,425,000 $750,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $302,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 35 days
from 14 sales

Zoning mix

Malmsbury has more rural and farming land (78% vs 60%).

Drummond North Malmsbury
Rural and farming 60% 78%
Parks and recreation 39% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 14%
Residential 0% 3%
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

Drummond North Malmsbury
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
 331
across Macedon Ranges
Approvals change year on year -6% +80%

Ranking within VIC

Drummond North Malmsbury
House price — Higher than 40% of VIC
Income Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 66% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC

Liveability

Malmsbury is more walkable (22 vs 0).

Drummond North Malmsbury
Grade — C
Score — 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Malmsbury carries more flood risk (67 vs 0); Drummond North carries more bushfire risk (63 vs 41).

Drummond North Malmsbury
Bushfire Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
67/100
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

Drummond North Malmsbury
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Drummond North

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

Schools in Malmsbury

  • Malmsbury Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkville College - Malmsbury Campus Government · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Drummond North Malmsbury
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 3 10

Mobility

Drummond North sits further from the CBD (103.2 km vs 95.9 km).

Drummond North Malmsbury
Walkability score 0/100 22/100
Distance to Melbourne 103.2 km
+7% vs other
 95.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 71 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3446
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 3446
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.

Drummond North Malmsbury
Car (driver) 54.8% / 60.6%
Drummond North — Car (driver): 54.8% Malmsbury — Car (driver): 60.6%
Worked from Home 39.3% / 32.6%
Drummond North — Worked from Home: 39.3% Malmsbury — Worked from Home: 32.6%
Walked Only 6.0% / 3.4%
Drummond North — Walked Only: 6.0% Malmsbury — Walked Only: 3.4%
Car (passenger) — / 2.3%
Drummond North — Car (passenger): not among its largest Malmsbury — Car (passenger): 2.3%
Bicycle — / 1.0%
Drummond North — Bicycle: not among its largest Malmsbury — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.6%).

Setting

Drummond North Malmsbury
Elevation 485 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 462 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Drummond North Malmsbury
Connectivity score 26/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
86 premises
 0%
464 premises

Climate

Drummond North Malmsbury
Annual rainfall 598 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Drummond North Malmsbury
Average residential rate $1,748/yr $2,065/yr
Council Hepburn Macedon Ranges

Federal electorate

Drummond North Malmsbury
Division Ballarat Bendigo
Member Catherine King Lisa Chesters
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Drummond North Malmsbury
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Drummond North

Rural

Malmsbury

Acreage Professionals Trains

More comparisons

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Drummond North vs Taradale Drummond North vs Glenlyon Drummond North vs Drummond Drummond North vs Lauriston Drummond North vs Fryerstown

Other comparisons with Malmsbury

Malmsbury vs Kyneton Malmsbury vs Taradale Malmsbury vs Lauriston Malmsbury vs Metcalfe Malmsbury vs Edgecombe Malmsbury vs Greenhill
Full data on Drummond North Full data on Malmsbury
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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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