Dunnstown vs Leigh Creek
Dunnstown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Leigh Creek. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dunnstown, about half of households are couple families. In Leigh Creek, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Dunnstown tends to suit couples, while Leigh Creek suits 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
Dunnstown
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 97/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 50%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Dunnstown
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 28%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Dunnstown
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)
- has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $260/wk)
- But Leigh Creek has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 14%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Leigh Creek
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (74 min vs 80 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (105.2 km vs 109.9 km)
- But Dunnstown is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Dunnstown
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 97/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, 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
Dunnstown and Leigh Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Dunnstown has more residents (259 vs 65); Leigh Creek rents higher ($260/wk vs $175/wk).
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 259 +75% vs other | 65 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.1% | +3.2% |
| Median age | 44 | 47 |
| Median household income | $79,092/yr +10% vs other | $71,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $175/wk | $260/wk +49% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
Zoning mix
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 87% | 81% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 3% | 20% |
| Other and special use | 6% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 3% | 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
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 338 across Moorabool same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +4% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 46% of VIC | Higher than 36% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 79% of VIC | Higher than 34% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 38% of VIC | Higher than 37% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 68% of VIC | Higher than 59% of VIC |
Liveability
Dunnstown is more walkable (20 vs 0).
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Leigh Creek carries more crime risk (97 vs 51); Leigh Creek carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 57).
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 57/100 | High 72/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | High 97/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 2 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 2 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
| Universities within 10 km | None | 1 Federation University Ballarat, 9.7 km |
Schools in Dunnstown
- Damascus College - St Brendan's Catholic · Secondary
- St Brendan's Primary School Catholic · Primary
Schools in Leigh Creek
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 8 |
Mobility
Dunnstown sits further from the CBD (109.9 km vs 105.2 km).
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 20/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 109.9 km +4% vs other | 105.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 80 min | 74 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3352 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 3352 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.8%).
Setting
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 516 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 578 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 115 premises | 0% 29 premises |
Climate
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 605 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.7°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,979/yr same for both | |
| Council | Moorabool same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Ballarat same for both | |
| Member | Catherine King same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Dunnstown | Leigh Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Dunnstown
Other comparisons with Leigh Creek
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.