Durham Lead vs Buninyong

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Durham Lead, most households are couple families. In Buninyong, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Durham Lead: a median of $880,000, against $750,000 in Buninyong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Durham Lead tends to suit couples, while Buninyong 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

They split

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

  • Durham Lead carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 45/100)
  • Buninyong has more parks and reserves (16 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Buninyong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $880,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Buninyong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (13% vs 3%)
  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $412/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Buninyong

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (40/100 vs 10/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (88 min vs 99 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (116.8 km vs 125.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Buninyong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (40/100 vs 10/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Durham Lead carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 45/100)

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

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

Durham Lead Buninyong
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.

Durham Lead Buninyong
Walkability 10 / 40
Durham Lead — Walkability: 10/100 Buninyong — Walkability: 40/100
Safety 75 / 55
Durham Lead — Safety: 75/100 Buninyong — Safety: 55/100
Low fire risk 20 / 20
Durham Lead — Low fire risk: 20/100 Buninyong — Low fire risk: 20/100
Low flood risk 66 / 100
Durham Lead — Low flood risk: 66/100 Buninyong — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Buninyong has more residents (3,797 vs 408); Durham Lead rents higher ($412/wk vs $305/wk).

Durham Lead Buninyong
Population 408 3,797
+831% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +2.2%
Median age 44 45
Median household income $99,632/yr
+9% vs other
 $90,740/yr
Median weekly rent $412/wk
+26% vs other
 $305/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Durham Lead Buninyong
0-4 4.7% / 4.5%
Durham Lead — 0-4: 4.7% Buninyong — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 13.0% / 17.0%
Durham Lead — 5-14: 13.0% Buninyong — 5-14: 17.0%
15-19 7.4% / 6.2%
Durham Lead — 15-19: 7.4% Buninyong — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 3.4% / 3.2%
Durham Lead — 20-24: 3.4% Buninyong — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 6.1% / 6.0%
Durham Lead — 25-34: 6.1% Buninyong — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 15.2% / 12.1%
Durham Lead — 35-44: 15.2% Buninyong — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 19.4% / 15.3%
Durham Lead — 45-54: 19.4% Buninyong — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 12.7% / 14.0%
Durham Lead — 55-64: 12.7% Buninyong — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 12.5% / 14.1%
Durham Lead — 65-74: 12.5% Buninyong — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 3.9% / 5.5%
Durham Lead — 75-84: 3.9% Buninyong — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 0.7% / 1.5%
Durham Lead — 85+: 0.7% Buninyong — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Durham Lead 68.9% couple families
Durham Lead — Couple Families: 68.9% Durham Lead — Lone Person: 22.2% Durham Lead — One Parent Families: 8.9% Durham Lead — Group Household: 0.0% Durham Lead — Other Families: 0.0%
Buninyong 51.0% couple families
Buninyong — Couple Families: 51.0% Buninyong — Lone Person: 32.2% Buninyong — One Parent Families: 13.6% Buninyong — Group Household: 2.4% Buninyong — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Durham Lead 2.9% renting
Durham Lead — Owned Outright: 47.1% Durham Lead — Mortgage: 50.0% Durham Lead — Renting: 2.9%
Buninyong 13.4% renting
Buninyong — Owned Outright: 47.8% Buninyong — Mortgage: 38.8% Buninyong — Renting: 13.4%
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.

Durham Lead Buninyong
England 5.1% / 4.5%
Durham Lead — England: 5.1% Buninyong — England: 4.5%
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.8%
Durham Lead — New Zealand: 1.0% Buninyong — New Zealand: 0.8%
Germany 1.2% / 0.4%
Durham Lead — Germany: 1.2% Buninyong — Germany: 0.4%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Durham Lead — Scotland: not among its largest Buninyong — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands — / 0.3%
Durham Lead — Netherlands: not among its largest Buninyong — Netherlands: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

Qualifications

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

Durham Lead Buninyong
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 13.0%
Durham Lead — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Buninyong — Certificate III & IV: 13.0%
Bachelor Degree 13.7% / 16.1%
Durham Lead — Bachelor Degree: 13.7% Buninyong — Bachelor Degree: 16.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.7%
Durham Lead — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Buninyong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.9% / 4.4%
Durham Lead — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9% Buninyong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.9% / 5.3%
Durham Lead — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9% Buninyong — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Durham Lead 100.0% houses
Durham Lead — Houses: 100.0% Durham Lead — Townhouses: 0.0% Durham Lead — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Buninyong 96.6% houses
Buninyong — Houses: 96.6% Buninyong — Townhouses: 2.0% Buninyong — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Durham Lead Buninyong
Median house price $880,000 $750,000
Median unit price — $410,000
Median land price — $400,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 44 days
from 58 sales

Zoning mix

Durham Lead Buninyong
Rural and farming 71% 68%
Environmental 17% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 2%
Residential 0% 10%
Parks and recreation 1% 8%
Other and special use 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

Durham Lead Buninyong
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
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.

Durham Lead Buninyong
Houses — 2.8%
$460/wk on $862K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Durham Lead Buninyong
House price — Higher than 38% of VIC
Income Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 76% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 7% of VIC

Liveability

Buninyong is more walkable (40 vs 10).

Durham Lead Buninyong
Grade — B
Score — 55/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Durham Lead carries more flood risk (34 vs 0); Buninyong carries more crime risk (45 vs 25).

Durham Lead Buninyong
Bushfire High
80/100
same for both
Crime Low
25/100
 Moderate
45/100
Flood Low
34/100
 None
0/100
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

Durham Lead Buninyong
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Durham Lead

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

Schools in Buninyong

  • Buninyong Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Durham Lead Buninyong
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 16
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Waterways 0 27

Mobility

Durham Lead sits further from the CBD (125.2 km vs 116.8 km).

Durham Lead Buninyong
Walkability score 10/100 40/100
Distance to Melbourne 125.2 km
+7% vs other
 116.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 88 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3352
 1.0%
postcode 3357
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3352
 48
postcode 3357

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.

Durham Lead Buninyong
Car (driver) 70.8% / 69.0%
Durham Lead — Car (driver): 70.8% Buninyong — Car (driver): 69.0%
Worked from Home 23.4% / 24.1%
Durham Lead — Worked from Home: 23.4% Buninyong — Worked from Home: 24.1%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 4.2%
Durham Lead — Car (passenger): 3.5% Buninyong — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Bus 2.3% / 0.9%
Durham Lead — Bus: 2.3% Buninyong — Bus: 0.9%
Walked Only — / 1.3%
Durham Lead — Walked Only: not among its largest Buninyong — Walked Only: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.8%).

Setting

Durham Lead Buninyong
Elevation 410 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 489 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Durham Lead Buninyong
Connectivity score 29/100 90/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
161 premises
 85%
1,658 premises

Climate

Durham Lead Buninyong
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

Durham Lead Buninyong
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Durham Lead Buninyong
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Durham Lead Buninyong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Durham Lead

Rural

Buninyong

Acreage Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Durham Lead

Durham Lead vs Napoleons Durham Lead vs Scotsburn Durham Lead vs Garibaldi Durham Lead vs Grenville Durham Lead vs Scotchmans Lead

Other comparisons with Buninyong

Buninyong vs Mount Helen Buninyong vs Magpie Buninyong vs Yendon Buninyong vs Navigators Buninyong vs Scotsburn Buninyong vs Scotchmans Lead
Full data on Durham Lead Full data on Buninyong
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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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