Ellinbank vs Gainsborough
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ellinbank, about half of households are couple families. In Gainsborough, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Gainsborough tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and older residents.
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
Ellinbank
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 50%)
- But Gainsborough carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 34/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Gainsborough
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Gainsborough
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 14%)
- has cheaper rent ($125/wk vs $225/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Ellinbank
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Gainsborough
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 18%)
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 34/100)
- But Ellinbank is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Gainsborough
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (35.6% vs -3.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Ellinbank and Gainsborough 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
Ellinbank has more residents (229 vs 61); Ellinbank rents higher ($225/wk vs $125/wk).
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 229 +73% vs other | 61 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.0% | +35.6% |
| Median age | 46 | 44 |
| Median household income | $86,632/yr | $107,224/yr +24% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $225/wk +44% vs other | $125/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.9%).
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 (26.2%).
Zoning mix
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 89% | 99% |
| Parks and recreation | 11% | 1% |
| 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
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 619 across Baw Baw same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +49% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 57% of VIC | Higher than 79% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 76% of VIC | Higher than 35% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 58% of VIC | Higher than 22% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 60% of VIC |
Liveability
Ellinbank is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Gainsborough carries more flood risk (71 vs 0); Ellinbank carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | High 71/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Ellinbank
- Ellinbank Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Gainsborough
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Mobility
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 13/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 117.6 km | 117.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 93 min | 91 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 3821 | 0.3% postcode 3822 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 55 postcode 3821 | 54 postcode 3822 |
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 (66.1%).
Setting
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 135 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 107 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 35.1 km | 39.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 98 premises | 0% 23 premises |
Climate
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,090 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,138/yr same for both | |
| Council | Baw Baw same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Ellinbank | Gainsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ellinbank
Other comparisons with Gainsborough
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.