Forbes vs Willowmavin
Forbes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 53 in Willowmavin. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forbes, most households are couple families. In Willowmavin, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Forbes tends to suit couples.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Willowmavin
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 26%)
- has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $425/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Forbes
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (75 min vs 80 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (80.8 km vs 84.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Willowmavin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 18%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Forbes
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (25.4% vs 11.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Forbes and Willowmavin 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
Willowmavin has more residents (241 vs 158); Forbes rents higher ($425/wk vs $300/wk).
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 158 | 241 +53% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +25.4% | +11.6% |
| Median age | 49 | 53 |
| Median household income | $84,500/yr | $106,860/yr +26% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $425/wk +29% vs other | $300/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 93% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 4% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 4% |
| 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
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,074 across Mitchell same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 53% of VIC | Higher than 79% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 24% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 34% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of VIC | Higher than 46% of VIC |
Liveability
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 80/100 | High 75/100 |
| Crime | Low 19/100 | Low 21/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Forbes
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Willowmavin
- Willowmavin Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 7 |
Mobility
Willowmavin sits further from the CBD (84.2 km vs 80.8 km).
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 80.8 km | 84.2 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 75 min | 80 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3764 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 46 postcode 3764 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 (67.6%).
Setting
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 371 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 380 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 60 premises | 0% 117 premises |
Climate
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 778 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,947/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mitchell same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Nicholls same for both | |
| Member | Sam Birrell same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Forbes | Willowmavin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Forbes
Other comparisons with Willowmavin
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.