Gisborne vs Macedon

Gisborne is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 44 in Macedon. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Macedon: a median of $1.05 million, against $960,000 in Gisborne, though rent is higher in Gisborne.

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

Gisborne

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Macedon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($371/wk vs $423/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Gisborne sits closer to the CBD (55.2 km vs 60.2 km)
  • Macedon is more walkable (31/100 vs 7/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Gisborne has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • Macedon is more walkable (31/100 vs 7/100)

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

Investors

Gisborne

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.7% vs 1.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gisborne Macedon
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.

Gisborne Macedon
Walkability 7 / 31
Gisborne — Walkability: 7/100 Macedon — Walkability: 31/100
Safety 42 / 37
Gisborne — Safety: 42/100 Macedon — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 23 / 18
Gisborne — Low fire risk: 23/100 Macedon — Low fire risk: 18/100
Low flood risk 63 / 100
Gisborne — Low flood risk: 63/100 Macedon — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gisborne has more residents (10,142 vs 2,073); Gisborne rents higher ($423/wk vs $371/wk).

Gisborne Macedon
Population 10,142
+80% vs other
 2,073
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.7% +1.6%
Median age 39 44
Median household income $119,288/yr $122,356/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $423/wk
+12% vs other
 $371/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gisborne Macedon
0-4 6.7% / 5.0%
Gisborne — 0-4: 6.7% Macedon — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 16.6% / 17.0%
Gisborne — 5-14: 16.6% Macedon — 5-14: 17.0%
15-19 6.9% / 6.8%
Gisborne — 15-19: 6.9% Macedon — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 4.2% / 4.1%
Gisborne — 20-24: 4.2% Macedon — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 8.3% / 5.2%
Gisborne — 25-34: 8.3% Macedon — 25-34: 5.2%
35-44 15.3% / 13.3%
Gisborne — 35-44: 15.3% Macedon — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 14.5% / 16.0%
Gisborne — 45-54: 14.5% Macedon — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 11.9% / 13.5%
Gisborne — 55-64: 11.9% Macedon — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 9.0% / 13.0%
Gisborne — 65-74: 9.0% Macedon — 65-74: 13.0%
75-84 5.0% / 5.3%
Gisborne — 75-84: 5.0% Macedon — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.6% / 0.9%
Gisborne — 85+: 1.6% Macedon — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gisborne 59.2% couple families
Gisborne — Couple Families: 59.2% Gisborne — Lone Person: 25.3% Gisborne — One Parent Families: 13.4% Gisborne — Group Household: 1.5% Gisborne — Other Families: 0.6%
Macedon 58.5% couple families
Macedon — Couple Families: 58.5% Macedon — Lone Person: 25.5% Macedon — One Parent Families: 12.4% Macedon — Group Household: 2.3% Macedon — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gisborne 16.2% renting
Gisborne — Owned Outright: 35.2% Gisborne — Mortgage: 48.7% Gisborne — Renting: 16.2%
Macedon 9.0% renting
Macedon — Owned Outright: 44.8% Macedon — Mortgage: 46.2% Macedon — Renting: 9.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gisborne Macedon
Bachelor Degree 13.5% / 16.7%
Gisborne — Bachelor Degree: 13.5% Macedon — Bachelor Degree: 16.7%
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 12.1%
Gisborne — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Macedon — Certificate III & IV: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 8.1%
Gisborne — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Macedon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 7.0%
Gisborne — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Macedon — Postgraduate Degree: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 4.1%
Gisborne — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Macedon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

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.

Gisborne Macedon
England 3.8% / 4.1%
Gisborne — England: 3.8% Macedon — England: 4.1%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.9%
Gisborne — New Zealand: 1.5% Macedon — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany 0.5% / 0.8%
Gisborne — Germany: 0.5% Macedon — Germany: 0.8%
Ireland 0.4% / 0.5%
Gisborne — Ireland: 0.4% Macedon — Ireland: 0.5%
South Africa 0.3% / 0.6%
Gisborne — South Africa: 0.3% Macedon — South Africa: 0.6%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.3%
Gisborne — Scotland: 0.5% Macedon — Scotland: 0.3%
India 0.6% / —
Gisborne — India: 0.6% Macedon — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gisborne 88.6% houses
Gisborne — Houses: 88.6% Gisborne — Townhouses: 10.4% Gisborne — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Macedon 96.3% houses
Macedon — Houses: 96.3% Macedon — Townhouses: 0.7% Macedon — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gisborne Macedon
Median house price $960,000 $1,055,000
Median unit price $590,000 —
Median land price $710,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 46 days
from 115 sales
 46 days
from 14 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Gisborne Macedon
3 bed $792K / $990K
Gisborne — 3 bed: $792K (56 sales) Macedon — 3 bed: $990K (20 sales)

56 vs 20 sales

4 bed $1M / $1.11M
Gisborne — 4 bed: $1M (120 sales) Macedon — 4 bed: $1.11M (22 sales)

120 vs 22 sales

Zoning mix

Macedon has more land zoned for conservation (62% vs 26%); Gisborne has more rural and farming land (24% vs 6%).

Gisborne Macedon
Environmental 26% 62%
Parks and recreation 34% 19%
Rural and farming 24% 6%
Residential 9% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 8%
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

Gisborne Macedon
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year +80%
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.

Gisborne Macedon
Houses 3.5%
$700/wk on $1.05M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Gisborne Macedon
House price Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Income Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Schools Higher than 61% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 35% of VIC —

Liveability

Macedon is more walkable (31 vs 7); Macedon scores higher overall (59 vs 48).

Gisborne Macedon
Grade C B
Score 48/100 59/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Gisborne carries more flood risk (37 vs 0).

Gisborne Macedon
Bushfire High
77/100
 High
82/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
63/100
Flood Low
37/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Gisborne Macedon
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Gisborne

  • Gisborne Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Brigid's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Willowbank Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Gisborne Secondary College Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Macedon

  • Macedon Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Alice Miller School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gisborne Macedon
Supermarkets 4 1
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 12 4
Childcare 11 3
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 2 1
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 10 5

Mobility

Macedon sits further from the CBD (60.2 km vs 55.2 km).

Gisborne Macedon
Walkability score 7/100 31/100
Distance to Melbourne 55.2 km 60.2 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 47 min 49 min
Public transport score 77/100 41/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 57.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 22 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 3437
 1.5%
postcode 3440
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3437
 45
postcode 3440

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.

Gisborne Macedon
Car (driver) 62.8% / 52.9%
Gisborne — Car (driver): 62.8% Macedon — Car (driver): 52.9%
Worked from Home 29.7% / 40.0%
Gisborne — Worked from Home: 29.7% Macedon — Worked from Home: 40.0%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 3.3%
Gisborne — Car (passenger): 4.2% Macedon — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.7% / 1.8%
Gisborne — Walked Only: 1.7% Macedon — Walked Only: 1.8%
Train 1.3% / 2.0%
Gisborne — Train: 1.3% Macedon — Train: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.8%).

Setting

Gisborne Macedon
Elevation 478 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 509 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gisborne Macedon
Connectivity score 73/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
4,834 premises
 44%
778 premises

Climate

Gisborne Macedon
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gisborne Macedon
Average residential rate $2,065/yr
same for both
Council Macedon Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Gisborne Macedon
Division Mcewen
same for both
Member Rob Mitchell
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gisborne Macedon
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gisborne

Acreage Family Outer

Macedon

Acreage Professionals Quiet Trains

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gisborne

Gisborne vs Sunbury Gisborne vs Riddells Creek Gisborne vs New Gisborne Gisborne vs Gisborne South Gisborne vs Toolern Vale Gisborne vs Bullengarook

Other comparisons with Macedon

Macedon vs Woodend Macedon vs New Gisborne Macedon vs Mount Macedon Macedon vs Bullengarook
Full data on Gisborne Full data on Macedon
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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