Great Western vs Stawell

Stawell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 52 in Great Western. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Great Western: a median of $500,000, against $382,000 in Stawell. On these figures, Stawell tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Stawell

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (31 vs 13)

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

First-home buyers

Stawell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($150,000 vs $445,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($382,000 vs $500,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Great Western leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 19%)
  • Stawell has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 10%)

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

Commuting to the city

Great Western

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (150 min vs 162 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (219.3 km vs 234.9 km)
  • But Stawell is more walkable (88/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Stawell

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)

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

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

Great Western Stawell
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.

Great Western Stawell
Walkability 0 / 88
Great Western — Walkability: 0/100 Stawell — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 13 / 13
Great Western — Safety: 13/100 Stawell — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 42 / 44
Great Western — Low fire risk: 42/100 Stawell — Low fire risk: 44/100
Low flood risk 49 / 35
Great Western — Low flood risk: 49/100 Stawell — Low flood risk: 35/100

Demographics

Stawell has more residents (6,220 vs 425); Great Western has higher household incomes ($76,648 vs $58,604).

Great Western Stawell
Population 425 6,220
+1364% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +3.1%
Median age 52 47
Median household income $76,648/yr
+24% vs other
 $58,604/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $210/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Great Western Stawell
0-4 2.4% / 5.0%
Great Western — 0-4: 2.4% Stawell — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.6% / 10.3%
Great Western — 5-14: 10.6% Stawell — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 5.2% / 4.7%
Great Western — 15-19: 5.2% Stawell — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 2.6% / 5.5%
Great Western — 20-24: 2.6% Stawell — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 5.6% / 12.6%
Great Western — 25-34: 5.6% Stawell — 25-34: 12.6%
35-44 10.4% / 9.5%
Great Western — 35-44: 10.4% Stawell — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 16.5% / 11.5%
Great Western — 45-54: 16.5% Stawell — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 16.5% / 14.7%
Great Western — 55-64: 16.5% Stawell — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 20.2% / 14.2%
Great Western — 65-74: 20.2% Stawell — 65-74: 14.2%
75-84 9.2% / 8.3%
Great Western — 75-84: 9.2% Stawell — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 0.7% / 3.6%
Great Western — 85+: 0.7% Stawell — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Great Western 50.0% lone person
Great Western — Lone Person: 50.0% Great Western — Couple Families: 34.7% Great Western — One Parent Families: 10.5% Great Western — Other Families: 4.8% Great Western — Group Household: 0.0%
Stawell 50.6% lone person
Stawell — Lone Person: 50.6% Stawell — Couple Families: 28.5% Stawell — One Parent Families: 14.3% Stawell — Other Families: 1.8% Stawell — Group Household: 4.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Great Western 10.4% renting
Great Western — Owned Outright: 53.0% Great Western — Mortgage: 36.6% Great Western — Renting: 10.4%
Stawell 25.8% renting
Stawell — Owned Outright: 46.0% Stawell — Mortgage: 28.2% Stawell — Renting: 25.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Great Western Stawell
Certificate III & IV 21.6% / 16.2%
Great Western — Certificate III & IV: 21.6% Stawell — Certificate III & IV: 16.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 6.4%
Great Western — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Stawell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 6.8%
Great Western — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Stawell — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 1.5%
Great Western — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Stawell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.3%
Great Western — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Stawell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

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.

Great Western Stawell
England 2.1% / 1.7%
Great Western — England: 2.1% Stawell — England: 1.7%
Philippines 1.2% / 1.6%
Great Western — Philippines: 1.2% Stawell — Philippines: 1.6%
India 0.9% / 1.0%
Great Western — India: 0.9% Stawell — India: 1.0%
Germany 1.6% / —
Great Western — Germany: 1.6% Stawell — Germany: not among its largest
Scotland 1.2% / 0.4%
Great Western — Scotland: 1.2% Stawell — Scotland: 0.4%
Taiwan — / 1.3%
Great Western — Taiwan: not among its largest Stawell — Taiwan: 1.3%
New Zealand — / 0.5%
Great Western — New Zealand: not among its largest Stawell — New Zealand: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Great Western 100.0% houses
Great Western — Houses: 100.0% Great Western — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Great Western — Townhouses: 0.0%
Stawell 90.2% houses
Stawell — Houses: 90.2% Stawell — Flats / Apartments: 6.0% Stawell — Townhouses: 3.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Great Western Stawell
Median house price $500,000 $382,000
Median unit price — $270,000
Median land price $445,000 $150,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 137 days
from 3 sales
 43 days
from 75 sales

Zoning mix

Great Western has more rural and farming land (86% vs 69%).

Great Western Stawell
Rural and farming 86% 69%
Parks and recreation 8% 10%
Residential 1% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 6%
Other and special use 0% 4%
Environmental 4% 0%
Industrial 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

Great Western Stawell
New dwellings approved 28
across Northern Grampians
same for both
Approvals change year on year -62%
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.

Great Western Stawell
Houses — 4.9%
$460/wk on $485K
Units — 4.1%
$290/wk on $369K

Ranking within VIC

Great Western Stawell
House price — Higher than 4% of VIC
Income Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 79% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 96% of VIC
EV adoption — Higher than 3% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 97% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 12% of VIC

Liveability

Stawell is more walkable (88 vs 0).

Great Western Stawell
Grade — C
Score — 37/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Stawell carries more flood risk (65 vs 51).

Great Western Stawell
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
56/100
Crime High
87/100
same for both
Flood Moderate
51/100
 Moderate
65/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Great Western Stawell
Inside the suburb 1 5
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Great Western

  • Great Western Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Stawell

  • Stawell Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Stawell West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Stawell Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Skene Street Specialist School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Great Western Stawell
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 13 31
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 1 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 1 5
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 22 5

Mobility

Stawell sits further from the CBD (234.9 km vs 219.3 km).

Great Western Stawell
Walkability score 0/100 88/100
Distance to Melbourne 219.3 km 234.9 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 150 min 162 min
Public transport score 22/100 75/100
Peak arrivals per hour 0.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 44.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 310 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3374
 0.1%
postcode 3380
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 3374
 32
postcode 3380

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.

Great Western Stawell
Car (driver) 70.2% / 76.4%
Great Western — Car (driver): 70.2% Stawell — Car (driver): 76.4%
Worked from Home 20.5% / 8.6%
Great Western — Worked from Home: 20.5% Stawell — Worked from Home: 8.6%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 7.9%
Great Western — Car (passenger): 4.1% Stawell — Car (passenger): 7.9%
Walked Only 5.3% / 5.8%
Great Western — Walked Only: 5.3% Stawell — Walked Only: 5.8%
Bicycle — / 1.2%
Great Western — Bicycle: not among its largest Stawell — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.4%).

Setting

Great Western Stawell
Elevation 262 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 228 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Great Western Stawell
Connectivity score 30/100 69/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
223 premises
 39%
3,628 premises

Climate

Great Western Stawell
Annual rainfall 554 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Great Western Stawell
Average residential rate $1,730/yr
same for both
Council Northern Grampians
same for both

Federal electorate

Great Western Stawell
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Great Western Stawell
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Great Western

Affordable Retirees Rural

Stawell

Acreage Affordable Parks Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Great Western

Great Western vs Ararat Great Western vs Black Range Great Western vs Concongella Great Western vs Armstrong Great Western vs Rhymney

Other comparisons with Stawell

Stawell vs Black Range Stawell vs Deep Lead Stawell vs Concongella Stawell vs Illawarra Stawell vs Bellellen
Full data on Great Western Full data on Stawell
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or