Haddon vs Cardigan

Cardigan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 40 in Haddon. 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 Cardigan: a median of $1.14 million, against $835,000 in Haddon, though rent is higher in Haddon. On these figures, Haddon tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Cardigan suits 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

Haddon

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 82/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Cardigan is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 72%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Haddon has cheaper houses ($835,000 vs $1,142,500)
  • Cardigan has cheaper land ($547,500 vs $688,750)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cardigan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cardigan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (132.1 km vs 138 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Haddon

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 82/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 8%)

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

Investors

Cardigan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (41.1% vs 6.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Haddon Cardigan
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.

Haddon Cardigan
Walkability 0 / 0
Haddon — Walkability: 0/100 Cardigan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 73 / 18
Haddon — Safety: 73/100 Cardigan — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 42 / 77
Haddon — Low fire risk: 42/100 Cardigan — Low fire risk: 77/100
Low flood risk 41 / 64
Haddon — Low flood risk: 41/100 Cardigan — Low flood risk: 64/100

Demographics

Cardigan has higher household incomes ($141,076 vs $101,140); Haddon rents higher ($400/wk vs $350/wk).

Haddon Cardigan
Population 1,276
+17% vs other
 1,064
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.9% +41.1%
Median age 40 36
Median household income $101,140/yr $141,076/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+12% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Haddon Cardigan
0-4 6.0% / 5.5%
Haddon — 0-4: 6.0% Cardigan — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 14.4% / 18.3%
Haddon — 5-14: 14.4% Cardigan — 5-14: 18.3%
15-19 7.1% / 11.7%
Haddon — 15-19: 7.1% Cardigan — 15-19: 11.7%
20-24 5.6% / 5.1%
Haddon — 20-24: 5.6% Cardigan — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 10.1% / 8.2%
Haddon — 25-34: 10.1% Cardigan — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 11.8% / 14.3%
Haddon — 35-44: 11.8% Cardigan — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 13.9% / 17.9%
Haddon — 45-54: 13.9% Cardigan — 45-54: 17.9%
55-64 15.5% / 12.1%
Haddon — 55-64: 15.5% Cardigan — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 10.5% / 6.0%
Haddon — 65-74: 10.5% Cardigan — 65-74: 6.0%
75-84 3.4% / 2.1%
Haddon — 75-84: 3.4% Cardigan — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ 0.6% / 0.3%
Haddon — 85+: 0.6% Cardigan — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Haddon 59.0% couple families
Haddon — Couple Families: 59.0% Haddon — Lone Person: 24.4% Haddon — One Parent Families: 12.5% Haddon — Group Household: 3.2% Haddon — Other Families: 1.0%
Cardigan 81.2% couple families
Cardigan — Couple Families: 81.2% Cardigan — Lone Person: 10.5% Cardigan — One Parent Families: 6.1% Cardigan — Group Household: 2.2% Cardigan — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Haddon 3.0% renting
Haddon — Owned Outright: 41.6% Haddon — Mortgage: 55.3% Haddon — Renting: 3.0%
Cardigan 7.4% renting
Cardigan — Owned Outright: 37.5% Cardigan — Mortgage: 55.2% Cardigan — Renting: 7.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Haddon Cardigan
Certificate III & IV 20.8% / 17.1%
Haddon — Certificate III & IV: 20.8% Cardigan — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 9.7%
Haddon — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Cardigan — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 6.9%
Haddon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Cardigan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 3.2%
Haddon — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Cardigan — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.3%
Haddon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Cardigan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

Haddon Cardigan
England 3.0% / 2.6%
Haddon — England: 3.0% Cardigan — England: 2.6%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.7%
Haddon — New Zealand: 1.1% Cardigan — New Zealand: 0.7%
Germany 0.9% / 0.8%
Haddon — Germany: 0.9% Cardigan — Germany: 0.8%
India 0.2% / 1.1%
Haddon — India: 0.2% Cardigan — India: 1.1%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.4%
Haddon — Philippines: 0.4% Cardigan — Philippines: 0.4%
Scotland 0.6% / —
Haddon — Scotland: 0.6% Cardigan — Scotland: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Haddon — Netherlands: not among its largest Cardigan — Netherlands: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Haddon 100.5% houses
Haddon — Houses: 100.5% Haddon — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Cardigan 98.7% houses
Cardigan — Houses: 98.7% Cardigan — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Haddon Cardigan
Median house price $835,000 $1,142,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $688,750 $547,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 7 sales
 30 days
from 19 sales

Zoning mix

Haddon has more rural and farming land (92% vs 67%).

Haddon Cardigan
Rural and farming 92% 67%
Other and special use 0% 20%
Residential 3% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 2%
Parks and recreation 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

Haddon Cardigan
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
 1,451
across Ballarat
Approvals change year on year +10% +42%

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.

Haddon Cardigan
Houses — 2.8%
$700/wk on $1.3M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Haddon Cardigan
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 8% of VIC

Liveability

Cardigan scores higher overall (44 vs 32).

Haddon Cardigan
Grade C
same for both
Score 32/100 44/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Cardigan carries more crime risk (82 vs 27); Haddon carries more bushfire risk (58 vs 23).

Haddon Cardigan
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Low
23/100
Crime Low
27/100
 High
82/100
Flood Moderate
59/100
 Low
36/100
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

Haddon Cardigan
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 Haddon

  • Haddon Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Cardigan

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

Amenities in the suburb

Haddon Cardigan
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 3 1
Waterways 3
same for both

Mobility

Haddon sits further from the CBD (138 km vs 132.1 km).

Haddon Cardigan
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 138 km
+4% vs other
 132.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 102 min 98 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3351
 0.4%
postcode 3352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 3351
 51
postcode 3352

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.

Haddon Cardigan
Car (driver) 75.2% / 77.5%
Haddon — Car (driver): 75.2% Cardigan — Car (driver): 77.5%
Worked from Home 19.6% / 15.5%
Haddon — Worked from Home: 19.6% Cardigan — Worked from Home: 15.5%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 6.0%
Haddon — Car (passenger): 3.7% Cardigan — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Walked Only 0.5% / 1.0%
Haddon — Walked Only: 0.5% Cardigan — Walked Only: 1.0%
Train 0.9% / —
Haddon — Train: 0.9% Cardigan — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.5%).

Setting

Haddon Cardigan
Elevation 394 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 418 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Haddon Cardigan
Connectivity score 30/100 78/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
462 premises
 68%
973 premises

Climate

Haddon Cardigan
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

Haddon Cardigan
Average residential rate $2,052/yr $2,086/yr
Council Golden Plains Ballarat

Federal electorate

Haddon Cardigan
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Haddon Cardigan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Haddon

Acreage

Cardigan

Acreage Family Luxury

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Haddon

Haddon vs Smythes Creek Haddon vs Smythesdale Haddon vs Snake Valley Haddon vs Bunkers Hill Haddon vs Nintingbool Haddon vs Hillcrest

Other comparisons with Cardigan

Cardigan vs Alfredton Cardigan vs Wendouree Cardigan vs Lucas Cardigan vs Cardigan Village Cardigan vs Mitchell Park Cardigan vs Bunkers Hill
Full data on Haddon Full data on Cardigan
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