Haddon vs Smythesdale

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Haddon, most households are couple families. In Smythesdale, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Haddon: a median of $835,000, against $622,000 in Smythesdale, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Smythesdale 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

Haddon

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 55/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Smythesdale has more parks and reserves (13 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Smythesdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($622,500 vs $835,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Smythesdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Smythesdale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (47/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (134.2 km vs 138 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Haddon carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 55/100)
  • Smythesdale is more walkable (47/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Smythesdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.2% vs 6.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Haddon and Smythesdale 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 Smythesdale
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 Smythesdale
Walkability 0 / 47
Haddon — Walkability: 0/100 Smythesdale — Walkability: 47/100
Safety 73 / 45
Haddon — Safety: 73/100 Smythesdale — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 42 / 25
Haddon — Low fire risk: 42/100 Smythesdale — Low fire risk: 25/100
Low flood risk 41 / 57
Haddon — Low flood risk: 41/100 Smythesdale — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Haddon rents higher ($400/wk vs $300/wk); Haddon has higher household incomes ($101,140 vs $86,112).

Haddon Smythesdale
Population 1,276
+7% vs other
 1,189
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.9% +15.2%
Median age 40 39
Median household income $101,140/yr
+15% vs other
 $86,112/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+25% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Haddon Smythesdale
0-4 6.0% / 6.2%
Haddon — 0-4: 6.0% Smythesdale — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 14.4% / 14.8%
Haddon — 5-14: 14.4% Smythesdale — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 7.1% / 6.1%
Haddon — 15-19: 7.1% Smythesdale — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 5.6% / 6.8%
Haddon — 20-24: 5.6% Smythesdale — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 10.1% / 9.8%
Haddon — 25-34: 10.1% Smythesdale — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 11.8% / 12.5%
Haddon — 35-44: 11.8% Smythesdale — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 13.9% / 14.7%
Haddon — 45-54: 13.9% Smythesdale — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 15.5% / 13.1%
Haddon — 55-64: 15.5% Smythesdale — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 10.5% / 11.2%
Haddon — 65-74: 10.5% Smythesdale — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 3.4% / 4.0%
Haddon — 75-84: 3.4% Smythesdale — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 0.6% / 0.5%
Haddon — 85+: 0.6% Smythesdale — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

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%
Smythesdale 53.8% couple families
Smythesdale — Couple Families: 53.8% Smythesdale — Lone Person: 28.3% Smythesdale — One Parent Families: 14.3% Smythesdale — Group Household: 2.2% Smythesdale — Other Families: 1.4%
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%
Smythesdale 4.6% renting
Smythesdale — Owned Outright: 42.2% Smythesdale — Mortgage: 53.2% Smythesdale — Renting: 4.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Haddon Smythesdale
Certificate III & IV 20.8% / 22.9%
Haddon — Certificate III & IV: 20.8% Smythesdale — Certificate III & IV: 22.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 8.1%
Haddon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Smythesdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 5.8%
Haddon — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Smythesdale — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.3%
Haddon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Smythesdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 1.0%
Haddon — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Smythesdale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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 Smythesdale
England 3.0% / 2.8%
Haddon — England: 3.0% Smythesdale — England: 2.8%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.4%
Haddon — New Zealand: 1.1% Smythesdale — New Zealand: 0.4%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.6%
Haddon — Scotland: 0.6% Smythesdale — Scotland: 0.6%
Germany 0.9% / —
Haddon — Germany: 0.9% Smythesdale — Germany: not among its largest
Philippines 0.4% / 0.3%
Haddon — Philippines: 0.4% Smythesdale — Philippines: 0.3%
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Haddon — Netherlands: not among its largest Smythesdale — Netherlands: 0.7%
China — / 0.6%
Haddon — China: not among its largest Smythesdale — China: 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 — Townhouses: 0.0%
Smythesdale 98.3% houses
Smythesdale — Houses: 98.3% Smythesdale — Townhouses: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Haddon Smythesdale
Median house price $835,000 $622,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $688,750 $722,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 7 sales
 29 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Haddon has more rural and farming land (92% vs 48%).

Haddon Smythesdale
Rural and farming 92% 48%
Parks and recreation 0% 41%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 1%
Residential 3% 4%
Other and special use 0% 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

Haddon Smythesdale
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
same for both
Approvals change year on year +10%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Haddon Smythesdale
House price — Higher than 50% of VIC
Income Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 55% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC

Liveability

Smythesdale is more walkable (47 vs 0).

Haddon Smythesdale
Grade C D
Score 32/100 30/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Smythesdale carries more crime risk (55 vs 27); Haddon carries more flood risk (59 vs 43).

Haddon Smythesdale
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 High
75/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
43/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Haddon Smythesdale
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Haddon

  • Haddon Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Smythesdale

  • Woady Yaloak Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Haddon Smythesdale
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 2 13
Childcare 3 0
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 3 14

Mobility

Haddon sits further from the CBD (138 km vs 134.2 km).

Haddon Smythesdale
Walkability score 0/100 47/100
Distance to Melbourne 138 km
+3% vs other
 134.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 102 min 106 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3351
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 3351
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.

Haddon Smythesdale
Car (driver) 75.2% / 77.2%
Haddon — Car (driver): 75.2% Smythesdale — Car (driver): 77.2%
Worked from Home 19.6% / 15.6%
Haddon — Worked from Home: 19.6% Smythesdale — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 5.3%
Haddon — Car (passenger): 3.7% Smythesdale — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Walked Only 0.5% / 1.2%
Haddon — Walked Only: 0.5% Smythesdale — Walked Only: 1.2%
Train 0.9% / —
Haddon — Train: 0.9% Smythesdale — Train: not among its largest
Tram / Light Rail — / 0.6%
Haddon — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest Smythesdale — Tram / Light Rail: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.2%).

Setting

Haddon Smythesdale
Elevation 394 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 363 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Haddon Smythesdale
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
462 premises
 0%
424 premises

Climate

Haddon Smythesdale
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 Smythesdale
Average residential rate $2,052/yr
same for both
Council Golden Plains
same for both

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Haddon

Acreage

Smythesdale

Acreage Affordable Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Haddon

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

Other comparisons with Smythesdale

Smythesdale vs Smythes Creek Smythesdale vs Ross Creek Smythesdale vs Scarsdale Smythesdale vs Snake Valley Smythesdale vs Nintingbool Smythesdale vs Hillcrest
Full data on Haddon Full data on Smythesdale
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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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