Happy Valley vs Mannibadar
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Happy Valley, about half of households are people living alone. In Mannibadar, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Mannibadar tends to suit people living alone.
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
Happy Valley
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 70/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 32%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Happy Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 26%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Happy Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $175/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Happy Valley is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- Mannibadar has a shorter drive in (124 min vs 133 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Happy Valley
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 70/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Happy Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.4% vs -18.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Happy Valley and Mannibadar 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
Happy Valley has more residents (87 vs 65); Mannibadar has higher household incomes ($74,724 vs $61,724).
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 87 +25% vs other | 65 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +2.4% | -18.8% |
| Median age | 47 | 48 |
| Median household income | $61,724/yr | $74,724/yr +21% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $175/wk +17% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).
Zoning mix
Mannibadar has more rural and farming land (99% vs 69%).
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 69% | 99% |
| Parks and recreation | 31% | 0% |
| 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
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 186 across Golden Plains same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +10% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 23% of VIC | Higher than 41% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 72% of VIC | Higher than 46% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 42% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 24% of VIC | Higher than 64% of VIC |
Liveability
Happy Valley is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Happy Valley carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0); Mannibadar carries more crime risk (70 vs 35).
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 28/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 35/100 | High 70/100 |
| Flood | Low 30/100 | Low 38/100 |
| 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
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 4 | 1 |
Mobility
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 158.2 km | 157.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 133 min | 124 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 3360 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 42 postcode 3360 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 (75.0%).
Setting
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 322 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 277 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 38 premises | 0% 40 premises |
Climate
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 605 mm | 602 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.7°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.5°C | — |
Council rates
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,052/yr same for both | |
| Council | Golden Plains same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Ballarat same for both | |
| Member | Catherine King same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Happy Valley | Mannibadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Happy Valley
Mannibadar
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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.