Harcourt vs Walmer

Harcourt is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 54 in Walmer. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Walmer: a median of $878,000, against $681,000 in Harcourt, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Harcourt tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Walmer suits share households.

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

Walmer

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 89/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Harcourt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($681,000 vs $877,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Harcourt

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (13% vs 3%)
  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $331/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Harcourt

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (31/100 vs 10/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (122.9 km vs 135.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (87 min vs 95 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Harcourt is more walkable (31/100 vs 10/100)
  • Walmer carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 89/100)

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

Investors

Walmer

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (17.5% vs 10.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Harcourt Walmer
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.

Harcourt Walmer
Walkability 31 / 10
Harcourt — Walkability: 31/100 Walmer — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 11 / 80
Harcourt — Safety: 11/100 Walmer — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 27 / 36
Harcourt — Low fire risk: 27/100 Walmer — Low fire risk: 36/100
Low flood risk 100 / 54
Harcourt — Low flood risk: 100/100 Walmer — Low flood risk: 54/100

Demographics

Harcourt has more residents (1,038 vs 262); Walmer skews older (54 vs 46).

Harcourt Walmer
Population 1,038
+75% vs other
 262
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.1% +17.5%
Median age 46 54
Median household income $74,360/yr $75,348/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $305/wk $331/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harcourt Walmer
0-4 3.8% / 2.3%
Harcourt — 0-4: 3.8% Walmer — 0-4: 2.3%
5-14 13.9% / 8.8%
Harcourt — 5-14: 13.9% Walmer — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 5.0% / 5.0%
Harcourt — 15-19: 5.0% Walmer — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 4.3% / 3.8%
Harcourt — 20-24: 4.3% Walmer — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 9.2% / 9.2%
Harcourt — 25-34: 9.2% Walmer — 25-34: 9.2%
35-44 11.8% / 6.5%
Harcourt — 35-44: 11.8% Walmer — 35-44: 6.5%
45-54 13.5% / 16.0%
Harcourt — 45-54: 13.5% Walmer — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 15.8% / 22.5%
Harcourt — 55-64: 15.8% Walmer — 55-64: 22.5%
65-74 13.9% / 16.4%
Harcourt — 65-74: 13.9% Walmer — 65-74: 16.4%
75-84 7.2% / 7.6%
Harcourt — 75-84: 7.2% Walmer — 75-84: 7.6%
85+ 1.4% / 1.9%
Harcourt — 85+: 1.4% Walmer — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Harcourt 40.1% couple families
Harcourt — Couple Families: 40.1% Harcourt — Lone Person: 36.7% Harcourt — One Parent Families: 19.1% Harcourt — Group Household: 3.0% Harcourt — Other Families: 1.1%
Walmer 39.2% couple families
Walmer — Couple Families: 39.2% Walmer — Lone Person: 33.8% Walmer — One Parent Families: 13.5% Walmer — Group Household: 13.5% Walmer — 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.

Harcourt 13.1% renting
Harcourt — Owned Outright: 45.5% Harcourt — Mortgage: 41.4% Harcourt — Renting: 13.1%
Walmer 2.9% renting
Walmer — Owned Outright: 55.9% Walmer — Mortgage: 41.2% Walmer — Renting: 2.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Harcourt Walmer
England 2.7% / 3.8%
Harcourt — England: 2.7% Walmer — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 1.3% / —
Harcourt — New Zealand: 1.3% Walmer — New Zealand: not among its largest
India 0.5% / —
Harcourt — India: 0.5% Walmer — India: not among its largest
Japan 0.4% / —
Harcourt — Japan: 0.4% Walmer — Japan: not among its largest
Ireland 0.4% / —
Harcourt — Ireland: 0.4% Walmer — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

Qualifications

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

Harcourt Walmer
Certificate III & IV 14.9% / 17.6%
Harcourt — Certificate III & IV: 14.9% Walmer — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.4% / 14.5%
Harcourt — Bachelor Degree: 12.4% Walmer — Bachelor Degree: 14.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 9.2%
Harcourt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Walmer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 4.3% / 7.3%
Harcourt — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3% Walmer — Postgraduate Degree: 7.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 4.2%
Harcourt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Walmer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Harcourt 98.7% houses
Harcourt — Houses: 98.7% Harcourt — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Walmer 97.2% houses
Walmer — Houses: 97.2% Walmer — Flats / Apartments: 2.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Harcourt Walmer
Median house price $681,000 $877,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,097,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 97 days
from 11 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Walmer has more rural and farming land (96% vs 84%).

Harcourt Walmer
Rural and farming 84% 96%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 1%
Residential 5% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 3%
Environmental 2% 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

Harcourt Walmer
New dwellings approved 102
across Mount Alexander
same for both
Approvals change year on year -7%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Harcourt Walmer
House price Higher than 35% of VIC —
Income Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 55% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC

Liveability

Harcourt is more walkable (31 vs 10).

Harcourt Walmer
Grade C —
Score 34/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Walmer carries more flood risk (46 vs 0); Harcourt carries more crime risk (89 vs 20).

Harcourt Walmer
Bushfire High
73/100
 Moderate
64/100
Crime High
89/100
 Low
20/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
46/100
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

Harcourt Walmer
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Harcourt

  • Harcourt Valley Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Walmer

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

Amenities in the suburb

Harcourt Walmer
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 4 9
Childcare 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 10 5

Mobility

Walmer sits further from the CBD (135.1 km vs 122.9 km).

Harcourt Walmer
Walkability score 31/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 122.9 km 135.1 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 87 min 95 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3453
 1.1%
postcode 3463
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 3453
 58
postcode 3463

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.

Harcourt Walmer
Car (driver) 70.1% / 77.7%
Harcourt — Car (driver): 70.1% Walmer — Car (driver): 77.7%
Worked from Home 23.7% / 22.3%
Harcourt — Worked from Home: 23.7% Walmer — Worked from Home: 22.3%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / —
Harcourt — Car (passenger): 3.6% Walmer — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.6% / —
Harcourt — Walked Only: 2.6% Walmer — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Harcourt Walmer
Elevation 365 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 306 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Harcourt Walmer
Connectivity score 30/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
509 premises
 0%
107 premises

Climate

Harcourt Walmer
Annual rainfall 598 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Harcourt Walmer
Average residential rate $1,885/yr
same for both
Council Mount Alexander
same for both

Federal electorate

Harcourt Walmer
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Harcourt Walmer
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Harcourt

Acreage River

Walmer

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Harcourt

Harcourt vs Barkers Creek Harcourt vs Harcourt North Harcourt vs Faraday Harcourt vs Ravenswood South

Other comparisons with Walmer

Walmer vs Maldon Walmer vs Lockwood South Walmer vs Barkers Creek Walmer vs Ravenswood Walmer vs Muckleford Walmer vs Ravenswood South
Full data on Harcourt Full data on Walmer
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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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