Hedley vs Port Albert

Hedley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 55 against 59 in Port Albert. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hedley, about half of households are people living alone. In Port Albert, most households are 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

Hedley

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 40%)
  • carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 77/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Hedley

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 16%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $260/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

  • Hedley sits closer to the CBD (209.2 km vs 221.7 km)
  • Port Albert is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Hedley carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 77/100)
  • Port Albert is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Port Albert

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (37.5% vs -13.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hedley Port Albert
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.

Hedley Port Albert
Walkability 0 / 14
Hedley — Walkability: 0/100 Port Albert — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 36 / 23
Hedley — Safety: 36/100 Port Albert — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 62 / 85
Hedley — Low fire risk: 62/100 Port Albert — Low fire risk: 85/100
Low flood risk 44 / 28
Hedley — Low flood risk: 44/100 Port Albert — Low flood risk: 28/100

Demographics

Port Albert has more residents (403 vs 108); Port Albert rents higher ($260/wk vs $190/wk).

Hedley Port Albert
Population 108 403
+273% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -13.6% +37.5%
Median age 55 59
Median household income $66,248/yr
+23% vs other
 $51,012/yr
Median weekly rent $190/wk $260/wk
+37% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hedley Port Albert
0-4 9.3% / 6.2%
Hedley — 0-4: 9.3% Port Albert — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 3.7% / 3.5%
Hedley — 5-14: 3.7% Port Albert — 5-14: 3.5%
15-19 4.6% / 4.5%
Hedley — 15-19: 4.6% Port Albert — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 2.8% / 3.5%
Hedley — 20-24: 2.8% Port Albert — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 10.2% / 6.9%
Hedley — 25-34: 10.2% Port Albert — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 3.7% / 7.9%
Hedley — 35-44: 3.7% Port Albert — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 13.9% / 12.2%
Hedley — 45-54: 13.9% Port Albert — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 18.5% / 19.9%
Hedley — 55-64: 18.5% Port Albert — 55-64: 19.9%
65-74 23.1% / 24.3%
Hedley — 65-74: 23.1% Port Albert — 65-74: 24.3%
75-84 5.6% / 11.7%
Hedley — 75-84: 5.6% Port Albert — 75-84: 11.7%
85+ 4.6% / 1.2%
Hedley — 85+: 4.6% Port Albert — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hedley 50.0% lone person
Hedley — Lone Person: 50.0% Hedley — Couple Families: 30.0% Hedley — One Parent Families: 20.0% Hedley — Group Household: 0.0%
Port Albert 56.4% lone person
Port Albert — Lone Person: 56.4% Port Albert — Couple Families: 25.5% Port Albert — One Parent Families: 14.9% Port Albert — Group Household: 3.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hedley 28.3% renting
Hedley — Owned Outright: 54.3% Hedley — Mortgage: 17.4% Hedley — Renting: 28.3%
Port Albert 15.5% renting
Port Albert — Owned Outright: 53.4% Port Albert — Mortgage: 31.1% Port Albert — Renting: 15.5%
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.

Hedley Port Albert
England 2.8% / 4.7%
Hedley — England: 2.8% Port Albert — England: 4.7%
Netherlands — / 1.5%
Hedley — Netherlands: not among its largest Port Albert — Netherlands: 1.5%
South Africa — / 0.7%
Hedley — South Africa: not among its largest Port Albert — South Africa: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Hedley Port Albert
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 19.6%
Hedley — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Port Albert — Certificate III & IV: 19.6%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 6.2%
Hedley — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Port Albert — Bachelor Degree: 6.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.7% / 5.0%
Hedley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7% Port Albert — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.2%
Hedley — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Port Albert — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hedley 100.0% houses
Hedley — Houses: 100.0% Hedley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Hedley — Townhouses: 0.0%
Port Albert 94.2% houses
Port Albert — Houses: 94.2% Port Albert — Flats / Apartments: 3.5% Port Albert — Townhouses: 2.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Hedley Port Albert
Median house price — $645,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $110,000

Zoning mix

Hedley has more rural and farming land (66% vs 51%).

Hedley Port Albert
Rural and farming 66% 51%
Parks and recreation 33% 46%
Residential 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

Hedley Port Albert
New dwellings approved 209
across Wellington
same for both
Approvals change year on year +17%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Hedley Port Albert
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 23% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC

Liveability

Port Albert is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Hedley Port Albert
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Hedley carries more bushfire risk (38 vs 15); Port Albert carries more flood risk (72 vs 56).

Hedley Port Albert
Bushfire Low
38/100
 Low
15/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 High
77/100
Flood Moderate
56/100
 High
72/100
Coastal erosion High
83/100
 High
94/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Hedley Port Albert
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

Hedley Port Albert
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 4 1

Mobility

Port Albert sits further from the CBD (221.7 km vs 209.2 km).

Hedley Port Albert
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Melbourne 209.2 km 221.7 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 172 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3967
 0.3%
postcode 3971
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings — 42
postcode 3971

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.

Hedley Port Albert
Car (driver) 55.0% / 66.1%
Hedley — Car (driver): 55.0% Port Albert — Car (driver): 66.1%
Worked from Home 30.0% / 20.2%
Hedley — Worked from Home: 30.0% Port Albert — Worked from Home: 20.2%
Walked Only 15.0% / 8.3%
Hedley — Walked Only: 15.0% Port Albert — Walked Only: 8.3%
Car (passenger) — / 5.5%
Hedley — Car (passenger): not among its largest Port Albert — Car (passenger): 5.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Hedley Port Albert
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.1 km 434 m

NBN connectivity

Hedley Port Albert
Connectivity score 28/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
72 premises
 0%
290 premises

Council rates

Hedley Port Albert
Average residential rate $1,960/yr
same for both
Council Wellington
same for both

Federal electorate

Hedley Port Albert
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hedley Port Albert
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hedley

Coastal Retirees Rural Young Families

Port Albert

Coastal Quiet Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hedley

Hedley vs Welshpool Hedley vs Alberton Hedley vs Port Welshpool Hedley vs Jack River Hedley vs Binginwarri Hedley vs Langsborough

Other comparisons with Port Albert

Port Albert vs Alberton Port Albert vs Langsborough Port Albert vs Tarraville
Full data on Hedley Full data on Port Albert
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.

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