Hepburn vs Shepherds Flat

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hepburn, about half of households are people living alone. In Shepherds Flat, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Shepherds Flat: a median of $1.2 million, against $639,000 in Hepburn, though rent is higher in Hepburn. On these figures, Hepburn tends to suit older residents and buyers on a tighter budget, while Shepherds Flat suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Hepburn has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Shepherds Flat carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 31/100)

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

First-home buyers

Hepburn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($639,000 vs $1,200,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Shepherds Flat

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($145/wk vs $350/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Hepburn

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (29/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (94 min vs 100 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (116.4 km vs 122.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Hepburn

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (29/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 18%)
  • But Shepherds Flat carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 31/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
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.

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Walkability 29 / 0
Hepburn — Walkability: 29/100 Shepherds Flat — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 69 / 86
Hepburn — Safety: 69/100 Shepherds Flat — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 17 / 35
Hepburn — Low fire risk: 17/100 Shepherds Flat — Low fire risk: 35/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Hepburn — Low flood risk: 100/100 Shepherds Flat — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Hepburn has more residents (631 vs 71); Hepburn rents higher ($350/wk vs $145/wk).

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Population 631
+89% vs other
 71
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.3% +7.6%
Median age 52
same for both
Median household income $65,312/yr
+3% vs other
 $63,336/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+59% vs other
 $145/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
0-4 1.6% / —
Hepburn — 0-4: 1.6% Shepherds Flat — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 11.6% / 16.9%
Hepburn — 5-14: 11.6% Shepherds Flat — 5-14: 16.9%
15-19 5.5% / 5.6%
Hepburn — 15-19: 5.5% Shepherds Flat — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 1.6% / 8.5%
Hepburn — 20-24: 1.6% Shepherds Flat — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 5.7% / —
Hepburn — 25-34: 5.7% Shepherds Flat — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 10.9% / 5.6%
Hepburn — 35-44: 10.9% Shepherds Flat — 35-44: 5.6%
45-54 18.7% / 26.8%
Hepburn — 45-54: 18.7% Shepherds Flat — 45-54: 26.8%
55-64 17.0% / 22.5%
Hepburn — 55-64: 17.0% Shepherds Flat — 55-64: 22.5%
65-74 17.7% / 8.5%
Hepburn — 65-74: 17.7% Shepherds Flat — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 7.0% / 9.9%
Hepburn — 75-84: 7.0% Shepherds Flat — 75-84: 9.9%
85+ 2.5% / —
Hepburn — 85+: 2.5% Shepherds Flat — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hepburn 51.3% lone person
Hepburn — Lone Person: 51.3% Hepburn — Couple Families: 28.8% Hepburn — One Parent Families: 14.1% Hepburn — Group Household: 5.8%
Shepherds Flat 60.7% lone person
Shepherds Flat — Lone Person: 60.7% Shepherds Flat — Couple Families: 39.3% Shepherds Flat — One Parent Families: 0.0% Shepherds Flat — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hepburn 15.1% renting
Hepburn — Owned Outright: 48.2% Hepburn — Mortgage: 36.8% Hepburn — Renting: 15.1%
Shepherds Flat 9.4% renting
Shepherds Flat — Owned Outright: 46.9% Shepherds Flat — Mortgage: 43.8% Shepherds Flat — Renting: 9.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Bachelor Degree 12.7% / 16.9%
Hepburn — Bachelor Degree: 12.7% Shepherds Flat — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Certificate III & IV 11.9% / 14.1%
Hepburn — Certificate III & IV: 11.9% Shepherds Flat — Certificate III & IV: 14.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.7% / 5.6%
Hepburn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.7% Shepherds Flat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Postgraduate Degree 5.5% / 9.9%
Hepburn — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5% Shepherds Flat — Postgraduate Degree: 9.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / —
Hepburn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Shepherds Flat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

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.

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
England 6.0% / —
Hepburn — England: 6.0% Shepherds Flat — England: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 4.2%
Hepburn — Vietnam: not among its largest Shepherds Flat — Vietnam: 4.2%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Hepburn — New Zealand: 1.4% Shepherds Flat — New Zealand: not among its largest
Ireland 0.8% / —
Hepburn — Ireland: 0.8% Shepherds Flat — Ireland: not among its largest
Malaysia 0.5% / —
Hepburn — Malaysia: 0.5% Shepherds Flat — Malaysia: not among its largest
Italy 0.5% / —
Hepburn — Italy: 0.5% Shepherds Flat — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hepburn 98.2% houses
Hepburn — Houses: 98.2% Hepburn — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Shepherds Flat 100.0% houses
Shepherds Flat — Houses: 100.0% Shepherds Flat — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Median house price $639,000 $1,200,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $319,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 48 days
from 8 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Parks and recreation 17% 49%
Rural and farming 36%
same for both
Residential 28% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 12%
Other and special use 11% 0%
Environmental 6% 3%
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

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
House price Higher than 19% of VIC —
Income Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 24% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 63% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC

Liveability

Hepburn is more walkable (29 vs 0).

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Grade C —
Score 46/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Hepburn carries more crime risk (31 vs 14); Hepburn carries more bushfire risk (83 vs 65).

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Bushfire High
83/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Low
31/100
 Low
14/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
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 Hepburn

  • Hepburn Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Shepherds Flat

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

Amenities in the suburb

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 1 0
Waterways 3 45

Mobility

Shepherds Flat sits further from the CBD (122.6 km vs 116.4 km).

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Walkability score 29/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 116.4 km 122.6 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 94 min 100 min
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 3461
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 3461
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.

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Car (driver) 65.7% / 72.4%
Hepburn — Car (driver): 65.7% Shepherds Flat — Car (driver): 72.4%
Worked from Home 25.3% / 27.6%
Hepburn — Worked from Home: 25.3% Shepherds Flat — Worked from Home: 27.6%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / —
Hepburn — Car (passenger): 6.9% Shepherds Flat — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 2.0% / —
Hepburn — Bus: 2.0% Shepherds Flat — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.4%).

Setting

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Elevation 481 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 379 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Connectivity score 66/100 16/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
394 premises
 0%
15 premises

Climate

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Annual rainfall 531 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hepburn Shepherds Flat
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hepburn

Acreage Quiet Retirees

Shepherds Flat

Quiet River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hepburn

Hepburn vs Daylesford Hepburn vs Hepburn Springs

Other comparisons with Shepherds Flat

Shepherds Flat vs Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat vs Franklinford
Full data on Hepburn Full data on Shepherds Flat
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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