Hilldene vs Northwood

Northwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 49 in Hilldene. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families.

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

Northwood

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 74/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 64%)

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

Hilldene

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $280/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hilldene

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (85 min vs 92 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Hilldene has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 18%)
  • Northwood carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 74/100)

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

Investors

Northwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.1% vs -4.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hilldene Northwood
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.

Hilldene Northwood
Walkability 0 / 0
Hilldene — Walkability: 0/100 Northwood — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 81
Hilldene — Safety: 26/100 Northwood — Safety: 81/100
Low fire risk 46 / 72
Hilldene — Low fire risk: 46/100 Northwood — Low fire risk: 72/100
Low flood risk 47 / 16
Hilldene — Low flood risk: 47/100 Northwood — Low flood risk: 16/100

Demographics

Hilldene has more residents (330 vs 203); Hilldene skews older (49 vs 43).

Hilldene Northwood
Population 330
+38% vs other
 203
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.6% +4.1%
Median age 49 43
Median household income $86,632/yr $98,540/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $280/wk
+12% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hilldene Northwood
0-4 3.3% / 3.0%
Hilldene — 0-4: 3.3% Northwood — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 14.5% / 11.8%
Hilldene — 5-14: 14.5% Northwood — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 8.2% / 6.9%
Hilldene — 15-19: 8.2% Northwood — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 2.4% / 6.9%
Hilldene — 20-24: 2.4% Northwood — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 5.8% / 13.8%
Hilldene — 25-34: 5.8% Northwood — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 9.4% / 12.3%
Hilldene — 35-44: 9.4% Northwood — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 15.5% / 12.3%
Hilldene — 45-54: 15.5% Northwood — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 16.1% / 16.7%
Hilldene — 55-64: 16.1% Northwood — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 13.9% / 11.8%
Hilldene — 65-74: 13.9% Northwood — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 9.4% / 4.4%
Hilldene — 75-84: 9.4% Northwood — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 1.5% / 2.0%
Hilldene — 85+: 1.5% Northwood — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hilldene 51.5% couple families
Hilldene — Couple Families: 51.5% Hilldene — Lone Person: 30.3% Hilldene — One Parent Families: 12.1% Hilldene — Other Families: 6.1%
Northwood 48.9% couple families
Northwood — Couple Families: 48.9% Northwood — Lone Person: 24.4% Northwood — One Parent Families: 26.7% Northwood — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hilldene 7.1% renting
Hilldene — Owned Outright: 49.5% Hilldene — Mortgage: 43.4% Hilldene — Renting: 7.1%
Northwood 5.0% renting
Northwood — Owned Outright: 45.0% Northwood — Mortgage: 50.0% Northwood — Renting: 5.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hilldene Northwood
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 19.2%
Hilldene — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Northwood — Certificate III & IV: 19.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.9% / 8.4%
Hilldene — Bachelor Degree: 7.9% Northwood — Bachelor Degree: 8.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 7.9%
Hilldene — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Northwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / —
Hilldene — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Northwood — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / —
Hilldene — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Northwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Hilldene Northwood
England 3.3% / 3.4%
Hilldene — England: 3.3% Northwood — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 1.5% / 4.4%
Hilldene — New Zealand: 1.5% Northwood — New Zealand: 4.4%
South Africa — / 2.0%
Hilldene — South Africa: not among its largest Northwood — South Africa: 2.0%
Italy 1.8% / —
Hilldene — Italy: 1.8% Northwood — Italy: not among its largest
Germany 1.5% / —
Hilldene — Germany: 1.5% Northwood — Germany: not among its largest
Netherlands 1.2% / —
Hilldene — Netherlands: 1.2% Northwood — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hilldene 100.0% houses
Hilldene — Houses: 100.0% Hilldene — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Northwood 98.5% houses
Northwood — Houses: 98.5% Northwood — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Hilldene Northwood
Rural and farming 91% 96%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 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

Hilldene Northwood
New dwellings approved 1,074
across Mitchell
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Hilldene Northwood
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 17% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC

Liveability

Hilldene Northwood
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Hilldene carries more crime risk (74 vs 19); Hilldene carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 28).

Hilldene Northwood
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 Low
28/100
Crime High
74/100
 Low
19/100
Flood Moderate
53/100
 High
84/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Hilldene Northwood
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

Hilldene Northwood
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Hilldene Northwood
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 115 km 116.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 92 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3660
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 3660
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.

Hilldene Northwood
Car (driver) 69.0% / 74.2%
Hilldene — Car (driver): 69.0% Northwood — Car (driver): 74.2%
Worked from Home 26.4% / 15.7%
Hilldene — Worked from Home: 26.4% Northwood — Worked from Home: 15.7%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 4.5%
Hilldene — Car (passenger): 4.7% Northwood — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Walked Only — / 5.6%
Hilldene — Walked Only: not among its largest Northwood — Walked Only: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Hilldene Northwood
Elevation 173 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 133 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Hilldene Northwood
Connectivity score 29/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
138 premises
 0%
78 premises

Climate

Hilldene Northwood
Annual rainfall 540 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Hilldene Northwood
Average residential rate $1,947/yr
same for both
Council Mitchell
same for both

Federal electorate

Hilldene Northwood
Division Nicholls
same for both
Member Sam Birrell
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hilldene Northwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hilldene

Rural

Northwood

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hilldene

Hilldene vs Seymour Hilldene vs Puckapunyal Hilldene vs Tallarook Hilldene vs Sugarloaf Creek Hilldene vs Glenaroua

Other comparisons with Northwood

Northwood vs Seymour Northwood vs Puckapunyal Northwood vs Mangalore Northwood vs Tabilk
Full data on Hilldene Full data on Northwood
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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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