Howes Creek vs Maindample

Maindample is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 46 in Howes Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Howes Creek 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

They split

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

  • Howes Creek carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 42/100)
  • Maindample is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Maindample

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 29%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Howes Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 9%)
  • has cheaper rent ($238/wk vs $303/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Maindample

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (147 min vs 172 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (176.2 km vs 202.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Howes Creek carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 42/100)
  • Maindample has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Maindample

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.7% vs -4.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Howes Creek Maindample
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.

Howes Creek Maindample
Walkability 0 / 0
Howes Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Maindample — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 78 / 58
Howes Creek — Safety: 78/100 Maindample — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 59 / 75
Howes Creek — Low fire risk: 59/100 Maindample — Low fire risk: 75/100
Low flood risk 8 / 58
Howes Creek — Low flood risk: 8/100 Maindample — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

Maindample has more residents (239 vs 67); Maindample rents higher ($303/wk vs $238/wk).

Howes Creek Maindample
Population 67 239
+257% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.3% +12.7%
Median age 46 43
Median household income $71,500/yr $74,724/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $238/wk $303/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Howes Creek Maindample
0-4 — / 5.0%
Howes Creek — 0-4: not among its largest Maindample — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 20.9% / 12.6%
Howes Creek — 5-14: 20.9% Maindample — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 4.5% / 5.4%
Howes Creek — 15-19: 4.5% Maindample — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 7.5% / 4.2%
Howes Creek — 20-24: 7.5% Maindample — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 — / 10.5%
Howes Creek — 25-34: not among its largest Maindample — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 10.4% / 14.6%
Howes Creek — 35-44: 10.4% Maindample — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 19.4% / 13.4%
Howes Creek — 45-54: 19.4% Maindample — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 16.4% / 15.5%
Howes Creek — 55-64: 16.4% Maindample — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 10.4% / 14.6%
Howes Creek — 65-74: 10.4% Maindample — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 — / 3.3%
Howes Creek — 75-84: not among its largest Maindample — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ — / —
Howes Creek — 85+: not among its largest Maindample — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Howes Creek 57.9% couple families
Howes Creek — Couple Families: 57.9% Howes Creek — Lone Person: 42.1% Howes Creek — One Parent Families: 0.0% Howes Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Maindample 55.8% couple families
Maindample — Couple Families: 55.8% Maindample — Lone Person: 26.9% Maindample — One Parent Families: 11.5% Maindample — Group Household: 5.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Howes Creek 22.7% renting
Howes Creek — Owned Outright: 36.4% Howes Creek — Mortgage: 40.9% Howes Creek — Renting: 22.7%
Maindample 9.0% renting
Maindample — Owned Outright: 42.3% Maindample — Mortgage: 48.7% Maindample — Renting: 9.0%
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.

Howes Creek Maindample
South Africa 4.5% / —
Howes Creek — South Africa: 4.5% Maindample — South Africa: not among its largest
England — / 3.3%
Howes Creek — England: not among its largest Maindample — England: 3.3%
New Zealand — / 2.1%
Howes Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest Maindample — New Zealand: 2.1%
Germany — / 2.1%
Howes Creek — Germany: not among its largest Maindample — Germany: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Qualifications

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

Howes Creek Maindample
Certificate III & IV 22.4% / 21.3%
Howes Creek — Certificate III & IV: 22.4% Maindample — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Bachelor Degree 14.9% / 7.9%
Howes Creek — Bachelor Degree: 14.9% Maindample — Bachelor Degree: 7.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 10.5%
Howes Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Maindample — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.5%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.5%
Howes Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Maindample — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Howes Creek 100.0% houses
Howes Creek — Houses: 100.0%
Maindample 100.0% houses
Maindample — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Zoning mix

Maindample has more rural and farming land (95% vs 62%).

Howes Creek Maindample
Rural and farming 62% 95%
Infrastructure and transport 34% 1%
Parks and recreation 4%
same for both
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

Howes Creek Maindample
New dwellings approved 76
across Mansfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Howes Creek Maindample
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 59% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC

Liveability

Howes Creek Maindample
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Howes Creek carries more flood risk (92 vs 42); Maindample carries more crime risk (42 vs 22).

Howes Creek Maindample
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Low
25/100
Crime Low
22/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood High
92/100
 Moderate
42/100
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

Howes Creek Maindample
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

Howes Creek Maindample
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 2
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Howes Creek sits further from the CBD (202.1 km vs 176.2 km).

Howes Creek Maindample
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 202.1 km
+13% vs other
 176.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 172 min 147 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3723
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3723
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.

Howes Creek Maindample
Car (driver) 54.8% / 67.0%
Howes Creek — Car (driver): 54.8% Maindample — Car (driver): 67.0%
Worked from Home 45.2% / 18.9%
Howes Creek — Worked from Home: 45.2% Maindample — Worked from Home: 18.9%
Walked Only — / 9.4%
Howes Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Maindample — Walked Only: 9.4%
Car (passenger) — / 4.7%
Howes Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Maindample — Car (passenger): 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.0%).

Setting

Howes Creek Maindample
Elevation 284 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Howes Creek Maindample
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
36 premises
 0%
101 premises

Climate

Howes Creek Maindample
Annual rainfall 810 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.3°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Howes Creek Maindample
Average residential rate $1,697/yr
same for both
Council Mansfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Howes Creek Maindample
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Howes Creek Maindample
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Howes Creek

Rural

Maindample

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Howes Creek

Howes Creek vs Mansfield Howes Creek vs Bonnie Doon Howes Creek vs Goughs Bay

Other comparisons with Maindample

Maindample vs Mansfield Maindample vs Bonnie Doon Maindample vs Barjarg
Full data on Howes Creek Full data on Maindample
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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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