Ironbark vs West Bendigo

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ironbark, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in West Bendigo: a median of $612,000, against $520,000 in Ironbark, though rent is higher in Ironbark. On these figures, Ironbark tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Ironbark

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (68/100 vs 86/100)

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

First-home buyers

Ironbark

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($520,000 vs $611,888)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Ironbark has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 25%)
  • West Bendigo has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $275/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Ironbark

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 38/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ironbark

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 38/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (68/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Ironbark

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.2% vs 0.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ironbark West Bendigo
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.

Ironbark West Bendigo
Walkability 77 / 38
Ironbark — Walkability: 77/100 West Bendigo — Walkability: 38/100
Safety 32 / 14
Ironbark — Safety: 32/100 West Bendigo — Safety: 14/100
Low fire risk 29 / 37
Ironbark — Low fire risk: 29/100 West Bendigo — Low fire risk: 37/100
Low flood risk 100 / 69
Ironbark — Low flood risk: 100/100 West Bendigo — Low flood risk: 69/100

Demographics

Ironbark has more residents (1,163 vs 378); Ironbark rents higher ($275/wk vs $235/wk).

Ironbark West Bendigo
Population 1,163
+67% vs other
 378
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +0.8%
Median age 41 43
Median household income $66,248/yr $69,836/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $275/wk
+15% vs other
 $235/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ironbark West Bendigo
0-4 4.2% / 5.6%
Ironbark — 0-4: 4.2% West Bendigo — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 10.2% / 8.5%
Ironbark — 5-14: 10.2% West Bendigo — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 4.4% / 5.6%
Ironbark — 15-19: 4.4% West Bendigo — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 8.3% / 6.6%
Ironbark — 20-24: 8.3% West Bendigo — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 15.7% / 14.8%
Ironbark — 25-34: 15.7% West Bendigo — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 12.3% / 12.4%
Ironbark — 35-44: 12.3% West Bendigo — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 12.2% / 10.8%
Ironbark — 45-54: 12.2% West Bendigo — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 13.3% / 16.4%
Ironbark — 55-64: 13.3% West Bendigo — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 10.6% / 11.1%
Ironbark — 65-74: 10.6% West Bendigo — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 5.7% / 5.8%
Ironbark — 75-84: 5.7% West Bendigo — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 4.0% / 2.1%
Ironbark — 85+: 4.0% West Bendigo — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ironbark 51.0% lone person
Ironbark — Lone Person: 51.0% Ironbark — Couple Families: 24.4% Ironbark — One Parent Families: 16.4% Ironbark — Group Household: 7.2% Ironbark — Other Families: 1.0%
West Bendigo 44.9% lone person
West Bendigo — Lone Person: 44.9% West Bendigo — Couple Families: 29.7% West Bendigo — One Parent Families: 18.6% West Bendigo — Group Household: 3.4% West Bendigo — Other Families: 3.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ironbark 44.4% renting
Ironbark — Owned Outright: 26.5% Ironbark — Mortgage: 29.0% Ironbark — Renting: 44.4%
West Bendigo 24.8% renting
West Bendigo — Owned Outright: 37.6% West Bendigo — Mortgage: 37.6% West Bendigo — Renting: 24.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ironbark West Bendigo
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 20.4%
Ironbark — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% West Bendigo — Certificate III & IV: 20.4%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 6.6%
Ironbark — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% West Bendigo — Bachelor Degree: 6.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 5.3%
Ironbark — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% West Bendigo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 1.9%
Ironbark — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% West Bendigo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 1.3%
Ironbark — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% West Bendigo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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.

Ironbark West Bendigo
England 1.0% / 2.1%
Ironbark — England: 1.0% West Bendigo — England: 2.1%
Myanmar 1.1% / 1.3%
Ironbark — Myanmar: 1.1% West Bendigo — Myanmar: 1.3%
Thailand 1.5% / —
Ironbark — Thailand: 1.5% West Bendigo — Thailand: not among its largest
Scotland — / 1.1%
Ironbark — Scotland: not among its largest West Bendigo — Scotland: 1.1%
India 0.9% / —
Ironbark — India: 0.9% West Bendigo — India: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.9% / —
Ironbark — New Zealand: 0.9% West Bendigo — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ironbark 86.2% houses
Ironbark — Houses: 86.2% Ironbark — Townhouses: 13.2% Ironbark — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
West Bendigo 93.6% houses
West Bendigo — Houses: 93.6% West Bendigo — Townhouses: 3.8% West Bendigo — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ironbark West Bendigo
Median house price $520,000 $611,888
Median unit price $339,200 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 11 sales
 —

Zoning mix

West Bendigo has more rural and farming land (11% vs 0%).

Ironbark West Bendigo
Residential 63% 27%
Parks and recreation 18% 54%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 8%
Rural and farming 0% 11%
Commercial 4% 0%
Other and special use 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

Ironbark West Bendigo
New dwellings approved 885
across Greater Bendigo
same for both
Approvals change year on year +28%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Ironbark West Bendigo
Houses 3.6%
$490/wk on $705K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Ironbark West Bendigo
House price Higher than 14% of VIC —
Income Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 77% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 67% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 42% of VIC —

Liveability

Ironbark is more walkable (77 vs 38).

Ironbark West Bendigo
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

West Bendigo carries more flood risk (31 vs 0); West Bendigo carries more crime risk (86 vs 68).

Ironbark West Bendigo
Bushfire High
71/100
 Moderate
63/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 High
86/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
31/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Ironbark West Bendigo
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Bendigo Campus, 4.1 km
 1
Bendigo Campus, 5.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.1% 1.3%

Schools in Ironbark

  • Bendigo Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in West Bendigo

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

Amenities in the suburb

Ironbark West Bendigo
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 2 4
GPs 1 0
Waterways 6 3

Mobility

Ironbark West Bendigo
Walkability score 77/100 38/100
Distance to Melbourne 151.3 km 151.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 111 min
same for both
Public transport score 75/100 26/100
Peak arrivals per hour 30.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3550
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 34
postcode 3550
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.

Ironbark West Bendigo
Car (driver) 65.2% / 84.9%
Ironbark — Car (driver): 65.2% West Bendigo — Car (driver): 84.9%
Worked from Home 19.4% / 9.9%
Ironbark — Worked from Home: 19.4% West Bendigo — Worked from Home: 9.9%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / 3.3%
Ironbark — Car (passenger): 6.7% West Bendigo — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 5.4% / 2.0%
Ironbark — Walked Only: 5.4% West Bendigo — Walked Only: 2.0%
Bicycle 2.3% / —
Ironbark — Bicycle: 2.3% West Bendigo — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.9%).

Setting

Ironbark West Bendigo
Elevation 251 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 255 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ironbark West Bendigo
Connectivity score 69/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
676 premises
 53%
215 premises

Climate

Ironbark West Bendigo
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

Ironbark West Bendigo
Average residential rate $1,949/yr
same for both
Council Greater Bendigo
same for both

Federal electorate

Ironbark West Bendigo
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ironbark West Bendigo
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ironbark

Affordable Large Blocks Parks River

West Bendigo

Acreage Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ironbark

Ironbark vs Golden Square Ironbark vs Bendigo Ironbark vs Long Gully

Other comparisons with West Bendigo

West Bendigo vs Golden Square West Bendigo vs Maiden Gully West Bendigo vs Long Gully
Full data on Ironbark Full data on West Bendigo
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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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