Kinglake vs Steels Creek

Kinglake is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 48 in Steels Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kinglake, about half of households are couple families. In Steels Creek, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Steels Creek: a median of $1.61 million, against $768,000 in Kinglake, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Kinglake tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Steels Creek suits couples.

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

Steels Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 57/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 61%)
  • But Kinglake has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Kinglake

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($768,500 vs $1,610,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kinglake

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $509/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kinglake

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (30/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (60 km vs 63.6 km)
  • But Steels Creek has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 77 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Steels Creek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 13%)
  • But Kinglake is more walkable (30/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Steels Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.7% vs 8.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kinglake Steels Creek
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.

Kinglake Steels Creek
Walkability 30 / 0
Kinglake — Walkability: 30/100 Steels Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 77
Kinglake — Safety: 43/100 Steels Creek — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 4 / 11
Kinglake — Low fire risk: 4/100 Steels Creek — Low fire risk: 11/100
Low flood risk 88 / 100
Kinglake — Low flood risk: 88/100 Steels Creek — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kinglake has more residents (1,662 vs 276); Steels Creek rents higher ($509/wk vs $300/wk).

Kinglake Steels Creek
Population 1,662
+83% vs other
 276
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.2% +22.7%
Median age 43 48
Median household income $90,324/yr $108,316/yr
+20% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $509/wk
+70% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kinglake Steels Creek
0-4 4.9% / 4.0%
Kinglake — 0-4: 4.9% Steels Creek — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 12.5% / 11.6%
Kinglake — 5-14: 12.5% Steels Creek — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.3% / 5.8%
Kinglake — 15-19: 6.3% Steels Creek — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 5.1% / 5.4%
Kinglake — 20-24: 5.1% Steels Creek — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 11.1% / 7.6%
Kinglake — 25-34: 11.1% Steels Creek — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 13.5% / 10.1%
Kinglake — 35-44: 13.5% Steels Creek — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 17.5% / 16.3%
Kinglake — 45-54: 17.5% Steels Creek — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 15.6% / 17.0%
Kinglake — 55-64: 15.6% Steels Creek — 55-64: 17.0%
65-74 9.7% / 11.6%
Kinglake — 65-74: 9.7% Steels Creek — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 3.2% / 8.3%
Kinglake — 75-84: 3.2% Steels Creek — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 0.5% / 1.4%
Kinglake — 85+: 0.5% Steels Creek — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kinglake 47.4% couple families
Kinglake — Couple Families: 47.4% Kinglake — Lone Person: 34.3% Kinglake — One Parent Families: 13.6% Kinglake — Group Household: 3.8% Kinglake — Other Families: 1.0%
Steels Creek 75.0% couple families
Steels Creek — Couple Families: 75.0% Steels Creek — Lone Person: 16.7% Steels Creek — One Parent Families: 8.3% Steels Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Steels Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kinglake 5.3% renting
Kinglake — Owned Outright: 35.4% Kinglake — Mortgage: 59.3% Kinglake — Renting: 5.3%
Steels Creek 3.6% renting
Steels Creek — Owned Outright: 50.0% Steels Creek — Mortgage: 46.4% Steels Creek — Renting: 3.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kinglake Steels Creek
Certificate III & IV 22.2% / 15.6%
Kinglake — Certificate III & IV: 22.2% Steels Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.6%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 17.0%
Kinglake — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Steels Creek — Bachelor Degree: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.9% / 6.5%
Kinglake — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9% Steels Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 5.1%
Kinglake — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Steels Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 3.6%
Kinglake — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Steels Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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.

Kinglake Steels Creek
England 2.9% / 6.2%
Kinglake — England: 2.9% Steels Creek — England: 6.2%
Germany 0.3% / 2.2%
Kinglake — Germany: 0.3% Steels Creek — Germany: 2.2%
Scotland 0.2% / 1.1%
Kinglake — Scotland: 0.2% Steels Creek — Scotland: 1.1%
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Kinglake — New Zealand: 1.1% Steels Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest
Ireland — / 1.1%
Kinglake — Ireland: not among its largest Steels Creek — Ireland: 1.1%
South Africa 0.4% / —
Kinglake — South Africa: 0.4% Steels Creek — South Africa: not among its largest
Italy 0.4% / —
Kinglake — Italy: 0.4% Steels Creek — Italy: not among its largest
Canada 0.4% / —
Kinglake — Canada: 0.4% Steels Creek — Canada: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kinglake 98.8% houses
Kinglake — Houses: 98.8% Kinglake — Townhouses: 0.8% Kinglake — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Steels Creek 103.5% houses
Steels Creek — Houses: 103.5% Steels Creek — Townhouses: 0.0% Steels Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kinglake Steels Creek
Median house price $768,500 $1,610,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $685,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 58 days
from 30 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Steels Creek has more rural and farming land (54% vs 20%); Steels Creek has more land zoned for conservation (16% vs 2%).

Kinglake Steels Creek
Parks and recreation 75% 30%
Rural and farming 20% 54%
Environmental 2% 16%
Residential 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

Kinglake Steels Creek
New dwellings approved 82
across Murrindindi
 416
across Yarra Ranges
Approvals change year on year +83% -57%

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.

Kinglake Steels Creek
Houses 3.1%
$550/wk on $925K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Kinglake Steels Creek
House price Higher than 45% of VIC —
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 67% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 38% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 17% of VIC —

Liveability

Kinglake is more walkable (30 vs 0).

Kinglake Steels Creek
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Kinglake carries more flood risk (12 vs 0); Kinglake carries more crime risk (57 vs 23).

Kinglake Steels Creek
Bushfire High
96/100
 High
89/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
23/100
Flood Low
12/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Kinglake Steels Creek
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 Kinglake

  • Kinglake Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Steels Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Kinglake Steels Creek
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 34 8

Mobility

Steels Creek sits further from the CBD (63.6 km vs 60 km).

Kinglake Steels Creek
Walkability score 30/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 60 km 63.6 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 77 min 68 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3763
 0.8%
postcode 3775
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 3763
 48
postcode 3775

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.

Kinglake Steels Creek
Car (driver) 72.8% / 59.0%
Kinglake — Car (driver): 72.8% Steels Creek — Car (driver): 59.0%
Worked from Home 22.4% / 38.1%
Kinglake — Worked from Home: 22.4% Steels Creek — Worked from Home: 38.1%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 2.9%
Kinglake — Car (passenger): 3.3% Steels Creek — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Train 0.6% / —
Kinglake — Train: 0.6% Steels Creek — Train: not among its largest
Bus 0.6% / —
Kinglake — Bus: 0.6% Steels Creek — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.8%).

Setting

Kinglake Steels Creek
Elevation 557 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 137 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Kinglake Steels Creek
Connectivity score 73/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 55%
783 premises
 0%
95 premises

Climate

Kinglake Steels Creek
Annual rainfall 1,215 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kinglake Steels Creek
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Kinglake Steels Creek
Average residential rate $1,973/yr $2,161/yr
Council Murrindindi Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

Kinglake Steels Creek
Division Indi Casey
Member Helen Haines Aaron Violi
Party Independent Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Kinglake

Outer

Steels Creek

Outer

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Steels Creek

Steels Creek vs Yarra Glen Steels Creek vs Christmas Hills Steels Creek vs Dixons Creek Steels Creek vs Castella
Full data on Kinglake Full data on Steels Creek
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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