Knowsley vs Toolleen
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Knowsley, about half of households are couple families. In Toolleen, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Toolleen: a median of $1.01 million, against $400,000 in Knowsley, though rent is higher in Knowsley. On these figures, Knowsley tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Toolleen 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
Toolleen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 80/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Knowsley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($400,000 vs $1,007,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Knowsley has a bigger rental market to choose from (19% vs 9%)
- Toolleen has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $315/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Knowsley
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (146.6 km vs 156.5 km)
- has a shorter drive in (107 min vs 114 min)
- But Toolleen is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Toolleen
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (70/100 vs 80/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Toolleen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (21.4% vs 5.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Knowsley and Toolleen drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Toolleen has more residents (221 vs 168); Knowsley rents higher ($315/wk vs $260/wk).
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 168 | 221 +32% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +5.0% | +21.4% |
| Median age | 47 | 46 |
| Median household income | $84,500/yr +12% vs other | $74,360/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $315/wk +17% vs other | $260/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $400,000 | $1,007,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Knowsley has more land zoned for conservation (40% vs 0%); Toolleen has more rural and farming land (86% vs 53%).
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 53% | 86% |
| Environmental | 40% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 7% | 13% |
| 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
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 885 across Greater Bendigo | 264 across Campaspe |
| Approvals change year on year | +28% | +63% |
Ranking within VIC
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 54% of VIC | Higher than 40% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 42% of VIC | Higher than 68% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 64% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 31% of VIC | Higher than 25% of VIC |
Liveability
Toolleen is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Toolleen carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 13); Knowsley carries more crime risk (80 vs 70).
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 13/100 | Low 39/100 |
| Crime | High 80/100 | High 70/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 4 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 11 | 2 |
Mobility
Toolleen sits further from the CBD (156.5 km vs 146.6 km).
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 146.6 km | 156.5 km +7% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 107 min | 114 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.7% postcode 3523 | 0.6% postcode 3551 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 54 postcode 3523 | 64 postcode 3551 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.3%).
Setting
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 207 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 190 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 74 premises | 0% 98 premises |
Climate
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 553 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,949/yr | $2,035/yr |
| Council | Greater Bendigo | Campaspe |
Federal electorate
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo | Nicholls |
| Member | Lisa Chesters | Sam Birrell |
| Party | Australian Labor Party | The Nationals |
First Home Owner Grant
| Knowsley | Toolleen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Knowsley
Other comparisons with Toolleen
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.