Lake Gardens vs Wendouree

Wendouree is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 51 in Lake Gardens. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wendouree, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Lake Gardens: a median of $700,000, against $515,000 in Wendouree, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Wendouree tends to suit people living alone and 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

Wendouree

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 2)
  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 5)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 3)
  • But Lake Gardens is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 42%)

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

First-home buyers

Wendouree

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($327,500 vs $600,000)
  • has cheaper land ($355,000 vs $618,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($515,000 vs $700,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wendouree

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wendouree

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 8%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Lake Gardens is growing faster (6.3% vs -0.7%)
  • Wendouree returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.0% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lake Gardens Wendouree
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.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Walkability 75 / 82
Lake Gardens — Walkability: 75/100 Wendouree — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 15 / 7
Lake Gardens — Safety: 15/100 Wendouree — Safety: 7/100
Low fire risk 100 / 86
Lake Gardens — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wendouree — Low fire risk: 86/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Lake Gardens — Low flood risk: 100/100 Wendouree — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Wendouree has more residents (10,376 vs 1,801); Lake Gardens has higher household incomes ($79,768 vs $51,480).

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Population 1,801 10,376
+476% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.3% -0.7%
Median age 51 42
Median household income $79,768/yr
+35% vs other
 $51,480/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+31% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
0-4 3.8% / 5.4%
Lake Gardens — 0-4: 3.8% Wendouree — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 9.6% / 10.7%
Lake Gardens — 5-14: 9.6% Wendouree — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 8.6% / 6.1%
Lake Gardens — 15-19: 8.6% Wendouree — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 4.1% / 6.4%
Lake Gardens — 20-24: 4.1% Wendouree — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 7.7% / 14.1%
Lake Gardens — 25-34: 7.7% Wendouree — 25-34: 14.1%
35-44 8.2% / 9.7%
Lake Gardens — 35-44: 8.2% Wendouree — 35-44: 9.7%
45-54 14.7% / 11.2%
Lake Gardens — 45-54: 14.7% Wendouree — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 14.8% / 11.8%
Lake Gardens — 55-64: 14.8% Wendouree — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 13.9% / 11.8%
Lake Gardens — 65-74: 13.9% Wendouree — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 12.1% / 8.5%
Lake Gardens — 75-84: 12.1% Wendouree — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ 3.1% / 4.5%
Lake Gardens — 85+: 3.1% Wendouree — 85+: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lake Gardens 42.8% lone person
Lake Gardens — Lone Person: 42.8% Lake Gardens — Couple Families: 39.0% Lake Gardens — One Parent Families: 14.5% Lake Gardens — Group Household: 2.6% Lake Gardens — Other Families: 1.2%
Wendouree 51.5% lone person
Wendouree — Lone Person: 51.5% Wendouree — Couple Families: 20.1% Wendouree — One Parent Families: 21.7% Wendouree — Group Household: 4.5% Wendouree — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lake Gardens 29.0% renting
Lake Gardens — Owned Outright: 49.8% Lake Gardens — Mortgage: 21.2% Lake Gardens — Renting: 29.0%
Wendouree 44.4% renting
Wendouree — Owned Outright: 34.6% Wendouree — Mortgage: 21.1% Wendouree — Renting: 44.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Certificate III & IV 9.9% / 16.2%
Lake Gardens — Certificate III & IV: 9.9% Wendouree — Certificate III & IV: 16.2%
Bachelor Degree 16.2% / 6.5%
Lake Gardens — Bachelor Degree: 16.2% Wendouree — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 5.6%
Lake Gardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Wendouree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Postgraduate Degree 7.2% / 1.5%
Lake Gardens — Postgraduate Degree: 7.2% Wendouree — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 1.2%
Lake Gardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Wendouree — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

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.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
England 3.2% / 1.5%
Lake Gardens — England: 3.2% Wendouree — England: 1.5%
China 4.0% / —
Lake Gardens — China: 4.0% Wendouree — China: not among its largest
India 1.7% / 0.7%
Lake Gardens — India: 1.7% Wendouree — India: 0.7%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Lake Gardens — Philippines: not among its largest Wendouree — Philippines: 1.3%
New Zealand 0.6% / 0.7%
Lake Gardens — New Zealand: 0.6% Wendouree — New Zealand: 0.7%
South Africa 0.7% / —
Lake Gardens — South Africa: 0.7% Wendouree — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Lake Gardens — Netherlands: not among its largest Wendouree — Netherlands: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lake Gardens 92.0% houses
Lake Gardens — Houses: 92.0% Lake Gardens — Townhouses: 7.2% Lake Gardens — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Wendouree 80.0% houses
Wendouree — Houses: 80.0% Wendouree — Townhouses: 15.6% Wendouree — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Median house price $700,000 $515,000
Median unit price $600,000 $327,500
Median land price $618,000 $355,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 20 sales
 24 days
from 116 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
3 bed $615K / $520K
Lake Gardens — 3 bed: $615K (36 sales) Wendouree — 3 bed: $520K (256 sales)

36 vs 256 sales

4 bed $780K / $578K
Lake Gardens — 4 bed: $780K (39 sales) Wendouree — 4 bed: $578K (39 sales)

39 vs 39 sales

Zoning mix

Wendouree has more industrially zoned land (27% vs 4%).

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Residential 59% 46%
Industrial 4% 27%
Infrastructure and transport 20% 12%
Parks and recreation 16% 9%
Commercial 0% 4%
Other and special use 0% 3%
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

Lake Gardens Wendouree
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
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.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Houses 3.0%
$460/wk on $800K
 4.0%
$430/wk on $565K
Units — 5.0%
$330/wk on $345K

Ranking within VIC

Lake Gardens Wendouree
House price Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Income Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 11% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 37% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 60% of VIC

Liveability

Lake Gardens scores higher overall (69 vs 43).

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Grade A C
Score 69/100 43/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Wendouree carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0).

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
14/100
Crime High
85/100
 High
93/100
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 20
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Inside the suburb 2 9
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1 4
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 3.5 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 4.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 1.1%

Schools in Lake Gardens

  • Ballarat High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Ballarat Specialist School Government · Combined · Special school below peers

Schools in Wendouree

  • Wendouree Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ballarat Grammar Independent · Combined at peers
  • Forest Street Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Rowan Secondary College Government · Secondary below peers
  • Our Lady Help of Christians School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Yuille Park Community College Government · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 5 21
Childcare 3 12
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 4
EV chargers 0 2

Mobility

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Walkability score 75/100 82/100
Distance to Melbourne 122.4 km
+1% vs other
 120.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 86 min
Public transport score 36/100 82/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 4.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 199.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3355
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 27
postcode 3355
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.

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Car (driver) 65.2% / 78.2%
Lake Gardens — Car (driver): 65.2% Wendouree — Car (driver): 78.2%
Worked from Home 24.4% / 9.9%
Lake Gardens — Worked from Home: 24.4% Wendouree — Worked from Home: 9.9%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / 6.3%
Lake Gardens — Car (passenger): 6.5% Wendouree — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Walked Only 2.0% / 3.2%
Lake Gardens — Walked Only: 2.0% Wendouree — Walked Only: 3.2%
Bicycle 1.0% / 0.9%
Lake Gardens — Bicycle: 1.0% Wendouree — Bicycle: 0.9%
Bus 0.4% / 1.1%
Lake Gardens — Bus: 0.4% Wendouree — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.2%).

Setting

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Elevation 464 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 463 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Connectivity score 77/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 58%
909 premises
 46%
6,294 premises

Climate

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Annual rainfall 605 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lake Gardens Wendouree
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lake Gardens

Large Blocks Parks Professionals Quiet Retirees River

Wendouree

Affordable Parks Regional Centre Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lake Gardens

Lake Gardens vs Alfredton Lake Gardens vs Lake Wendouree Lake Gardens vs Newington

Other comparisons with Wendouree

Wendouree vs Alfredton Wendouree vs Ballarat Central Wendouree vs Ballarat North Wendouree vs Miners Rest Wendouree vs Lake Wendouree Wendouree vs Soldiers Hill
Full data on Lake Gardens Full data on Wendouree
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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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