Lake Rowan vs St James
Lake Rowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 60 in St James. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lake Rowan, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Lake Rowan tends to suit couples, while St James suits older residents.
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
Lake Rowan
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 42%)
- carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 81/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
St James
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Lake Rowan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $236/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Lake Rowan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (168 min vs 173 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (254.9 km vs 258.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Lake Rowan carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 81/100)
- St James has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 6%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Lake Rowan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.1% vs -6.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Lake Rowan and St James 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
St James rents higher ($236/wk vs $0/wk); St James has more residents (123 vs 70).
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70 | 123 +76% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.1% | -6.8% |
| Median age | 50 | 60 |
| Median household income | $62,816/yr +20% vs other | $50,232/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $236/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 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 (20.0%).
Zoning mix
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 98% |
| Parks and recreation | 6% | 1% |
| 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 Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 332 across Moira same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -70% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 24% of VIC | Higher than 10% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 62% of VIC | Higher than 3% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 65% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 25% of VIC | Higher than 20% of VIC |
Liveability
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
St James carries more crime risk (81 vs 40); Lake Rowan carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 42).
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 42/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 40/100 | High 81/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 58/100 | High 75/100 |
| 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
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
St James sits further from the CBD (258.7 km vs 254.9 km).
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 254.9 km | 258.7 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 168 min | 173 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.7% postcode 3727 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 67 postcode 3727 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (91.7%).
Setting
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 150 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 132 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 22/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 30 premises | 0% 65 premises |
Climate
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 484 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,908/yr same for both | |
| Council | Moira same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Nicholls same for both | |
| Member | Sam Birrell same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Lake Rowan | St James | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Lake Rowan
Other comparisons with St James
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.