Lake Wendouree vs Newington

Newington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 53 in Lake Wendouree. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lake Wendouree, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Lake Wendouree: a median of $962,000, against $625,000 in Newington. On these figures, Lake Wendouree tends to suit older residents, while Newington suits families with children 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

Lake Wendouree

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Newington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($321,500 vs $501,250)
  • has cheaper houses ($625,000 vs $962,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Newington

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 41/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (117.6 km vs 121.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Lake Wendouree has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 19%)
  • Newington is more walkable (52/100 vs 41/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Lake Wendouree and Newington 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 Wendouree Newington
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 Wendouree Newington
Walkability 41 / 52
Lake Wendouree — Walkability: 41/100 Newington — Walkability: 52/100
Safety 24 / 33
Lake Wendouree — Safety: 24/100 Newington — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Lake Wendouree — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Lake Wendouree — Low flood risk: 100/100 Newington — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Lake Wendouree has more residents (2,878 vs 1,844); Lake Wendouree skews older (53 vs 39).

Lake Wendouree Newington
Population 2,878
+36% vs other
 1,844
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.1% -2.9%
Median age 53 39
Median household income $101,556/yr
+13% vs other
 $88,140/yr
Median weekly rent $321/wk
+2% vs other
 $315/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lake Wendouree Newington
0-4 2.7% / 4.2%
Lake Wendouree — 0-4: 2.7% Newington — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 11.0% / 14.7%
Lake Wendouree — 5-14: 11.0% Newington — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 6.2% / 12.9%
Lake Wendouree — 15-19: 6.2% Newington — 15-19: 12.9%
20-24 4.1% / 5.4%
Lake Wendouree — 20-24: 4.1% Newington — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 5.9% / 8.8%
Lake Wendouree — 25-34: 5.9% Newington — 25-34: 8.8%
35-44 9.1% / 11.3%
Lake Wendouree — 35-44: 9.1% Newington — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 13.6% / 13.6%
Lake Wendouree — 45-54: 13.6% Newington — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 15.0% / 10.9%
Lake Wendouree — 55-64: 15.0% Newington — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 15.3% / 10.3%
Lake Wendouree — 65-74: 15.3% Newington — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 11.0% / 5.9%
Lake Wendouree — 75-84: 11.0% Newington — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 6.3% / 2.3%
Lake Wendouree — 85+: 6.3% Newington — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lake Wendouree 48.7% lone person
Lake Wendouree — Lone Person: 48.7% Lake Wendouree — Couple Families: 37.1% Lake Wendouree — One Parent Families: 10.6% Lake Wendouree — Group Household: 3.1% Lake Wendouree — Other Families: 0.5%
Newington 41.9% lone person
Newington — Lone Person: 41.9% Newington — Couple Families: 37.0% Newington — One Parent Families: 15.4% Newington — Group Household: 5.1% Newington — Other Families: 0.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lake Wendouree 25.6% renting
Lake Wendouree — Owned Outright: 51.8% Lake Wendouree — Mortgage: 22.6% Lake Wendouree — Renting: 25.6%
Newington 28.9% renting
Newington — Owned Outright: 39.3% Newington — Mortgage: 31.8% Newington — Renting: 28.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lake Wendouree Newington
Bachelor Degree 20.4% / 18.3%
Lake Wendouree — Bachelor Degree: 20.4% Newington — Bachelor Degree: 18.3%
Certificate III & IV 8.8% / 9.4%
Lake Wendouree — Certificate III & IV: 8.8% Newington — Certificate III & IV: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 8.6% / 6.9%
Lake Wendouree — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6% Newington — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 6.2%
Lake Wendouree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Newington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.3% / 4.7%
Lake Wendouree — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3% Newington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

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.

Lake Wendouree Newington
England 1.9% / 1.7%
Lake Wendouree — England: 1.9% Newington — England: 1.7%
India 1.0% / 1.3%
Lake Wendouree — India: 1.0% Newington — India: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.1%
Lake Wendouree — New Zealand: 1.1% Newington — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 0.5% / 0.7%
Lake Wendouree — China: 0.5% Newington — China: 0.7%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.4%
Lake Wendouree — Scotland: 0.5% Newington — Scotland: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Lake Wendouree — Netherlands: 0.7% Newington — Netherlands: not among its largest
Vietnam 0.5% / —
Lake Wendouree — Vietnam: 0.5% Newington — Vietnam: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lake Wendouree 79.1% houses
Lake Wendouree — Houses: 79.1% Lake Wendouree — Townhouses: 18.8% Lake Wendouree — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Newington 84.1% houses
Newington — Houses: 84.1% Newington — Townhouses: 14.2% Newington — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lake Wendouree Newington
Median house price $962,500 $625,000
Median unit price $501,250 $321,500
Median land price $920,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 42 days
from 34 sales
 22 days
from 10 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 Wendouree Newington
3 bed $830K / $625K
Lake Wendouree — 3 bed: $830K (39 sales) Newington — 3 bed: $625K (36 sales)

39 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.41M / $1.01M
Lake Wendouree — 4 bed: $1.41M (30 sales) Newington — 4 bed: $1.01M (6 sales)

30 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Lake Wendouree Newington
Parks and recreation 64% 55%
Residential 30% 32%
Other and special use 3% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 6%
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 Wendouree Newington
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 Wendouree Newington
Houses 2.5%
$650/wk on $1.35M
 2.9%
$425/wk on $764K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Lake Wendouree Newington
House price Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Income Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
Schools Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC

Liveability

Newington is more walkable (52 vs 41).

Lake Wendouree Newington
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Lake Wendouree Newington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
76/100
 Moderate
67/100
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
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Lake Wendouree Newington
Inside the suburb 3
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 2.0 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.8% 2.8%

Schools in Lake Wendouree

  • Loreto College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat) Government · Primary below peers
  • Loreto College - The Little Flower Campus Catholic · Secondary

Schools in Newington

  • Ballarat Clarendon College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Newington Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Patrick's College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lake Wendouree Newington
Cafes & restaurants 6 0
Parks & reserves 15 1
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 9 1

Mobility

Lake Wendouree sits further from the CBD (121.9 km vs 117.6 km).

Lake Wendouree Newington
Walkability score 41/100 52/100
Distance to Melbourne 121.9 km
+4% vs other
 117.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 90 min
same for both
Public transport score 75/100 66/100
Peak arrivals per hour 30.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 20.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3350
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 3350
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 Wendouree Newington
Car (driver) 61.6% / 64.6%
Lake Wendouree — Car (driver): 61.6% Newington — Car (driver): 64.6%
Worked from Home 22.8% / 21.7%
Lake Wendouree — Worked from Home: 22.8% Newington — Worked from Home: 21.7%
Walked Only 7.4% / 7.0%
Lake Wendouree — Walked Only: 7.4% Newington — Walked Only: 7.0%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 4.8%
Lake Wendouree — Car (passenger): 5.8% Newington — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bicycle 1.6% / 1.1%
Lake Wendouree — Bicycle: 1.6% Newington — Bicycle: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.6%).

Setting

Lake Wendouree Newington
Elevation 449 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 448 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Lake Wendouree Newington
Connectivity score 84/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 70%
1,516 premises
 100%
840 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Lake Wendouree

Professionals Quiet Retirees

Newington

Professionals Quiet River

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Full data on Lake Wendouree Full data on Newington
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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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