Malabaine vs Grass Valley

Grass Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 57 in Malabaine. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Malabaine, most households are couple families. In Grass Valley, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Malabaine tends to suit families with children and couples, while Grass Valley 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Malabaine is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 47%)
  • Grass Valley carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

Grass Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 31%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Malabaine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 20%)

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

Commuting to the city

Malabaine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (109 km vs 112.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Grass Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Malabaine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.3% vs -10.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Malabaine Grass Valley
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.

Malabaine Grass Valley
Walkability 0 / 0
Malabaine — Walkability: 0/100 Grass Valley — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 16 / 42
Malabaine — Safety: 16/100 Grass Valley — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Malabaine — Low fire risk: 100/100 Grass Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Malabaine — Low flood risk: 100/100 Grass Valley — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Grass Valley has more residents (158 vs 51); Malabaine has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $58,500).

Malabaine Grass Valley
Population 51 158
+210% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.3% -10.2%
Median age 57 52
Median household income $84,500/yr
+31% vs other
 $58,500/yr
Median weekly rent $228/wk
+1% vs other
 $225/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malabaine Grass Valley
0-4 11.8% / —
Malabaine — 0-4: 11.8% Grass Valley — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.8% / 11.4%
Malabaine — 5-14: 9.8% Grass Valley — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 — / 7.0%
Malabaine — 15-19: not among its largest Grass Valley — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 — / 6.3%
Malabaine — 20-24: not among its largest Grass Valley — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 7.8% / 7.0%
Malabaine — 25-34: 7.8% Grass Valley — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 11.8% / 13.3%
Malabaine — 35-44: 11.8% Grass Valley — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 7.8% / 11.4%
Malabaine — 45-54: 7.8% Grass Valley — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 21.6% / 22.8%
Malabaine — 55-64: 21.6% Grass Valley — 55-64: 22.8%
65-74 13.7% / 14.6%
Malabaine — 65-74: 13.7% Grass Valley — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 13.7% / 10.8%
Malabaine — 75-84: 13.7% Grass Valley — 75-84: 10.8%
85+ — / —
Malabaine — 85+: not among its largest Grass Valley — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malabaine 40.0% lone person
Malabaine — Lone Person: 40.0% Malabaine — Couple Families: 60.0% Malabaine — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Grass Valley 53.5% lone person
Grass Valley — Lone Person: 53.5% Grass Valley — Couple Families: 32.6% Grass Valley — One Parent Families: 14.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Malabaine 22.2% renting
Malabaine — Owned Outright: 55.6% Malabaine — Mortgage: 22.2% Malabaine — Renting: 22.2%
Grass Valley 20.0% renting
Grass Valley — Owned Outright: 41.4% Grass Valley — Mortgage: 38.6% Grass Valley — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Malabaine Grass Valley
England 5.9% / 8.9%
Malabaine — England: 5.9% Grass Valley — England: 8.9%
New Zealand — / 8.9%
Malabaine — New Zealand: not among its largest Grass Valley — New Zealand: 8.9%
Philippines 5.9% / —
Malabaine — Philippines: 5.9% Grass Valley — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.9%).

Qualifications

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

Malabaine Grass Valley
Certificate III & IV 5.9% / 21.5%
Malabaine — Certificate III & IV: 5.9% Grass Valley — Certificate III & IV: 21.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.8% / 5.7%
Malabaine — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8% Grass Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 5.9% / —
Malabaine — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9% Grass Valley — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Bachelor Degree — / 5.1%
Malabaine — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Grass Valley — Bachelor Degree: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malabaine 100.0% houses
Malabaine — Houses: 100.0%
Grass Valley 104.7% houses
Grass Valley — Houses: 104.7%
Houses

Property market

Malabaine Grass Valley
Median house price — $540,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Malabaine Grass Valley
New dwellings approved 85
across Northam
same for both
Approvals change year on year -68%
same for both

Ranking within WA

Malabaine Grass Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 47% of WA Higher than 15% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 9% of WA Higher than 4% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 29% of WA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of WA
same for both

Liveability

Malabaine Grass Valley
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Malabaine carries more crime risk (84 vs 58).

Malabaine Grass Valley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 Moderate
58/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Malabaine Grass Valley
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

Malabaine Grass Valley
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0

Mobility

Grass Valley sits further from the CBD (112.7 km vs 109 km).

Malabaine Grass Valley
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 109 km 112.7 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 6401
 0.0%
postcode 6403
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 6401
 —

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.

Malabaine Grass Valley
Car (driver) 23.1% / 69.8%
Malabaine — Car (driver): 23.1% Grass Valley — Car (driver): 69.8%
Worked from Home 76.9% / 4.8%
Malabaine — Worked from Home: 76.9% Grass Valley — Worked from Home: 4.8%
Car (passenger) — / 17.5%
Malabaine — Car (passenger): not among its largest Grass Valley — Car (passenger): 17.5%
Walked Only — / 7.9%
Malabaine — Walked Only: not among its largest Grass Valley — Walked Only: 7.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.9%).

Setting

Malabaine Grass Valley
Elevation 225 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 218 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Malabaine Grass Valley
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
 0%
92 premises

Climate

Malabaine Grass Valley
Annual rainfall 399 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 34.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Malabaine Grass Valley
Average residential rate $2,471/yr
same for both
Council Northam
same for both

Federal electorate

Malabaine Grass Valley
Division Bullwinkel
same for both
Member Trish Cook
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malabaine Grass Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Malabaine

Professionals Retirees Rural Young Families

Grass Valley

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malabaine

Malabaine vs Northam Malabaine vs Muluckine Malabaine vs Irishtown Malabaine vs Southern Brook Malabaine vs Jennapullin

Other comparisons with Grass Valley

Grass Valley vs Muluckine Grass Valley vs Southern Brook Grass Valley vs Throssell
Full data on Malabaine Full data on Grass Valley
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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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