Malabaine vs Southern Brook

Southern Brook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 57 in Malabaine. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Malabaine tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Southern Brook suits families with children and couples.

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

Southern Brook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 84/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 60%)

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

First-home buyers

Southern Brook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 31%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Southern Brook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $228/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Malabaine

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (89 min vs 97 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (109 km vs 117.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Malabaine has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 9%)
  • Southern Brook carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Malabaine and Southern Brook 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 Southern Brook
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 Southern Brook
Walkability 0 / 0
Malabaine — Walkability: 0/100 Southern Brook — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 16 / 77
Malabaine — Safety: 16/100 Southern Brook — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Malabaine — Low fire risk: 100/100 Southern Brook — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Malabaine — Low flood risk: 100/100 Southern Brook — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Southern Brook has more residents (91 vs 51); Malabaine rents higher ($228/wk vs $150/wk).

Malabaine Southern Brook
Population 51 91
+78% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.3% +18.2%
Median age 57 42
Median household income $84,500/yr $97,448/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $228/wk
+34% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malabaine Southern Brook
0-4 11.8% / 7.7%
Malabaine — 0-4: 11.8% Southern Brook — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 9.8% / 23.1%
Malabaine — 5-14: 9.8% Southern Brook — 5-14: 23.1%
15-19 — / 8.8%
Malabaine — 15-19: not among its largest Southern Brook — 15-19: 8.8%
20-24 — / 3.3%
Malabaine — 20-24: not among its largest Southern Brook — 20-24: 3.3%
25-34 7.8% / —
Malabaine — 25-34: 7.8% Southern Brook — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 11.8% / 15.4%
Malabaine — 35-44: 11.8% Southern Brook — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 7.8% / 15.4%
Malabaine — 45-54: 7.8% Southern Brook — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 21.6% / 23.1%
Malabaine — 55-64: 21.6% Southern Brook — 55-64: 23.1%
65-74 13.7% / 8.8%
Malabaine — 65-74: 13.7% Southern Brook — 65-74: 8.8%
75-84 13.7% / —
Malabaine — 75-84: 13.7% Southern Brook — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Malabaine — 85+: not among its largest Southern Brook — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

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 Southern Brook
England 5.9% / 4.4%
Malabaine — England: 5.9% Southern Brook — England: 4.4%
Philippines 5.9% / 3.3%
Malabaine — Philippines: 5.9% Southern Brook — Philippines: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malabaine 60.0% couple families
Malabaine — Couple Families: 60.0% Malabaine — Lone Person: 40.0%
Southern Brook 84.2% couple families
Southern Brook — Couple Families: 84.2% Southern Brook — Lone Person: 15.8%
Couple Families Lone Person

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malabaine 100.0% houses
Malabaine — Houses: 100.0% Malabaine — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Southern Brook 92.9% houses
Southern Brook — Houses: 92.9% Southern Brook — Flats / Apartments: 7.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Malabaine Southern Brook
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.8% / 4.4%
Malabaine — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8% Southern Brook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4%
Certificate III & IV 5.9% / 9.9%
Malabaine — Certificate III & IV: 5.9% Southern Brook — Certificate III & IV: 9.9%
Bachelor Degree — / 12.1%
Malabaine — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Southern Brook — Bachelor Degree: 12.1%
Postgraduate Degree 5.9% / —
Malabaine — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9% Southern Brook — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.1%).

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%
Southern Brook 14.3% renting
Southern Brook — Owned Outright: 57.1% Southern Brook — Mortgage: 28.6% Southern Brook — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Development activity

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

Ranking within WA

Malabaine Southern Brook
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 47% of WA Higher than 62% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 9% of WA Higher than 47% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 29% of WA Higher than 30% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of WA Higher than 46% of WA

Liveability

Malabaine Southern Brook
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Malabaine carries more crime risk (84 vs 23).

Malabaine Southern Brook
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 Low
23/100
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

Malabaine Southern Brook
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 Southern Brook
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 0 1
Fuel stations 2 0

Mobility

Southern Brook sits further from the CBD (117.8 km vs 109 km).

Malabaine Southern Brook
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 109 km 117.8 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 97 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 6401
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 6401
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.

Malabaine Southern Brook
Worked from Home 76.9% / 37.8%
Malabaine — Worked from Home: 76.9% Southern Brook — Worked from Home: 37.8%
Car (driver) 23.1% / 62.2%
Malabaine — Car (driver): 23.1% Southern Brook — Car (driver): 62.2%

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

Setting

Malabaine Southern Brook
Elevation 225 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 219 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Malabaine Southern Brook
Connectivity score 30/100 22/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
 0%
27 premises

Climate

Malabaine Southern Brook
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 Southern Brook
Average residential rate $2,471/yr
same for both
Council Northam
same for both

Federal electorate

Malabaine Southern Brook
Division Bullwinkel
same for both
Member Trish Cook
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malabaine Southern Brook
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

Southern Brook

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malabaine

Malabaine vs Northam Malabaine vs Muluckine Malabaine vs Grass Valley Malabaine vs Irishtown Malabaine vs Jennapullin

Other comparisons with Southern Brook

Southern Brook vs Meckering Southern Brook vs Grass Valley Southern Brook vs Jennapullin
Full data on Malabaine Full data on Southern Brook
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or