Malmsbury vs Metcalfe

Malmsbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 52 in Metcalfe. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Metcalfe, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Metcalfe: a median of $1.05 million, against $750,000 in Malmsbury, though rent is higher in Malmsbury. On these figures, Malmsbury tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Metcalfe suits people living alone and 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

Metcalfe

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 53/100)
  • But Malmsbury has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Malmsbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $1,050,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Metcalfe

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($311/wk vs $350/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Malmsbury

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (95.9 km vs 109.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (71 min vs 81 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Metcalfe

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 53/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 19%)
  • But Malmsbury is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Malmsbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.9% vs 2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Malmsbury Metcalfe
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.

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Walkability 22 / 0
Malmsbury — Walkability: 22/100 Metcalfe — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 47 / 74
Malmsbury — Safety: 47/100 Metcalfe — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 59 / 37
Malmsbury — Low fire risk: 59/100 Metcalfe — Low fire risk: 37/100
Low flood risk 33 / 100
Malmsbury — Low flood risk: 33/100 Metcalfe — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Malmsbury has more residents (905 vs 190); Metcalfe skews older (52 vs 45).

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Population 905
+79% vs other
 190
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.9% +2.7%
Median age 45 52
Median household income $85,072/yr
+9% vs other
 $77,220/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+11% vs other
 $311/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury Metcalfe
0-4 5.9% / 2.1%
Malmsbury — 0-4: 5.9% Metcalfe — 0-4: 2.1%
5-14 12.0% / 13.2%
Malmsbury — 5-14: 12.0% Metcalfe — 5-14: 13.2%
15-19 4.8% / 3.7%
Malmsbury — 15-19: 4.8% Metcalfe — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 3.4% / —
Malmsbury — 20-24: 3.4% Metcalfe — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.6% / 7.9%
Malmsbury — 25-34: 10.6% Metcalfe — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 11.8% / 7.4%
Malmsbury — 35-44: 11.8% Metcalfe — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 15.6% / 18.4%
Malmsbury — 45-54: 15.6% Metcalfe — 45-54: 18.4%
55-64 17.0% / 12.6%
Malmsbury — 55-64: 17.0% Metcalfe — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 13.4% / 16.8%
Malmsbury — 65-74: 13.4% Metcalfe — 65-74: 16.8%
75-84 4.6% / 12.1%
Malmsbury — 75-84: 4.6% Metcalfe — 75-84: 12.1%
85+ 1.1% / —
Malmsbury — 85+: 1.1% Metcalfe — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury 39.7% lone person
Malmsbury — Lone Person: 39.7% Malmsbury — Couple Families: 44.4% Malmsbury — One Parent Families: 10.7% Malmsbury — Group Household: 5.1%
Metcalfe 49.0% lone person
Metcalfe — Lone Person: 49.0% Metcalfe — Couple Families: 41.2% Metcalfe — One Parent Families: 9.8% Metcalfe — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury 11.1% renting
Malmsbury — Owned Outright: 39.8% Malmsbury — Mortgage: 49.1% Malmsbury — Renting: 11.1%
Metcalfe 0.0% renting
Metcalfe — Owned Outright: 62.5% Metcalfe — Mortgage: 37.5% Metcalfe — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 12.6%
Malmsbury — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Metcalfe — Certificate III & IV: 12.6%
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 12.1%
Malmsbury — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% Metcalfe — Bachelor Degree: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 12.1%
Malmsbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Metcalfe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.1%
Postgraduate Degree 7.6% / 10.0%
Malmsbury — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6% Metcalfe — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 2.1%
Malmsbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Metcalfe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

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.

Malmsbury Metcalfe
England 4.8% / 2.1%
Malmsbury — England: 4.8% Metcalfe — England: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.8% / 2.1%
Malmsbury — New Zealand: 1.8% Metcalfe — New Zealand: 2.1%
South Africa — / 2.1%
Malmsbury — South Africa: not among its largest Metcalfe — South Africa: 2.1%
Scotland 1.1% / —
Malmsbury — Scotland: 1.1% Metcalfe — Scotland: not among its largest
Italy 0.4% / —
Malmsbury — Italy: 0.4% Metcalfe — Italy: not among its largest
Ireland 0.4% / —
Malmsbury — Ireland: 0.4% Metcalfe — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury 99.1% houses
Malmsbury — Houses: 99.1% Malmsbury — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Metcalfe 100.0% houses
Metcalfe — Houses: 100.0% Metcalfe — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Median house price $750,000 $1,050,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $302,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 14 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Metcalfe has more rural and farming land (92% vs 78%).

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Rural and farming 78% 92%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 7%
Residential 3% 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

Malmsbury Metcalfe
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
 102
across Mount Alexander
Approvals change year on year +80% -7%

Ranking within VIC

Malmsbury Metcalfe
House price Higher than 40% of VIC —
Income Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 66% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC

Liveability

Malmsbury is more walkable (22 vs 0).

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Grade C —
Score 40/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Malmsbury carries more flood risk (67 vs 0); Malmsbury carries more crime risk (53 vs 26).

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
63/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 Low
26/100
Flood Moderate
67/100
 None
0/100
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

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Malmsbury

  • Malmsbury Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkville College - Malmsbury Campus Government · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Metcalfe

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 2 5
Childcare 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 10 3

Mobility

Metcalfe sits further from the CBD (109.7 km vs 95.9 km).

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Walkability score 22/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 95.9 km 109.7 km
+14% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 71 min 81 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3446
 0.9%
postcode 3448
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 3446
 68
postcode 3448

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.

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Car (driver) 60.6% / 72.5%
Malmsbury — Car (driver): 60.6% Metcalfe — Car (driver): 72.5%
Worked from Home 32.6% / 20.3%
Malmsbury — Worked from Home: 32.6% Metcalfe — Worked from Home: 20.3%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 7.2%
Malmsbury — Car (passenger): 2.3% Metcalfe — Car (passenger): 7.2%
Walked Only 3.4% / —
Malmsbury — Walked Only: 3.4% Metcalfe — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.0% / —
Malmsbury — Bicycle: 1.0% Metcalfe — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.5%).

Setting

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Elevation 462 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 351 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Connectivity score 30/100 26/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
464 premises
 0%
116 premises

Climate

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Annual rainfall 598 mm 553 mm
Summer max (Jan) 27.9°C 29.6°C
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C 3.1°C

Council rates

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Average residential rate $2,065/yr $1,885/yr
Council Macedon Ranges Mount Alexander

Federal electorate

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malmsbury Metcalfe
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Malmsbury

Acreage Professionals Trains

Metcalfe

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malmsbury

Malmsbury vs Kyneton Malmsbury vs Taradale Malmsbury vs Lauriston Malmsbury vs Drummond North Malmsbury vs Edgecombe Malmsbury vs Greenhill

Other comparisons with Metcalfe

Metcalfe vs Elphinstone Metcalfe vs Taradale Metcalfe vs Redesdale Metcalfe vs Barfold
Full data on Malmsbury Full data on Metcalfe
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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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