Malmsbury vs Taradale

Malmsbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 52 in Taradale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Taradale: a median of $1.08 million, against $750,000 in Malmsbury, though rent is higher in Malmsbury. On these figures, Malmsbury tends to suit 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

Taradale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 53/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • But Malmsbury has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Malmsbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $1,077,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Taradale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($277/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Malmsbury sits closer to the CBD (95.9 km vs 102.6 km)
  • Taradale is more walkable (39/100 vs 22/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Taradale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 53/100)
  • is more walkable (39/100 vs 22/100)

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

Investors

Taradale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (17.0% vs 8.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Malmsbury and Taradale 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 Taradale
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 Taradale
Walkability 22 / 39
Malmsbury — Walkability: 22/100 Taradale — Walkability: 39/100
Safety 47 / 81
Malmsbury — Safety: 47/100 Taradale — Safety: 81/100
Low fire risk 59 / 76
Malmsbury — Low fire risk: 59/100 Taradale — Low fire risk: 76/100
Low flood risk 33 / 100
Malmsbury — Low flood risk: 33/100 Taradale — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Malmsbury has more residents (905 vs 524); Malmsbury rents higher ($350/wk vs $277/wk).

Malmsbury Taradale
Population 905
+42% vs other
 524
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.9% +17.0%
Median age 45 52
Median household income $85,072/yr
+10% vs other
 $76,336/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+21% vs other
 $277/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury Taradale
0-4 5.9% / 2.5%
Malmsbury — 0-4: 5.9% Taradale — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 12.0% / 9.0%
Malmsbury — 5-14: 12.0% Taradale — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 4.8% / 5.2%
Malmsbury — 15-19: 4.8% Taradale — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 3.4% / 4.8%
Malmsbury — 20-24: 3.4% Taradale — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 10.6% / 7.1%
Malmsbury — 25-34: 10.6% Taradale — 25-34: 7.1%
35-44 11.8% / 10.9%
Malmsbury — 35-44: 11.8% Taradale — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 15.6% / 17.0%
Malmsbury — 45-54: 15.6% Taradale — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 17.0% / 19.8%
Malmsbury — 55-64: 17.0% Taradale — 55-64: 19.8%
65-74 13.4% / 16.2%
Malmsbury — 65-74: 13.4% Taradale — 65-74: 16.2%
75-84 4.6% / 6.3%
Malmsbury — 75-84: 4.6% Taradale — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.1% / 0.6%
Malmsbury — 85+: 1.1% Taradale — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malmsbury 44.4% couple families
Malmsbury — Couple Families: 44.4% Malmsbury — Lone Person: 39.7% Malmsbury — One Parent Families: 10.7% Malmsbury — Group Household: 5.1% Malmsbury — Other Families: 0.0%
Taradale 35.4% couple families
Taradale — Couple Families: 35.4% Taradale — Lone Person: 38.2% Taradale — One Parent Families: 17.4% Taradale — Group Household: 6.9% Taradale — Other Families: 2.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

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%
Taradale 3.1% renting
Taradale — Owned Outright: 52.0% Taradale — Mortgage: 44.9% Taradale — Renting: 3.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Malmsbury Taradale
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 15.6%
Malmsbury — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Taradale — Certificate III & IV: 15.6%
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 15.5%
Malmsbury — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% Taradale — Bachelor Degree: 15.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 9.9%
Malmsbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Taradale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 7.6% / 5.2%
Malmsbury — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6% Taradale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 3.6%
Malmsbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Taradale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

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 Taradale
England 4.8% / 5.3%
Malmsbury — England: 4.8% Taradale — England: 5.3%
New Zealand 1.8% / 1.9%
Malmsbury — New Zealand: 1.8% Taradale — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany 0.3% / 1.0%
Malmsbury — Germany: 0.3% Taradale — Germany: 1.0%
Scotland 1.1% / —
Malmsbury — Scotland: 1.1% Taradale — Scotland: not among its largest
Canada — / 1.0%
Malmsbury — Canada: not among its largest Taradale — Canada: 1.0%
Italy 0.4% / —
Malmsbury — Italy: 0.4% Taradale — Italy: not among its largest
Ireland 0.4% / —
Malmsbury — Ireland: 0.4% Taradale — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

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

Property market

Malmsbury Taradale
Median house price $750,000 $1,077,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $302,500 $269,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 14 sales
 79 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Malmsbury has more rural and farming land (78% vs 62%).

Malmsbury Taradale
Rural and farming 78% 62%
Parks and recreation 4% 30%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 5%
Residential 3%
same for both
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 Taradale
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
 102
across Mount Alexander
Approvals change year on year +80% -7%

Ranking within VIC

Malmsbury Taradale
House price Higher than 40% of VIC —
Income Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 66% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Taradale is more walkable (39 vs 22); Taradale scores higher overall (63 vs 40).

Malmsbury Taradale
Grade C B
Score 40/100 63/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Malmsbury carries more flood risk (67 vs 0); Malmsbury carries more crime risk (53 vs 19).

Malmsbury Taradale
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Low
24/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 Low
19/100
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 Taradale
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Malmsbury

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

Schools in Taradale

  • Taradale Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Malmsbury Taradale
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 2 5
Childcare 1
same for both
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 10 6

Mobility

Taradale sits further from the CBD (102.6 km vs 95.9 km).

Malmsbury Taradale
Walkability score 22/100 39/100
Distance to Melbourne 95.9 km 102.6 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 71 min 75 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3446
 0.0%
postcode 3447
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 3446
 76
postcode 3447

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 Taradale
Car (driver) 60.6% / 64.2%
Malmsbury — Car (driver): 60.6% Taradale — Car (driver): 64.2%
Worked from Home 32.6% / 31.1%
Malmsbury — Worked from Home: 32.6% Taradale — Worked from Home: 31.1%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 3.1%
Malmsbury — Car (passenger): 2.3% Taradale — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Walked Only 3.4% / 1.6%
Malmsbury — Walked Only: 3.4% Taradale — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bicycle 1.0% / —
Malmsbury — Bicycle: 1.0% Taradale — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.2%).

Setting

Malmsbury Taradale
Elevation 462 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 390 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

Malmsbury Taradale
Annual rainfall 598 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Malmsbury Taradale
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

Taradale

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malmsbury

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

Other comparisons with Taradale

Taradale vs Elphinstone Taradale vs Fryerstown Taradale vs Drummond North Taradale vs Metcalfe
Full data on Malmsbury Full data on Taradale
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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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