Marong vs Lockwood
Marong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 46 in Lockwood. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lockwood: a median of $786,000, against $675,000 in Marong, though rent is higher in Marong. On these figures, Marong tends to suit families with children, while Lockwood suits 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Marong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($675,000 vs $786,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Lockwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $350/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Lockwood
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (102 min vs 110 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (146.6 km vs 157 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Lockwood
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 11%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Marong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (41.6% vs 6.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Marong and Lockwood drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Marong has more residents (2,005 vs 806); Lockwood skews older (46 vs 31).
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,005 +60% vs other | 806 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +41.6% | +6.9% |
| Median age | 31 | 46 |
| Median household income | $103,428/yr +10% vs other | $93,600/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk +21% vs other | $275/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $675,000 | $786,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $620,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 31 days from 15 sales | — |
Zoning mix
Marong has more rural and farming land (87% vs 71%).
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 87% | 71% |
| Parks and recreation | 10% | 27% |
| Residential | 2% | 0% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 2% 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
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 885 across Greater Bendigo same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +28% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 38% of VIC | — |
| Income | Higher than 76% of VIC | Higher than 63% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of VIC | Higher than 74% of VIC |
| Affordability | Higher than 87% of VIC | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 55% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 88% of VIC | Higher than 53% of VIC |
Liveability
Lockwood is more walkable (13 vs 0); Lockwood scores higher overall (56 vs 40).
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | B |
| Score | 40/100 | 56/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Marong carries more flood risk (45 vs 0); Marong carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Low 35/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 45/100 | None 0/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 6 within 5 km |
Schools
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Marong
- Marong Primary School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Lockwood
- Lockwood Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Childcare | 3 | 1 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 6 | 0 |
Mobility
Marong sits further from the CBD (157 km vs 146.6 km).
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 157 km +7% vs other | 146.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 110 min | 102 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3515 | 0.6% postcode 3551 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 3515 | 64 postcode 3551 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.8%).
Setting
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 192 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 230 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 78/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 65% 913 premises | 0% 308 premises |
Climate
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,949/yr same for both | |
| Council | Greater Bendigo same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo same for both | |
| Member | Lisa Chesters same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Marong | Lockwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Marong
Lockwood
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Marong
Other comparisons with Lockwood
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.