Miners Rest vs Windermere

Miners Rest is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 46 in Windermere. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Miners Rest tends to suit families with children, while Windermere suits people living alone, couples, 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

Miners Rest

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 89/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Windermere

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $360/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 17%)

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

Commuting to the city

Miners Rest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (125.2 km vs 131.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Miners Rest

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 89/100)
  • But Windermere has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Miners Rest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.7% vs -1.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Miners Rest Windermere
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.

Miners Rest Windermere
Walkability 50 / 0
Miners Rest — Walkability: 50/100 Windermere — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 67 / 11
Miners Rest — Safety: 67/100 Windermere — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Miners Rest — Low fire risk: 100/100 Windermere — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 22 / 18
Miners Rest — Low flood risk: 22/100 Windermere — Low flood risk: 18/100

Demographics

Miners Rest has more residents (3,829 vs 96); Miners Rest rents higher ($360/wk vs $200/wk).

Miners Rest Windermere
Population 3,829
+97% vs other
 96
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +23.7% -1.0%
Median age 33 46
Median household income $103,116/yr $117,000/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+44% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Miners Rest Windermere
0-4 8.2% / —
Miners Rest — 0-4: 8.2% Windermere — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 16.8% / 19.8%
Miners Rest — 5-14: 16.8% Windermere — 5-14: 19.8%
15-19 5.9% / 7.3%
Miners Rest — 15-19: 5.9% Windermere — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 5.2% / 5.2%
Miners Rest — 20-24: 5.2% Windermere — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 16.1% / 14.6%
Miners Rest — 25-34: 16.1% Windermere — 25-34: 14.6%
35-44 16.2% / 3.1%
Miners Rest — 35-44: 16.2% Windermere — 35-44: 3.1%
45-54 11.8% / 11.5%
Miners Rest — 45-54: 11.8% Windermere — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 10.3% / 16.7%
Miners Rest — 55-64: 10.3% Windermere — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 6.8% / 12.5%
Miners Rest — 65-74: 6.8% Windermere — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 2.5% / 8.3%
Miners Rest — 75-84: 2.5% Windermere — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 0.7% / —
Miners Rest — 85+: 0.7% Windermere — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Miners Rest 55.9% couple families
Miners Rest — Couple Families: 55.9% Miners Rest — Lone Person: 22.3% Miners Rest — One Parent Families: 16.3% Miners Rest — Group Household: 4.1% Miners Rest — Other Families: 1.5%
Windermere 66.7% couple families
Windermere — Couple Families: 66.7% Windermere — Lone Person: 33.3% Windermere — One Parent Families: 0.0% Windermere — Group Household: 0.0% Windermere — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Miners Rest 16.9% renting
Miners Rest — Owned Outright: 23.8% Miners Rest — Mortgage: 59.3% Miners Rest — Renting: 16.9%
Windermere 26.9% renting
Windermere — Owned Outright: 50.0% Windermere — Mortgage: 23.1% Windermere — Renting: 26.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Miners Rest 98.6% houses
Miners Rest — Houses: 98.6% Miners Rest — Flats / Apartments: 0.7% Miners Rest — Townhouses: 0.7%
Windermere 100.0% houses
Windermere — Houses: 100.0% Windermere — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Windermere — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Miners Rest Windermere
Certificate III & IV 19.5% / 25.0%
Miners Rest — Certificate III & IV: 19.5% Windermere — Certificate III & IV: 25.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 10.4%
Miners Rest — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% Windermere — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 8.3%
Miners Rest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Windermere — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 4.2%
Miners Rest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Windermere — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / —
Miners Rest — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Windermere — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

Property market

Miners Rest Windermere
Median house price $640,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $302,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 37 days
from 56 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Windermere has more rural and farming land (98% vs 61%).

Miners Rest Windermere
Rural and farming 61% 98%
Residential 18% 0%
Other and special use 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 2%
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

Miners Rest Windermere
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Miners Rest Windermere
Houses 3.7%
$505/wk on $710K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Miners Rest Windermere
House price Higher than 25% of VIC —
Income Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 94% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 38% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 46% of VIC —

Liveability

Miners Rest is more walkable (50 vs 0).

Miners Rest Windermere
Grade B —
Score 52/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Windermere carries more crime risk (89 vs 33).

Miners Rest Windermere
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
33/100
 High
89/100
Flood High
78/100
 High
82/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Miners Rest Windermere
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Miners Rest

  • Miners Rest Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Windermere

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

Amenities in the suburb

Miners Rest Windermere
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 0
Childcare 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 3 9

Mobility

Windermere sits further from the CBD (131.2 km vs 125.2 km).

Miners Rest Windermere
Walkability score 50/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 125.2 km 131.2 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 90 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3352
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3352
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.

Miners Rest Windermere
Car (driver) 77.6% / 47.8%
Miners Rest — Car (driver): 77.6% Windermere — Car (driver): 47.8%
Worked from Home 14.8% / 32.6%
Miners Rest — Worked from Home: 14.8% Windermere — Worked from Home: 32.6%
Walked Only 1.4% / 19.6%
Miners Rest — Walked Only: 1.4% Windermere — Walked Only: 19.6%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / —
Miners Rest — Car (passenger): 5.0% Windermere — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Train 0.5% / —
Miners Rest — Train: 0.5% Windermere — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.6%).

Setting

Miners Rest Windermere
Elevation 424 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 399 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Miners Rest Windermere
Connectivity score 70/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
1,552 premises
 0%
45 premises

Climate

Miners Rest Windermere
Annual rainfall 605 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Miners Rest Windermere
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Miners Rest Windermere
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Miners Rest Windermere
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Miners Rest

Acreage Family River

Windermere

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Miners Rest

Miners Rest vs Wendouree Miners Rest vs Mitchell Park Miners Rest vs Learmonth Miners Rest vs Mount Rowan Miners Rest vs Sulky Miners Rest vs Bald Hills

Other comparisons with Windermere

Windermere vs Cardigan Windermere vs Cardigan Village Windermere vs Mitchell Park Windermere vs Learmonth Windermere vs Burrumbeet Windermere vs Blowhard
Full data on Miners Rest Full data on Windermere
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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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