Mount Clear vs Magpie

Mount Clear is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 48 in Magpie. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Magpie, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Magpie: a median of $800,000, against $575,000 in Mount Clear, though rent is higher in Mount Clear. On these figures, Mount Clear tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Magpie suits 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

Mount Clear

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 71/100)
  • But Magpie is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Mount Clear has cheaper houses ($575,000 vs $800,000)
  • Magpie leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Magpie

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $310/wk)
  • But Mount Clear has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 6%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Clear

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 97 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (118.2 km vs 123.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Clear

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Mount Clear

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.3% vs -0.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Clear Magpie
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.

Mount Clear Magpie
Walkability 69 / 0
Mount Clear — Walkability: 69/100 Magpie — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 41 / 29
Mount Clear — Safety: 41/100 Magpie — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 65 / 84
Mount Clear — Low fire risk: 65/100 Magpie — Low fire risk: 84/100
Low flood risk 100 / 90
Mount Clear — Low flood risk: 100/100 Magpie — Low flood risk: 90/100

Demographics

Mount Clear has more residents (3,671 vs 368); Magpie has higher household incomes ($109,044 vs $76,024).

Mount Clear Magpie
Population 3,671
+90% vs other
 368
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.3% -0.8%
Median age 37 48
Median household income $76,024/yr $109,044/yr
+43% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+13% vs other
 $270/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Clear Magpie
0-4 5.9% / 3.3%
Mount Clear — 0-4: 5.9% Magpie — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 14.4% / 10.9%
Mount Clear — 5-14: 14.4% Magpie — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 6.3% / 10.1%
Mount Clear — 15-19: 6.3% Magpie — 15-19: 10.1%
20-24 6.6% / 4.1%
Mount Clear — 20-24: 6.6% Magpie — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 13.7% / 7.3%
Mount Clear — 25-34: 13.7% Magpie — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 14.0% / 7.1%
Mount Clear — 35-44: 14.0% Magpie — 35-44: 7.1%
45-54 10.6% / 14.4%
Mount Clear — 45-54: 10.6% Magpie — 45-54: 14.4%
55-64 9.9% / 19.0%
Mount Clear — 55-64: 9.9% Magpie — 55-64: 19.0%
65-74 9.8% / 16.0%
Mount Clear — 65-74: 9.8% Magpie — 65-74: 16.0%
75-84 6.3% / 6.2%
Mount Clear — 75-84: 6.3% Magpie — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 2.6% / —
Mount Clear — 85+: 2.6% Magpie — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Clear 38.7% couple families
Mount Clear — Couple Families: 38.7% Mount Clear — Lone Person: 39.0% Mount Clear — One Parent Families: 15.9% Mount Clear — Group Household: 5.8% Mount Clear — Other Families: 0.7%
Magpie 69.5% couple families
Magpie — Couple Families: 69.5% Magpie — Lone Person: 22.0% Magpie — One Parent Families: 8.5% Magpie — Group Household: 0.0% Magpie — 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.

Mount Clear 31.7% renting
Mount Clear — Owned Outright: 32.0% Mount Clear — Mortgage: 36.3% Mount Clear — Renting: 31.7%
Magpie 5.8% renting
Magpie — Owned Outright: 57.5% Magpie — Mortgage: 36.7% Magpie — Renting: 5.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mount Clear Magpie
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 19.3%
Mount Clear — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Magpie — Certificate III & IV: 19.3%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 6.2%
Mount Clear — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Magpie — Bachelor Degree: 6.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 8.2%
Mount Clear — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Magpie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 4.6%
Mount Clear — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Magpie — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.7%
Mount Clear — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Magpie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

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.

Mount Clear Magpie
England 2.0% / 1.4%
Mount Clear — England: 2.0% Magpie — England: 1.4%
India 1.7% / 0.8%
Mount Clear — India: 1.7% Magpie — India: 0.8%
China 1.3% / —
Mount Clear — China: 1.3% Magpie — China: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Mount Clear — New Zealand: 1.1% Magpie — New Zealand: not among its largest
Singapore — / 1.1%
Mount Clear — Singapore: not among its largest Magpie — Singapore: 1.1%
Pakistan 0.5% / —
Mount Clear — Pakistan: 0.5% Magpie — Pakistan: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Clear 75.1% houses
Mount Clear — Houses: 75.1% Mount Clear — Townhouses: 13.6% Mount Clear — Flats / Apartments: 11.3%
Magpie 100.0% houses
Magpie — Houses: 100.0% Magpie — Townhouses: 0.0% Magpie — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Clear Magpie
Median house price $575,000 $800,000
Median unit price $385,000 —
Median land price $358,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 63 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Magpie has more rural and farming land (88% vs 26%).

Mount Clear Magpie
Rural and farming 26% 88%
Parks and recreation 34% 4%
Residential 20% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 15% 4%
Industrial 0% 4%
Environmental 3% 0%
Other and special use 2% 0%
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

Mount Clear Magpie
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.

Mount Clear Magpie
Houses 3.4%
$450/wk on $682K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Mount Clear Magpie
House price Higher than 18% of VIC —
Income Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools Higher than 65% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 79% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 33% of VIC —

Liveability

Mount Clear is more walkable (69 vs 0).

Mount Clear Magpie
Grade B —
Score 60/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Magpie carries more flood risk (10 vs 0); Mount Clear carries more bushfire risk (35 vs 16).

Mount Clear Magpie
Bushfire Low
35/100
 Low
16/100
Crime Moderate
59/100
 High
71/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
10/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Mount Clear Magpie
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 5.0 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 7.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.1% 1.1%

Schools in Mount Clear

  • Mount Clear Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Damascus College Catholic · Secondary below peers
  • Mount Clear College Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Magpie

  • Magpie Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Clear Magpie
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 6 0
Childcare 2 1
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 5 1

Mobility

Magpie sits further from the CBD (123.1 km vs 118.2 km).

Mount Clear Magpie
Walkability score 69/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 118.2 km 123.1 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 90 min 97 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3350
 0.4%
postcode 3352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 3350
 51
postcode 3352

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.

Mount Clear Magpie
Car (driver) 71.3% / 74.2%
Mount Clear — Car (driver): 71.3% Magpie — Car (driver): 74.2%
Worked from Home 21.4% / 16.6%
Mount Clear — Worked from Home: 21.4% Magpie — Worked from Home: 16.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 9.2%
Mount Clear — Car (passenger): 3.9% Magpie — Car (passenger): 9.2%
Walked Only 1.4% / —
Mount Clear — Walked Only: 1.4% Magpie — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.9% / —
Mount Clear — Bus: 0.9% Magpie — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Mount Clear Magpie
Elevation 445 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 410 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mount Clear Magpie
Connectivity score 99/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
1,635 premises
 0%
123 premises

Climate

Mount Clear Magpie
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

Mount Clear Magpie
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Mount Clear Magpie
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Clear Magpie
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Clear

Affordable Parks Quiet River

Magpie

Acreage

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Magpie

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Full data on Mount Clear Full data on Magpie
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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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