Mount Franklin vs Shepherds Flat

Mount Franklin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 52 in Shepherds Flat. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mount Franklin, most households are couple families. In Shepherds Flat, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Mount Franklin tends to suit couples, while Shepherds Flat suits people living alone.

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 Franklin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 39%)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Franklin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Shepherds Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($145/wk vs $190/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Shepherds Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (122.6 km vs 126.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Shepherds Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 9%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Mount Franklin and Shepherds Flat 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 Franklin Shepherds Flat
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 Franklin Shepherds Flat
Walkability 0 / 0
Mount Franklin — Walkability: 0/100 Shepherds Flat — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 82 / 86
Mount Franklin — Safety: 82/100 Shepherds Flat — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 31 / 35
Mount Franklin — Low fire risk: 31/100 Shepherds Flat — Low fire risk: 35/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Mount Franklin — Low flood risk: 100/100 Shepherds Flat — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Franklin has higher household incomes ($134,316 vs $63,336); Mount Franklin has more residents (99 vs 71).

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Population 99
+28% vs other
 71
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.2% +7.6%
Median age 49 52
Median household income $134,316/yr
+53% vs other
 $63,336/yr
Median weekly rent $190/wk
+24% vs other
 $145/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
0-4 — / —
Mount Franklin — 0-4: not among its largest Shepherds Flat — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 15.2% / 16.9%
Mount Franklin — 5-14: 15.2% Shepherds Flat — 5-14: 16.9%
15-19 5.1% / 5.6%
Mount Franklin — 15-19: 5.1% Shepherds Flat — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.1% / 8.5%
Mount Franklin — 20-24: 5.1% Shepherds Flat — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 4.0% / —
Mount Franklin — 25-34: 4.0% Shepherds Flat — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 18.2% / 5.6%
Mount Franklin — 35-44: 18.2% Shepherds Flat — 35-44: 5.6%
45-54 27.3% / 26.8%
Mount Franklin — 45-54: 27.3% Shepherds Flat — 45-54: 26.8%
55-64 19.2% / 22.5%
Mount Franklin — 55-64: 19.2% Shepherds Flat — 55-64: 22.5%
65-74 4.0% / 8.5%
Mount Franklin — 65-74: 4.0% Shepherds Flat — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 5.1% / 9.9%
Mount Franklin — 75-84: 5.1% Shepherds Flat — 75-84: 9.9%
85+ — / —
Mount Franklin — 85+: not among its largest Shepherds Flat — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.3%).

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 Franklin Shepherds Flat
Vietnam — / 4.2%
Mount Franklin — Vietnam: not among its largest Shepherds Flat — Vietnam: 4.2%
New Zealand 4.0% / —
Mount Franklin — New Zealand: 4.0% Shepherds Flat — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Franklin 72.2% couple families
Mount Franklin — Couple Families: 72.2% Mount Franklin — Lone Person: 27.8%
Shepherds Flat 39.3% couple families
Shepherds Flat — Couple Families: 39.3% Shepherds Flat — Lone Person: 60.7%
Couple Families Lone Person

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Franklin 94.3% houses
Mount Franklin — Houses: 94.3% Mount Franklin — Flats / Apartments: 5.7%
Shepherds Flat 100.0% houses
Shepherds Flat — Houses: 100.0% Shepherds Flat — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Certificate III & IV 24.2% / 14.1%
Mount Franklin — Certificate III & IV: 24.2% Shepherds Flat — Certificate III & IV: 14.1%
Bachelor Degree 17.2% / 16.9%
Mount Franklin — Bachelor Degree: 17.2% Shepherds Flat — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 9.9%
Mount Franklin — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Shepherds Flat — Postgraduate Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 5.6%
Mount Franklin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Shepherds Flat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / —
Mount Franklin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Shepherds Flat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Franklin 0.0% renting
Mount Franklin — Owned Outright: 62.5% Mount Franklin — Mortgage: 37.5% Mount Franklin — Renting: 0.0%
Shepherds Flat 9.4% renting
Shepherds Flat — Owned Outright: 46.9% Shepherds Flat — Mortgage: 43.8% Shepherds Flat — Renting: 9.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Median house price — $1,200,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Mount Franklin has more rural and farming land (90% vs 36%).

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Rural and farming 90% 36%
Parks and recreation 9% 49%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 12%
Environmental 0% 3%
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 Franklin Shepherds Flat
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 24% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 87% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC

Liveability

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Low
18/100
 Low
14/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 3 2
Waterways 6 45

Mobility

Mount Franklin sits further from the CBD (126.5 km vs 122.6 km).

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 126.5 km
+3% vs other
 122.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 100 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 3461
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 3461
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.

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Car (driver) 57.9% / 72.4%
Mount Franklin — Car (driver): 57.9% Shepherds Flat — Car (driver): 72.4%
Worked from Home 36.8% / 27.6%
Mount Franklin — Worked from Home: 36.8% Shepherds Flat — Worked from Home: 27.6%
Walked Only 5.3% / —
Mount Franklin — Walked Only: 5.3% Shepherds Flat — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.4%).

Setting

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Elevation 492 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 379 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Connectivity score 19/100 16/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
17 premises
 0%
15 premises

Climate

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Annual rainfall 531 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Franklin Shepherds Flat
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Franklin

Rural

Shepherds Flat

Quiet River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Franklin

Mount Franklin vs Guildford Mount Franklin vs Porcupine Ridge Mount Franklin vs Franklinford

Other comparisons with Shepherds Flat

Shepherds Flat vs Hepburn Shepherds Flat vs Franklinford
Full data on Mount Franklin Full data on Shepherds Flat
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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