Musk Vale vs Sailors Hill

Musk Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 54 in Sailors Hill. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Musk Vale, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Musk Vale tends to suit couples, while Sailors Hill 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

Sailors Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Musk Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($341/wk vs $370/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sailors Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (84 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (110 km vs 114.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sailors Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Musk Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.8% vs -11.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Musk Vale and Sailors Hill drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
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.

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Walkability 0 / 4
Musk Vale — Walkability: 0/100 Sailors Hill — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 84 / 79
Musk Vale — Safety: 84/100 Sailors Hill — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 18 / 11
Musk Vale — Low fire risk: 18/100 Sailors Hill — Low fire risk: 11/100
Low flood risk 44 / 100
Musk Vale — Low flood risk: 44/100 Sailors Hill — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Musk Vale has more residents (170 vs 72); Musk Vale has higher household incomes ($73,320 vs $61,724).

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Population 170
+58% vs other
 72
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +28.8% -11.1%
Median age 48 54
Median household income $73,320/yr
+16% vs other
 $61,724/yr
Median weekly rent $341/wk $370/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
0-4 4.1% / 4.2%
Musk Vale — 0-4: 4.1% Sailors Hill — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 11.2% / 8.3%
Musk Vale — 5-14: 11.2% Sailors Hill — 5-14: 8.3%
15-19 5.9% / 6.9%
Musk Vale — 15-19: 5.9% Sailors Hill — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 2.4% / 4.2%
Musk Vale — 20-24: 2.4% Sailors Hill — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 12.9% / 4.2%
Musk Vale — 25-34: 12.9% Sailors Hill — 25-34: 4.2%
35-44 8.8% / 6.9%
Musk Vale — 35-44: 8.8% Sailors Hill — 35-44: 6.9%
45-54 20.0% / 18.1%
Musk Vale — 45-54: 20.0% Sailors Hill — 45-54: 18.1%
55-64 15.3% / 15.3%
Musk Vale — 55-64: 15.3% Sailors Hill — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 15.3% / 20.8%
Musk Vale — 65-74: 15.3% Sailors Hill — 65-74: 20.8%
75-84 3.5% / 11.1%
Musk Vale — 75-84: 3.5% Sailors Hill — 75-84: 11.1%
85+ — / 4.2%
Musk Vale — 85+: not among its largest Sailors Hill — 85+: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Musk Vale 50.0% couple families
Musk Vale — Couple Families: 50.0% Musk Vale — Lone Person: 32.5% Musk Vale — One Parent Families: 7.5% Musk Vale — Group Household: 10.0%
Sailors Hill 34.8% couple families
Sailors Hill — Couple Families: 34.8% Sailors Hill — Lone Person: 34.8% Sailors Hill — One Parent Families: 30.4% Sailors Hill — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Musk Vale 11.1% renting
Musk Vale — Owned Outright: 58.7% Musk Vale — Mortgage: 30.2% Musk Vale — Renting: 11.1%
Sailors Hill 11.1% renting
Sailors Hill — Owned Outright: 59.3% Sailors Hill — Mortgage: 29.6% Sailors Hill — Renting: 11.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Musk Vale 103.2% houses
Musk Vale — Houses: 103.2%
Sailors Hill 100.0% houses
Sailors Hill — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 6.9%
Musk Vale — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Sailors Hill — Certificate III & IV: 6.9%
Bachelor Degree 8.8% / 16.7%
Musk Vale — Bachelor Degree: 8.8% Sailors Hill — Bachelor Degree: 16.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 15.3%
Musk Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Sailors Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 15.3%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / —
Musk Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Sailors Hill — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / —
Musk Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Sailors Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Zoning mix

Musk Vale has more rural and farming land (46% vs 9%).

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Residential 0% 54%
Parks and recreation 48% 38%
Rural and farming 46% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 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

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC

Liveability

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Musk Vale carries more flood risk (56 vs 0).

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Bushfire High
82/100
 High
89/100
Crime Low
16/100
 Low
21/100
Flood Moderate
56/100
 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
same for both

Schools

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
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

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Waterways 4 5

Mobility

Musk Vale sits further from the CBD (114.9 km vs 110 km).

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 114.9 km
+4% vs other
 110 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 91 min 84 min
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.

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Car (driver) 67.2% / 53.8%
Musk Vale — Car (driver): 67.2% Sailors Hill — Car (driver): 53.8%
Worked from Home 25.4% / 25.6%
Musk Vale — Worked from Home: 25.4% Sailors Hill — Worked from Home: 25.6%
Car (passenger) 7.5% / 20.5%
Musk Vale — Car (passenger): 7.5% Sailors Hill — Car (passenger): 20.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).

Setting

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Elevation 611 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 574 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Connectivity score 15/100 18/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
73 premises
 0%
45 premises

Climate

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Annual rainfall 714 mm 531 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Musk Vale Sailors Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Musk Vale

Rural

Sailors Hill

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Musk Vale

Musk Vale vs Daylesford Musk Vale vs Eganstown Musk Vale vs Musk Musk Vale vs Sailors Falls

Other comparisons with Sailors Hill

Sailors Hill vs Daylesford Sailors Hill vs Eganstown
Full data on Musk Vale Full data on Sailors Hill
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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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