Napoleons vs Scotchmans Lead

Napoleons is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Scotchmans Lead. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Napoleons, most households are couple families. In Scotchmans Lead, about half of households are couple families.

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

Napoleons

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 80%)
  • But Scotchmans Lead carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 38/100)

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

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $200/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (95 min vs 100 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (123.2 km vs 128.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 2%)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 38/100)

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

Investors

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.2% vs 0.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
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.

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Walkability 0 / 0
Napoleons — Walkability: 0/100 Scotchmans Lead — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 62 / 73
Napoleons — Safety: 62/100 Scotchmans Lead — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 20 / 9
Napoleons — Low fire risk: 20/100 Scotchmans Lead — Low fire risk: 9/100
Low flood risk 39 / 89
Napoleons — Low flood risk: 39/100 Scotchmans Lead — Low flood risk: 89/100

Demographics

Napoleons rents higher ($200/wk vs $0/wk); Napoleons has more residents (555 vs 105).

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Population 555
+81% vs other
 105
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.4% +8.2%
Median age 47 50
Median household income $89,336/yr $106,600/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
(not reported on the other side)
 —

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
0-4 2.0% / 2.9%
Napoleons — 0-4: 2.0% Scotchmans Lead — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 13.7% / 11.4%
Napoleons — 5-14: 13.7% Scotchmans Lead — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.8% / 10.5%
Napoleons — 15-19: 6.8% Scotchmans Lead — 15-19: 10.5%
20-24 6.3% / 4.8%
Napoleons — 20-24: 6.3% Scotchmans Lead — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 6.5% / 5.7%
Napoleons — 25-34: 6.5% Scotchmans Lead — 25-34: 5.7%
35-44 9.9% / 5.7%
Napoleons — 35-44: 9.9% Scotchmans Lead — 35-44: 5.7%
45-54 15.7% / 22.9%
Napoleons — 45-54: 15.7% Scotchmans Lead — 45-54: 22.9%
55-64 15.5% / 14.3%
Napoleons — 55-64: 15.5% Scotchmans Lead — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 15.1% / 17.1%
Napoleons — 65-74: 15.1% Scotchmans Lead — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 5.4% / —
Napoleons — 75-84: 5.4% Scotchmans Lead — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.4% / —
Napoleons — 85+: 1.4% Scotchmans Lead — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Napoleons 61.5% couple families
Napoleons — Couple Families: 61.5% Napoleons — Lone Person: 23.8% Napoleons — One Parent Families: 8.5% Napoleons — Group Household: 6.2%
Scotchmans Lead 54.2% couple families
Scotchmans Lead — Couple Families: 54.2% Scotchmans Lead — Lone Person: 29.2% Scotchmans Lead — One Parent Families: 16.7% Scotchmans Lead — 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.

Napoleons 1.6% renting
Napoleons — Owned Outright: 54.6% Napoleons — Mortgage: 43.8% Napoleons — Renting: 1.6%
Scotchmans Lead 0.0% renting
Scotchmans Lead — Owned Outright: 48.6% Scotchmans Lead — Mortgage: 51.4% Scotchmans Lead — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
England 2.9% / 3.8%
Napoleons — England: 2.9% Scotchmans Lead — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 0.7% / —
Napoleons — New Zealand: 0.7% Scotchmans Lead — New Zealand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Napoleons — Netherlands: 0.7% Scotchmans Lead — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

Qualifications

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

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Certificate III & IV 17.5% / 16.2%
Napoleons — Certificate III & IV: 17.5% Scotchmans Lead — Certificate III & IV: 16.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 10.5%
Napoleons — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Scotchmans Lead — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 4.8%
Napoleons — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Scotchmans Lead — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 5.7%
Napoleons — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Scotchmans Lead — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / —
Napoleons — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Scotchmans Lead — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Napoleons 98.4% houses
Napoleons — Houses: 98.4% Napoleons — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Scotchmans Lead 79.5% houses
Scotchmans Lead — Houses: 79.5% Scotchmans Lead — Flats / Apartments: 20.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Median house price $690,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 44 days
from 4 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Rural and farming 96% 99%
Residential 2% 0%
Parks and recreation 1%
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

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
 1,451
across Ballarat
Approvals change year on year +10% +42%

Ranking within VIC

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 37% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC

Liveability

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Grade D —
Score 28/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Napoleons carries more flood risk (61 vs 11); Napoleons carries more crime risk (38 vs 27).

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
91/100
Crime Low
38/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Moderate
61/100
 Low
11/100
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

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Napoleons

  • Napoleons Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Scotchmans Lead

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

Amenities in the suburb

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Parks & reserves 2 0
Childcare 2 0
Waterways 9 1

Mobility

Napoleons sits further from the CBD (128.8 km vs 123.2 km).

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 128.8 km
+4% vs other
 123.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 100 min 95 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.

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Car (driver) 73.8% / 93.3%
Napoleons — Car (driver): 73.8% Scotchmans Lead — Car (driver): 93.3%
Worked from Home 17.8% / 6.7%
Napoleons — Worked from Home: 17.8% Scotchmans Lead — Worked from Home: 6.7%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / —
Napoleons — Car (passenger): 5.3% Scotchmans Lead — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 3.1% / —
Napoleons — Walked Only: 3.1% Scotchmans Lead — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (93.3%).

Setting

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Elevation 384 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 388 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
210 premises
 0%
36 premises

Climate

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
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

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Average residential rate $2,052/yr $2,086/yr
Council Golden Plains Ballarat

Federal electorate

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Napoleons Scotchmans Lead
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Napoleons

Rural

Scotchmans Lead

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Napoleons

Napoleons vs Ross Creek Napoleons vs Scarsdale Napoleons vs Enfield Napoleons vs Durham Lead Napoleons vs Cambrian Hill Napoleons vs Garibaldi

Other comparisons with Scotchmans Lead

Scotchmans Lead vs Buninyong Scotchmans Lead vs Durham Lead Scotchmans Lead vs Magpie Scotchmans Lead vs Cambrian Hill
Full data on Napoleons Full data on Scotchmans Lead
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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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