Nilma North vs Shady Creek

Shady Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 49 in Nilma North. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Nilma North tends to suit older residents, while Shady Creek suits families with children.

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

Nilma North

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 25/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)

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

First-home buyers

Shady Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Nilma North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (88 min vs 96 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Nilma North

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 25/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 16%)

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

Nilma North and Shady Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Nilma North Shady Creek
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.

Nilma North Shady Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Nilma North — Walkability: 0/100 Shady Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 87 / 75
Nilma North — Safety: 87/100 Shady Creek — Safety: 75/100
Low fire risk 100 / 3
Nilma North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Shady Creek — Low fire risk: 3/100
Low flood risk 69 / 53
Nilma North — Low flood risk: 69/100 Shady Creek — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Nilma North has more residents (344 vs 186); Shady Creek has higher household incomes ($109,200 vs $91,624).

Nilma North Shady Creek
Population 344
+46% vs other
 186
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.8% +3.3%
Median age 49 42
Median household income $91,624/yr $109,200/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $189/wk $200/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nilma North Shady Creek
0-4 2.6% / 4.3%
Nilma North — 0-4: 2.6% Shady Creek — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 10.5% / 17.7%
Nilma North — 5-14: 10.5% Shady Creek — 5-14: 17.7%
15-19 7.3% / 3.2%
Nilma North — 15-19: 7.3% Shady Creek — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 4.1% / 4.3%
Nilma North — 20-24: 4.1% Shady Creek — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 7.6% / 11.3%
Nilma North — 25-34: 7.6% Shady Creek — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 11.0% / 12.4%
Nilma North — 35-44: 11.0% Shady Creek — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 10.5% / 12.4%
Nilma North — 45-54: 10.5% Shady Creek — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 14.8% / 16.7%
Nilma North — 55-64: 14.8% Shady Creek — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 19.5% / 14.5%
Nilma North — 65-74: 19.5% Shady Creek — 65-74: 14.5%
75-84 6.4% / 1.6%
Nilma North — 75-84: 6.4% Shady Creek — 75-84: 1.6%
85+ 3.2% / —
Nilma North — 85+: 3.2% Shady Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nilma North 68.1% couple families
Nilma North — Couple Families: 68.1% Nilma North — Lone Person: 20.3% Nilma North — One Parent Families: 11.6%
Shady Creek 62.9% couple families
Shady Creek — Couple Families: 62.9% Shady Creek — Lone Person: 22.9% Shady Creek — One Parent Families: 14.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nilma North 8.1% renting
Nilma North — Owned Outright: 60.4% Nilma North — Mortgage: 31.5% Nilma North — Renting: 8.1%
Shady Creek 4.9% renting
Shady Creek — Owned Outright: 45.9% Shady Creek — Mortgage: 49.2% Shady Creek — Renting: 4.9%
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.

Nilma North Shady Creek
England 2.3% / 3.2%
Nilma North — England: 2.3% Shady Creek — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 2.3% / —
Nilma North — New Zealand: 2.3% Shady Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest
Indonesia 1.5% / —
Nilma North — Indonesia: 1.5% Shady Creek — Indonesia: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.9% / —
Nilma North — Netherlands: 0.9% Shady Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

Qualifications

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

Nilma North Shady Creek
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 21.0%
Nilma North — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% Shady Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.2% / 8.6%
Nilma North — Bachelor Degree: 12.2% Shady Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.2% / 9.1%
Nilma North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2% Shady Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 2.2%
Nilma North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Shady Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / —
Nilma North — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Shady Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nilma North 100.0% houses
Nilma North — Houses: 100.0% Nilma North — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Shady Creek 89.9% houses
Shady Creek — Houses: 89.9% Shady Creek — Flats / Apartments: 10.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Nilma North Shady Creek
Rural and farming 100% 93%
Other and special use 0% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 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

Nilma North Shady Creek
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Nilma North Shady Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 57% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC

Liveability

Nilma North Shady Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Shady Creek carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 0); Shady Creek carries more crime risk (25 vs 13).

Nilma North Shady Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
97/100
Crime Low
13/100
 Low
25/100
Flood Low
31/100
 Moderate
47/100
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

Nilma North Shady Creek
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

Nilma North Shady Creek
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 0 10

Mobility

Nilma North Shady Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 116 km 116.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 88 min 96 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3821
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3821
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.

Nilma North Shady Creek
Car (driver) 59.6% / 52.8%
Nilma North — Car (driver): 59.6% Shady Creek — Car (driver): 52.8%
Worked from Home 33.1% / 31.5%
Nilma North — Worked from Home: 33.1% Shady Creek — Worked from Home: 31.5%
Walked Only 5.1% / 15.7%
Nilma North — Walked Only: 5.1% Shady Creek — Walked Only: 15.7%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / —
Nilma North — Car (passenger): 2.2% Shady Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.6%).

Setting

Nilma North Shady Creek
Elevation 117 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Nilma North Shady Creek
Connectivity score 29/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
117 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Nilma North Shady Creek
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Nilma North Shady Creek
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Nilma North Shady Creek
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nilma North Shady Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nilma North

Retirees Rural

Shady Creek

Family River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nilma North

Nilma North vs Warragul Nilma North vs Darnum Nilma North vs Buln Buln Nilma North vs Nilma Nilma North vs Buln Buln East Nilma North vs Lillico

Other comparisons with Shady Creek

Shady Creek vs Trafalgar Shady Creek vs Yarragon Shady Creek vs Darnum Shady Creek vs Willow Grove Shady Creek vs Neerim East Shady Creek vs Buln Buln East
Full data on Nilma North Full data on Shady Creek
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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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