Pootilla vs Wattle Flat
Pootilla is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 54 in Wattle Flat. 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, Pootilla tends to suit older residents, while Wattle Flat 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
Wattle Flat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 87/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Wattle Flat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 31%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Wattle Flat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Pootilla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (107.2 km vs 111.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Pootilla has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 15%)
- Wattle Flat carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 87/100)
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
Pootilla and Wattle 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.
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.
Demographics
Pootilla rents higher ($300/wk vs $0/wk); Wattle Flat has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $84,448).
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 79 | 104 +32% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +5.3% | +7.2% |
| Median age | 45 | 54 |
| Median household income | $84,448/yr | $117,000/yr +39% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
Zoning mix
Wattle Flat has more rural and farming land (94% vs 78%).
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 78% | 94% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 22% | 5% |
| 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
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 338 across Moorabool same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +4% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 52% of VIC | Higher than 89% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 32% of VIC | Higher than 47% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 37% of VIC | Higher than 38% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 59% of VIC | Higher than 36% of VIC |
Liveability
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Pootilla carries more crime risk (87 vs 57); Wattle Flat carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 61).
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 61/100 | High 82/100 |
| Crime | High 87/100 | Moderate 57/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Pootilla | Wattle 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
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Wattle Flat sits further from the CBD (111.3 km vs 107.2 km).
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 107.2 km | 111.3 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 78 min | 81 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.2%).
Setting
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 567 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 599 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 31 premises | 0% 37 premises |
Climate
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 714 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,979/yr same for both | |
| Council | Moorabool same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Ballarat same for both | |
| Member | Catherine King same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Pootilla | Wattle Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Pootilla
Other comparisons with Wattle Flat
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.