Redesdale vs Metcalfe
Metcalfe is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 57 in Redesdale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Redesdale, most households are people living alone. In Metcalfe, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Metcalfe: a median of $1.05 million, against $799,000 in Redesdale. On these figures, Redesdale tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Metcalfe
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 51/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 41%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Redesdale has cheaper houses ($799,000 vs $1,050,000)
- Metcalfe leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 30%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Metcalfe
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 27%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Metcalfe
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (81 min vs 88 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (109.7 km vs 117.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Metcalfe
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Redesdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.6% vs 2.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Redesdale and Metcalfe 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
Redesdale has more residents (299 vs 190); Metcalfe has higher household incomes ($77,220 vs $61,360).
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 299 +36% vs other | 190 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +24.6% | +2.7% |
| Median age | 57 | 52 |
| Median household income | $61,360/yr | $77,220/yr +26% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $320/wk +3% vs other | $311/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $799,000 | $1,050,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Redesdale has more land zoned for conservation (29% vs 0%); Metcalfe has more rural and farming land (92% vs 63%).
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 63% | 92% |
| Environmental | 29% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 7% same for both | |
| Residential | 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
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 102 across Mount Alexander same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -7% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 22% of VIC | Higher than 45% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 17% of VIC | Higher than 8% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 76% of VIC | Higher than 71% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 40% of VIC | Higher than 27% of VIC |
Liveability
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Redesdale carries more crime risk (51 vs 26).
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 63/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Low 26/100 |
| 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
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Redesdale
- Redesdale Mia Mia Primary School Government · Primary
Schools in Metcalfe
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 5 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 8 | 3 |
Mobility
Redesdale sits further from the CBD (117.6 km vs 109.7 km).
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 117.6 km +7% vs other | 109.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 88 min | 81 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.0% postcode 3444 | 0.9% postcode 3448 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 49 postcode 3444 | 68 postcode 3448 |
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 (72.5%).
Setting
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 312 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 351 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 26/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 183 premises | 0% 116 premises |
Climate
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 553 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,885/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mount Alexander same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo same for both | |
| Member | Lisa Chesters same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Redesdale | Metcalfe | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Redesdale
Other comparisons with Metcalfe
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.