Riddells Creek vs Cherokee

Riddells Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 49 in Cherokee. 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, Riddells Creek tends to suit families with children, while Cherokee 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

Riddells Creek

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 77/100)
  • But Cherokee is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 74%)

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

Cherokee

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Riddells Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (54 min vs 63 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (62.2 km vs 65.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Riddells Creek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 77/100)
  • But Cherokee has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 17%)

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

Investors

Cherokee

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.4% vs 11.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Riddells Creek Cherokee
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.

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Walkability 0 / 0
Riddells Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Cherokee — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 56 / 23
Riddells Creek — Safety: 56/100 Cherokee — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 21 / 17
Riddells Creek — Low fire risk: 21/100 Cherokee — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 86 / 100
Riddells Creek — Low flood risk: 86/100 Cherokee — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Riddells Creek has more residents (4,390 vs 68); Cherokee has higher household incomes ($188,448 vs $111,800).

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Population 4,390
+98% vs other
 68
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.2% +21.4%
Median age 42 49
Median household income $111,800/yr $188,448/yr
+69% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+25% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Riddells Creek Cherokee
0-4 5.1% / —
Riddells Creek — 0-4: 5.1% Cherokee — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 14.3% / 7.4%
Riddells Creek — 5-14: 14.3% Cherokee — 5-14: 7.4%
15-19 7.1% / —
Riddells Creek — 15-19: 7.1% Cherokee — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 5.2% / —
Riddells Creek — 20-24: 5.2% Cherokee — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.0% / 4.4%
Riddells Creek — 25-34: 9.0% Cherokee — 25-34: 4.4%
35-44 12.3% / 17.6%
Riddells Creek — 35-44: 12.3% Cherokee — 35-44: 17.6%
45-54 15.6% / 14.7%
Riddells Creek — 45-54: 15.6% Cherokee — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 14.8% / 17.6%
Riddells Creek — 55-64: 14.8% Cherokee — 55-64: 17.6%
65-74 11.0% / 17.6%
Riddells Creek — 65-74: 11.0% Cherokee — 65-74: 17.6%
75-84 5.0% / 5.9%
Riddells Creek — 75-84: 5.0% Cherokee — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 0.8% / —
Riddells Creek — 85+: 0.8% Cherokee — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Riddells Creek 59.6% couple families
Riddells Creek — Couple Families: 59.6% Riddells Creek — Lone Person: 23.1% Riddells Creek — One Parent Families: 14.4% Riddells Creek — Group Household: 2.0% Riddells Creek — Other Families: 1.0%
Cherokee 100.0% couple families
Cherokee — Couple Families: 100.0% Cherokee — Lone Person: 0.0% Cherokee — One Parent Families: 0.0% Cherokee — Group Household: 0.0% Cherokee — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Riddells Creek 11.7% renting
Riddells Creek — Owned Outright: 38.8% Riddells Creek — Mortgage: 49.5% Riddells Creek — Renting: 11.7%
Cherokee 0.0% renting
Cherokee — Owned Outright: 36.8% Cherokee — Mortgage: 63.2% Cherokee — 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.

Riddells Creek Cherokee
England 4.2% / 4.4%
Riddells Creek — England: 4.2% Cherokee — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Riddells Creek — New Zealand: 1.2% Cherokee — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.5% / —
Riddells Creek — Scotland: 0.5% Cherokee — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.5% / —
Riddells Creek — Germany: 0.5% Cherokee — Germany: not among its largest
Italy 0.4% / —
Riddells Creek — Italy: 0.4% Cherokee — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

Qualifications

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

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Bachelor Degree 12.0% / 14.7%
Riddells Creek — Bachelor Degree: 12.0% Cherokee — Bachelor Degree: 14.7%
Certificate III & IV 18.1% / 4.4%
Riddells Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.1% Cherokee — Certificate III & IV: 4.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / 14.7%
Riddells Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% Cherokee — Postgraduate Degree: 14.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 5.9%
Riddells Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Cherokee — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 8.8%
Riddells Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Cherokee — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 8.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Riddells Creek 94.4% houses
Riddells Creek — Houses: 94.4% Riddells Creek — Townhouses: 5.3% Riddells Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Cherokee 100.0% houses
Cherokee — Houses: 100.0% Cherokee — Townhouses: 0.0% Cherokee — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Median house price $1,064,000 —
Median unit price $590,000 —
Median land price $655,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 44 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cherokee has more land zoned for conservation (77% vs 26%); Riddells Creek has more rural and farming land (48% vs 0%).

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Environmental 26% 77%
Rural and farming 48% 0%
Parks and recreation 8% 23%
Residential 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Riddells Creek Cherokee
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year +80%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Houses 2.8%
$640/wk on $1.2M
 —
Units 3.6%
$470/wk on $679K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Riddells Creek Cherokee
House price Higher than 70% of VIC —
Income Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 50% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 3% of VIC —

Liveability

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Grade C —
Score 47/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Riddells Creek carries more flood risk (14 vs 0); Cherokee carries more crime risk (77 vs 44).

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
44/100
 High
77/100
Flood Low
14/100
 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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Riddells Creek

  • Riddells Creek Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Cherokee

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

Amenities in the suburb

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 12 0
Childcare 5 0
GPs 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 95 4

Mobility

Cherokee sits further from the CBD (65.9 km vs 62.2 km).

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 62.2 km 65.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 54 min 63 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3431
 0.7%
postcode 3434
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 3431
 49
postcode 3434

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.

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Car (driver) 63.9% / 62.5%
Riddells Creek — Car (driver): 63.9% Cherokee — Car (driver): 62.5%
Worked from Home 28.6% / 37.5%
Riddells Creek — Worked from Home: 28.6% Cherokee — Worked from Home: 37.5%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / —
Riddells Creek — Car (passenger): 3.7% Cherokee — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Train 2.7% / —
Riddells Creek — Train: 2.7% Cherokee — Train: not among its largest
Walked Only 1.2% / —
Riddells Creek — Walked Only: 1.2% Cherokee — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.9%).

Setting

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Elevation 397 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 682 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Connectivity score 63/100 19/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
1,786 premises
 0%
32 premises

Climate

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Average residential rate $2,065/yr
same for both
Council Macedon Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Division Mcewen
same for both
Member Rob Mitchell
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Riddells Creek Cherokee
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Riddells Creek

Acreage Outer River Trains

Cherokee

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Riddells Creek

Riddells Creek vs Sunbury Riddells Creek vs Gisborne Riddells Creek vs Romsey Riddells Creek vs New Gisborne Riddells Creek vs Mount Macedon Riddells Creek vs Clarkefield

Other comparisons with Cherokee

Cherokee vs Mount Macedon Cherokee vs Hesket Cherokee vs Kerrie
Full data on Riddells Creek Full data on Cherokee
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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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