Ross Creek vs Bonshaw

Bonshaw is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 40 in Ross Creek. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ross Creek, most households are couple families. In Bonshaw, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ross Creek: a median of $772,000, against $562,000 in Bonshaw, though rent is higher in Bonshaw. On these figures, Ross Creek tends to suit couples, while Bonshaw suits young adults 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

Ross Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 92/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 67%)

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

First-home buyers

Bonshaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($562,500 vs $772,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ross Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $398/wk)
  • But Bonshaw has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 4%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bonshaw

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (96 min vs 103 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (121.7 km vs 129.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ross Creek

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 92/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (12% vs 5%)
  • But Bonshaw is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Bonshaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (351.9% vs 5.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ross Creek Bonshaw
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.

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Walkability 0 / 21
Ross Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Bonshaw — Walkability: 21/100
Safety 73 / 8
Ross Creek — Safety: 73/100 Bonshaw — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 26 / 100
Ross Creek — Low fire risk: 26/100 Bonshaw — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 78 / 100
Ross Creek — Low flood risk: 78/100 Bonshaw — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ross Creek skews older (40 vs 28); Ross Creek has more residents (1,221 vs 949).

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Population 1,221
+22% vs other
 949
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.9% +351.9%
Median age 40 28
Median household income $107,380/yr
+10% vs other
 $96,408/yr
Median weekly rent $310/wk $398/wk
+28% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ross Creek Bonshaw
0-4 5.1% / 8.4%
Ross Creek — 0-4: 5.1% Bonshaw — 0-4: 8.4%
5-14 18.1% / 15.1%
Ross Creek — 5-14: 18.1% Bonshaw — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 7.5% / 3.8%
Ross Creek — 15-19: 7.5% Bonshaw — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 4.9% / 10.5%
Ross Creek — 20-24: 4.9% Bonshaw — 20-24: 10.5%
25-34 6.5% / 25.4%
Ross Creek — 25-34: 6.5% Bonshaw — 25-34: 25.4%
35-44 14.0% / 13.0%
Ross Creek — 35-44: 14.0% Bonshaw — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 17.9% / 9.2%
Ross Creek — 45-54: 17.9% Bonshaw — 45-54: 9.2%
55-64 15.6% / 8.5%
Ross Creek — 55-64: 15.6% Bonshaw — 55-64: 8.5%
65-74 9.4% / 3.1%
Ross Creek — 65-74: 9.4% Bonshaw — 65-74: 3.1%
75-84 2.0% / 1.8%
Ross Creek — 75-84: 2.0% Bonshaw — 75-84: 1.8%
85+ 0.4% / 0.4%
Ross Creek — 85+: 0.4% Bonshaw — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ross Creek 67.3% couple families
Ross Creek — Couple Families: 67.3% Ross Creek — Lone Person: 19.6% Ross Creek — One Parent Families: 10.0% Ross Creek — Group Household: 2.1% Ross Creek — Other Families: 1.1%
Bonshaw 45.4% couple families
Bonshaw — Couple Families: 45.4% Bonshaw — Lone Person: 23.9% Bonshaw — One Parent Families: 21.5% Bonshaw — Group Household: 6.8% Bonshaw — Other Families: 2.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ross Creek 4.0% renting
Ross Creek — Owned Outright: 39.4% Ross Creek — Mortgage: 56.6% Ross Creek — Renting: 4.0%
Bonshaw 29.7% renting
Bonshaw — Owned Outright: 16.9% Bonshaw — Mortgage: 53.4% Bonshaw — Renting: 29.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 17.3%
Ross Creek — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Bonshaw — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.8% / 13.9%
Ross Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.8% Bonshaw — Bachelor Degree: 13.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.3%
Ross Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Bonshaw — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 4.5%
Ross Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Bonshaw — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.3%
Ross Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Bonshaw — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

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.

Ross Creek Bonshaw
India — / 9.4%
Ross Creek — India: not among its largest Bonshaw — India: 9.4%
England 1.7% / 1.1%
Ross Creek — England: 1.7% Bonshaw — England: 1.1%
Nepal — / 1.8%
Ross Creek — Nepal: not among its largest Bonshaw — Nepal: 1.8%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.7%
Ross Creek — New Zealand: 0.8% Bonshaw — New Zealand: 0.7%
Philippines — / 1.2%
Ross Creek — Philippines: not among its largest Bonshaw — Philippines: 1.2%
Singapore 0.8% / —
Ross Creek — Singapore: 0.8% Bonshaw — Singapore: not among its largest
Thailand 0.7% / —
Ross Creek — Thailand: 0.7% Bonshaw — Thailand: not among its largest
Germany 0.4% / —
Ross Creek — Germany: 0.4% Bonshaw — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ross Creek 98.5% houses
Ross Creek — Houses: 98.5% Ross Creek — Townhouses: 0.0% Ross Creek — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Bonshaw 93.6% houses
Bonshaw — Houses: 93.6% Bonshaw — Townhouses: 5.2% Bonshaw — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Median house price $772,500 $562,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $265,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 36 days
from 47 sales

Zoning mix

Ross Creek has more rural and farming land (100% vs 1%).

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Rural and farming 100% 1%
Residential 0% 99%
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

Ross Creek Bonshaw
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
 1,451
across Ballarat
Approvals change year on year +10% +42%

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.

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Houses — 3.8%
$480/wk on $655K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Ross Creek Bonshaw
House price — Higher than 23% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 92% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 38% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 55% of VIC

Liveability

Bonshaw is more walkable (21 vs 0); Bonshaw scores higher overall (54 vs 43).

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Grade C B
Score 43/100 54/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Ross Creek carries more bushfire risk (74 vs 0); Ross Creek carries more flood risk (22 vs 0).

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Bushfire High
74/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
27/100
 High
92/100
Flood Low
22/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Ross Creek Bonshaw
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
Universities within 10 km None 1
Federation University Ballarat, 5.6 km

Schools in Ross Creek

  • Woady Yaloak Primary School-Ross Creek Campus Government · Primary

Schools in Bonshaw

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

Amenities in the suburb

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Ross Creek sits further from the CBD (129.8 km vs 121.7 km).

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Walkability score 0/100 21/100
Distance to Melbourne 129.8 km
+6% vs other
 121.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 103 min 96 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3351
 0.4%
postcode 3352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 3351
 51
postcode 3352

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.

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Car (driver) 82.9% / 79.7%
Ross Creek — Car (driver): 82.9% Bonshaw — Car (driver): 79.7%
Worked from Home 11.8% / 14.4%
Ross Creek — Worked from Home: 11.8% Bonshaw — Worked from Home: 14.4%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 4.8%
Ross Creek — Car (passenger): 3.6% Bonshaw — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 1.6% / 1.1%
Ross Creek — Walked Only: 1.6% Bonshaw — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.9%).

Setting

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Elevation 436 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 411 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Connectivity score 29/100 96/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
438 premises
 94%
943 premises

Climate

Ross Creek Bonshaw
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

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Average residential rate $2,052/yr $2,086/yr
Council Golden Plains Ballarat

Federal electorate

Ross Creek Bonshaw
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Ross Creek

Acreage Family

Bonshaw

Acreage Affordable Family River

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Bonshaw

Bonshaw vs Sebastopol Bonshaw vs Delacombe Bonshaw vs Smythes Creek Bonshaw vs Cambrian Hill
Full data on Ross Creek Full data on Bonshaw
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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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