Ross Creek vs Smythesdale

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ross Creek, most households are couple families. In Smythesdale, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ross Creek: a median of $772,000, against $622,000 in Smythesdale. On these figures, Ross Creek tends to suit couples, while Smythesdale suits 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 55/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 68%)
  • But Smythesdale has more parks and reserves (13 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Smythesdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($622,500 vs $772,500)

Weighs house prices and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Ross Creek sits closer to the CBD (129.8 km vs 134.2 km)
  • Smythesdale is more walkable (47/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Ross Creek carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 55/100)
  • Smythesdale is more walkable (47/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Smythesdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.2% vs 5.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Ross Creek and Smythesdale 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 Smythesdale
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 Smythesdale
Walkability 0 / 47
Ross Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Smythesdale — Walkability: 47/100
Safety 73 / 45
Ross Creek — Safety: 73/100 Smythesdale — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 26 / 25
Ross Creek — Low fire risk: 26/100 Smythesdale — Low fire risk: 25/100
Low flood risk 78 / 57
Ross Creek — Low flood risk: 78/100 Smythesdale — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Ross Creek has higher household incomes ($107,380 vs $86,112).

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Population 1,221
+3% vs other
 1,189
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.9% +15.2%
Median age 40 39
Median household income $107,380/yr
+20% vs other
 $86,112/yr
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+3% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ross Creek Smythesdale
0-4 5.1% / 6.2%
Ross Creek — 0-4: 5.1% Smythesdale — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 18.1% / 14.8%
Ross Creek — 5-14: 18.1% Smythesdale — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 7.5% / 6.1%
Ross Creek — 15-19: 7.5% Smythesdale — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 4.9% / 6.8%
Ross Creek — 20-24: 4.9% Smythesdale — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 6.5% / 9.8%
Ross Creek — 25-34: 6.5% Smythesdale — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 14.0% / 12.5%
Ross Creek — 35-44: 14.0% Smythesdale — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 17.9% / 14.7%
Ross Creek — 45-54: 17.9% Smythesdale — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 15.6% / 13.1%
Ross Creek — 55-64: 15.6% Smythesdale — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 9.4% / 11.2%
Ross Creek — 65-74: 9.4% Smythesdale — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 2.0% / 4.0%
Ross Creek — 75-84: 2.0% Smythesdale — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 0.4% / 0.5%
Ross Creek — 85+: 0.4% Smythesdale — 85+: 0.5%

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

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%
Smythesdale 53.8% couple families
Smythesdale — Couple Families: 53.8% Smythesdale — Lone Person: 28.3% Smythesdale — One Parent Families: 14.3% Smythesdale — Group Household: 2.2% Smythesdale — Other Families: 1.4%
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%
Smythesdale 4.6% renting
Smythesdale — Owned Outright: 42.2% Smythesdale — Mortgage: 53.2% Smythesdale — Renting: 4.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 22.9%
Ross Creek — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Smythesdale — Certificate III & IV: 22.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.1%
Ross Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Smythesdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Bachelor Degree 8.8% / 5.8%
Ross Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.8% Smythesdale — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.3%
Ross Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Smythesdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 1.0%
Ross Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Smythesdale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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 Smythesdale
England 1.7% / 2.8%
Ross Creek — England: 1.7% Smythesdale — England: 2.8%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.4%
Ross Creek — New Zealand: 0.8% Smythesdale — New Zealand: 0.4%
Singapore 0.8% / —
Ross Creek — Singapore: 0.8% Smythesdale — Singapore: not among its largest
Thailand 0.7% / —
Ross Creek — Thailand: 0.7% Smythesdale — Thailand: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Ross Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Smythesdale — Netherlands: 0.7%
China — / 0.6%
Ross Creek — China: not among its largest Smythesdale — China: 0.6%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Ross Creek — Scotland: not among its largest Smythesdale — Scotland: 0.6%
Germany 0.4% / —
Ross Creek — Germany: 0.4% Smythesdale — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

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%
Smythesdale 98.3% houses
Smythesdale — Houses: 98.3% Smythesdale — Townhouses: 1.7% Smythesdale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Median house price $772,500 $622,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $722,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 29 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Ross Creek has more rural and farming land (100% vs 48%).

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Rural and farming 100% 48%
Parks and recreation 0% 41%
Residential 0% 4%
Other and special use 0% 4%
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 Smythesdale
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
same for both
Approvals change year on year +10%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Ross Creek Smythesdale
House price — Higher than 50% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 55% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC

Liveability

Smythesdale is more walkable (47 vs 0); Ross Creek scores higher overall (43 vs 30).

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Grade C D
Score 43/100 30/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Smythesdale carries more crime risk (55 vs 27); Smythesdale carries more flood risk (43 vs 22).

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Bushfire High
74/100
 High
75/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood Low
22/100
 Moderate
43/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Ross Creek

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

Schools in Smythesdale

  • Woady Yaloak Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 2 13
Childcare 1 0
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 14

Mobility

Smythesdale sits further from the CBD (134.2 km vs 129.8 km).

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Walkability score 0/100 47/100
Distance to Melbourne 129.8 km 134.2 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 103 min 106 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3351
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 3351
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.

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Car (driver) 82.9% / 77.2%
Ross Creek — Car (driver): 82.9% Smythesdale — Car (driver): 77.2%
Worked from Home 11.8% / 15.6%
Ross Creek — Worked from Home: 11.8% Smythesdale — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 5.3%
Ross Creek — Car (passenger): 3.6% Smythesdale — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Walked Only 1.6% / 1.2%
Ross Creek — Walked Only: 1.6% Smythesdale — Walked Only: 1.2%
Tram / Light Rail — / 0.6%
Ross Creek — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest Smythesdale — Tram / Light Rail: 0.6%

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

Setting

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Elevation 436 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 363 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ross Creek Smythesdale
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
438 premises
 0%
424 premises

Climate

Ross Creek Smythesdale
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 Smythesdale
Average residential rate $2,052/yr
same for both
Council Golden Plains
same for both

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Ross Creek Smythesdale
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

Smythesdale

Acreage Affordable Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ross Creek

Ross Creek vs Smythes Creek Ross Creek vs Bonshaw Ross Creek vs Scarsdale Ross Creek vs Napoleons Ross Creek vs Cambrian Hill

Other comparisons with Smythesdale

Smythesdale vs Smythes Creek Smythesdale vs Haddon Smythesdale vs Scarsdale Smythesdale vs Snake Valley Smythesdale vs Nintingbool Smythesdale vs Hillcrest
Full data on Ross Creek Full data on Smythesdale
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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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