Scotchmans Lead vs Buninyong

Buninyong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 50 in Scotchmans Lead. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Buninyong tends to suit families with children.

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

Buninyong

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (16 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 80%)
  • But Scotchmans Lead carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 45/100)

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

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $305/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Buninyong

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (40/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (88 min vs 95 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (116.8 km vs 123.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Scotchmans Lead has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 4%)
  • Buninyong is more walkable (40/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Scotchmans Lead

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.2% vs 2.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
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.

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Walkability 0 / 40
Scotchmans Lead — Walkability: 0/100 Buninyong — Walkability: 40/100
Safety 73 / 55
Scotchmans Lead — Safety: 73/100 Buninyong — Safety: 55/100
Low fire risk 9 / 20
Scotchmans Lead — Low fire risk: 9/100 Buninyong — Low fire risk: 20/100
Low flood risk 89 / 100
Scotchmans Lead — Low flood risk: 89/100 Buninyong — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Buninyong rents higher ($305/wk vs $0/wk); Buninyong has more residents (3,797 vs 105).

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Population 105 3,797
+3516% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.2% +2.2%
Median age 50 45
Median household income $106,600/yr
+15% vs other
 $90,740/yr
Median weekly rent — $305/wk
(not reported on the other side)

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
0-4 2.9% / 4.5%
Scotchmans Lead — 0-4: 2.9% Buninyong — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 11.4% / 17.0%
Scotchmans Lead — 5-14: 11.4% Buninyong — 5-14: 17.0%
15-19 10.5% / 6.2%
Scotchmans Lead — 15-19: 10.5% Buninyong — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 4.8% / 3.2%
Scotchmans Lead — 20-24: 4.8% Buninyong — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 5.7% / 6.0%
Scotchmans Lead — 25-34: 5.7% Buninyong — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 5.7% / 12.1%
Scotchmans Lead — 35-44: 5.7% Buninyong — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 22.9% / 15.3%
Scotchmans Lead — 45-54: 22.9% Buninyong — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 14.3% / 14.0%
Scotchmans Lead — 55-64: 14.3% Buninyong — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 17.1% / 14.1%
Scotchmans Lead — 65-74: 17.1% Buninyong — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 — / 5.5%
Scotchmans Lead — 75-84: not among its largest Buninyong — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ — / 1.5%
Scotchmans Lead — 85+: not among its largest Buninyong — 85+: 1.5%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Scotchmans Lead 54.2% couple families
Scotchmans Lead — Couple Families: 54.2% Scotchmans Lead — Lone Person: 29.2% Scotchmans Lead — One Parent Families: 16.7% Scotchmans Lead — Group Household: 0.0% Scotchmans Lead — Other Families: 0.0%
Buninyong 51.0% couple families
Buninyong — Couple Families: 51.0% Buninyong — Lone Person: 32.2% Buninyong — One Parent Families: 13.6% Buninyong — Group Household: 2.4% Buninyong — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Scotchmans Lead 0.0% renting
Scotchmans Lead — Owned Outright: 48.6% Scotchmans Lead — Mortgage: 51.4% Scotchmans Lead — Renting: 0.0%
Buninyong 13.4% renting
Buninyong — Owned Outright: 47.8% Buninyong — Mortgage: 38.8% Buninyong — Renting: 13.4%
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.

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
England 3.8% / 4.5%
Scotchmans Lead — England: 3.8% Buninyong — England: 4.5%
New Zealand — / 0.8%
Scotchmans Lead — New Zealand: not among its largest Buninyong — New Zealand: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Scotchmans Lead — Scotland: not among its largest Buninyong — Scotland: 0.5%
Germany — / 0.4%
Scotchmans Lead — Germany: not among its largest Buninyong — Germany: 0.4%
Netherlands — / 0.3%
Scotchmans Lead — Netherlands: not among its largest Buninyong — Netherlands: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Qualifications

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

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 13.0%
Scotchmans Lead — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Buninyong — Certificate III & IV: 13.0%
Bachelor Degree 10.5% / 16.1%
Scotchmans Lead — Bachelor Degree: 10.5% Buninyong — Bachelor Degree: 16.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 8.7%
Scotchmans Lead — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Buninyong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.7% / 4.4%
Scotchmans Lead — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.7% Buninyong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 5.3%
Scotchmans Lead — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Buninyong — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Scotchmans Lead 79.5% houses
Scotchmans Lead — Houses: 79.5% Scotchmans Lead — Flats / Apartments: 20.5% Scotchmans Lead — Townhouses: 0.0%
Buninyong 96.6% houses
Buninyong — Houses: 96.6% Buninyong — Flats / Apartments: 1.5% Buninyong — Townhouses: 2.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Median house price — $750,000
Median unit price — $410,000
Median land price — $400,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 44 days
from 58 sales

Zoning mix

Scotchmans Lead has more rural and farming land (99% vs 68%).

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Rural and farming 99% 68%
Residential 0% 10%
Environmental 0% 10%
Parks and recreation 1% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Other and special use 0% 2%
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

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
New dwellings approved 1,451
across Ballarat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +42%
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.

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Houses — 2.8%
$460/wk on $862K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
House price — Higher than 38% of VIC
Income Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 76% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 7% of VIC

Liveability

Buninyong is more walkable (40 vs 0).

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Grade — B
Score — 55/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Scotchmans Lead carries more flood risk (11 vs 0); Buninyong carries more crime risk (45 vs 27).

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
80/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Moderate
45/100
Flood Low
11/100
 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
same for both

Schools

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Scotchmans Lead

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

Schools in Buninyong

  • Buninyong Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 16
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Waterways 1 27

Mobility

Scotchmans Lead sits further from the CBD (123.2 km vs 116.8 km).

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Walkability score 0/100 40/100
Distance to Melbourne 123.2 km
+5% vs other
 116.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 95 min 88 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3352
 1.0%
postcode 3357
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3352
 48
postcode 3357

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.

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Car (driver) 93.3% / 69.0%
Scotchmans Lead — Car (driver): 93.3% Buninyong — Car (driver): 69.0%
Worked from Home 6.7% / 24.1%
Scotchmans Lead — Worked from Home: 6.7% Buninyong — Worked from Home: 24.1%
Car (passenger) — / 4.2%
Scotchmans Lead — Car (passenger): not among its largest Buninyong — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only — / 1.3%
Scotchmans Lead — Walked Only: not among its largest Buninyong — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bus — / 0.9%
Scotchmans Lead — Bus: not among its largest Buninyong — Bus: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (93.3%).

Setting

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Elevation 388 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 489 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Connectivity score 30/100 90/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
36 premises
 85%
1,658 premises

Climate

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
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

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Average residential rate $2,086/yr
same for both
Council Ballarat
same for both

Federal electorate

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Scotchmans Lead Buninyong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Scotchmans Lead

Rural

Buninyong

Acreage Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Scotchmans Lead

Scotchmans Lead vs Napoleons Scotchmans Lead vs Durham Lead Scotchmans Lead vs Magpie Scotchmans Lead vs Cambrian Hill

Other comparisons with Buninyong

Buninyong vs Mount Helen Buninyong vs Durham Lead Buninyong vs Magpie Buninyong vs Yendon Buninyong vs Navigators Buninyong vs Scotsburn
Full data on Scotchmans Lead Full data on Buninyong
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or