Shady Creek vs Darnum

Comparing Shady Creek and Darnum, VIC: Shady Creek carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 0); Darnum has more residents (759 vs 186); and Shady Creek sits further from the CBD (116.3 km vs 113.6 km).

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

Shady Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 47/100)

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

Shady Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $307/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Darnum

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 96 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (113.6 km vs 116.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Shady Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 47/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Shady Creek Darnum
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.

Shady Creek Darnum
Walkability 0 / 0
Shady Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Darnum — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 75 / 53
Shady Creek — Safety: 75/100 Darnum — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 3 / 100
Shady Creek — Low fire risk: 3/100 Darnum — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 53 / 36
Shady Creek — Low flood risk: 53/100 Darnum — Low flood risk: 36/100

Demographics

Darnum has more residents (759 vs 186); Darnum rents higher ($307/wk vs $200/wk).

Shady Creek Darnum
Population 186 759
+308% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +1.1%
Median age 42 41
Median household income $109,200/yr
+17% vs other
 $90,688/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $307/wk
+54% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek Darnum
0-4 4.3% / 5.1%
Shady Creek — 0-4: 4.3% Darnum — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 17.7% / 15.0%
Shady Creek — 5-14: 17.7% Darnum — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 3.2% / 6.9%
Shady Creek — 15-19: 3.2% Darnum — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 4.3% / 5.0%
Shady Creek — 20-24: 4.3% Darnum — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 11.3% / 9.1%
Shady Creek — 25-34: 11.3% Darnum — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 12.4% / 12.4%
Shady Creek — 35-44: 12.4% Darnum — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 12.4% / 17.5%
Shady Creek — 45-54: 12.4% Darnum — 45-54: 17.5%
55-64 16.7% / 12.0%
Shady Creek — 55-64: 16.7% Darnum — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 14.5% / 8.4%
Shady Creek — 65-74: 14.5% Darnum — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 1.6% / 5.4%
Shady Creek — 75-84: 1.6% Darnum — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ — / 0.7%
Shady Creek — 85+: not among its largest Darnum — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek 62.9% couple families
Shady Creek — Couple Families: 62.9% Shady Creek — Lone Person: 22.9% Shady Creek — One Parent Families: 14.3% Shady Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Shady Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Darnum 55.8% couple families
Darnum — Couple Families: 55.8% Darnum — Lone Person: 22.1% Darnum — One Parent Families: 15.5% Darnum — Group Household: 5.0% Darnum — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek 4.9% renting
Shady Creek — Owned Outright: 45.9% Shady Creek — Mortgage: 49.2% Shady Creek — Renting: 4.9%
Darnum 6.4% renting
Darnum — Owned Outright: 41.7% Darnum — Mortgage: 51.9% Darnum — Renting: 6.4%
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.

Shady Creek Darnum
England 3.2% / 2.0%
Shady Creek — England: 3.2% Darnum — England: 2.0%
Netherlands — / 1.2%
Shady Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Darnum — Netherlands: 1.2%
New Zealand — / 1.1%
Shady Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest Darnum — New Zealand: 1.1%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Shady Creek — Philippines: not among its largest Darnum — Philippines: 0.4%
Thailand — / 0.4%
Shady Creek — Thailand: not among its largest Darnum — Thailand: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

Qualifications

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

Shady Creek Darnum
Certificate III & IV 21.0% / 19.6%
Shady Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.0% Darnum — Certificate III & IV: 19.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 7.2%
Shady Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Darnum — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 6.5%
Shady Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Darnum — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.7%
Shady Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Darnum — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.7%
Shady Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Darnum — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek 89.9% houses
Shady Creek — Houses: 89.9% Shady Creek — Townhouses: 0.0% Shady Creek — Flats / Apartments: 10.1%
Darnum 86.9% houses
Darnum — Houses: 86.9% Darnum — Townhouses: 12.7% Darnum — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Shady Creek Darnum
Median house price — $871,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 86 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Shady Creek Darnum
Rural and farming 93% 94%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Residential 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Shady Creek Darnum
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Shady Creek Darnum
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC

Liveability

Shady Creek Darnum
Grade — C
Score — 41/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Shady Creek carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 0); Darnum carries more crime risk (47 vs 25).

Shady Creek Darnum
Bushfire High
97/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
25/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
64/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Shady Creek Darnum
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 Shady Creek

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

Schools in Darnum

  • Darnum Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Shady Creek Darnum
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 10 2

Mobility

Shady Creek sits further from the CBD (116.3 km vs 113.6 km).

Shady Creek Darnum
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 116.3 km
+2% vs other
 113.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 96 min 86 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3821
 0.3%
postcode 3822
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3821
 54
postcode 3822

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.

Shady Creek Darnum
Car (driver) 52.8% / 71.7%
Shady Creek — Car (driver): 52.8% Darnum — Car (driver): 71.7%
Worked from Home 31.5% / 18.6%
Shady Creek — Worked from Home: 31.5% Darnum — Worked from Home: 18.6%
Walked Only 15.7% / 1.6%
Shady Creek — Walked Only: 15.7% Darnum — Walked Only: 1.6%
Car (passenger) — / 6.3%
Shady Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Darnum — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Bus — / 1.9%
Shady Creek — Bus: not among its largest Darnum — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.7%).

Setting

Shady Creek Darnum
Elevation 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 135 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Shady Creek Darnum
Connectivity score 25/100 54/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 32%
292 premises

Climate

Shady Creek Darnum
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Shady Creek Darnum
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Shady Creek Darnum
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Shady Creek

Family River Rural

Darnum

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Shady Creek

Shady Creek vs Trafalgar Shady Creek vs Yarragon Shady Creek vs Willow Grove Shady Creek vs Nilma North Shady Creek vs Neerim East Shady Creek vs Buln Buln East

Other comparisons with Darnum

Darnum vs Yarragon Darnum vs Nilma Darnum vs Nilma North Darnum vs Cloverlea Darnum vs Bona Vista
Full data on Shady Creek Full data on Darnum
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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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