Shady Creek vs Neerim East

Shady Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 47 in Neerim East. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Shady Creek, most households are couple families. In Neerim East, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Shady Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Neerim East suits people living alone.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Shady Creek is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 51%)
  • Neerim East carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 25/100)

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

First-home buyers

Shady Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Neerim East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($166/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Shady Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (96 min vs 110 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (116.3 km vs 124.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Neerim East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 25/100)

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 Neerim East 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 Neerim East
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 Neerim East
Walkability 0 / 0
Shady Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Neerim East — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 75 / 88
Shady Creek — Safety: 75/100 Neerim East — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 3 / 3
Shady Creek — Low fire risk: 3/100 Neerim East — Low fire risk: 3/100
Low flood risk 53 / 100
Shady Creek — Low flood risk: 53/100 Neerim East — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Shady Creek has higher household incomes ($109,200 vs $82,316); Shady Creek rents higher ($200/wk vs $166/wk).

Shady Creek Neerim East
Population 186 196
+5% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +2.1%
Median age 42 47
Median household income $109,200/yr
+25% vs other
 $82,316/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+17% vs other
 $166/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek Neerim East
0-4 4.3% / 6.6%
Shady Creek — 0-4: 4.3% Neerim East — 0-4: 6.6%
5-14 17.7% / 11.2%
Shady Creek — 5-14: 17.7% Neerim East — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 3.2% / 8.7%
Shady Creek — 15-19: 3.2% Neerim East — 15-19: 8.7%
20-24 4.3% / 5.1%
Shady Creek — 20-24: 4.3% Neerim East — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 11.3% / 5.6%
Shady Creek — 25-34: 11.3% Neerim East — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 12.4% / 13.8%
Shady Creek — 35-44: 12.4% Neerim East — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 12.4% / 16.8%
Shady Creek — 45-54: 12.4% Neerim East — 45-54: 16.8%
55-64 16.7% / 15.8%
Shady Creek — 55-64: 16.7% Neerim East — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 14.5% / 18.4%
Shady Creek — 65-74: 14.5% Neerim East — 65-74: 18.4%
75-84 1.6% / 2.0%
Shady Creek — 75-84: 1.6% Neerim East — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ — / —
Shady Creek — 85+: not among its largest Neerim East — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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 Neerim East
England 3.2% / 2.0%
Shady Creek — England: 3.2% Neerim East — England: 2.0%

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

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%
Neerim East 40.5% couple families
Neerim East — Couple Families: 40.5% Neerim East — Lone Person: 48.6% Neerim East — One Parent Families: 10.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek 89.9% houses
Shady Creek — Houses: 89.9% Shady Creek — Flats / Apartments: 10.1%
Neerim East 89.9% houses
Neerim East — Houses: 89.9% Neerim East — Flats / Apartments: 10.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Shady Creek Neerim East
Certificate III & IV 21.0% / 18.9%
Shady Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.0% Neerim East — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 8.2%
Shady Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Neerim East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 6.6%
Shady Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Neerim East — Bachelor Degree: 6.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.6%
Shady Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Neerim East — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / —
Shady Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Neerim East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

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%
Neerim East 10.3% renting
Neerim East — Owned Outright: 43.1% Neerim East — Mortgage: 46.6% Neerim East — Renting: 10.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Shady Creek Neerim East
Median house price — $840,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Shady Creek has more rural and farming land (93% vs 36%).

Shady Creek Neerim East
Rural and farming 93% 36%
Parks and recreation 2% 64%
Other and special use 5% 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

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

Ranking within VIC

Shady Creek Neerim East
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Shady Creek Neerim East
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Shady Creek carries more flood risk (47 vs 0); Shady Creek carries more crime risk (25 vs 12).

Shady Creek Neerim East
Bushfire High
97/100
same for both
Crime Low
25/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Moderate
47/100
 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

Shady Creek Neerim East
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Shady Creek Neerim East
Parks & reserves 1 3
Waterways 10 137

Mobility

Neerim East sits further from the CBD (124.1 km vs 116.3 km).

Shady Creek Neerim East
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 116.3 km 124.1 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 96 min 110 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3821
 0.6%
postcode 3831
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3821
 60
postcode 3831

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 Neerim East
Car (driver) 52.8% / 61.5%
Shady Creek — Car (driver): 52.8% Neerim East — Car (driver): 61.5%
Worked from Home 31.5% / 28.2%
Shady Creek — Worked from Home: 31.5% Neerim East — Worked from Home: 28.2%
Walked Only 15.7% / 5.1%
Shady Creek — Walked Only: 15.7% Neerim East — Walked Only: 5.1%
Car (passenger) — / 5.1%
Shady Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Neerim East — Car (passenger): 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.5%).

Setting

Shady Creek Neerim East
Elevation 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 284 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Shady Creek Neerim East
Connectivity score 25/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 0%
79 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Shady Creek Neerim East
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

Neerim East

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Shady Creek

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

Other comparisons with Neerim East

Neerim East vs Neerim South Neerim East vs Willow Grove Neerim East vs Neerim Neerim East vs Buln Buln East Neerim East vs Hill End Neerim East vs Fumina South
Full data on Shady Creek Full data on Neerim East
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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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