Shady Creek vs Trafalgar

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. On these figures, Shady Creek tends to suit couples, while Trafalgar 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

Trafalgar

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Shady Creek carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 64/100)

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 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $300/wk)
  • But Trafalgar has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 5%)

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

Commuting to the city

Shady Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (116.3 km vs 129.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Trafalgar

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)
  • But Shady Creek carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 64/100)

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

Investors

Trafalgar

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.2% vs 3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Shady Creek and Trafalgar 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 Trafalgar
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 Trafalgar
Walkability 0 / 0
Shady Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Trafalgar — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 75 / 36
Shady Creek — Safety: 75/100 Trafalgar — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 3 / 3
Shady Creek — Low fire risk: 3/100 Trafalgar — Low fire risk: 3/100
Low flood risk 53 / 20
Shady Creek — Low flood risk: 53/100 Trafalgar — Low flood risk: 20/100

Demographics

Trafalgar has more residents (4,349 vs 186); Trafalgar rents higher ($300/wk vs $200/wk).

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Population 186 4,349
+2238% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +11.2%
Median age 42 41
Median household income $109,200/yr
+31% vs other
 $75,296/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $300/wk
+50% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Shady Creek Trafalgar
0-4 4.3% / 6.1%
Shady Creek — 0-4: 4.3% Trafalgar — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 17.7% / 14.0%
Shady Creek — 5-14: 17.7% Trafalgar — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 3.2% / 5.6%
Shady Creek — 15-19: 3.2% Trafalgar — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.3% / 4.5%
Shady Creek — 20-24: 4.3% Trafalgar — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 11.3% / 11.3%
Shady Creek — 25-34: 11.3% Trafalgar — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 12.4% / 12.3%
Shady Creek — 35-44: 12.4% Trafalgar — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 12.4% / 12.2%
Shady Creek — 45-54: 12.4% Trafalgar — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 16.7% / 10.9%
Shady Creek — 55-64: 16.7% Trafalgar — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 14.5% / 12.9%
Shady Creek — 65-74: 14.5% Trafalgar — 65-74: 12.9%
75-84 1.6% / 7.3%
Shady Creek — 75-84: 1.6% Trafalgar — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ — / 3.0%
Shady Creek — 85+: not among its largest Trafalgar — 85+: 3.0%

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%
Trafalgar 38.2% couple families
Trafalgar — Couple Families: 38.2% Trafalgar — Lone Person: 39.2% Trafalgar — One Parent Families: 18.0% Trafalgar — Group Household: 3.2% Trafalgar — Other Families: 1.5%
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%
Trafalgar 21.6% renting
Trafalgar — Owned Outright: 40.9% Trafalgar — Mortgage: 37.6% Trafalgar — Renting: 21.6%
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 Trafalgar
England 3.2% / 3.1%
Shady Creek — England: 3.2% Trafalgar — England: 3.1%
India — / 0.6%
Shady Creek — India: not among its largest Trafalgar — India: 0.6%
New Zealand — / 0.6%
Shady Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest Trafalgar — New Zealand: 0.6%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Shady Creek — Scotland: not among its largest Trafalgar — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Shady Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Trafalgar — Netherlands: 0.5%

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

Qualifications

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

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Certificate III & IV 21.0% / 18.0%
Shady Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.0% Trafalgar — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 8.4%
Shady Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Trafalgar — Bachelor Degree: 8.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 6.8%
Shady Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Trafalgar — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.1%
Shady Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Trafalgar — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.9%
Shady Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Trafalgar — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%

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 — Flats / Apartments: 10.1% Shady Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Trafalgar 93.3% houses
Trafalgar — Houses: 93.3% Trafalgar — Flats / Apartments: 0.7% Trafalgar — Townhouses: 6.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Median house price — $615,000
Median unit price — $400,000
Median land price — $451,700
Typical days to sell (houses) — 45 days
from 56 sales

Zoning mix

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Rural and farming 93% 91%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Residential 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
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 Trafalgar
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
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.

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Houses — 4.1%
$540/wk on $690K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Shady Creek Trafalgar
House price — Higher than 27% of VIC
Income Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 12% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 67% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 72% of VIC

Liveability

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Grade — D
Score — 15/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Trafalgar carries more crime risk (64 vs 25); Trafalgar carries more flood risk (80 vs 47).

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Bushfire High
97/100
same for both
Crime Low
25/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood Moderate
47/100
 High
80/100
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 Trafalgar
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Shady Creek

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

Schools in Trafalgar

  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Trafalgar High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Trafalgar Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 4
Waterways 10 4

Mobility

Trafalgar sits further from the CBD (129.3 km vs 116.3 km).

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 116.3 km 129.3 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 96 min 95 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3821
 0.4%
postcode 3824
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3821
 41
postcode 3824

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 Trafalgar
Car (driver) 52.8% / 76.6%
Shady Creek — Car (driver): 52.8% Trafalgar — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 31.5% / 12.7%
Shady Creek — Worked from Home: 31.5% Trafalgar — Worked from Home: 12.7%
Walked Only 15.7% / 3.3%
Shady Creek — Walked Only: 15.7% Trafalgar — Walked Only: 3.3%
Car (passenger) — / 5.9%
Shady Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Trafalgar — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Train — / 1.0%
Shady Creek — Train: not among its largest Trafalgar — Train: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Elevation 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 73 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Connectivity score 25/100 64/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 38%
2,080 premises

Climate

Shady Creek Trafalgar
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm 700 mm
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C 26.7°C
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C 4.1°C

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Shady Creek Trafalgar
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

Trafalgar

Acreage Trains

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Shady Creek

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

Other comparisons with Trafalgar

Trafalgar vs Yarragon Trafalgar vs Willow Grove Trafalgar vs Trafalgar East Trafalgar vs Trafalgar South Trafalgar vs Yarragon South Trafalgar vs Westbury
Full data on Shady Creek Full data on Trafalgar
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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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