Shelford vs Rokewood

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Shelford, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Shelford: a median of $928,000, against $412,000 in Rokewood, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Shelford tends to suit families with children and couples, while Rokewood suits people living alone and 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

Shelford

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 90/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Rokewood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($412,500 vs $927,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rokewood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($215/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Shelford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (111.6 km vs 130.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 103 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Shelford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 90/100)

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

Investors

Shelford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.0% vs -4.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Shelford Rokewood
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.

Shelford Rokewood
Walkability 0 / 0
Shelford — Walkability: 0/100 Rokewood — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 69 / 10
Shelford — Safety: 69/100 Rokewood — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 35 / 31
Shelford — Low fire risk: 35/100 Rokewood — Low fire risk: 31/100
Low flood risk 44 / 53
Shelford — Low flood risk: 44/100 Rokewood — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Shelford rents higher ($300/wk vs $215/wk); Shelford has higher household incomes ($92,456 vs $66,872).

Shelford Rokewood
Population 263
+21% vs other
 208
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% -4.1%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $92,456/yr
+28% vs other
 $66,872/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+28% vs other
 $215/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Shelford Rokewood
0-4 8.0% / 5.3%
Shelford — 0-4: 8.0% Rokewood — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 14.4% / 12.0%
Shelford — 5-14: 14.4% Rokewood — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 4.9% / 8.2%
Shelford — 15-19: 4.9% Rokewood — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 4.2% / 3.8%
Shelford — 20-24: 4.2% Rokewood — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 11.8% / 15.4%
Shelford — 25-34: 11.8% Rokewood — 25-34: 15.4%
35-44 12.9% / 13.5%
Shelford — 35-44: 12.9% Rokewood — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 12.9% / 15.4%
Shelford — 45-54: 12.9% Rokewood — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 14.1% / 10.6%
Shelford — 55-64: 14.1% Rokewood — 55-64: 10.6%
65-74 10.3% / 10.6%
Shelford — 65-74: 10.3% Rokewood — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 4.2% / 3.8%
Shelford — 75-84: 4.2% Rokewood — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ — / 1.4%
Shelford — 85+: not among its largest Rokewood — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

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.

Shelford Rokewood
England 3.0% / —
Shelford — England: 3.0% Rokewood — England: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Shelford — New Zealand: not among its largest Rokewood — New Zealand: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Shelford 63.1% couple families
Shelford — Couple Families: 63.1% Shelford — Lone Person: 23.1% Shelford — One Parent Families: 13.8% Shelford — Group Household: 0.0%
Rokewood 33.9% couple families
Rokewood — Couple Families: 33.9% Rokewood — Lone Person: 40.7% Rokewood — One Parent Families: 18.6% Rokewood — Group Household: 6.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Shelford 94.6% houses
Shelford — Houses: 94.6% Shelford — Flats / Apartments: 5.4% Shelford — Townhouses: 0.0%
Rokewood 94.9% houses
Rokewood — Houses: 94.9% Rokewood — Flats / Apartments: 1.3% Rokewood — Townhouses: 3.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Shelford Rokewood
Certificate III & IV 23.6% / 15.9%
Shelford — Certificate III & IV: 23.6% Rokewood — Certificate III & IV: 15.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 6.2%
Shelford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Rokewood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.2% / 5.8%
Shelford — Bachelor Degree: 7.2% Rokewood — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 2.9%
Shelford — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Rokewood — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.4%
Shelford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Rokewood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Shelford 13.3% renting
Shelford — Owned Outright: 42.2% Shelford — Mortgage: 44.4% Shelford — Renting: 13.3%
Rokewood 9.6% renting
Rokewood — Owned Outright: 54.8% Rokewood — Mortgage: 35.6% Rokewood — Renting: 9.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Shelford Rokewood
Median house price $927,500 $412,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $320,000 —

Zoning mix

Shelford Rokewood
Rural and farming 99% 98%
Parks and recreation 0% 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

Shelford Rokewood
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
same for both
Approvals change year on year +10%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Shelford Rokewood
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 19% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC

Liveability

Shelford Rokewood
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Rokewood carries more crime risk (90 vs 31).

Shelford Rokewood
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime Low
31/100
 High
90/100
Flood Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
47/100
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

Shelford Rokewood
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Shelford

  • Shelford Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Rokewood

  • Rokewood Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Shelford Rokewood
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 12 26

Mobility

Rokewood sits further from the CBD (130.1 km vs 111.6 km).

Shelford Rokewood
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 111.6 km 130.1 km
+17% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 90 min 103 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3329
 0.0%
postcode 3330
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 3329
 32
postcode 3330

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.

Shelford Rokewood
Car (driver) 75.6% / 63.0%
Shelford — Car (driver): 75.6% Rokewood — Car (driver): 63.0%
Worked from Home 21.1% / 23.5%
Shelford — Worked from Home: 21.1% Rokewood — Worked from Home: 23.5%
Walked Only — / 8.6%
Shelford — Walked Only: not among its largest Rokewood — Walked Only: 8.6%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 4.9%
Shelford — Car (passenger): 3.3% Rokewood — Car (passenger): 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).

Setting

Shelford Rokewood
Elevation 187 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 176 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Shelford Rokewood
Connectivity score 21/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 0%
122 premises

Climate

Shelford Rokewood
Annual rainfall 502 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.3°C
same for both

Council rates

Shelford Rokewood
Average residential rate $2,052/yr
same for both
Council Golden Plains
same for both

Federal electorate

Shelford Rokewood
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Shelford Rokewood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Shelford

Family Rural

Rokewood

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Shelford

Shelford vs Teesdale Shelford vs Inverleigh Shelford vs Lethbridge Shelford vs Meredith Shelford vs Mount Mercer

Other comparisons with Rokewood

Rokewood vs Dereel Rokewood vs Cressy Rokewood vs Corindhap Rokewood vs Mount Mercer Rokewood vs Werneth
Full data on Shelford Full data on Rokewood
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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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