Smythes Creek vs Delacombe

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Smythes Creek, most households are couple families. On these figures, Smythes Creek tends to suit couples, while Delacombe 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

Delacombe

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Smythes Creek is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Smythes Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Delacombe

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 10%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $395/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Delacombe

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (72/100 vs 6/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (93 min vs 99 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (119.6 km vs 125.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Delacombe

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (72/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Delacombe

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.6% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

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

Smythes Creek Delacombe
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.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Walkability 6 / 72
Smythes Creek — Walkability: 6/100 Delacombe — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 7 / 16
Smythes Creek — Safety: 7/100 Delacombe — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 46 / 100
Smythes Creek — Low fire risk: 46/100 Delacombe — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 76 / 100
Smythes Creek — Low flood risk: 76/100 Delacombe — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Delacombe has more residents (5,408 vs 1,762); Smythes Creek has higher household incomes ($110,864 vs $69,628).

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Population 1,762 5,408
+207% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) —
same for both
Median age 38 39
Median household income $110,864/yr
+37% vs other
 $69,628/yr
Median weekly rent $395/wk
+22% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
0-4 6.2% / 5.7%
Smythes Creek — 0-4: 6.2% Delacombe — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 13.6% / 12.3%
Smythes Creek — 5-14: 13.6% Delacombe — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 9.7% / 6.2%
Smythes Creek — 15-19: 9.7% Delacombe — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 6.6% / 6.8%
Smythes Creek — 20-24: 6.6% Delacombe — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 10.2% / 14.4%
Smythes Creek — 25-34: 10.2% Delacombe — 25-34: 14.4%
35-44 11.1% / 10.8%
Smythes Creek — 35-44: 11.1% Delacombe — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 14.0% / 11.3%
Smythes Creek — 45-54: 14.0% Delacombe — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 13.2% / 10.8%
Smythes Creek — 55-64: 13.2% Delacombe — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 10.2% / 11.2%
Smythes Creek — 65-74: 10.2% Delacombe — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 4.1% / 6.5%
Smythes Creek — 75-84: 4.1% Delacombe — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 0.6% / 3.9%
Smythes Creek — 85+: 0.6% Delacombe — 85+: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Smythes Creek 66.1% couple families
Smythes Creek — Couple Families: 66.1% Smythes Creek — Lone Person: 16.5% Smythes Creek — One Parent Families: 12.9% Smythes Creek — Group Household: 3.4% Smythes Creek — Other Families: 1.0%
Delacombe 34.8% couple families
Delacombe — Couple Families: 34.8% Delacombe — Lone Person: 35.9% Delacombe — One Parent Families: 23.0% Delacombe — Group Household: 4.6% Delacombe — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Smythes Creek 9.6% renting
Smythes Creek — Owned Outright: 36.8% Smythes Creek — Mortgage: 53.6% Smythes Creek — Renting: 9.6%
Delacombe 27.8% renting
Delacombe — Owned Outright: 34.9% Delacombe — Mortgage: 37.3% Delacombe — Renting: 27.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Certificate III & IV 19.8% / 18.9%
Smythes Creek — Certificate III & IV: 19.8% Delacombe — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.1% / 7.4%
Smythes Creek — Bachelor Degree: 10.1% Delacombe — Bachelor Degree: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 5.8%
Smythes Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Delacombe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.6%
Smythes Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Delacombe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 1.3%
Smythes Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Delacombe — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

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.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
England 2.0% / 2.0%
Smythes Creek — England: 2.0% Delacombe — England: 2.0%
India 1.1% / 0.9%
Smythes Creek — India: 1.1% Delacombe — India: 0.9%
New Zealand 0.6% / 1.0%
Smythes Creek — New Zealand: 0.6% Delacombe — New Zealand: 1.0%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.3%
Smythes Creek — Scotland: 0.9% Delacombe — Scotland: 0.3%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.4%
Smythes Creek — Netherlands: 0.6% Delacombe — Netherlands: 0.4%
Philippines 0.2% / 0.6%
Smythes Creek — Philippines: 0.2% Delacombe — Philippines: 0.6%
Nepal — / 0.5%
Smythes Creek — Nepal: not among its largest Delacombe — Nepal: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Smythes Creek 99.1% houses
Smythes Creek — Houses: 99.1% Smythes Creek — Townhouses: 0.0% Smythes Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Delacombe 90.9% houses
Delacombe — Houses: 90.9% Delacombe — Townhouses: 9.1% Delacombe — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Median house price $600,000 $580,728
Median unit price — $420,000
Median land price $290,000 $282,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 64 sales
 31 days
from 62 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
3 bed $560K / $550K
Smythes Creek — 3 bed: $560K (33 sales) Delacombe — 3 bed: $550K (97 sales)

33 vs 97 sales

4 bed $610K / $649K
Smythes Creek — 4 bed: $610K (94 sales) Delacombe — 4 bed: $649K (60 sales)

94 vs 60 sales

Zoning mix

Smythes Creek has more rural and farming land (91% vs 0%); Delacombe has more industrially zoned land (43% vs 0%).

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Rural and farming 91% 0%
Residential 8% 50%
Industrial 0% 43%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 6%
Parks and recreation 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

Smythes Creek Delacombe
New dwellings approved 186
across Golden Plains
 1,451
across Ballarat
Approvals change year on year +10% +42%

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.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Houses 3.1%
$518/wk on $859K
 3.6%
$460/wk on $670K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Smythes Creek Delacombe
House price Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
Income Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC

Liveability

Delacombe is more walkable (72 vs 6); Delacombe scores higher overall (50 vs 34).

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Grade C B
Score 34/100 50/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Smythes Creek carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0); Smythes Creek carries more flood risk (24 vs 0).

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
84/100
Flood Low
24/100
 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
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Ballarat, 8.7 km
 1
Federation University Ballarat, 3.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.3%

Schools in Smythes Creek

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

Schools in Delacombe

  • Delacombe Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Lumen Christi School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 4
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Smythes Creek sits further from the CBD (125.7 km vs 119.6 km).

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Walkability score 6/100 72/100
Distance to Melbourne 125.7 km
+5% vs other
 119.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 93 min
Public transport score 30/100 76/100
Peak arrivals per hour 3.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 48.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 18 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3351
 0.4%
postcode 3356
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 3351
 31
postcode 3356

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.

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Car (driver) 75.6% / 79.4%
Smythes Creek — Car (driver): 75.6% Delacombe — Car (driver): 79.4%
Worked from Home 15.8% / 11.9%
Smythes Creek — Worked from Home: 15.8% Delacombe — Worked from Home: 11.9%
Car (passenger) 7.5% / 6.2%
Smythes Creek — Car (passenger): 7.5% Delacombe — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.2%
Smythes Creek — Walked Only: 0.8% Delacombe — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bus 0.4% / 0.7%
Smythes Creek — Bus: 0.4% Delacombe — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Elevation 408 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 427 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Connectivity score 68/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
1,067 premises
 57%
3,172 premises

Climate

Smythes Creek Delacombe
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

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Average residential rate $2,052/yr $2,086/yr
Council Golden Plains Ballarat

Federal electorate

Smythes Creek Delacombe
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Smythes Creek

Acreage

Delacombe

Affordable Large Blocks Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Smythes Creek

Smythes Creek vs Winter Valley Smythes Creek vs Haddon Smythes Creek vs Ross Creek Smythes Creek vs Smythesdale Smythes Creek vs Bonshaw Smythes Creek vs Bunkers Hill

Other comparisons with Delacombe

Delacombe vs Alfredton Delacombe vs Sebastopol Delacombe vs Winter Valley Delacombe vs Redan Delacombe vs Newington Delacombe vs Bonshaw
Full data on Smythes Creek Full data on Delacombe
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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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