Springfield vs Forbes

Springfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 49 in Forbes. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Springfield tends to suit families with children, while Forbes 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

  • Springfield is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 62%)
  • Forbes carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 64/100)

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

First-home buyers

Springfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Springfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($391/wk vs $425/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Springfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (71.4 km vs 80.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 75 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Forbes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 64/100)

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

Investors

Forbes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (25.4% vs 6.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Springfield Forbes
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.

Springfield Forbes
Walkability 0 / 0
Springfield — Walkability: 0/100 Forbes — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 81
Springfield — Safety: 36/100 Forbes — Safety: 81/100
Low fire risk 24 / 20
Springfield — Low fire risk: 24/100 Forbes — Low fire risk: 20/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Springfield — Low flood risk: 100/100 Forbes — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Springfield has higher household incomes ($131,404 vs $84,500); Forbes skews older (49 vs 46).

Springfield Forbes
Population 193
+18% vs other
 158
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.6% +25.4%
Median age 46 49
Median household income $131,404/yr
+36% vs other
 $84,500/yr
Median weekly rent $391/wk $425/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Springfield Forbes
0-4 4.7% / —
Springfield — 0-4: 4.7% Forbes — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 14.0% / 12.0%
Springfield — 5-14: 14.0% Forbes — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 6.7% / 8.2%
Springfield — 15-19: 6.7% Forbes — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 8.8% / 4.4%
Springfield — 20-24: 8.8% Forbes — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 7.8% / 8.2%
Springfield — 25-34: 7.8% Forbes — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 8.8% / 6.3%
Springfield — 35-44: 8.8% Forbes — 35-44: 6.3%
45-54 27.5% / 20.9%
Springfield — 45-54: 27.5% Forbes — 45-54: 20.9%
55-64 13.5% / 15.2%
Springfield — 55-64: 13.5% Forbes — 55-64: 15.2%
65-74 9.3% / 9.5%
Springfield — 65-74: 9.3% Forbes — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 6.7% / 8.2%
Springfield — 75-84: 6.7% Forbes — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ — / —
Springfield — 85+: not among its largest Forbes — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Springfield 60.0% couple families
Springfield — Couple Families: 60.0% Springfield — Lone Person: 20.0% Springfield — One Parent Families: 14.0% Springfield — Group Household: 6.0%
Forbes 61.5% couple families
Forbes — Couple Families: 61.5% Forbes — Lone Person: 38.5% Forbes — One Parent Families: 0.0% Forbes — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Springfield 14.1% renting
Springfield — Owned Outright: 40.6% Springfield — Mortgage: 45.3% Springfield — Renting: 14.1%
Forbes 14.3% renting
Forbes — Owned Outright: 42.9% Forbes — Mortgage: 42.9% Forbes — Renting: 14.3%
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.

Springfield Forbes
England 1.6% / 3.2%
Springfield — England: 1.6% Forbes — England: 3.2%
Italy 2.6% / —
Springfield — Italy: 2.6% Forbes — Italy: not among its largest
Ireland — / 1.9%
Springfield — Ireland: not among its largest Forbes — Ireland: 1.9%

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

Qualifications

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

Springfield Forbes
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 15.2%
Springfield — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Forbes — Certificate III & IV: 15.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.4% / 7.0%
Springfield — Bachelor Degree: 12.4% Forbes — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 10.1%
Springfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Forbes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 3.2%
Springfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Forbes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 3.2%
Springfield — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Forbes — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Springfield 100.0% houses
Springfield — Houses: 100.0%
Forbes 100.0% houses
Forbes — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Zoning mix

Springfield Forbes
Rural and farming 99%
same for both
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

Springfield Forbes
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
 1,074
across Mitchell
Approvals change year on year +80% +70%

Ranking within VIC

Springfield Forbes
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 24% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC

Liveability

Springfield Forbes
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Springfield carries more crime risk (64 vs 19).

Springfield Forbes
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
80/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Low
19/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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

Springfield Forbes
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

Springfield Forbes
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Forbes sits further from the CBD (80.8 km vs 71.4 km).

Springfield Forbes
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 71.4 km 80.8 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 75 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3434
 0.4%
postcode 3764
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 3434
 46
postcode 3764

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.

Springfield Forbes
Car (driver) 54.6% / 63.1%
Springfield — Car (driver): 54.6% Forbes — Car (driver): 63.1%
Worked from Home 36.1% / 30.8%
Springfield — Worked from Home: 36.1% Forbes — Worked from Home: 30.8%
Walked Only 5.2% / 6.2%
Springfield — Walked Only: 5.2% Forbes — Walked Only: 6.2%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
Springfield — Car (passenger): 4.1% Forbes — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.1%).

Setting

Springfield Forbes
Elevation 549 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 371 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Springfield Forbes
Connectivity score 27/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
79 premises
 0%
60 premises

Climate

Springfield Forbes
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Springfield Forbes
Average residential rate $2,065/yr $1,947/yr
Council Macedon Ranges Mitchell

Federal electorate

Springfield Forbes
Division Mcewen Nicholls
Member Rob Mitchell Sam Birrell
Party Australian Labor Party The Nationals

First Home Owner Grant

Springfield Forbes
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Springfield

Rural

Forbes

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Springfield

Springfield vs Romsey Springfield vs Lancefield Springfield vs Darraweit Guim Springfield vs Goldie Springfield vs Willowmavin Springfield vs Monegeetta

Other comparisons with Forbes

Forbes vs Kilmore Forbes vs Willowmavin Forbes vs Bylands
Full data on Springfield Full data on Forbes
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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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