Swan Hill vs Murraydale

Swan Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 48 in Murraydale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Murraydale, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Swan Hill tends to suit people living alone, while Murraydale suits share households and couples.

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

Swan Hill

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (24 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 0)
  • But Murraydale carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

Murraydale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Murraydale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $235/wk)
  • But Swan Hill has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

Swan Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (340.7 km vs 344.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Swan Hill has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • Murraydale carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Swan Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.6% vs -16.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Swan Hill Murraydale
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.

Swan Hill Murraydale
Walkability 4 / 0
Swan Hill — Walkability: 4/100 Murraydale — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 16 / 88
Swan Hill — Safety: 16/100 Murraydale — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 69 / 100
Swan Hill — Low fire risk: 69/100 Murraydale — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 40 / 2
Swan Hill — Low flood risk: 40/100 Murraydale — Low flood risk: 2/100

Demographics

Swan Hill has more residents (11,186 vs 105); Murraydale has higher household incomes ($107,224 vs $72,280).

Swan Hill Murraydale
Population 11,186
+99% vs other
 105
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% -16.0%
Median age 38 48
Median household income $72,280/yr $107,224/yr
+48% vs other
Median weekly rent $235/wk
+15% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Swan Hill Murraydale
0-4 6.7% / 7.6%
Swan Hill — 0-4: 6.7% Murraydale — 0-4: 7.6%
5-14 12.5% / 10.5%
Swan Hill — 5-14: 12.5% Murraydale — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 5.0% / 2.9%
Swan Hill — 15-19: 5.0% Murraydale — 15-19: 2.9%
20-24 6.2% / 4.8%
Swan Hill — 20-24: 6.2% Murraydale — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 14.7% / 13.3%
Swan Hill — 25-34: 14.7% Murraydale — 25-34: 13.3%
35-44 12.0% / 9.5%
Swan Hill — 35-44: 12.0% Murraydale — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 10.1% / 11.4%
Swan Hill — 45-54: 10.1% Murraydale — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 11.8% / 22.9%
Swan Hill — 55-64: 11.8% Murraydale — 55-64: 22.9%
65-74 10.0% / 17.1%
Swan Hill — 65-74: 10.0% Murraydale — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 7.3% / —
Swan Hill — 75-84: 7.3% Murraydale — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 3.7% / —
Swan Hill — 85+: 3.7% Murraydale — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Swan Hill 35.1% couple families
Swan Hill — Couple Families: 35.1% Swan Hill — Lone Person: 42.6% Swan Hill — Group Household: 4.8% Swan Hill — One Parent Families: 15.9% Swan Hill — Other Families: 1.6%
Murraydale 45.8% couple families
Murraydale — Couple Families: 45.8% Murraydale — Lone Person: 29.2% Murraydale — Group Household: 25.0% Murraydale — One Parent Families: 0.0% Murraydale — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Swan Hill 32.8% renting
Swan Hill — Owned Outright: 36.1% Swan Hill — Mortgage: 31.0% Swan Hill — Renting: 32.8%
Murraydale 12.5% renting
Murraydale — Owned Outright: 43.8% Murraydale — Mortgage: 43.8% Murraydale — Renting: 12.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Swan Hill Murraydale
Certificate III & IV 15.2% / 22.9%
Swan Hill — Certificate III & IV: 15.2% Murraydale — Certificate III & IV: 22.9%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 9.5%
Swan Hill — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Murraydale — Bachelor Degree: 9.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 6.7%
Swan Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Murraydale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / —
Swan Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Murraydale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / —
Swan Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Murraydale — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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.

Swan Hill Murraydale
New Zealand — / 3.8%
Swan Hill — New Zealand: not among its largest Murraydale — New Zealand: 3.8%
India 1.9% / —
Swan Hill — India: 1.9% Murraydale — India: not among its largest
Malaysia 1.6% / —
Swan Hill — Malaysia: 1.6% Murraydale — Malaysia: not among its largest
Vietnam 1.3% / —
Swan Hill — Vietnam: 1.3% Murraydale — Vietnam: not among its largest
Philippines 1.1% / —
Swan Hill — Philippines: 1.1% Murraydale — Philippines: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Swan Hill — Italy: 0.9% Murraydale — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Swan Hill 83.0% houses
Swan Hill — Houses: 83.0% Swan Hill — Flats / Apartments: 8.5% Swan Hill — Townhouses: 8.5%
Murraydale 100.0% houses
Murraydale — Houses: 100.0% Murraydale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Murraydale — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Swan Hill Murraydale
Median house price $519,000 —
Median unit price $385,000 —
Median land price $265,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 111 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Murraydale has more rural and farming land (95% vs 81%).

Swan Hill Murraydale
Rural and farming 81% 95%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 0%
Residential 7% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 5%
Other and special use 2% 0%
Industrial 1% 0%
Environmental 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

Swan Hill Murraydale
New dwellings approved 91
across Swan Hill
same for both
Approvals change year on year -86%
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.

Swan Hill Murraydale
Houses 4.7%
$520/wk on $575K
 —
Units 4.9%
$385/wk on $410K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Swan Hill Murraydale
House price Higher than 14% of VIC —
Income Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools Higher than 35% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 84% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 2% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 94% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of VIC —

Liveability

Swan Hill Murraydale
Grade D —
Score 22/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Swan Hill carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0); Swan Hill carries more crime risk (84 vs 12).

Swan Hill Murraydale
Bushfire Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
84/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Moderate
60/100
 High
98/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Swan Hill Murraydale
Inside the suburb 10 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Swan Hill

  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Mary MacKillop College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Swan Hill North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Swan Hill Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Swan Hill Christian School Independent · Primary below peers
  • Swan Hill College Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Murraydale

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

Amenities in the suburb

Swan Hill Murraydale
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 19 0
Parks & reserves 24 0
Childcare 12 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 0
Fuel stations 9 0
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Murraydale sits further from the CBD (344.3 km vs 340.7 km).

Swan Hill Murraydale
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 340.7 km 344.3 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 243 min 241 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 3585
 0.0%
postcode 3586
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3585
 50
postcode 3586

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.

Swan Hill Murraydale
Car (driver) 78.6% / 82.8%
Swan Hill — Car (driver): 78.6% Murraydale — Car (driver): 82.8%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 5.2%
Swan Hill — Car (passenger): 7.3% Murraydale — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Worked from Home 7.1% / 5.2%
Swan Hill — Worked from Home: 7.1% Murraydale — Worked from Home: 5.2%
Walked Only 5.3% / 6.9%
Swan Hill — Walked Only: 5.3% Murraydale — Walked Only: 6.9%
Bicycle 1.3% / —
Swan Hill — Bicycle: 1.3% Murraydale — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.8%).

Setting

Swan Hill Murraydale
Elevation 72 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Swan Hill Murraydale
Connectivity score 66/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
6,160 premises
 0%
50 premises

Council rates

Swan Hill Murraydale
Average residential rate $2,333/yr
same for both
Council Swan Hill
same for both

Federal electorate

Swan Hill Murraydale
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Swan Hill Murraydale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Swan Hill

Affordable

Murraydale

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Swan Hill

Swan Hill vs Woorinen South Swan Hill vs Tyntynder South Swan Hill vs Pental Island Swan Hill vs Castle Donnington Swan Hill vs Murrawee

Other comparisons with Murraydale

Murraydale vs Tyntynder South Murraydale vs Tyntynder
Full data on Swan Hill Full data on Murraydale
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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