Swan Hill vs Pental Island

Swan Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Pental Island. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pental Island, most households are couple families. On these figures, Swan Hill tends to suit people living alone, while Pental Island suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Swan Hill has more parks and reserves (24 vs 0)
  • Pental Island carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

Pental Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Swan Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $340/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pental Island

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (237 min vs 243 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (334.2 km vs 340.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Swan Hill

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 5%)
  • But Pental Island carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Pental Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (17.8% vs 2.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Swan Hill and Pental Island 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 Pental Island
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 Pental Island
Walkability 4 / 0
Swan Hill — Walkability: 4/100 Pental Island — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 16 / 86
Swan Hill — Safety: 16/100 Pental Island — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 69 / 76
Swan Hill — Low fire risk: 69/100 Pental Island — Low fire risk: 76/100
Low flood risk 40 / 3
Swan Hill — Low flood risk: 40/100 Pental Island — Low flood risk: 3/100

Demographics

Swan Hill has more residents (11,186 vs 159); Pental Island has higher household incomes ($106,860 vs $72,280).

Swan Hill Pental Island
Population 11,186
+99% vs other
 159
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% +17.8%
Median age 38 42
Median household income $72,280/yr $106,860/yr
+48% vs other
Median weekly rent $235/wk $340/wk
+45% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Swan Hill Pental Island
0-4 6.7% / 4.4%
Swan Hill — 0-4: 6.7% Pental Island — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 12.5% / 13.2%
Swan Hill — 5-14: 12.5% Pental Island — 5-14: 13.2%
15-19 5.0% / 6.3%
Swan Hill — 15-19: 5.0% Pental Island — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 6.2% / 3.8%
Swan Hill — 20-24: 6.2% Pental Island — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 14.7% / 3.8%
Swan Hill — 25-34: 14.7% Pental Island — 25-34: 3.8%
35-44 12.0% / 15.1%
Swan Hill — 35-44: 12.0% Pental Island — 35-44: 15.1%
45-54 10.1% / 11.9%
Swan Hill — 45-54: 10.1% Pental Island — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 11.8% / 14.5%
Swan Hill — 55-64: 11.8% Pental Island — 55-64: 14.5%
65-74 10.0% / 13.8%
Swan Hill — 65-74: 10.0% Pental Island — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 7.3% / 6.9%
Swan Hill — 75-84: 7.3% Pental Island — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ 3.7% / 1.9%
Swan Hill — 85+: 3.7% Pental Island — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

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 — One Parent Families: 15.9% Swan Hill — Group Household: 4.8% Swan Hill — Other Families: 1.6%
Pental Island 64.7% couple families
Pental Island — Couple Families: 64.7% Pental Island — Lone Person: 26.5% Pental Island — One Parent Families: 8.8% Pental Island — Group Household: 0.0% Pental Island — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household 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%
Pental Island 20.4% renting
Pental Island — Owned Outright: 46.9% Pental Island — Mortgage: 32.7% Pental Island — Renting: 20.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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%
Pental Island 94.6% houses
Pental Island — Houses: 94.6% Pental Island — Flats / Apartments: 5.4% Pental Island — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Swan Hill Pental Island
Certificate III & IV 15.2% / 22.6%
Swan Hill — Certificate III & IV: 15.2% Pental Island — Certificate III & IV: 22.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 6.9%
Swan Hill — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Pental Island — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 3.8%
Swan Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Pental Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.9%
Swan Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Pental Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / —
Swan Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Pental Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

Property market

Swan Hill Pental Island
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

Swan Hill Pental Island
Rural and farming 81% 77%
Parks and recreation 1% 23%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 0%
Residential 7% 0%
Other and special use 2% 0%
Industrial 1% 0%
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 Pental Island
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 Pental Island
Houses 4.7%
$520/wk on $575K
 —
Units 4.9%
$385/wk on $410K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Swan Hill Pental Island
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 6% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 84% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 2% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 94% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of VIC —

Liveability

Swan Hill Pental Island
Grade D —
Score 22/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Swan Hill carries more crime risk (84 vs 14); Pental Island carries more flood risk (97 vs 60).

Swan Hill Pental Island
Bushfire Low
31/100
 Low
24/100
Crime High
84/100
 Low
14/100
Flood Moderate
60/100
 High
97/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Swan Hill Pental Island
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 Pental Island

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

Amenities in the suburb

Swan Hill Pental Island
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
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Swan Hill sits further from the CBD (340.7 km vs 334.2 km).

Swan Hill Pental Island
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 340.7 km
+2% vs other
 334.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 243 min 237 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 Pental Island
Car (driver) 78.6% / 83.1%
Swan Hill — Car (driver): 78.6% Pental Island — Car (driver): 83.1%
Worked from Home 7.1% / 16.9%
Swan Hill — Worked from Home: 7.1% Pental Island — Worked from Home: 16.9%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / —
Swan Hill — Car (passenger): 7.3% Pental Island — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 5.3% / —
Swan Hill — Walked Only: 5.3% Pental Island — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.3% / —
Swan Hill — Bicycle: 1.3% Pental Island — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.1%).

Setting

Swan Hill Pental Island
Elevation 72 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 71 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Swan Hill Pental Island
Connectivity score 66/100 28/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
6,160 premises
 0%
60 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Swan Hill

Affordable

Pental Island

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Swan Hill

Swan Hill vs Woorinen South Swan Hill vs Tyntynder South Swan Hill vs Castle Donnington Swan Hill vs Murrawee Swan Hill vs Murraydale

Other comparisons with Pental Island

Pental Island vs Lake Boga Pental Island vs Castle Donnington Pental Island vs Benjeroop
Full data on Swan Hill Full data on Pental Island
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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