Wattle Glen vs Hurstbridge

Comparing Wattle Glen and Hurstbridge, VIC: Hurstbridge has more residents (3,554 vs 1,911); Hurstbridge is more walkable (63 vs 38); and Wattle Glen carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 45).

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

Hurstbridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Wattle Glen sits closer to the CBD (31.9 km vs 34.8 km)
  • Hurstbridge is more walkable (63/100 vs 38/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Hurstbridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 38/100)

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

Investors

Hurstbridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.0% vs -2.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
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.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Walkability 38 / 63
Wattle Glen — Walkability: 38/100 Hurstbridge — Walkability: 63/100
Safety 85 / 78
Wattle Glen — Safety: 85/100 Hurstbridge — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 28 / 55
Wattle Glen — Low fire risk: 28/100 Hurstbridge — Low fire risk: 55/100
Low flood risk 48 / 53
Wattle Glen — Low flood risk: 48/100 Hurstbridge — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Hurstbridge has more residents (3,554 vs 1,911); Wattle Glen has higher household incomes ($126,100 vs $112,736).

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Population 1,911 3,554
+86% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.5% +3.0%
Median age 42 41
Median household income $126,100/yr
+11% vs other
 $112,736/yr
Median weekly rent $420/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
0-4 4.7% / 5.9%
Wattle Glen — 0-4: 4.7% Hurstbridge — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 12.1% / 14.0%
Wattle Glen — 5-14: 12.1% Hurstbridge — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 7.0% / 6.4%
Wattle Glen — 15-19: 7.0% Hurstbridge — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 7.5% / 6.0%
Wattle Glen — 20-24: 7.5% Hurstbridge — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 11.6% / 9.9%
Wattle Glen — 25-34: 11.6% Hurstbridge — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 10.2% / 12.7%
Wattle Glen — 35-44: 10.2% Hurstbridge — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 14.1% / 15.0%
Wattle Glen — 45-54: 14.1% Hurstbridge — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 15.5% / 14.8%
Wattle Glen — 55-64: 15.5% Hurstbridge — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 8.7% / 10.5%
Wattle Glen — 65-74: 8.7% Hurstbridge — 65-74: 10.5%
75-84 5.7% / 4.4%
Wattle Glen — 75-84: 5.7% Hurstbridge — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 3.0% / 0.7%
Wattle Glen — 85+: 3.0% Hurstbridge — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wattle Glen 63.9% couple families
Wattle Glen — Couple Families: 63.9% Wattle Glen — Lone Person: 16.8% Wattle Glen — One Parent Families: 16.2% Wattle Glen — Other Families: 2.2% Wattle Glen — Group Household: 0.9%
Hurstbridge 58.4% couple families
Hurstbridge — Couple Families: 58.4% Hurstbridge — Lone Person: 23.3% Hurstbridge — One Parent Families: 16.1% Hurstbridge — Other Families: 0.6% Hurstbridge — Group Household: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wattle Glen 5.1% renting
Wattle Glen — Owned Outright: 42.0% Wattle Glen — Mortgage: 52.9% Wattle Glen — Renting: 5.1%
Hurstbridge 10.6% renting
Hurstbridge — Owned Outright: 36.2% Hurstbridge — Mortgage: 53.2% Hurstbridge — Renting: 10.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 17.8%
Wattle Glen — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Hurstbridge — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 13.7% / 15.8%
Wattle Glen — Bachelor Degree: 13.7% Hurstbridge — Bachelor Degree: 15.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.1% / 9.0%
Wattle Glen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1% Hurstbridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 5.0%
Wattle Glen — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Hurstbridge — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.5%
Wattle Glen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Hurstbridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

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.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
England 4.8% / 4.9%
Wattle Glen — England: 4.8% Hurstbridge — England: 4.9%
New Zealand 0.6% / 1.0%
Wattle Glen — New Zealand: 0.6% Hurstbridge — New Zealand: 1.0%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.3%
Wattle Glen — Scotland: 0.8% Hurstbridge — Scotland: 0.3%
Germany 0.4% / 0.5%
Wattle Glen — Germany: 0.4% Hurstbridge — Germany: 0.5%
Philippines 0.6% / —
Wattle Glen — Philippines: 0.6% Hurstbridge — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.5% / —
Wattle Glen — South Africa: 0.5% Hurstbridge — South Africa: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.3%
Wattle Glen — Italy: not among its largest Hurstbridge — Italy: 0.3%
Netherlands — / 0.3%
Wattle Glen — Netherlands: not among its largest Hurstbridge — Netherlands: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wattle Glen 99.2% houses
Wattle Glen — Houses: 99.2% Wattle Glen — Townhouses: 0.0% Wattle Glen — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Hurstbridge 96.9% houses
Hurstbridge — Houses: 96.9% Hurstbridge — Townhouses: 2.5% Hurstbridge — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Median house price $980,500 $1,012,000
Median unit price — $697,000
Median land price — $457,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 11 sales
 22 days
from 14 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.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
3 bed $963K / $895K
Wattle Glen — 3 bed: $963K (18 sales) Hurstbridge — 3 bed: $895K (43 sales)

18 vs 43 sales

4 bed $985K / $1.14M
Wattle Glen — 4 bed: $985K (19 sales) Hurstbridge — 4 bed: $1.14M (33 sales)

19 vs 33 sales

Zoning mix

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Environmental 90% 83%
Residential 7% 9%
Parks and recreation 1% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
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

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
New dwellings approved 98
across Nillumbik
same for both
Approvals change year on year +8%
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.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Houses — 2.9%
$650/wk on $1.15M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
House price Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
Income Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 10% of VIC

Liveability

Hurstbridge is more walkable (63 vs 38); Hurstbridge scores higher overall (66 vs 57).

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Grade B
same for both
Score 57/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Wattle Glen carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 45).

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Bushfire High
72/100
 Moderate
45/100
Crime Low
15/100
 Low
22/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 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

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Wattle Glen

  • Wattle Glen Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Hurstbridge

  • Hurstbridge Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Launch Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Cafes & restaurants 1 12
Parks & reserves 6 13
Childcare 1 3
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Waterways 11 17

Mobility

Hurstbridge sits further from the CBD (34.8 km vs 31.9 km).

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Walkability score 38/100 63/100
Distance to Melbourne 31.9 km 34.8 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 46 min 48 min
Public transport score 58/100
Rail · Bus
 66/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 11.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 17.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 4 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3096
 1.2%
postcode 3099
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3096
 41
postcode 3099

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.

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Car (driver) 63.5% / 61.7%
Wattle Glen — Car (driver): 63.5% Hurstbridge — Car (driver): 61.7%
Worked from Home 29.1% / 32.0%
Wattle Glen — Worked from Home: 29.1% Hurstbridge — Worked from Home: 32.0%
Train 2.4% / 2.7%
Wattle Glen — Train: 2.4% Hurstbridge — Train: 2.7%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 2.1%
Wattle Glen — Car (passenger): 2.1% Hurstbridge — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.0%
Wattle Glen — Walked Only: 2.0% Hurstbridge — Walked Only: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.5%).

Setting

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Elevation 94 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.8 km 31.6 km

NBN connectivity

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Connectivity score 58/100 62/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 27%
667 premises
 34%
1,425 premises

Climate

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
PM2.5 3.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Average residential rate $2,696/yr
same for both
Council Nillumbik
same for both

Federal electorate

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Division Mcewen
same for both
Member Rob Mitchell
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wattle Glen Hurstbridge
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wattle Glen

Acreage Outer Parks Quiet River Trains

Hurstbridge

Acreage Outer Parks River Trains Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wattle Glen

Wattle Glen vs Diamond Creek Wattle Glen vs Research Wattle Glen vs Kangaroo Ground

Other comparisons with Hurstbridge

Hurstbridge vs Doreen Hurstbridge vs Diamond Creek Hurstbridge vs Yarrambat Hurstbridge vs Kangaroo Ground Hurstbridge vs Panton Hill Hurstbridge vs Cottles Bridge
Full data on Wattle Glen Full data on Hurstbridge
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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