Ballan vs Dales Creek, VIC Suburb Comparison

Ballan for retirees and families.

See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

Head to head

Visual comparison

BallanDales Creek

Overall score

Ballan

52.0/100

Dales Creek

34.1/100

Crime rate

Ballan

87.1 / 1k

Dales Creek

51.3 / 1k

Nearby amenities

Ballan

52

Dales Creek

0

Population

Ballan

3,392

Dales Creek

403

Metric leadBallan 6Dales Creek 31 tiedacross 10 compared metrics

Livability profile

Desirability pillars scored 0–100 vs comparable suburbs

Quick verdicts

Clearer edge on lifestyle fit (score gap ≥ 3)

Audience fit

Who each suburb suits — composite scores out of 100

All metrics

Side-by-side scores for every compared metric.

Full comparison table

Exact figures for every metric — winner highlighted in bold.

CategoryBallanDales Creek
Overall score52.0/10034.1/100
Housing (desirability)59.5/10051.1/100
Crime rate87.1 / 1k51.3 / 1k
Schools & preschools2—
Weather (desirability)82.3/10082.3/100
Parks & reserves8—
Public transport stops13—
Walkability79.5/1000.0/100
Nearby amenities520
Planning activity797
Green cover8.1%0.0%
Population3,392403
SEIFA (IRSAD decile)5/106/10

Comparison summary

Ballan reads as a hillside mid-sized suburb with greener streets and a quieter pace; Dales Creek is a more rural smaller community that rewards people who want room to breathe. Ballan sits among greener hillside streets, while Dales Creek keeps a flatter suburban layout.

Ballan pulls ahead on housing affordability, walkability, and nearby cafés and amenities, whereas Dales Creek is the better pick for a quieter safety profile, a calmer planning outlook, and stronger socioeconomic advantage. Ballan generally means more approachable mid-market housing, while Dales Creek leans toward more mid-market housing value.

On balance, retirees, families, investors, value-focused buyers, and households prioritising schools are more likely to prefer Ballan, while Dales Creek remains a solid alternative depending on what matters most day to day.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

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