Side by sideSuburb comparison

Castlemaine vs Harcourt.

Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $720,000 and $500,000. Harcourt edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.

Harcourt (median $500,000) is roughly 44% cheaper to buy into than Castlemaine ($720,000).

Castlemaine scores higher on walkability (100/100 vs 0/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Harcourt (1065) sits above Castlemaine (1064). Harcourt skews owner-occupied (84%), Castlemaine runs more rental-dense (73% owner).

The takeWhich suburb suits which buyer

For buyers

Harcourt is the lower entry point at $500,000 median, 44% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.

For investors

Rental or growth data is incomplete for one or both suburbs. Look at the full investor view on each suburb profile for a complete picture.

For families

Harcourt edges out on average school ICSEA (1065 vs 1064). Harcourt also has a higher family-household share (73% vs 57%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.

Common questionsCastlemaine vs Harcourt

Common questions

Is Castlemaine or Harcourt cheaper to buy in?

Harcourt has the lower median house price at $500,000, roughly 44% below Castlemaine ($720,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.

Does Castlemaine or Harcourt have better schools?

On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Harcourt scores 1065 vs 1064 in Castlemaine. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.

Which is more walkable, Castlemaine or Harcourt?

Castlemaine scores 100/100 on walkability vs 0/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.

The numbers behind the take

Castlemaine
Metric
Harcourt

Price & Market

$720,000
Median house
$500,000
$536,500
Median unit
$251,280
+0.0%
Annual growth (house)
+0.0%
Days on market

Rental

$500/wk
Rent (house / wk)
$390/wk
Rent (unit / wk)
73.0%
Owner occupied
84.0%
23.0%
Renter occupied
13.0%

Lifestyle & Demographics

100
Walk score
0
0
Transit score
0
85
Bike score
0
7,506
Population
1,038
52
Median age
46

Risk & Hazard

Flood class
Bushfire risk

Schools

9
Schools nearby
7
1064
Avg ICSEA
1065

Climate

422 mm
Annual rainfall
422 mm
29.8°C
Mean max (Jan)
29.8°C

Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).