Ararat vs Stonyford
Property investment comparison - Ararat, VIC 3377 vs Stonyford, VIC 3260
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Ararat wins 0, Stonyford wins 3. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Ararat | Stonyford |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $440K | $435K |
| Median unit price | $335K | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 5.20% | 6.48% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | - | - |
| 1-year house growth | +13.4% | - |
| 3-year house growth | +12.0% | - |
| Vacancy rate | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Population | 8,500 | 65 |
Ararat vs Stonyford: what the numbers say
The median house price is $440K in Ararat and $435K in Stonyford, so Stonyford is the cheaper entry point, with Ararat houses about 1% dearer.
On cash flow, Stonyford leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 6.48%, compared with 5.20% in Ararat, a gap of 1.28 percentage points.
Rental vacancy is 0.4% in Stonyford and 1.6% in Ararat, so landlords in Stonyford face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Ararat is the bigger suburb, with a population of 8,500 against 65, roughly 131 times the size of Stonyford; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Stonyford for rental income, Stonyford for a lower purchase price, Stonyford for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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