Donald vs St Arnaud
Property investment comparison - Donald, VIC 3480 vs St Arnaud, VIC 3478
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Donald wins 2, St Arnaud 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 | Donald | St Arnaud |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $310K | $305K |
| Median unit price | - | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 5.82% | - |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 3.70% | 4.25% |
| 1-year house growth | +8.9% | +4.5% |
| 3-year house growth | +22.9% | +5.4% |
| Vacancy rate | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Population | 1,472 | 2,318 |
Donald vs St Arnaud: what the numbers say
The median house price is $310K in Donald and $305K in St Arnaud, so St Arnaud is the cheaper entry point, with Donald houses about 2% dearer.
Over the past year house prices moved +8.9% in Donald and +4.5% in St Arnaud, so recent momentum favours Donald, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Looking back three years, Donald houses are +22.9% and St Arnaud houses +5.4%, so Donald has compounded faster than St Arnaud over the longer window.
Rental vacancy is 0.6% in St Arnaud and 1.5% in Donald, so landlords in St Arnaud face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
St Arnaud is the bigger suburb, with a population of 2,318 against 1,472, larger than Donald; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: St Arnaud for a lower purchase price, Donald for recent price momentum, St Arnaud 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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