Moving to Pakenham (South West area) from Ballarat North (Invermay area)
Schools, childcare, demographics and house prices for Pakenham - South West and Ballarat North - Invermay, side by side - all from public government data.
Pakenham (South West area) has 28,194 people (ABS, June 2025), +0.1% in a year, a median house price of $725,000 and 7 schools. Full Pakenham (South West area) suburb profile.
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Sources: ABS ERP June 2025 · ABS Census 2021 · ABS SEIFA 2021 · ACARA School Profile 2025 · ACECQA NQS register · Valuer-General Victoria & DFFH (VIC) · DCJ Housing sales Mar 2026 and rent Jun 2026 (NSW) · RTA Queensland rents (QLD) · NSW BOCSAR (NSW) · CSA Victoria (VIC). How we source this data →
Which school is zoned?
The free government school your child can attend in each area - side by side, never a blended average.
Black Hill Primary School
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Ballarat North - Invermay.
This is the zoned government school for the centre of Ballarat North - Invermay (VIC catchment data) - addresses elsewhere in the suburb may be zoned to a different school.
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Pakenham Consolidated School
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Pakenham - South West.
This is the zoned government school for the centre of Pakenham - South West (VIC catchment data) - addresses elsewhere in the suburb may be zoned to a different school.
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Honest tradeoff
Government schools in Pakenham - South West and Ballarat North - Invermay have a similar average ICSEA (992 and 1,006) - a measure of student intake, not teaching quality.
Catholic/independent schools are separate from the free government catchment - average ICSEA Pakenham - South West 1,034 (1 school), Ballarat North - Invermay 1,090 (1 school).
The proportion of children from non-English-speaking backgrounds is higher in Pakenham - South West at 27.9% (vs 4.9% in Ballarat North - Invermay).
Pakenham - South West has a SEIFA advantage (IRSAD) of Decile 4, below Ballarat North - Invermay's Decile 6. Decile 10 is the most advantaged nationally.
Median house prices are 17% higher in Pakenham - South West ($725,000 vs $617,500).
Similar suburbs near Pakenham - South West
Related moves
What is the population of Pakenham (South West area)?
28,194 people lived in Pakenham (South West area) at June 2025 (ABS Estimated Resident Population), a change of +0.1% over the year. Ballarat North (Invermay area) had 15,204.
Are houses cheaper in Pakenham (South West area) than in Ballarat North (Invermay area)?
No. The median house price is $725,000 in Pakenham (South West area) and $617,500 in Ballarat North (Invermay area), 17% higher in Pakenham (South West area).
How many schools are in Pakenham (South West area)?
ACARA lists 7 schools in Pakenham (South West area), against 7 in Ballarat North (Invermay area). The zoned government school for an address is shown above under "Which school is zoned?".
Make this comparison yours
The Move Planner adds your kids' ages, school catchment zones on the map, and a shareable link for your partner.
Plan the move: Ballarat North - Invermay → Pakenham - South West