Arawata vs Fairbank
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Arawata, the large majority of households are people living alone. In Fairbank, most households are couple families. On these figures, Arawata tends to suit people living alone, while Fairbank suits couples and older residents.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Arawata carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 27/100)
- Fairbank is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 22%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Arawata
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 30%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Fairbank
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $231/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Arawata
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (129 km vs 136.1 km)
- has a shorter drive in (106 min vs 111 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Arawata carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 27/100)
- Fairbank has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 23%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Fairbank
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (26.8% vs 16.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Arawata and Fairbank drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Arawata rents higher ($231/wk vs $0/wk); Arawata has more residents (92 vs 52).
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 92 +43% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.5% | +26.8% |
| Median age | 52 | 51 |
| Median household income | $76,336/yr +6% vs other | $71,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $231/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).
Zoning mix
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 97% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 3% |
| Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09. | ||
Development activity
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 170 across South Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +21% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 44% of VIC | Higher than 33% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 18% of VIC | Higher than 13% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 78% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 27% of VIC same for both | |
Liveability
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Fairbank carries more flood risk (23 vs 0); Fairbank carries more crime risk (27 vs 17).
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 17/100 | Low 27/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 23/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Fairbank sits further from the CBD (136.1 km vs 129 km).
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 129 km | 136.1 km +6% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 106 min | 111 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.0% postcode 3951 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 61 postcode 3951 same for both | |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).
Setting
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 235 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 179 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 28.3 km | 28.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 52 premises | 0% 17 premises |
Climate
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 906 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 24.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 6.9°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Arawata | Fairbank | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Arawata
Fairbank
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Arawata
Other comparisons with Fairbank
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.