Athlone vs Poowong North

Athlone is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Poowong North. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Athlone tends to suit families with children, while Poowong North suits couples.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Athlone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $250/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Athlone

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (103.7 km vs 109.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Athlone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Athlone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.5% vs 8.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Athlone and Poowong North drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Athlone Poowong North
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Athlone Poowong North
Walkability 16 / 0
Athlone — Walkability: 16/100 Poowong North — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 79 / 86
Athlone — Safety: 79/100 Poowong North — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Athlone — Low fire risk: 100/100 Poowong North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 16 / 35
Athlone — Low flood risk: 16/100 Poowong North — Low flood risk: 35/100

Demographics

Poowong North has more residents (202 vs 147); Poowong North skews older (37 vs 33).

Athlone Poowong North
Population 147 202
+37% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.5% +8.6%
Median age 33 37
Median household income $93,756/yr $93,600/yr
Median weekly rent $231/wk $250/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Athlone Poowong North
0-4 11.6% / 5.9%
Athlone — 0-4: 11.6% Poowong North — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 17.0% / 12.9%
Athlone — 5-14: 17.0% Poowong North — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 2.7% / 6.4%
Athlone — 15-19: 2.7% Poowong North — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 6.8% / 4.5%
Athlone — 20-24: 6.8% Poowong North — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 16.3% / 11.4%
Athlone — 25-34: 16.3% Poowong North — 25-34: 11.4%
35-44 5.4% / 12.4%
Athlone — 35-44: 5.4% Poowong North — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 19.0% / 12.9%
Athlone — 45-54: 19.0% Poowong North — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 13.6% / 14.4%
Athlone — 55-64: 13.6% Poowong North — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 5.4% / 7.4%
Athlone — 65-74: 5.4% Poowong North — 65-74: 7.4%
75-84 2.7% / 5.0%
Athlone — 75-84: 2.7% Poowong North — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ — / —
Athlone — 85+: not among its largest Poowong North — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Athlone 68.8% couple families
Athlone — Couple Families: 68.8% Athlone — Lone Person: 15.6% Athlone — One Parent Families: 15.6%
Poowong North 82.1% couple families
Poowong North — Couple Families: 82.1% Poowong North — Lone Person: 17.9% Poowong North — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Athlone 15.8% renting
Athlone — Owned Outright: 36.8% Athlone — Mortgage: 47.4% Athlone — Renting: 15.8%
Poowong North 14.3% renting
Poowong North — Owned Outright: 49.2% Poowong North — Mortgage: 36.5% Poowong North — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Athlone 100.0% houses
Athlone — Houses: 100.0%
Poowong North 106.7% houses
Poowong North — Houses: 106.7%
Houses

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Athlone Poowong North
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 21.3%
Athlone — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Poowong North — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Bachelor Degree 6.8% / 7.9%
Athlone — Bachelor Degree: 6.8% Poowong North — Bachelor Degree: 7.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.1% / 5.9%
Athlone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1% Poowong North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 3.5%
Athlone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Poowong North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Zoning mix

Athlone Poowong North
Rural and farming 94% 98%
Parks and recreation 6% 2%
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

Athlone Poowong North
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
 170
across South Gippsland
Approvals change year on year +49% +21%

Ranking within VIC

Athlone Poowong North
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of VIC
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 54% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC

Liveability

Athlone is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Athlone Poowong North
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Athlone carries more flood risk (84 vs 65).

Athlone Poowong North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
21/100
 Low
14/100
Flood High
84/100
 Moderate
65/100
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

Athlone Poowong North
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

Athlone Poowong North
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 6 8

Mobility

Poowong North sits further from the CBD (109.6 km vs 103.7 km).

Athlone Poowong North
Walkability score 16/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 103.7 km 109.6 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 91 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3818
 0.0%
postcode 3988
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 3818
 53
postcode 3988

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.

Athlone Poowong North
Car (driver) 68.9% / 58.2%
Athlone — Car (driver): 68.9% Poowong North — Car (driver): 58.2%
Worked from Home 16.4% / 19.0%
Athlone — Worked from Home: 16.4% Poowong North — Worked from Home: 19.0%
Walked Only 6.6% / 22.8%
Athlone — Walked Only: 6.6% Poowong North — Walked Only: 22.8%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / —
Athlone — Car (passenger): 8.2% Poowong North — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.9%).

Setting

Athlone Poowong North
Elevation 68 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 124 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.8 km 21.3 km

NBN connectivity

Athlone Poowong North
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
60 premises
 0%
83 premises

Climate

Athlone Poowong North
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm 906 mm
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C 24.6°C
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C 6.9°C

Council rates

Athlone Poowong North
Average residential rate $2,138/yr $2,282/yr
Council Baw Baw South Gippsland

Federal electorate

Athlone Poowong North
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Athlone Poowong North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Athlone

Family Rural Young Families

Poowong North

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Athlone

Athlone vs Drouin South Athlone vs Ripplebrook Athlone vs Heath Hill Athlone vs Hallora

Other comparisons with Poowong North

Poowong North vs Nyora Poowong North vs Poowong Poowong North vs Heath Hill Poowong North vs Hallora Poowong North vs Poowong East
Full data on Athlone Full data on Poowong North
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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.

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