Barongarook West vs Kawarren
Barongarook West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 54 in Kawarren. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Barongarook West, most households are couple families. In Kawarren, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Barongarook West tends to suit families with children and couples, while Kawarren suits people living alone.
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
Barongarook West
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 69/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 53%)
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
Kawarren
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($165/wk vs $370/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Barongarook West
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (124 min vs 135 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (164.8 km vs 173.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Barongarook West carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 69/100)
- Kawarren has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 20%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Barongarook West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (23.8% vs 13.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Barongarook West and Kawarren 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
Barongarook West rents higher ($370/wk vs $165/wk); Barongarook West has more residents (291 vs 189).
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 291 +35% vs other | 189 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +23.8% | +13.9% |
| Median age | 43 | 54 |
| Median household income | $79,612/yr +30% vs other | $55,692/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $370/wk +55% vs other | $165/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (23.0%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
Barongarook West has more rural and farming land (78% vs 51%).
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 78% | 51% |
| Parks and recreation | 22% | 48% |
| 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
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 226 across Colac Otway same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +64% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 14% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 61% of VIC | Higher than 13% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 5% of VIC | Higher than 4% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 70% of VIC | Higher than 33% of VIC |
Liveability
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Kawarren carries more crime risk (69 vs 29).
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 91/100 | High 90/100 |
| Crime | Low 29/100 | Moderate 69/100 |
| Flood | Low 13/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 3 |
| Waterways | 5 | 8 |
Mobility
Kawarren sits further from the CBD (173.4 km vs 164.8 km).
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 164.8 km | 173.4 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 124 min | 135 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 3249 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 39 postcode 3249 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 (72.8%).
Setting
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 259 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 178 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 35.5 km | 26.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 129 premises | 0% 111 premises |
Climate
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 607 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,023/yr same for both | |
| Council | Colac Otway same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Barongarook West | Kawarren | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Barongarook West
Other comparisons with Kawarren
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.