Barwite vs Tolmie

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Barwite, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Barwite: a median of $1.16 million, against $790,000 in Tolmie, though rent is higher in Tolmie. On these figures, Barwite tends to suit couples, while Tolmie suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Barwite

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 36/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 57%)
  • But Tolmie has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Tolmie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($790,000 vs $1,162,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Barwite

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Barwite

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (204 km vs 217.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (174 min vs 183 min)
  • But Tolmie is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Barwite carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 36/100)
  • Tolmie is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Barwite Tolmie
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.

Barwite Tolmie
Walkability 0 / 13
Barwite — Walkability: 0/100 Tolmie — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 86 / 64
Barwite — Safety: 86/100 Tolmie — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 4 / 5
Barwite — Low fire risk: 4/100 Tolmie — Low fire risk: 5/100
Low flood risk 58 / 100
Barwite — Low flood risk: 58/100 Tolmie — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tolmie has more residents (547 vs 269); Tolmie rents higher ($300/wk vs $250/wk).

Barwite Tolmie
Population 269 547
+103% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.0% +22.4%
Median age 50 52
Median household income $73,216/yr
+4% vs other
 $70,356/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk $300/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barwite Tolmie
0-4 5.2% / 3.7%
Barwite — 0-4: 5.2% Tolmie — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 14.5% / 12.2%
Barwite — 5-14: 14.5% Tolmie — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 5.6% / 4.0%
Barwite — 15-19: 5.6% Tolmie — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 1.9% / 1.3%
Barwite — 20-24: 1.9% Tolmie — 20-24: 1.3%
25-34 5.6% / 6.8%
Barwite — 25-34: 5.6% Tolmie — 25-34: 6.8%
35-44 9.7% / 9.3%
Barwite — 35-44: 9.7% Tolmie — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 10.4% / 17.0%
Barwite — 45-54: 10.4% Tolmie — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 22.7% / 21.6%
Barwite — 55-64: 22.7% Tolmie — 55-64: 21.6%
65-74 19.3% / 20.1%
Barwite — 65-74: 19.3% Tolmie — 65-74: 20.1%
75-84 4.8% / 4.9%
Barwite — 75-84: 4.8% Tolmie — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ — / —
Barwite — 85+: not among its largest Tolmie — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barwite 65.5% couple families
Barwite — Couple Families: 65.5% Barwite — Lone Person: 34.5% Barwite — One Parent Families: 0.0% Barwite — Other Families: 0.0%
Tolmie 43.9% couple families
Tolmie — Couple Families: 43.9% Tolmie — Lone Person: 40.4% Tolmie — One Parent Families: 13.2% Tolmie — Other Families: 2.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barwite 10.4% renting
Barwite — Owned Outright: 60.4% Barwite — Mortgage: 29.2% Barwite — Renting: 10.4%
Tolmie 6.7% renting
Tolmie — Owned Outright: 48.6% Tolmie — Mortgage: 44.8% Tolmie — Renting: 6.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Barwite Tolmie
Certificate III & IV 17.5% / 18.1%
Barwite — Certificate III & IV: 17.5% Tolmie — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Bachelor Degree 14.5% / 11.7%
Barwite — Bachelor Degree: 14.5% Tolmie — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.5% / 8.8%
Barwite — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.5% Tolmie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 4.0%
Barwite — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Tolmie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 3.1%
Barwite — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Tolmie — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

Barwite Tolmie
England 5.2% / 6.4%
Barwite — England: 5.2% Tolmie — England: 6.4%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.1%
Barwite — New Zealand: 1.5% Tolmie — New Zealand: 1.1%
Germany 1.5% / 0.9%
Barwite — Germany: 1.5% Tolmie — Germany: 0.9%
Vietnam 2.2% / —
Barwite — Vietnam: 2.2% Tolmie — Vietnam: not among its largest
Netherlands 1.9% / —
Barwite — Netherlands: 1.9% Tolmie — Netherlands: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.5%
Barwite — Italy: not among its largest Tolmie — Italy: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barwite 100.0% houses
Barwite — Houses: 100.0% Barwite — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Tolmie 98.1% houses
Tolmie — Houses: 98.1% Tolmie — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Barwite Tolmie
Median house price $1,162,500 $790,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $810,000

Zoning mix

Barwite has more rural and farming land (68% vs 29%).

Barwite Tolmie
Parks and recreation 32% 69%
Rural and farming 68% 29%
Environmental 0% 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

Barwite Tolmie
New dwellings approved 76
across Mansfield
 238
across Wangaratta
Approvals change year on year -50% +329%

Ranking within VIC

Barwite Tolmie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 54% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Tolmie is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Barwite Tolmie
Grade — C
Score — 39/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Barwite carries more flood risk (42 vs 0); Tolmie carries more crime risk (36 vs 14).

Barwite Tolmie
Bushfire High
96/100
 High
95/100
Crime Low
14/100
 Low
36/100
Flood Moderate
42/100
 None
0/100
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

Barwite Tolmie
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

Barwite Tolmie
Parks & reserves 1 4
Waterways 88 156

Mobility

Tolmie sits further from the CBD (217.5 km vs 204 km).

Barwite Tolmie
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 204 km 217.5 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 174 min 183 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3722
 0.6%
postcode 3723
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 3722
 33
postcode 3723

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.

Barwite Tolmie
Car (driver) 60.7% / 72.9%
Barwite — Car (driver): 60.7% Tolmie — Car (driver): 72.9%
Worked from Home 28.6% / 20.6%
Barwite — Worked from Home: 28.6% Tolmie — Worked from Home: 20.6%
Walked Only 8.0% / 3.0%
Barwite — Walked Only: 8.0% Tolmie — Walked Only: 3.0%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 3.5%
Barwite — Car (passenger): 2.7% Tolmie — Car (passenger): 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.9%).

Setting

Barwite Tolmie
Elevation 442 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 891 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Barwite Tolmie
Connectivity score 30/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
130 premises
 0%
231 premises

Climate

Barwite Tolmie
Annual rainfall 1,633 mm 964 mm
Summer max (Jan) 17.1°C 30.4°C
Winter min (Jul) -2.1°C 3.7°C

Council rates

Barwite Tolmie
Average residential rate $1,697/yr $1,962/yr
Council Mansfield Wangaratta

Federal electorate

Barwite Tolmie
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Barwite Tolmie
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barwite

Rural

Tolmie

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barwite

Barwite vs Mansfield Barwite vs Merrijig Barwite vs Bridge Creek

Other comparisons with Tolmie

Tolmie vs Merrijig Tolmie vs Mount Buller Tolmie vs Cheshunt Tolmie vs Myrrhee Tolmie vs Bridge Creek
Full data on Barwite Full data on Tolmie
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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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