Baw Baw vs Wayo
Baw Baw is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 55 in Wayo. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Baw Baw, most households are couple families. On these figures, Baw Baw tends to suit families with children and couples, while Wayo suits people living alone 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
- Baw Baw is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 62%)
- Wayo carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 57/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Baw Baw leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)
- Wayo has cheaper land ($183,333 vs $850,000)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Wayo
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($120/wk vs $405/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 19%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Baw Baw
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (142 min vs 148 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (204.4 km vs 212.9 km)
- But Wayo is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Wayo
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 20%)
- carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 57/100)
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
Baw Baw and Wayo 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
Baw Baw rents higher ($405/wk vs $120/wk); Baw Baw has more residents (271 vs 125).
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 271 +54% vs other | 125 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.2% | +5.0% |
| Median age | 45 | 55 |
| Median household income | $113,256/yr +10% vs other | $102,336/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $405/wk +70% vs other | $120/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (3.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,365,000 | $1,300,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $850,000 | $183,333 |
Zoning mix
Baw Baw has more rural and farming land (67% vs 53%); Wayo has more land zoned for conservation (47% vs 33%).
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 67% | 53% |
| Environmental | 33% | 47% |
| 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
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 332 across Goulburn Mulwaree | 44 across Upper Lachlan |
| Approvals change year on year | -1% | +175% |
Ranking within NSW
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 70% of NSW | Higher than 67% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 78% of NSW | Higher than 70% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 56% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 49% of NSW | Higher than 48% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 4% of NSW |
Liveability
Wayo is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Baw Baw carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 0); Baw Baw carries more crime risk (57 vs 45).
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 21/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 45/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here 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
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 8 | 3 |
Mobility
Wayo sits further from the CBD (212.9 km vs 204.4 km).
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 204.4 km | 212.9 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 142 min | 148 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 2580 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 41 postcode 2580 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 (77.8%).
Setting
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 711 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 839 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 18/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 2% 51 premises | 0% 36 premises |
Climate
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 658 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.7°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.8 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 10.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.36 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,370/yr | $636/yr |
| Council | Goulburn Mulwaree | Upper Lachlan |
Federal electorate
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Eden-monaro | Riverina |
| Member | Kristy Mcbain | Michael Mccormack |
| Party | Australian Labor Party | The Nationals |
First Home Owner Grant
| Baw Baw | Wayo | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Baw Baw
Other comparisons with Wayo
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.