Baw Baw vs Yarra
In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Baw Baw: a median of $1.36 million, against $1.07 million in Yarra, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Yarra tends to suit 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
Yarra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 76%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Yarra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($1,075,000 vs $1,365,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Yarra
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 8%)
- has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $405/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 19%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Baw Baw sits closer to the CBD (204.4 km vs 208.4 km)
- Yarra has a shorter drive in (136 min vs 142 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Baw Baw
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 15%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Baw Baw
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.2% vs -20.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Baw Baw and Yarra 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 has more residents (271 vs 138); Baw Baw rents higher ($405/wk vs $230/wk).
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 271 +49% vs other | 138 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.2% | -20.2% |
| Median age | 45 | 47 |
| Median household income | $113,256/yr +4% vs other | $108,888/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $405/wk +43% vs other | $230/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).
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 (27.5%).
Property market
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,365,000 | $1,075,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $850,000 | — |
Zoning mix
Baw Baw has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 19%); Yarra has more rural and farming land (81% vs 67%).
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 67% | 81% |
| Environmental | 33% | 19% |
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 332 across Goulburn Mulwaree same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -1% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 70% of NSW | Higher than 55% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 78% of NSW | Higher than 74% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 10% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 65% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 49% of NSW | Higher than 48% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
Liveability
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 21/100 | Low 16/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 62/100 |
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 8 | 10 |
Mobility
Yarra sits further from the CBD (208.4 km vs 204.4 km).
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 204.4 km | 208.4 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 142 min | 136 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 (86.3%).
Setting
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 711 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 703 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 18/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 2% 51 premises | 0% 18 premises |
Climate
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,370/yr same for both | |
| Council | Goulburn Mulwaree same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Eden-monaro same for both | |
| Member | Kristy Mcbain same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Baw Baw | Yarra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Yarra
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.