Berwick vs Officer

Officer is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 38 in Berwick. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Berwick: a median of $910,000, against $755,000 in Officer. Berwick is closer to the city centre: 46.9 km, against 53.9 km. On these figures, Officer tends to suit young adults, families with children, and 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

Berwick

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (70 vs 11)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (5 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (35 vs 30)

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

First-home buyers

Officer

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($552,500 vs $671,000)
  • has cheaper land ($711,000 vs $860,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($755,000 vs $910,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Berwick

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 50/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (46.9 km vs 53.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (44 min vs 50 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Berwick

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 7%)
  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 50/100)
  • has more GPs (15 vs 9)

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

Investors

Officer

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (159.4% vs 5.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.2% vs 3.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Berwick Officer
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.

Berwick Officer
Walkability 91 / 50
Berwick — Walkability: 91/100 Officer — Walkability: 50/100
Safety 32 / 27
Berwick — Safety: 32/100 Officer — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 34 / 32
Berwick — Low fire risk: 34/100 Officer — Low fire risk: 32/100
Low flood risk 46 / 39
Berwick — Low flood risk: 46/100 Officer — Low flood risk: 39/100

Demographics

Berwick has more residents (50,298 vs 18,503); Berwick skews older (38 vs 31).

Berwick Officer
Population 50,298
+63% vs other
 18,503
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.5% +159.4%
Median age 38 31
Median household income $109,876/yr $110,500/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+1% vs other
 $396/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Berwick Officer
0-4 5.5% / 10.1%
Berwick — 0-4: 5.5% Officer — 0-4: 10.1%
5-14 15.2% / 15.0%
Berwick — 5-14: 15.2% Officer — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 7.2% / 5.6%
Berwick — 15-19: 7.2% Officer — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 6.2% / 6.3%
Berwick — 20-24: 6.2% Officer — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 10.8% / 20.8%
Berwick — 25-34: 10.8% Officer — 25-34: 20.8%
35-44 15.2% / 18.1%
Berwick — 35-44: 15.2% Officer — 35-44: 18.1%
45-54 14.8% / 10.6%
Berwick — 45-54: 14.8% Officer — 45-54: 10.6%
55-64 10.9% / 6.7%
Berwick — 55-64: 10.9% Officer — 55-64: 6.7%
65-74 7.4% / 5.0%
Berwick — 65-74: 7.4% Officer — 65-74: 5.0%
75-84 4.8% / 1.7%
Berwick — 75-84: 4.8% Officer — 75-84: 1.7%
85+ 2.0% / 0.2%
Berwick — 85+: 2.0% Officer — 85+: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Berwick 59.6% couple families
Berwick — Couple Families: 59.6% Berwick — Lone Person: 22.6% Berwick — One Parent Families: 14.6% Berwick — Group Household: 2.3% Berwick — Other Families: 0.9%
Officer 58.8% couple families
Officer — Couple Families: 58.8% Officer — Lone Person: 20.5% Officer — One Parent Families: 16.6% Officer — Group Household: 2.8% Officer — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Berwick 22.7% renting
Berwick — Owned Outright: 29.5% Berwick — Mortgage: 47.8% Berwick — Renting: 22.7%
Officer 28.5% renting
Officer — Owned Outright: 13.5% Officer — Mortgage: 58.0% Officer — Renting: 28.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Berwick Officer
Bachelor Degree 13.8% / 13.6%
Berwick — Bachelor Degree: 13.8% Officer — Bachelor Degree: 13.6%
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 13.9%
Berwick — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Officer — Certificate III & IV: 13.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 10.1%
Berwick — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Officer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1%
Postgraduate Degree 5.4% / 5.6%
Berwick — Postgraduate Degree: 5.4% Officer — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.9%
Berwick — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Officer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.9%).

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.

Berwick Officer
India 6.1% / 8.9%
Berwick — India: 6.1% Officer — India: 8.9%
Sri Lanka 3.9% / 5.1%
Berwick — Sri Lanka: 3.9% Officer — Sri Lanka: 5.1%
England 3.7% / 2.9%
Berwick — England: 3.7% Officer — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.7%
Berwick — New Zealand: 1.7% Officer — New Zealand: 1.7%
China 2.9% / —
Berwick — China: 2.9% Officer — China: not among its largest
Philippines 0.9% / 1.6%
Berwick — Philippines: 0.9% Officer — Philippines: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Berwick 89.0% houses
Berwick — Houses: 89.0% Berwick — Townhouses: 10.5% Berwick — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Officer 94.6% houses
Officer — Houses: 94.6% Officer — Townhouses: 5.0% Officer — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Berwick Officer
Median house price $910,000 $755,000
Median unit price $671,000 $552,500
Median land price $860,000 $711,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 708 sales
 35 days
from 429 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Berwick Officer
2 bed $672K / $565K
Berwick — 2 bed: $672K (41 sales) Officer — 2 bed: $565K (25 sales)

41 vs 25 sales

3 bed $800K / $670K
Berwick — 3 bed: $800K (439 sales) Officer — 3 bed: $670K (196 sales)

439 vs 196 sales

4 bed $972K / $790K
Berwick — 4 bed: $972K (602 sales) Officer — 4 bed: $790K (325 sales)

602 vs 325 sales

5 bed $1.27M / $1.01M
Berwick — 5 bed: $1.27M (111 sales) Officer — 5 bed: $1.01M (49 sales)

111 vs 49 sales

Zoning mix

Officer has more land zoned for conservation (21% vs 1%).

Berwick Officer
Residential 68% 57%
Environmental 1% 21%
Rural and farming 9% 10%
Parks and recreation 9% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 4%
Other and special use 3% 0%
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

Berwick Officer
New dwellings approved 3,412
across Casey
 1,323
across Cardinia
Approvals change year on year -15% +13%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Berwick Officer
Houses 3.5%
$635/wk on $945K
 4.2%
$620/wk on $765K
Units 3.9%
$510/wk on $682K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Berwick Officer
House price Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
Income Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Schools Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 7% of VIC —

Liveability

Berwick is more walkable (91 vs 50); Berwick scores higher overall (55 vs 42).

Berwick Officer
Grade B C
Score 55/100 42/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Berwick Officer
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 Moderate
68/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 High
73/100
Flood Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
61/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Berwick Officer
Inside the suburb 17 15
Rated above peers 5 2
Rated at peers 7 5
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Federation University Berwick, 0.0 km
 1
Federation University Berwick, 5.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 1.9%

Schools in Berwick

  • Berwick Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Brentwood Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Kambrya College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Nossal High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar Independent · Combined above peers
  • Berwick Chase Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Officer

  • Officer Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Officer Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Bridgewood Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Kurrun Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Orchard Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Brigid's School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Berwick Officer
Supermarkets 6 2
Cafes & restaurants 31 8
Parks & reserves 70 11
Childcare 35 30
GPs 15 9
Pharmacies 7 3
Hospitals 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 1
Fuel stations 4 7
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 19 33

Mobility

Officer sits further from the CBD (53.9 km vs 46.9 km).

Berwick Officer
Walkability score 91/100 50/100
Distance to Melbourne 46.9 km 53.9 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 44 min 50 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 80/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 567.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 51.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.8%
postcode 3806
 1.5%
postcode 3809
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 3806
 62
postcode 3809

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.

Berwick Officer
Car (driver) 63.1% / 66.8%
Berwick — Car (driver): 63.1% Officer — Car (driver): 66.8%
Worked from Home 29.0% / 25.3%
Berwick — Worked from Home: 29.0% Officer — Worked from Home: 25.3%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 3.5%
Berwick — Car (passenger): 4.3% Officer — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Train 2.4% / 3.5%
Berwick — Train: 2.4% Officer — Train: 3.5%
Walked Only 0.7% / 0.7%
Berwick — Walked Only: 0.7% Officer — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.8%).

Setting

Berwick Officer
Elevation 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.4 km 18.1 km

NBN connectivity

Berwick Officer
Connectivity score 76/100 95/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 53%
19,113 premises
 92%
6,447 premises

Climate

Berwick Officer
Annual rainfall 781 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Berwick Officer
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.98 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Berwick Officer
Average residential rate $1,767/yr $1,880/yr
Council Casey Cardinia

Federal electorate

Berwick Officer
Division Bruce La Trobe
Member Julian Hill Jason Wood
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Berwick Officer
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Berwick

Large Blocks Outer Parks Village Feel

Officer

Family Large Blocks Outer Trains Transport Hub Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Berwick

Berwick vs Clyde North Berwick vs Narre Warren South Berwick vs Narre Warren Berwick vs Cranbourne North Berwick vs Narre Warren North Berwick vs Beaconsfield

Other comparisons with Officer

Officer vs Pakenham Officer vs Clyde North Officer vs Beaconsfield Officer vs Beaconsfield Upper Officer vs Officer South
Full data on Berwick Full data on Officer
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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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