Birchip vs Narraport
Narraport is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 49 in Birchip. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Birchip, about half of households are people living alone. In Narraport, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Birchip tends to suit older residents, while Narraport suits couples.
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
Birchip
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 62/100)
- But Narraport is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 43%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Narraport
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (4% vs 15%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Narraport
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (7% vs 13%)
- has cheaper rent ($125/wk vs $155/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Narraport
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (210 min vs 220 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (296.7 km vs 310.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Birchip
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more GPs (2 vs 0)
- has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 12%)
- carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 62/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Narraport
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (8.7% vs -1.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Birchip and Narraport 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
Birchip has more residents (694 vs 50); Narraport has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $60,892).
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 694 +93% vs other | 50 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.1% | +8.7% |
| Median age | 49 | 36 |
| Median household income | $60,892/yr | $94,224/yr +55% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $155/wk +19% vs other | $125/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
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 (22.0%).
Property market
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $230,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $65,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 23 days from 5 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 94% | 98% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 4% | 1% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% same for both | |
| 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
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 16 across Buloke same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -50% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 1% of VIC | — |
| Income | Higher than 21% of VIC | Higher than 64% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 65% of VIC | Higher than 24% of VIC |
| Affordability | Higher than 100% of VIC | — |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
Liveability
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | — |
| Score | 49/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Narraport carries more flood risk (21 vs 0); Narraport carries more bushfire risk (19 vs 0).
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 19/100 |
| Crime | Low 37/100 | Moderate 62/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 21/100 |
| 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
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Birchip
- Birchip P-12 School Government · Combined above peers
Schools in Narraport
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 same for both | |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| GPs | 2 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 3 |
Mobility
Birchip sits further from the CBD (310.6 km vs 296.7 km).
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 4/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 310.6 km +4% vs other | 296.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 220 min | 210 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3483 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 43 postcode 3483 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 (72.0%).
Setting
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 101 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 102 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 427 premises | 0% 26 premises |
Climate
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 357 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,140/yr same for both | |
| Council | Buloke same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mallee same for both | |
| Member | Anne Webster same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Birchip | Narraport | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Birchip
Narraport
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.