Bolwarra vs Portland North

Portland North is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 49 in Bolwarra. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bolwarra, about half of households are couple families. In Portland North, most households are couple families. On these figures, Bolwarra tends to suit people living alone.

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

Portland North

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 62%)
  • But Bolwarra carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 51/100)

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

First-home buyers

Portland North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bolwarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Bolwarra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (347.4 km vs 352.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bolwarra

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 51/100)

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

Investors

Portland North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.3% vs 7.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bolwarra Portland North
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.

Bolwarra Portland North
Walkability 23 / 0
Bolwarra — Walkability: 23/100 Portland North — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 66 / 49
Bolwarra — Safety: 66/100 Portland North — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 5 / 4
Bolwarra — Low fire risk: 5/100 Portland North — Low fire risk: 4/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Bolwarra — Low flood risk: 100/100 Portland North — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Portland North rents higher ($300/wk vs $220/wk); Portland North has higher household incomes ($98,072 vs $72,488).

Bolwarra Portland North
Population 647 708
+9% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% +13.3%
Median age 49 46
Median household income $72,488/yr $98,072/yr
+35% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk $300/wk
+36% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bolwarra Portland North
0-4 4.9% / 5.1%
Bolwarra — 0-4: 4.9% Portland North — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 10.7% / 11.2%
Bolwarra — 5-14: 10.7% Portland North — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 5.6% / 5.8%
Bolwarra — 15-19: 5.6% Portland North — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 2.2% / 4.2%
Bolwarra — 20-24: 2.2% Portland North — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 8.5% / 11.0%
Bolwarra — 25-34: 8.5% Portland North — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 12.1% / 12.0%
Bolwarra — 35-44: 12.1% Portland North — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 13.3% / 12.1%
Bolwarra — 45-54: 13.3% Portland North — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 18.5% / 14.8%
Bolwarra — 55-64: 18.5% Portland North — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 13.9% / 17.1%
Bolwarra — 65-74: 13.9% Portland North — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 7.9% / 4.5%
Bolwarra — 75-84: 7.9% Portland North — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 1.5% / 2.5%
Bolwarra — 85+: 1.5% Portland North — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bolwarra 53.1% couple families
Bolwarra — Couple Families: 53.1% Bolwarra — Lone Person: 34.7% Bolwarra — One Parent Families: 8.8% Bolwarra — Group Household: 3.4%
Portland North 55.7% couple families
Portland North — Couple Families: 55.7% Portland North — Lone Person: 23.5% Portland North — One Parent Families: 18.1% Portland North — Group Household: 2.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bolwarra 10.5% renting
Bolwarra — Owned Outright: 52.9% Bolwarra — Mortgage: 36.6% Bolwarra — Renting: 10.5%
Portland North 6.4% renting
Portland North — Owned Outright: 50.0% Portland North — Mortgage: 43.6% Portland North — Renting: 6.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bolwarra Portland North
Certificate III & IV 20.9% / 21.3%
Bolwarra — Certificate III & IV: 20.9% Portland North — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.3%
Bolwarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Portland North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 8.6%
Bolwarra — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Portland North — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.7%
Bolwarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Portland North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree 0.6% / 1.4%
Bolwarra — Postgraduate Degree: 0.6% Portland North — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

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.

Bolwarra Portland North
England 1.7% / 3.2%
Bolwarra — England: 1.7% Portland North — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.6%
Bolwarra — New Zealand: 1.9% Portland North — New Zealand: 1.6%
Netherlands 0.9% / 0.7%
Bolwarra — Netherlands: 0.9% Portland North — Netherlands: 0.7%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.6%
Bolwarra — Philippines: 0.6% Portland North — Philippines: 0.6%
South Africa 0.6% / —
Bolwarra — South Africa: 0.6% Portland North — South Africa: not among its largest
India — / 0.6%
Bolwarra — India: not among its largest Portland North — India: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bolwarra 94.2% houses
Bolwarra — Houses: 94.2% Bolwarra — Flats / Apartments: 5.8% Bolwarra — Townhouses: 0.0%
Portland North 96.9% houses
Portland North — Houses: 96.9% Portland North — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Portland North — Townhouses: 3.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bolwarra Portland North
Median house price $725,000 $710,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $230,000

Zoning mix

Bolwarra has more rural and farming land (85% vs 71%); Portland North has more industrially zoned land (14% vs 0%).

Bolwarra Portland North
Rural and farming 85% 71%
Industrial 0% 14%
Parks and recreation 8% 3%
Environmental 3% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 3%
Residential 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

Bolwarra Portland North
New dwellings approved 60
across Glenelg
same for both
Approvals change year on year -65%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bolwarra Portland North
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 6% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC

Liveability

Bolwarra is more walkable (23 vs 0); Bolwarra scores higher overall (35 vs 28).

Bolwarra Portland North
Grade C D
Score 35/100 28/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Portland North carries more crime risk (51 vs 34).

Bolwarra Portland North
Bushfire High
95/100
 High
96/100
Crime Low
34/100
 Moderate
51/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
33/100
 Low
27/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Bolwarra Portland North
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Bolwarra

  • Bolwarra Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Portland North

  • Portland North Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bolwarra Portland North
Parks & reserves 4 2
Childcare 0 1

Mobility

Portland North sits further from the CBD (352.2 km vs 347.4 km).

Bolwarra Portland North
Walkability score 23/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 347.4 km 352.2 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 259 min 261 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3305
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3305
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.

Bolwarra Portland North
Car (driver) 86.2% / 83.2%
Bolwarra — Car (driver): 86.2% Portland North — Car (driver): 83.2%
Worked from Home 9.5% / 10.7%
Bolwarra — Worked from Home: 9.5% Portland North — Worked from Home: 10.7%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 6.2%
Bolwarra — Car (passenger): 3.0% Portland North — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Walked Only 1.3% / —
Bolwarra — Walked Only: 1.3% Portland North — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.2%).

Setting

Bolwarra Portland North
Elevation 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.2 km 3.1 km

NBN connectivity

Bolwarra Portland North
Connectivity score 36/100 62/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
281 premises
 40%
376 premises

Climate

Bolwarra Portland North
Annual rainfall 661 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bolwarra Portland North
Average residential rate $1,852/yr
same for both
Council Glenelg
same for both

Federal electorate

Bolwarra Portland North
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bolwarra Portland North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bolwarra

Acreage Coastal

Portland North

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bolwarra

Bolwarra vs Heathmere Bolwarra vs Gorae Bolwarra vs Allestree Bolwarra vs Dutton Way

Other comparisons with Portland North

Portland North vs Portland Portland North vs Portland West Portland North vs Gorae West Portland North vs Gorae Portland North vs Cashmore Portland North vs Dutton Way
Full data on Bolwarra Full data on Portland North
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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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