Bona Vista vs Nilma
Nilma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 47 in Bona Vista. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bona Vista, about half of households are people living alone. In Nilma, most households are couple families. On these figures, Bona Vista tends to suit people living alone, while Nilma suits families with children.
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
Nilma
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 (67% vs 53%)
- But Bona Vista carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 57/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs 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
Nilma
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (27/100 vs 17/100)
- has a shorter drive in (82 min vs 87 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (109.5 km vs 112.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Bona Vista carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 57/100)
- Nilma is more walkable (27/100 vs 17/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Nilma
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (19.9% vs -1.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bona Vista and Nilma 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
Nilma has more residents (410 vs 107); Bona Vista skews older (47 vs 38).
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 107 | 410 +283% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.8% | +19.9% |
| Median age | 47 | 38 |
| Median household income | $96,200/yr +12% vs other | $84,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $285/wk +5% vs other | $270/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).
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 (22.4%).
Property market
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $995,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Bona Vista has more rural and farming land (96% vs 65%).
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 65% |
| Residential | 0% | 28% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 7% |
| Parks and recreation | 4% | 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
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 619 across Baw Baw same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +49% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 66% of VIC | Higher than 55% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 78% of VIC | Higher than 82% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 66% of VIC | Higher than 58% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 48% of VIC | Higher than 77% of VIC |
Liveability
Nilma is more walkable (27 vs 17).
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Nilma carries more bushfire risk (46 vs 0); Nilma carries more crime risk (57 vs 27).
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Moderate 46/100 |
| Crime | Low 27/100 | Moderate 57/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 48/100 | High 80/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 4 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Bona Vista
- Bona Vista Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Nilma
- Nilma Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 6 | 0 |
Mobility
Bona Vista sits further from the CBD (112.1 km vs 109.5 km).
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 17/100 | 27/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 112.1 km +2% vs other | 109.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 87 min | 82 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.7% postcode 3820 | 0.6% postcode 3821 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 45 postcode 3820 | 55 postcode 3821 |
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 (71.1%).
Setting
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 149 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 101 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 39.5 km | 41.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 65/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 44 premises | 43% 140 premises |
Climate
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,090 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,138/yr same for both | |
| Council | Baw Baw same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bona Vista | Nilma | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bona Vista
Other comparisons with Nilma
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.