Buchan South vs Bete Bolong

Buchan South is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 55 in Bete Bolong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bete Bolong, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Bete Bolong 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

Buchan South

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 44%)
  • But Bete Bolong carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 51/100)

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 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Buchan South

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (260 min vs 288 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (348.4 km vs 373 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bete Bolong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 51/100)

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

Investors

Buchan South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (24.4% vs -9.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buchan South Bete Bolong
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.

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Walkability 0 / 0
Buchan South — Walkability: 0/100 Bete Bolong — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 79
Buchan South — Safety: 49/100 Bete Bolong — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 9 / 6
Buchan South — Low fire risk: 9/100 Bete Bolong — Low fire risk: 6/100
Low flood risk 100 / 45
Buchan South — Low flood risk: 100/100 Bete Bolong — Low flood risk: 45/100

Demographics

Bete Bolong has higher household incomes ($81,224 vs $61,724); Bete Bolong skews older (55 vs 46).

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Population 102
+18% vs other
 84
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +24.4% -9.7%
Median age 46 55
Median household income $61,724/yr $81,224/yr
+32% vs other
Median weekly rent $125/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buchan South Bete Bolong
0-4 8.8% / 3.6%
Buchan South — 0-4: 8.8% Bete Bolong — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 9.8% / 16.7%
Buchan South — 5-14: 9.8% Bete Bolong — 5-14: 16.7%
15-19 — / 3.6%
Buchan South — 15-19: not among its largest Bete Bolong — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 2.9% / 4.8%
Buchan South — 20-24: 2.9% Bete Bolong — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 17.6% / 6.0%
Buchan South — 25-34: 17.6% Bete Bolong — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 8.8% / 7.1%
Buchan South — 35-44: 8.8% Bete Bolong — 35-44: 7.1%
45-54 10.8% / 13.1%
Buchan South — 45-54: 10.8% Bete Bolong — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 17.6% / 15.5%
Buchan South — 55-64: 17.6% Bete Bolong — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 15.7% / 21.4%
Buchan South — 65-74: 15.7% Bete Bolong — 65-74: 21.4%
75-84 11.8% / 8.3%
Buchan South — 75-84: 11.8% Bete Bolong — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 3.9% / 3.6%
Buchan South — 85+: 3.9% Bete Bolong — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buchan South 40.0% lone person
Buchan South — Lone Person: 40.0% Buchan South — Couple Families: 44.0% Buchan South — One Parent Families: 16.0%
Bete Bolong 56.5% lone person
Bete Bolong — Lone Person: 56.5% Bete Bolong — Couple Families: 43.5% Bete Bolong — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buchan South 0.0% renting
Buchan South — Owned Outright: 69.2% Buchan South — Mortgage: 30.8% Buchan South — Renting: 0.0%
Bete Bolong 14.8% renting
Bete Bolong — Owned Outright: 74.1% Bete Bolong — Mortgage: 11.1% Bete Bolong — Renting: 14.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buchan South 100.0% houses
Buchan South — Houses: 100.0%
Bete Bolong 100.0% houses
Bete Bolong — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Certificate III & IV 22.5% / 14.3%
Buchan South — Certificate III & IV: 22.5% Bete Bolong — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 11.9%
Buchan South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Bete Bolong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.9% / 10.7%
Buchan South — Bachelor Degree: 4.9% Bete Bolong — Bachelor Degree: 10.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.9% / 4.8%
Buchan South — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9% Bete Bolong — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / —
Buchan South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Bete Bolong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Zoning mix

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Parks and recreation 83% 79%
Rural and farming 17% 21%
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

Buchan South Bete Bolong
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Buchan South Bete Bolong
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC

Liveability

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bete Bolong carries more flood risk (55 vs 0); Buchan South carries more crime risk (51 vs 21).

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
94/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 Low
21/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
55/100
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

Buchan South Bete Bolong
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

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Parks & reserves 8 1
Waterways 21 1

Mobility

Bete Bolong sits further from the CBD (373 km vs 348.4 km).

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 348.4 km 373 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 260 min 288 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3885
 0.3%
postcode 3888
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3885
 42
postcode 3888

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.

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Car (driver) 61.5% / 47.1%
Buchan South — Car (driver): 61.5% Bete Bolong — Car (driver): 47.1%
Worked from Home 30.8% / 52.9%
Buchan South — Worked from Home: 30.8% Bete Bolong — Worked from Home: 52.9%
Walked Only 7.7% / —
Buchan South — Walked Only: 7.7% Bete Bolong — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.5%).

Setting

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Elevation 181 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 121 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 30.4 km 13.7 km

NBN connectivity

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
68 premises
 0%
44 premises

Council rates

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Average residential rate $1,807/yr
same for both
Council East Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Buchan South Bete Bolong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buchan South

Retirees River Rural Young Families

Bete Bolong

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buchan South

Buchan South vs Buchan Buchan South vs Nowa Nowa Buchan South vs Wairewa

Other comparisons with Bete Bolong

Bete Bolong vs Newmerella Bete Bolong vs Jarrahmond Bete Bolong vs Wairewa
Full data on Buchan South Full data on Bete Bolong
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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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