Buchan South vs Wairewa

Buchan South is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 53 in Wairewa. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wairewa, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Buchan South tends to suit families with children, while Wairewa suits 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 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 32%)
  • But Wairewa has more separate houses rather than flats (111% vs 100%)

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

First-home buyers

Wairewa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 33%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Buchan South

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($125/wk vs $150/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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 -23.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Buchan South and Wairewa 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 Wairewa
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 Wairewa
Walkability 0 / 0
Buchan South — Walkability: 0/100 Wairewa — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 49
Buchan South — Safety: 49/100 Wairewa — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 9 / 4
Buchan South — Low fire risk: 9/100 Wairewa — Low fire risk: 4/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Buchan South — Low flood risk: 100/100 Wairewa — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Buchan South has more residents (102 vs 67); Buchan South has higher household incomes ($61,724 vs $46,020).

Buchan South Wairewa
Population 102
+34% vs other
 67
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +24.4% -23.0%
Median age 46 53
Median household income $61,724/yr
+25% vs other
 $46,020/yr
Median weekly rent $125/wk $150/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buchan South Wairewa
0-4 8.8% / 4.5%
Buchan South — 0-4: 8.8% Wairewa — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.8% / 6.0%
Buchan South — 5-14: 9.8% Wairewa — 5-14: 6.0%
15-19 — / 4.5%
Buchan South — 15-19: not among its largest Wairewa — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 2.9% / —
Buchan South — 20-24: 2.9% Wairewa — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 17.6% / 13.4%
Buchan South — 25-34: 17.6% Wairewa — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 8.8% / 4.5%
Buchan South — 35-44: 8.8% Wairewa — 35-44: 4.5%
45-54 10.8% / 7.5%
Buchan South — 45-54: 10.8% Wairewa — 45-54: 7.5%
55-64 17.6% / 13.4%
Buchan South — 55-64: 17.6% Wairewa — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 15.7% / 19.4%
Buchan South — 65-74: 15.7% Wairewa — 65-74: 19.4%
75-84 11.8% / 13.4%
Buchan South — 75-84: 11.8% Wairewa — 75-84: 13.4%
85+ 3.9% / —
Buchan South — 85+: 3.9% Wairewa — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

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%
Wairewa 68.4% lone person
Wairewa — Lone Person: 68.4% Wairewa — Couple Families: 31.6% Wairewa — 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%
Wairewa 0.0% renting
Wairewa — Owned Outright: 72.2% Wairewa — Mortgage: 27.8% Wairewa — Renting: 0.0%
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%
Wairewa 110.7% houses
Wairewa — Houses: 110.7%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Buchan South Wairewa
Certificate III & IV 22.5% / 13.4%
Buchan South — Certificate III & IV: 22.5% Wairewa — Certificate III & IV: 13.4%
Bachelor Degree 4.9% / 7.5%
Buchan South — Bachelor Degree: 4.9% Wairewa — Bachelor Degree: 7.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 4.5%
Buchan South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Wairewa — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5%
Postgraduate Degree 3.9% / —
Buchan South — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9% Wairewa — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / —
Buchan South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Wairewa — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

Zoning mix

Buchan South Wairewa
Parks and recreation 83% 73%
Rural and farming 17% 26%
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 Wairewa
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Buchan South Wairewa
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 51% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC

Liveability

Buchan South Wairewa
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

Buchan South Wairewa
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
96/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
same for both
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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 Wairewa
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 Wairewa
Parks & reserves 8 0
Waterways 21 5

Mobility

Buchan South Wairewa
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 348.4 km 347.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 260 min 259 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3885
 0.0%
postcode 3887
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3885
 79
postcode 3887

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 Wairewa
Car (driver) 61.5% / 65.2%
Buchan South — Car (driver): 61.5% Wairewa — Car (driver): 65.2%
Worked from Home 30.8% / 34.8%
Buchan South — Worked from Home: 30.8% Wairewa — Worked from Home: 34.8%
Walked Only 7.7% / —
Buchan South — Walked Only: 7.7% Wairewa — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.2%).

Setting

Buchan South Wairewa
Elevation 181 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 85 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 30.4 km 15.4 km

NBN connectivity

Buchan South Wairewa
Connectivity score 30/100 15/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
68 premises
 0%
14 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Buchan South Wairewa
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

Wairewa

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buchan South

Buchan South vs Buchan Buchan South vs Nowa Nowa Buchan South vs Bete Bolong

Other comparisons with Wairewa

Wairewa vs Nowa Nowa Wairewa vs Bete Bolong
Full data on Buchan South Full data on Wairewa
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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