Buckland vs Smoko

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buckland, most households are couple families. In Smoko, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Buckland tends to suit couples, while Smoko 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Buckland is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 30%)
  • Smoko has more separate houses rather than flats (113% vs 95%)

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

Buckland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 27%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Smoko

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (232 min vs 264 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (339.8 km vs 342.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Smoko

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Smoko

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.7% vs 15.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buckland Smoko
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.

Buckland Smoko
Walkability 0 / 10
Buckland — Walkability: 0/100 Smoko — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 74 / 74
Buckland — Safety: 74/100 Smoko — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 6 / 2
Buckland — Low fire risk: 6/100 Smoko — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Buckland — Low flood risk: 100/100 Smoko — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Buckland has more residents (156 vs 56); Buckland has higher household incomes ($77,012 vs $50,232).

Buckland Smoko
Population 156
+64% vs other
 56
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.6% +21.7%
Median age 47 49
Median household income $77,012/yr
+35% vs other
 $50,232/yr
Median weekly rent $275/wk
+5% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buckland Smoko
0-4 4.5% / —
Buckland — 0-4: 4.5% Smoko — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 11.5% / 16.1%
Buckland — 5-14: 11.5% Smoko — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 2.6% / —
Buckland — 15-19: 2.6% Smoko — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 1.9% / —
Buckland — 20-24: 1.9% Smoko — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.3% / —
Buckland — 25-34: 10.3% Smoko — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 10.3% / 14.3%
Buckland — 35-44: 10.3% Smoko — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 11.5% / 10.7%
Buckland — 45-54: 11.5% Smoko — 45-54: 10.7%
55-64 20.5% / 25.0%
Buckland — 55-64: 20.5% Smoko — 55-64: 25.0%
65-74 10.3% / 7.1%
Buckland — 65-74: 10.3% Smoko — 65-74: 7.1%
75-84 9.0% / 14.3%
Buckland — 75-84: 9.0% Smoko — 75-84: 14.3%
85+ — / —
Buckland — 85+: not among its largest Smoko — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

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.

Buckland Smoko
England 5.1% / 10.7%
Buckland — England: 5.1% Smoko — England: 10.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buckland 34.4% lone person
Buckland — Lone Person: 34.4% Buckland — Couple Families: 56.2% Buckland — One Parent Families: 9.4%
Smoko 70.0% lone person
Smoko — Lone Person: 70.0% Smoko — Couple Families: 30.0% Smoko — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buckland 94.7% houses
Buckland — Houses: 94.7% Buckland — Flats / Apartments: 5.3%
Smoko 113.0% houses
Smoko — Houses: 113.0% Smoko — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Buckland Smoko
Certificate III & IV 10.3% / 17.9%
Buckland — Certificate III & IV: 10.3% Smoko — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.5% / 8.9%
Buckland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.5% Smoko — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.9% / 8.9%
Buckland — Bachelor Degree: 10.9% Smoko — Bachelor Degree: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 7.1%
Buckland — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Smoko — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.8% / —
Buckland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.8% Smoko — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buckland 11.5% renting
Buckland — Owned Outright: 44.2% Buckland — Mortgage: 44.2% Buckland — Renting: 11.5%
Smoko 0.0% renting
Smoko — Owned Outright: 57.9% Smoko — Mortgage: 42.1% Smoko — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Buckland Smoko
Parks and recreation 92%
same for both
Rural and farming 6% 7%
Environmental 1% 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

Buckland Smoko
New dwellings approved 32
across Alpine
same for both
Approvals change year on year -42%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Buckland Smoko
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC

Liveability

Smoko is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Buckland Smoko
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Buckland Smoko
Bushfire High
94/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
26/100
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

Buckland Smoko
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

Buckland Smoko
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 1
Waterways 978 2

Mobility

Buckland sits further from the CBD (342.3 km vs 339.8 km).

Buckland Smoko
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 342.3 km 339.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 264 min 232 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3740
 1.1%
postcode 3741
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 63
postcode 3740
 45
postcode 3741

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.

Buckland Smoko
Car (driver) 66.2% / 48.0%
Buckland — Car (driver): 66.2% Smoko — Car (driver): 48.0%
Worked from Home 26.8% / 52.0%
Buckland — Worked from Home: 26.8% Smoko — Worked from Home: 52.0%
Walked Only 7.0% / —
Buckland — Walked Only: 7.0% Smoko — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.2%).

Setting

Buckland Smoko
Elevation 657 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 427 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Buckland Smoko
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
38 premises
 0%
9 premises

Climate

Buckland Smoko
Annual rainfall 895 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Buckland Smoko
Average residential rate $1,945/yr
same for both
Council Alpine
same for both

Federal electorate

Buckland Smoko
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Buckland Smoko
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buckland

River Rural

Smoko

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buckland

Buckland vs Bright Buckland vs Porepunkah Buckland vs Wandiligong Buckland vs Harrietville

Other comparisons with Smoko

Smoko vs Tawonga South Smoko vs Wandiligong Smoko vs Harrietville Smoko vs Freeburgh Smoko vs Hotham Heights
Full data on Buckland Full data on Smoko
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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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