Buffalo vs Fish Creek

Buffalo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 51 in Fish Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buffalo, about half of households are couple families.

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

  • Buffalo is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 54%)
  • Fish Creek carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 78/100)

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

First-home buyers

Buffalo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 25%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fish Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $260/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Buffalo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (128 min vs 137 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (162.3 km vs 173.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fish Creek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 78/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 22%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buffalo Fish Creek
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.

Buffalo Fish Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Buffalo — Walkability: 0/100 Fish Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 22 / 45
Buffalo — Safety: 22/100 Fish Creek — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Buffalo — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fish Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 42 / 77
Buffalo — Low flood risk: 42/100 Fish Creek — Low flood risk: 77/100

Demographics

Fish Creek has more residents (858 vs 284); Buffalo has higher household incomes ($85,748 vs $66,612).

Buffalo Fish Creek
Population 284 858
+202% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.4% +3.7%
Median age 47 51
Median household income $85,748/yr
+22% vs other
 $66,612/yr
Median weekly rent $260/wk
+10% vs other
 $235/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buffalo Fish Creek
0-4 5.6% / 2.9%
Buffalo — 0-4: 5.6% Fish Creek — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 13.0% / 13.9%
Buffalo — 5-14: 13.0% Fish Creek — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 7.4% / 5.5%
Buffalo — 15-19: 7.4% Fish Creek — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 4.9% / 4.4%
Buffalo — 20-24: 4.9% Fish Creek — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 5.6% / 5.6%
Buffalo — 25-34: 5.6% Fish Creek — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 10.6% / 10.8%
Buffalo — 35-44: 10.6% Fish Creek — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 14.8% / 13.2%
Buffalo — 45-54: 14.8% Fish Creek — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 15.1% / 15.3%
Buffalo — 55-64: 15.1% Fish Creek — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 13.7% / 17.6%
Buffalo — 65-74: 13.7% Fish Creek — 65-74: 17.6%
75-84 6.7% / 9.7%
Buffalo — 75-84: 6.7% Fish Creek — 75-84: 9.7%
85+ 1.4% / 1.5%
Buffalo — 85+: 1.4% Fish Creek — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buffalo 50.9% couple families
Buffalo — Couple Families: 50.9% Buffalo — Lone Person: 36.8% Buffalo — One Parent Families: 12.3% Buffalo — Group Household: 0.0% Buffalo — Other Families: 0.0%
Fish Creek 41.9% couple families
Fish Creek — Couple Families: 41.9% Fish Creek — Lone Person: 40.9% Fish Creek — One Parent Families: 12.1% Fish Creek — Group Household: 3.3% Fish Creek — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buffalo 15.5% renting
Buffalo — Owned Outright: 48.8% Buffalo — Mortgage: 35.7% Buffalo — Renting: 15.5%
Fish Creek 12.2% renting
Fish Creek — Owned Outright: 60.5% Fish Creek — Mortgage: 27.3% Fish Creek — Renting: 12.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Buffalo Fish Creek
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 15.5%
Buffalo — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Fish Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.5%
Bachelor Degree 9.9% / 11.0%
Buffalo — Bachelor Degree: 9.9% Fish Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 8.2%
Buffalo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Fish Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 5.2%
Buffalo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Fish Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.9%
Buffalo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Fish Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

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.

Buffalo Fish Creek
England 2.5% / 3.0%
Buffalo — England: 2.5% Fish Creek — England: 3.0%
Netherlands 2.5% / 0.7%
Buffalo — Netherlands: 2.5% Fish Creek — Netherlands: 0.7%
New Zealand — / 1.2%
Buffalo — New Zealand: not among its largest Fish Creek — New Zealand: 1.2%
Scotland — / 1.2%
Buffalo — Scotland: not among its largest Fish Creek — Scotland: 1.2%
Italy — / 0.8%
Buffalo — Italy: not among its largest Fish Creek — Italy: 0.8%
South Africa — / 0.7%
Buffalo — South Africa: not among its largest Fish Creek — South Africa: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buffalo 100.0% houses
Buffalo — Houses: 100.0%
Fish Creek 100.3% houses
Fish Creek — Houses: 100.3%
Houses

Property market

Buffalo Fish Creek
Median house price $625,000 $652,750
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,075,000

Zoning mix

Buffalo Fish Creek
Rural and farming 97% 96%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
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

Buffalo Fish Creek
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Buffalo Fish Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 27% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 73% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC

Liveability

Buffalo Fish Creek
Grade — B
Score — 52/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Buffalo carries more flood risk (58 vs 23); Buffalo carries more crime risk (78 vs 55).

Buffalo Fish Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
78/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood Moderate
58/100
 Low
23/100
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

Buffalo Fish Creek
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Buffalo

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Fish Creek

  • Fish Creek and District Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Buffalo Fish Creek
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Fish Creek sits further from the CBD (173.6 km vs 162.3 km).

Buffalo Fish Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 162.3 km 173.6 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 128 min 137 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3958
 0.9%
postcode 3959
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 3958
 42
postcode 3959

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.

Buffalo Fish Creek
Car (driver) 56.0% / 57.4%
Buffalo — Car (driver): 56.0% Fish Creek — Car (driver): 57.4%
Worked from Home 32.8% / 33.2%
Buffalo — Worked from Home: 32.8% Fish Creek — Worked from Home: 33.2%
Walked Only 6.4% / 6.6%
Buffalo — Walked Only: 6.4% Fish Creek — Walked Only: 6.6%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 1.5%
Buffalo — Car (passenger): 4.8% Fish Creek — Car (passenger): 1.5%
Train — / 1.2%
Buffalo — Train: not among its largest Fish Creek — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.4%).

Setting

Buffalo Fish Creek
Elevation 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.0 km 9.3 km

NBN connectivity

Buffalo Fish Creek
Connectivity score 28/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
142 premises
 0%
492 premises

Climate

Buffalo Fish Creek
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Buffalo Fish Creek
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Buffalo Fish Creek
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Buffalo Fish Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buffalo

Rural

Fish Creek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buffalo

Buffalo vs Foster Buffalo vs Meeniyan Buffalo vs Tarwin Lower Buffalo vs Stony Creek Buffalo vs Foster North Buffalo vs Middle Tarwin

Other comparisons with Fish Creek

Fish Creek vs Foster Fish Creek vs Tarwin Lower Fish Creek vs Sandy Point Fish Creek vs Yanakie Fish Creek vs Walkerville
Full data on Buffalo Full data on Fish Creek
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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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