Buffalo vs Foster North
Buffalo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 56 in Foster North. 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. In Foster North, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Buffalo tends to suit families with children and couples, while Foster North suits people living alone and older residents.
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 48%)
- Foster North carries lower crime risk (54/100 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 28%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Buffalo
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (16% vs 5%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 32%)
- has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $385/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Buffalo
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (162.3 km vs 166.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Foster North
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 22%)
- carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 78/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Buffalo
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.4% vs -7.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Buffalo and Foster North 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
Buffalo has more residents (284 vs 152); Foster North rents higher ($385/wk vs $260/wk).
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 284 +46% vs other | 152 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.4% | -7.9% |
| Median age | 47 | 56 |
| Median household income | $85,748/yr +27% vs other | $62,816/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk | $385/wk +48% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $625,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 99% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 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 | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 170 across South Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +21% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 56% of VIC | Higher than 23% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 39% of VIC | Higher than 8% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 52% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 33% of VIC |
Liveability
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Buffalo carries more flood risk (58 vs 0); Buffalo carries more crime risk (78 vs 54).
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | High 78/100 | Moderate 54/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 58/100 | None 0/100 |
| 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 | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Foster North sits further from the CBD (166.9 km vs 162.3 km).
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 162.3 km | 166.9 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 128 min | 132 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3958 | 0.5% postcode 3960 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 40 postcode 3958 | 54 postcode 3960 |
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 (56.0%).
Setting
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 38 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 212 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 15.0 km | 11.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 142 premises | 0% 100 premises |
Climate
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Buffalo | Foster North | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Buffalo
Other comparisons with Foster North
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.