Calulu vs Hillside
Hillside is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 45 in Calulu. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most 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
Hillside
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 66/100)
- But Calulu is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 69%)
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
Calulu
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($263/wk vs $385/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 20%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Hillside
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (199 min vs 208 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (273.9 km vs 279.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hillside
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 66/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Hillside
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (50.3% vs 2.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Calulu and Hillside 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
Hillside has more residents (290 vs 186); Hillside rents higher ($385/wk vs $263/wk).
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 186 | 290 +56% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +2.8% | +50.3% |
| Median age | 45 | 39 |
| Median household income | $94,224/yr | $97,500/yr +3% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $263/wk | $385/wk +46% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).
Property market
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $780,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 94% | 96% |
| Parks and recreation | 6% | 1% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 2% |
| 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
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 386 across East Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +50% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 65% of VIC | Higher than 69% of VIC |
| Schools | — | Higher than 92% of VIC |
| Walkability | Higher than 53% of VIC | Higher than 27% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 48% of VIC | Higher than 47% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 67% of VIC | Higher than 73% of VIC |
Liveability
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Calulu carries more bushfire risk (95 vs 61); Hillside carries more flood risk (70 vs 58).
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 95/100 | Moderate 61/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 66/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 58/100 | High 70/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 | Moderate 50/100 |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 3 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 2 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Amenities in the suburb
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 2 | 4 |
Mobility
Calulu sits further from the CBD (279.7 km vs 273.9 km).
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 279.7 km +2% vs other | 273.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 208 min | 199 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 3875 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 3875 same for both | |
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 (77.9%).
Setting
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 75 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 40 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 29.6 km | 24.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 49/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 77 premises | 27% 171 premises |
Climate
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 620 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.5°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,807/yr same for both | |
| Council | East Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Gippsland same for both | |
| Member | Darren Chester same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Calulu | Hillside | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Calulu
Other comparisons with Hillside
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.