Darlington vs Dundonnell

Darlington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 53 in Dundonnell. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Darlington, most households are people living alone. In Dundonnell, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Darlington tends to suit 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

Dundonnell

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 87/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 35%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (110% vs 94%)

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

Darlington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($155/wk vs $255/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Darlington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (195.9 km vs 211.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (145 min vs 156 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dundonnell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Dundonnell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.0% vs -21.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Darlington Dundonnell
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.

Darlington Dundonnell
Walkability 0 / 0
Darlington — Walkability: 0/100 Dundonnell — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 13 / 69
Darlington — Safety: 13/100 Dundonnell — Safety: 69/100
Low fire risk 43 / 100
Darlington — Low fire risk: 43/100 Dundonnell — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Darlington — Low flood risk: 100/100 Dundonnell — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Dundonnell rents higher ($255/wk vs $155/wk); Darlington has more residents (84 vs 52).

Darlington Dundonnell
Population 84
+38% vs other
 52
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -21.5% +13.0%
Median age 50 53
Median household income $56,316/yr $71,500/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $155/wk $255/wk
+65% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darlington Dundonnell
0-4 4.8% / 5.8%
Darlington — 0-4: 4.8% Dundonnell — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 3.6% / 11.5%
Darlington — 5-14: 3.6% Dundonnell — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 3.6% / 7.7%
Darlington — 15-19: 3.6% Dundonnell — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 3.6% / 5.8%
Darlington — 20-24: 3.6% Dundonnell — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 15.5% / 13.5%
Darlington — 25-34: 15.5% Dundonnell — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 6.0% / —
Darlington — 35-44: 6.0% Dundonnell — 35-44: not among its largest
45-54 20.2% / 13.5%
Darlington — 45-54: 20.2% Dundonnell — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 14.3% / 32.7%
Darlington — 55-64: 14.3% Dundonnell — 55-64: 32.7%
65-74 16.7% / 23.1%
Darlington — 65-74: 16.7% Dundonnell — 65-74: 23.1%
75-84 9.5% / —
Darlington — 75-84: 9.5% Dundonnell — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Darlington — 85+: not among its largest Dundonnell — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darlington 65.2% lone person
Darlington — Lone Person: 65.2% Darlington — One Parent Families: 17.4% Darlington — Couple Families: 17.4%
Dundonnell 46.2% lone person
Dundonnell — Lone Person: 46.2% Dundonnell — One Parent Families: 53.8% Dundonnell — Couple Families: 0.0%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Darlington 33.3% renting
Darlington — Owned Outright: 51.5% Darlington — Mortgage: 15.2% Darlington — Renting: 33.3%
Dundonnell 16.7% renting
Dundonnell — Owned Outright: 83.3% Dundonnell — Mortgage: 0.0% Dundonnell — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darlington 94.3% houses
Darlington — Houses: 94.3% Darlington — Flats / Apartments: 5.7%
Dundonnell 109.5% houses
Dundonnell — Houses: 109.5% Dundonnell — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Darlington Dundonnell
Certificate III & IV 13.1% / 7.7%
Darlington — Certificate III & IV: 13.1% Dundonnell — Certificate III & IV: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 14.3% / 5.8%
Darlington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.3% Dundonnell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Bachelor Degree 3.6% / 5.8%
Darlington — Bachelor Degree: 3.6% Dundonnell — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.3%).

Zoning mix

Darlington Dundonnell
Rural and farming 99% 100%
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

Darlington Dundonnell
New dwellings approved 64
across Moyne
same for both
Approvals change year on year -15%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Darlington Dundonnell
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC

Liveability

Darlington Dundonnell
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Darlington carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 0); Darlington carries more crime risk (87 vs 31).

Darlington Dundonnell
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
87/100
 Low
31/100
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

Darlington Dundonnell
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

Darlington Dundonnell
Parks & reserves 3 2
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Dundonnell sits further from the CBD (211.3 km vs 195.9 km).

Darlington Dundonnell
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 195.9 km 211.3 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 145 min 156 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3271
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.

Darlington Dundonnell
Car (driver) 74.2% / 30.8%
Darlington — Car (driver): 74.2% Dundonnell — Car (driver): 30.8%
Worked from Home 25.8% / 46.2%
Darlington — Worked from Home: 25.8% Dundonnell — Worked from Home: 46.2%
Walked Only — / 23.1%
Darlington — Walked Only: not among its largest Dundonnell — Walked Only: 23.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Darlington Dundonnell
Elevation 153 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 210 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Darlington Dundonnell
Connectivity score 27/100 22/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
46 premises
 0%
25 premises

Climate

Darlington Dundonnell
Annual rainfall 594 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Darlington Dundonnell
Average residential rate $1,613/yr
same for both
Council Moyne
same for both

Federal electorate

Darlington Dundonnell
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Darlington Dundonnell
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darlington

Retirees Rural

Dundonnell

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darlington

Darlington vs Mortlake Darlington vs Derrinallum Darlington vs Kolora Darlington vs Bookaar

Other comparisons with Dundonnell

Dundonnell vs Mortlake Dundonnell vs Woorndoo
Full data on Darlington Full data on Dundonnell
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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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