Denison vs Riverslea

Denison is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 39 in Riverslea. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Riverslea: a median of $770,000, against $610,000 in Denison, though rent is higher in Denison. On these figures, Denison tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Riverslea suits families with children.

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

Riverslea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 50/100)

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

First-home buyers

Denison

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper houses ($610,000 vs $770,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Riverslea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($110/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Denison

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (205.8 km vs 216.2 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (149 min vs 156 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Riverslea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 50/100)

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

Investors

Riverslea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.7% vs -3.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Denison Riverslea
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.

Denison Riverslea
Walkability 0 / 0
Denison — Walkability: 0/100 Riverslea — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 50 / 86
Denison — Safety: 50/100 Riverslea — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Denison — Low fire risk: 100/100 Riverslea — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 23 / 10
Denison — Low flood risk: 23/100 Riverslea — Low flood risk: 10/100

Demographics

Denison has more residents (453 vs 165); Denison rents higher ($200/wk vs $110/wk).

Denison Riverslea
Population 453
+64% vs other
 165
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.4% +10.7%
Median age 35 39
Median household income $87,464/yr $103,116/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+45% vs other
 $110/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Denison Riverslea
0-4 7.5% / 6.1%
Denison — 0-4: 7.5% Riverslea — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 15.7% / 23.0%
Denison — 5-14: 15.7% Riverslea — 5-14: 23.0%
15-19 9.1% / 2.4%
Denison — 15-19: 9.1% Riverslea — 15-19: 2.4%
20-24 4.9% / 4.8%
Denison — 20-24: 4.9% Riverslea — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 12.1% / 9.7%
Denison — 25-34: 12.1% Riverslea — 25-34: 9.7%
35-44 15.0% / 18.2%
Denison — 35-44: 15.0% Riverslea — 35-44: 18.2%
45-54 12.1% / 7.9%
Denison — 45-54: 12.1% Riverslea — 45-54: 7.9%
55-64 10.2% / 15.8%
Denison — 55-64: 10.2% Riverslea — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 7.1% / 12.7%
Denison — 65-74: 7.1% Riverslea — 65-74: 12.7%
75-84 4.2% / 1.8%
Denison — 75-84: 4.2% Riverslea — 75-84: 1.8%
85+ 0.7% / —
Denison — 85+: 0.7% Riverslea — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Denison 64.1% couple families
Denison — Couple Families: 64.1% Denison — Lone Person: 28.3% Denison — One Parent Families: 7.6%
Riverslea 55.6% couple families
Riverslea — Couple Families: 55.6% Riverslea — Lone Person: 33.3% Riverslea — One Parent Families: 11.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Denison 26.5% renting
Denison — Owned Outright: 32.5% Denison — Mortgage: 41.0% Denison — Renting: 26.5%
Riverslea 24.1% renting
Riverslea — Owned Outright: 33.3% Riverslea — Mortgage: 42.6% Riverslea — Renting: 24.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Denison Riverslea
New Zealand 6.0% / 4.2%
Denison — New Zealand: 6.0% Riverslea — New Zealand: 4.2%
Philippines 4.6% / 2.4%
Denison — Philippines: 4.6% Riverslea — Philippines: 2.4%
England 0.7% / 1.8%
Denison — England: 0.7% Riverslea — England: 1.8%
Italy 0.7% / —
Denison — Italy: 0.7% Riverslea — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

Qualifications

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

Denison Riverslea
Certificate III & IV 16.1% / 19.4%
Denison — Certificate III & IV: 16.1% Riverslea — Certificate III & IV: 19.4%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 6.1%
Denison — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Riverslea — Bachelor Degree: 6.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 6.1%
Denison — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Riverslea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / —
Denison — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Riverslea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Denison 100.0% houses
Denison — Houses: 100.0%
Riverslea 100.0% houses
Riverslea — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Denison Riverslea
Median house price $610,000 $770,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Denison Riverslea
Rural and farming 97% 98%
Parks and recreation 1% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Denison Riverslea
New dwellings approved 209
across Wellington
same for both
Approvals change year on year +17%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Denison Riverslea
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Denison Riverslea
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Denison carries more crime risk (50 vs 14); Riverslea carries more flood risk (90 vs 77).

Denison Riverslea
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
50/100
 Low
14/100
Flood High
77/100
 High
90/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Denison Riverslea
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

Denison Riverslea
Waterways 11 3

Mobility

Riverslea sits further from the CBD (216.2 km vs 205.8 km).

Denison Riverslea
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 205.8 km 216.2 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 149 min 156 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3858
 0.2%
postcode 3860
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3858
 41
postcode 3860

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.

Denison Riverslea
Car (driver) 64.3% / 68.1%
Denison — Car (driver): 64.3% Riverslea — Car (driver): 68.1%
Worked from Home 18.7% / 19.4%
Denison — Worked from Home: 18.7% Riverslea — Worked from Home: 19.4%
Walked Only 7.1% / 12.5%
Denison — Walked Only: 7.1% Riverslea — Walked Only: 12.5%
Car (passenger) 9.9% / —
Denison — Car (passenger): 9.9% Riverslea — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.1%).

Setting

Denison Riverslea
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 47.5 km 44.7 km

NBN connectivity

Denison Riverslea
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
193 premises
 0%
67 premises

Climate

Denison Riverslea
Annual rainfall 546 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Denison Riverslea
Average residential rate $1,960/yr
same for both
Council Wellington
same for both

Federal electorate

Denison Riverslea
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Denison Riverslea
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Denison

Family Rural

Riverslea

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Denison

Denison vs Heyfield Denison vs Fulham Denison vs Cowwarr Denison vs Tinamba Denison vs Nambrok Denison vs Winnindoo

Other comparisons with Riverslea

Riverslea vs Maffra Riverslea vs Fulham Riverslea vs Tinamba Riverslea vs Bundalaguah
Full data on Denison Full data on Riverslea
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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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