Dollar vs Dumbalk
Dumbalk is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 51 in Dollar. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dollar, most households are people living alone. In Dumbalk, about half of households are 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
Dollar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 41/100)
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
Dollar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 10%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Dumbalk
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 132 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (153.6 km vs 161.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Dollar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 41/100)
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
Dollar and Dumbalk 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
Dumbalk has more residents (455 vs 61); Dollar skews older (51 vs 48).
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 61 | 455 +646% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.0% | +10.2% |
| Median age | 51 | 48 |
| Median household income | $58,500/yr +2% vs other | $57,616/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $258/wk | $268/wk +4% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.9%).
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 (23.0%).
Property market
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $487,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $325,000 |
Zoning mix
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 97% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 2% |
| 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
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 170 across South Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +21% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 18% of VIC | Higher than 16% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 28% of VIC | Higher than 1% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 58% of VIC | Higher than 63% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 25% of VIC | Higher than 48% of VIC |
Liveability
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Dumbalk carries more flood risk (28 vs 0); Dumbalk carries more crime risk (41 vs 24).
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 24/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 28/100 |
| 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
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Dollar sits further from the CBD (161.1 km vs 153.6 km).
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 161.1 km +5% vs other | 153.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 132 min | 122 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 3871 | 0.6% postcode 3956 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 3871 | 36 postcode 3956 |
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 (65.5%).
Setting
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 226 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 53 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 16.1 km | 21.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 25/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 28 premises | 0% 213 premises |
Climate
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 700 mm | 906 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.7°C | 24.6°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.1°C | 6.9°C |
Council rates
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Dollar | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Dumbalk
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Dollar
Other comparisons with Dumbalk
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.