Drouin East vs Drouin West

Drouin East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 54 in Drouin West. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Drouin East, about half of households are couple families. In Drouin West, most households are couple families. On these figures, Drouin East tends to suit people living alone, while Drouin West suits 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

Drouin West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 89/100)

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

Drouin West

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($193/wk vs $298/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Drouin West

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (95.8 km vs 102.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (74 min vs 79 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Drouin West

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 14%)
  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 89/100)

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

Investors

Drouin West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.4% vs -2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Drouin East Drouin West
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.

Drouin East Drouin West
Walkability 0 / 22
Drouin East — Walkability: 0/100 Drouin West — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 11 / 55
Drouin East — Safety: 11/100 Drouin West — Safety: 55/100
Low fire risk 100 / 1
Drouin East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Drouin West — Low fire risk: 1/100
Low flood risk 100 / 26
Drouin East — Low flood risk: 100/100 Drouin West — Low flood risk: 26/100

Demographics

Drouin West has more residents (361 vs 177); Drouin East rents higher ($298/wk vs $193/wk).

Drouin East Drouin West
Population 177 361
+104% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.7% +9.4%
Median age 45 54
Median household income $79,248/yr $82,316/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $298/wk
+35% vs other
 $193/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drouin East Drouin West
0-4 2.8% / 3.9%
Drouin East — 0-4: 2.8% Drouin West — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 13.6% / 9.4%
Drouin East — 5-14: 13.6% Drouin West — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 5.6% / 2.5%
Drouin East — 15-19: 5.6% Drouin West — 15-19: 2.5%
20-24 5.6% / 4.2%
Drouin East — 20-24: 5.6% Drouin West — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 13.0% / 7.2%
Drouin East — 25-34: 13.0% Drouin West — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 6.2% / 8.6%
Drouin East — 35-44: 6.2% Drouin West — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 20.3% / 14.7%
Drouin East — 45-54: 20.3% Drouin West — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 15.8% / 18.0%
Drouin East — 55-64: 15.8% Drouin West — 55-64: 18.0%
65-74 9.0% / 19.1%
Drouin East — 65-74: 9.0% Drouin West — 65-74: 19.1%
75-84 3.4% / 8.0%
Drouin East — 75-84: 3.4% Drouin West — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 1.7% / 2.5%
Drouin East — 85+: 1.7% Drouin West — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drouin East 53.5% couple families
Drouin East — Couple Families: 53.5% Drouin East — Lone Person: 39.5% Drouin East — One Parent Families: 7.0% Drouin East — Group Household: 0.0%
Drouin West 56.5% couple families
Drouin West — Couple Families: 56.5% Drouin West — Lone Person: 29.4% Drouin West — One Parent Families: 7.1% Drouin West — Group Household: 7.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Drouin East 13.0% renting
Drouin East — Owned Outright: 49.3% Drouin East — Mortgage: 37.7% Drouin East — Renting: 13.0%
Drouin West 6.2% renting
Drouin West — Owned Outright: 58.6% Drouin West — Mortgage: 35.2% Drouin West — Renting: 6.2%
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.

Drouin East Drouin West
England 2.3% / 4.7%
Drouin East — England: 2.3% Drouin West — England: 4.7%
Germany — / 1.4%
Drouin East — Germany: not among its largest Drouin West — Germany: 1.4%
New Zealand — / 1.1%
Drouin East — New Zealand: not among its largest Drouin West — New Zealand: 1.1%
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Drouin East — Netherlands: not among its largest Drouin West — Netherlands: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Drouin East Drouin West
Certificate III & IV 18.1% / 20.2%
Drouin East — Certificate III & IV: 18.1% Drouin West — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 7.8%
Drouin East — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Drouin West — Bachelor Degree: 7.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 9.4%
Drouin East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Drouin West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 3.0%
Drouin East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Drouin West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 1.1%
Drouin East — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Drouin West — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drouin East 90.9% houses
Drouin East — Houses: 90.9% Drouin East — Flats / Apartments: 9.1%
Drouin West 100.0% houses
Drouin West — Houses: 100.0% Drouin West — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Drouin East Drouin West
Rural and farming 96% 91%
Parks and recreation 0% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
Residential 1% 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

Drouin East Drouin West
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Drouin East Drouin West
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 55% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC

Liveability

Drouin West is more walkable (22 vs 0).

Drouin East Drouin West
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Drouin West carries more bushfire risk (99 vs 0); Drouin West carries more flood risk (74 vs 0).

Drouin East Drouin West
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
99/100
Crime High
89/100
 Moderate
45/100
Flood None
0/100
 High
74/100
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

Drouin East Drouin West
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Drouin East

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Drouin West

  • Drouin West Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Drouin East Drouin West
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 2
same for both
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Drouin East sits further from the CBD (102.9 km vs 95.8 km).

Drouin East Drouin West
Walkability score 0/100 22/100
Distance to Melbourne 102.9 km
+7% vs other
 95.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 79 min 74 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3818
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 3818
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.

Drouin East Drouin West
Car (driver) 78.3% / 60.5%
Drouin East — Car (driver): 78.3% Drouin West — Car (driver): 60.5%
Worked from Home 14.5% / 30.8%
Drouin East — Worked from Home: 14.5% Drouin West — Worked from Home: 30.8%
Walked Only — / 5.2%
Drouin East — Walked Only: not among its largest Drouin West — Walked Only: 5.2%
Train 3.6% / —
Drouin East — Train: 3.6% Drouin West — Train: not among its largest
Bicycle 3.6% / —
Drouin East — Bicycle: 3.6% Drouin West — Bicycle: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 3.5%
Drouin East — Car (passenger): not among its largest Drouin West — Car (passenger): 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.3%).

Setting

Drouin East Drouin West
Elevation 174 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 84 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.4 km 37.0 km

NBN connectivity

Drouin East Drouin West
Connectivity score 39/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
81 premises
 0%
157 premises

Climate

Drouin East Drouin West
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Drouin East Drouin West
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Drouin East Drouin West
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Drouin East Drouin West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Drouin East

Rural

Drouin West

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drouin East

Drouin East vs Warragul Drouin East vs Drouin Drouin East vs Brandy Creek

Other comparisons with Drouin West

Drouin West vs Drouin Drouin West vs Longwarry Drouin West vs Jindivick Drouin West vs Labertouche Drouin West vs Longwarry North Drouin West vs Rokeby
Full data on Drouin East Full data on Drouin West
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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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