Drouin South vs Ripplebrook

Ripplebrook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 50 in Drouin South. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Drouin South tends to suit people living alone, while Ripplebrook 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

Ripplebrook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 60%)
  • But Drouin South carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 56/100)

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Ripplebrook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (98.9 km vs 104.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Drouin South carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 56/100)
  • Ripplebrook is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Ripplebrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.3% vs 2.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Drouin South and Ripplebrook 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 South Ripplebrook
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 South Ripplebrook
Walkability 0 / 22
Drouin South — Walkability: 0/100 Ripplebrook — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 55 / 44
Drouin South — Safety: 55/100 Ripplebrook — Safety: 44/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Drouin South — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ripplebrook — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 52 / 49
Drouin South — Low flood risk: 52/100 Ripplebrook — Low flood risk: 49/100

Demographics

Drouin South has more residents (343 vs 268); Drouin South skews older (50 vs 43).

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Population 343
+22% vs other
 268
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +21.3%
Median age 50 43
Median household income $95,316/yr
+12% vs other
 $83,408/yr
Median weekly rent $313/wk
+4% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drouin South Ripplebrook
0-4 4.1% / 6.7%
Drouin South — 0-4: 4.1% Ripplebrook — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 11.4% / 14.9%
Drouin South — 5-14: 11.4% Ripplebrook — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 6.4% / 8.6%
Drouin South — 15-19: 6.4% Ripplebrook — 15-19: 8.6%
20-24 3.5% / 4.9%
Drouin South — 20-24: 3.5% Ripplebrook — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 5.8% / 9.3%
Drouin South — 25-34: 5.8% Ripplebrook — 25-34: 9.3%
35-44 9.0% / 11.2%
Drouin South — 35-44: 9.0% Ripplebrook — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 15.7% / 13.1%
Drouin South — 45-54: 15.7% Ripplebrook — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 22.2% / 11.2%
Drouin South — 55-64: 22.2% Ripplebrook — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 13.7% / 14.6%
Drouin South — 65-74: 13.7% Ripplebrook — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 5.5% / 4.9%
Drouin South — 75-84: 5.5% Ripplebrook — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 2.3% / 1.5%
Drouin South — 85+: 2.3% Ripplebrook — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drouin South 47.8% couple families
Drouin South — Couple Families: 47.8% Drouin South — Lone Person: 40.2% Drouin South — One Parent Families: 12.0%
Ripplebrook 54.5% couple families
Ripplebrook — Couple Families: 54.5% Ripplebrook — Lone Person: 21.8% Ripplebrook — One Parent Families: 23.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Drouin South 7.3% renting
Drouin South — Owned Outright: 54.0% Drouin South — Mortgage: 38.7% Drouin South — Renting: 7.3%
Ripplebrook 13.6% renting
Ripplebrook — Owned Outright: 45.7% Ripplebrook — Mortgage: 40.7% Ripplebrook — Renting: 13.6%
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 South Ripplebrook
England 5.0% / 4.5%
Drouin South — England: 5.0% Ripplebrook — England: 4.5%
Netherlands 1.7% / 1.1%
Drouin South — Netherlands: 1.7% Ripplebrook — Netherlands: 1.1%
Germany 1.7% / —
Drouin South — Germany: 1.7% Ripplebrook — Germany: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Drouin South — New Zealand: 1.2% Ripplebrook — New Zealand: not among its largest
China 0.9% / —
Drouin South — China: 0.9% Ripplebrook — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

Qualifications

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

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Certificate III & IV 19.8% / 20.1%
Drouin South — Certificate III & IV: 19.8% Ripplebrook — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 11.9%
Drouin South — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Ripplebrook — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 7.8%
Drouin South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Ripplebrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.5%
Drouin South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Ripplebrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / —
Drouin South — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Ripplebrook — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drouin South 100.0% houses
Drouin South — Houses: 100.0%
Ripplebrook 100.0% houses
Ripplebrook — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Median house price $1,120,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Rural and farming 98%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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 South Ripplebrook
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Drouin South Ripplebrook
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 59% 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 46% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC

Liveability

Ripplebrook is more walkable (22 vs 0).

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

Risk profile

Ripplebrook carries more crime risk (56 vs 45).

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
45/100
 Moderate
56/100
Flood Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
51/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Drouin South

  • Drouin South Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Ripplebrook

  • Ripplebrook Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Parks & reserves 0 1
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Drouin South sits further from the CBD (104.7 km vs 98.9 km).

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Walkability score 0/100 22/100
Distance to Melbourne 104.7 km
+6% vs other
 98.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 84 min 80 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 South Ripplebrook
Car (driver) 64.8% / 67.8%
Drouin South — Car (driver): 64.8% Ripplebrook — Car (driver): 67.8%
Worked from Home 19.1% / 26.3%
Drouin South — Worked from Home: 19.1% Ripplebrook — Worked from Home: 26.3%
Walked Only 11.1% / 5.9%
Drouin South — Walked Only: 11.1% Ripplebrook — Walked Only: 5.9%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / —
Drouin South — Car (passenger): 4.9% Ripplebrook — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).

Setting

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Elevation 115 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.7 km 23.8 km

NBN connectivity

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
171 premises
 0%
102 premises

Climate

Drouin South Ripplebrook
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 South Ripplebrook
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Drouin South Ripplebrook
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Drouin South

Rural

Ripplebrook

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drouin South

Drouin South vs Drouin Drouin South vs Longwarry Drouin South vs Athlone Drouin South vs Hallora Drouin South vs Lardner

Other comparisons with Ripplebrook

Ripplebrook vs Longwarry Ripplebrook vs Heath Hill Ripplebrook vs Modella Ripplebrook vs Athlone
Full data on Drouin South Full data on Ripplebrook
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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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