Drouin West vs Rokeby
Rokeby is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 54 in Drouin West. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Drouin West tends to suit older residents, while Rokeby suits couples.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
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 the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($193/wk vs $261/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 8/100)
- has a shorter drive in (74 min vs 85 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (95.8 km vs 104.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Drouin West
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (22/100 vs 8/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 20%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rokeby
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (18.3% vs 9.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Drouin West and Rokeby 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
Drouin West has more residents (361 vs 213); Rokeby rents higher ($261/wk vs $193/wk).
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 361 +41% vs other | 213 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.4% | +18.3% |
| Median age | 54 | 48 |
| Median household income | $82,316/yr | $94,224/yr +14% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $193/wk | $261/wk +35% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
Drouin West has more rural and farming land (91% vs 80%).
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 91% | 80% |
| Parks and recreation | 5% | 10% |
| Residential | 0% | 6% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 4% same for both | |
| 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 West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 619 across Baw Baw same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +49% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 50% of VIC | Higher than 65% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 80% of VIC | Higher than 69% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 55% of VIC | Higher than 58% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of VIC | Higher than 69% of VIC |
Liveability
Drouin West is more walkable (22 vs 8).
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 99/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 45/100 | Low 39/100 |
| Flood | High 74/100 | Moderate 65/100 |
| 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 West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Drouin West
- Drouin West Primary School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Rokeby
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 2 | 3 |
Mobility
Rokeby sits further from the CBD (104.4 km vs 95.8 km).
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 22/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 95.8 km | 104.4 km +9% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 74 min | 85 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 3818 | 0.6% postcode 3821 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 49 postcode 3818 | 55 postcode 3821 |
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 (76.0%).
Setting
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 84 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 143 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 37.0 km | 43.2 km |
NBN connectivity
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 157 premises | 0% 84 premises |
Climate
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,138/yr same for both | |
| Council | Baw Baw same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Drouin West | Rokeby | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Drouin West
Other comparisons with Rokeby
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.