Dumbalk vs Stony Creek

Stony Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 48 in Dumbalk. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dumbalk, about half of households are people living alone. In Stony Creek, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Stony Creek: a median of $570,000, against $488,000 in Dumbalk. On these figures, Dumbalk tends to suit people living alone, while Stony Creek suits families with children and 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

Stony Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 43%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Dumbalk has cheaper houses ($487,500 vs $570,000)
  • Stony Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Stony Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Dumbalk

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (153.6 km vs 157.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

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

Dumbalk Stony Creek
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.

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Dumbalk — Walkability: 0/100 Stony Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 59 / 53
Dumbalk — Safety: 59/100 Stony Creek — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Dumbalk — Low fire risk: 100/100 Stony Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 72 / 83
Dumbalk — Low flood risk: 72/100 Stony Creek — Low flood risk: 83/100

Demographics

Dumbalk has more residents (455 vs 310); Stony Creek has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $57,616).

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Population 455
+32% vs other
 310
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.2% +10.3%
Median age 48 41
Median household income $57,616/yr $84,500/yr
+47% vs other
Median weekly rent $268/wk
+3% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dumbalk Stony Creek
0-4 4.4% / 8.1%
Dumbalk — 0-4: 4.4% Stony Creek — 0-4: 8.1%
5-14 13.0% / 13.9%
Dumbalk — 5-14: 13.0% Stony Creek — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 4.8% / 6.8%
Dumbalk — 15-19: 4.8% Stony Creek — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 3.7% / 3.5%
Dumbalk — 20-24: 3.7% Stony Creek — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 8.8% / 10.3%
Dumbalk — 25-34: 8.8% Stony Creek — 25-34: 10.3%
35-44 11.0% / 11.0%
Dumbalk — 35-44: 11.0% Stony Creek — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 12.7% / 12.3%
Dumbalk — 45-54: 12.7% Stony Creek — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 17.6% / 13.5%
Dumbalk — 55-64: 17.6% Stony Creek — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 16.3% / 12.6%
Dumbalk — 65-74: 16.3% Stony Creek — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 5.3% / 7.1%
Dumbalk — 75-84: 5.3% Stony Creek — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ 2.6% / 1.3%
Dumbalk — 85+: 2.6% Stony Creek — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dumbalk 33.3% couple families
Dumbalk — Couple Families: 33.3% Dumbalk — Lone Person: 54.2% Dumbalk — One Parent Families: 10.0% Dumbalk — Group Household: 2.5%
Stony Creek 55.9% couple families
Stony Creek — Couple Families: 55.9% Stony Creek — Lone Person: 32.4% Stony Creek — One Parent Families: 11.8% Stony Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dumbalk 9.7% renting
Dumbalk — Owned Outright: 51.5% Dumbalk — Mortgage: 38.8% Dumbalk — Renting: 9.7%
Stony Creek 12.4% renting
Stony Creek — Owned Outright: 43.8% Stony Creek — Mortgage: 43.8% Stony Creek — Renting: 12.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 14.8%
Dumbalk — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Stony Creek — Certificate III & IV: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 8.7%
Dumbalk — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Stony Creek — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 9.7%
Dumbalk — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Stony Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 3.5%
Dumbalk — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Stony Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.3% / 3.2%
Dumbalk — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3% Stony Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Dumbalk Stony Creek
England 2.0% / 3.5%
Dumbalk — England: 2.0% Stony Creek — England: 3.5%
Netherlands 3.1% / 1.6%
Dumbalk — Netherlands: 3.1% Stony Creek — Netherlands: 1.6%
New Zealand — / 2.9%
Dumbalk — New Zealand: not among its largest Stony Creek — New Zealand: 2.9%
South Africa 2.0% / —
Dumbalk — South Africa: 2.0% Stony Creek — South Africa: not among its largest
Germany 1.5% / —
Dumbalk — Germany: 1.5% Stony Creek — Germany: not among its largest
Canada — / 1.0%
Dumbalk — Canada: not among its largest Stony Creek — Canada: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dumbalk 99.5% houses
Dumbalk — Houses: 99.5% Dumbalk — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Stony Creek 100.0% houses
Stony Creek — Houses: 100.0% Stony Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Median house price $487,500 $570,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $325,000 —

Zoning mix

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Rural and farming 97%
same for both
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
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

Dumbalk Stony Creek
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Dumbalk Stony Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC

Liveability

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Dumbalk carries more flood risk (28 vs 17).

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Low
28/100
 Low
17/100
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

Dumbalk Stony Creek
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

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 2 1
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Stony Creek sits further from the CBD (157.4 km vs 153.6 km).

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 153.6 km 157.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 122 min 123 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3956
 0.0%
postcode 3957
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3956
 61
postcode 3957

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.

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Car (driver) 65.5% / 60.4%
Dumbalk — Car (driver): 65.5% Stony Creek — Car (driver): 60.4%
Worked from Home 25.6% / 33.6%
Dumbalk — Worked from Home: 25.6% Stony Creek — Worked from Home: 33.6%
Walked Only 5.4% / 3.7%
Dumbalk — Walked Only: 5.4% Stony Creek — Walked Only: 3.7%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 2.2%
Dumbalk — Car (passenger): 3.6% Stony Creek — Car (passenger): 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.5%).

Setting

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Elevation 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 66 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.3 km 16.5 km

NBN connectivity

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
213 premises
 0%
147 premises

Climate

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dumbalk Stony Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dumbalk

Affordable Rural

Stony Creek

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dumbalk

Dumbalk vs Meeniyan Dumbalk vs Mardan Dumbalk vs Nerrena Dumbalk vs Dumbalk North Dumbalk vs Dollar

Other comparisons with Stony Creek

Stony Creek vs Meeniyan Stony Creek vs Buffalo Stony Creek vs Foster North Stony Creek vs Dollar
Full data on Dumbalk Full data on Stony Creek
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or