Forge Creek vs Newlands Arm

Forge Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 60 in Newlands Arm. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forge Creek, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Forge Creek: a median of $840,000, against $610,000 in Newlands Arm, though rent is higher in Newlands Arm. On these figures, Forge Creek tends to suit couples, while Newlands Arm suits people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Forge Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 51%)

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

  • Forge Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)
  • Newlands Arm has cheaper houses ($610,000 vs $840,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Forge Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $335/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Forge Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (210 min vs 215 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (288.5 km vs 295 km)
  • But Newlands Arm is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Newlands Arm

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (41% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Forge Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (25.4% vs 19.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
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.

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Walkability 0 / 10
Forge Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Newlands Arm — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 73 / 80
Forge Creek — Safety: 73/100 Newlands Arm — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 43 / 11
Forge Creek — Low fire risk: 43/100 Newlands Arm — Low fire risk: 11/100
Low flood risk 26 / 55
Forge Creek — Low flood risk: 26/100 Newlands Arm — Low flood risk: 55/100

Demographics

Newlands Arm has more residents (866 vs 346); Forge Creek has higher household incomes ($96,876 vs $59,436).

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Population 346 866
+150% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +25.4% +19.0%
Median age 45 60
Median household income $96,876/yr
+39% vs other
 $59,436/yr
Median weekly rent $220/wk $335/wk
+52% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
0-4 3.5% / 3.1%
Forge Creek — 0-4: 3.5% Newlands Arm — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 10.1% / 8.2%
Forge Creek — 5-14: 10.1% Newlands Arm — 5-14: 8.2%
15-19 12.1% / 3.8%
Forge Creek — 15-19: 12.1% Newlands Arm — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 4.0% / 1.5%
Forge Creek — 20-24: 4.0% Newlands Arm — 20-24: 1.5%
25-34 8.4% / 4.7%
Forge Creek — 25-34: 8.4% Newlands Arm — 25-34: 4.7%
35-44 9.5% / 6.7%
Forge Creek — 35-44: 9.5% Newlands Arm — 35-44: 6.7%
45-54 14.7% / 12.2%
Forge Creek — 45-54: 14.7% Newlands Arm — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 15.9% / 19.1%
Forge Creek — 55-64: 15.9% Newlands Arm — 55-64: 19.1%
65-74 12.4% / 26.3%
Forge Creek — 65-74: 12.4% Newlands Arm — 65-74: 26.3%
75-84 6.4% / 12.1%
Forge Creek — 75-84: 6.4% Newlands Arm — 75-84: 12.1%
85+ 0.9% / 2.3%
Forge Creek — 85+: 0.9% Newlands Arm — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forge Creek 68.6% couple families
Forge Creek — Couple Families: 68.6% Forge Creek — Lone Person: 23.5% Forge Creek — One Parent Families: 7.8% Forge Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Forge Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Newlands Arm 38.6% couple families
Newlands Arm — Couple Families: 38.6% Newlands Arm — Lone Person: 41.8% Newlands Arm — One Parent Families: 12.0% Newlands Arm — Group Household: 5.4% Newlands Arm — Other Families: 2.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forge Creek 8.2% renting
Forge Creek — Owned Outright: 48.0% Forge Creek — Mortgage: 43.9% Forge Creek — Renting: 8.2%
Newlands Arm 6.8% renting
Newlands Arm — Owned Outright: 66.4% Newlands Arm — Mortgage: 26.8% Newlands Arm — Renting: 6.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Certificate III & IV 15.6% / 21.7%
Forge Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.6% Newlands Arm — Certificate III & IV: 21.7%
Bachelor Degree 11.0% / 9.5%
Forge Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.0% Newlands Arm — Bachelor Degree: 9.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 10.0%
Forge Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Newlands Arm — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.6% / 2.0%
Forge Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6% Newlands Arm — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.6% / 1.7%
Forge Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6% Newlands Arm — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

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.

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
England 2.0% / 8.5%
Forge Creek — England: 2.0% Newlands Arm — England: 8.5%
Germany — / 1.8%
Forge Creek — Germany: not among its largest Newlands Arm — Germany: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.4% / 0.3%
Forge Creek — New Zealand: 1.4% Newlands Arm — New Zealand: 0.3%
Italy 0.9% / 0.7%
Forge Creek — Italy: 0.9% Newlands Arm — Italy: 0.7%
India 0.9% / —
Forge Creek — India: 0.9% Newlands Arm — India: not among its largest
Ireland 0.9% / —
Forge Creek — Ireland: 0.9% Newlands Arm — Ireland: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.9%
Forge Creek — South Africa: not among its largest Newlands Arm — South Africa: 0.9%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Forge Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Newlands Arm — Netherlands: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forge Creek 100.0% houses
Forge Creek — Houses: 100.0% Forge Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Newlands Arm 99.5% houses
Newlands Arm — Houses: 99.5% Newlands Arm — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Median house price $840,000 $610,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 3 sales
 46 days
from 10 sales

Zoning mix

Forge Creek has more rural and farming land (74% vs 1%).

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Residential 0% 84%
Rural and farming 74% 1%
Parks and recreation 22% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 5%
Environmental 2% 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

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
House price — Higher than 25% of VIC
Income Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 41% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 48% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC

Liveability

Newlands Arm is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Grade — D
Score — 24/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Forge Creek carries more flood risk (74 vs 45); Newlands Arm carries more bushfire risk (89 vs 57).

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 High
89/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Low
20/100
Flood High
74/100
 Moderate
45/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
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

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Parks & reserves 2 1
Beaches 4 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Newlands Arm sits further from the CBD (295 km vs 288.5 km).

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 288.5 km 295 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 210 min 215 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3875
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 3875
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.

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Car (driver) 67.5% / 81.0%
Forge Creek — Car (driver): 67.5% Newlands Arm — Car (driver): 81.0%
Worked from Home 11.5% / 14.1%
Forge Creek — Worked from Home: 11.5% Newlands Arm — Worked from Home: 14.1%
Car (passenger) 10.2% / 4.8%
Forge Creek — Car (passenger): 10.2% Newlands Arm — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 7.0% / —
Forge Creek — Walked Only: 7.0% Newlands Arm — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 3.8% / —
Forge Creek — Bus: 3.8% Newlands Arm — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.9 km
3.9 km to a named beach
 7.2 km
1.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Connectivity score 29/100 67/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
153 premises
 46%
479 premises

Climate

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Annual rainfall 620 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Average residential rate $1,807/yr
same for both
Council East Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Forge Creek Newlands Arm
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forge Creek

Rural

Newlands Arm

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Forge Creek

Forge Creek vs Bairnsdale Forge Creek vs Eagle Point Forge Creek vs Loch Sport Forge Creek vs Raymond Island Forge Creek vs Goon Nure

Other comparisons with Newlands Arm

Newlands Arm vs Paynesville Newlands Arm vs Eagle Point Newlands Arm vs Raymond Island
Full data on Forge Creek Full data on Newlands Arm
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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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