Garfield North vs Tonimbuk

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, Tonimbuk tends to suit 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

Tonimbuk

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 38/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 68%)

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

Tonimbuk

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 23%)
  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $387/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Garfield North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (81 km vs 88.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (67 min vs 72 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tonimbuk

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 38/100)

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

Investors

Garfield North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.6% vs 10.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Garfield North Tonimbuk
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.

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Walkability 0 / 0
Garfield North — Walkability: 0/100 Tonimbuk — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 62 / 77
Garfield North — Safety: 62/100 Tonimbuk — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 1 / 2
Garfield North — Low fire risk: 1/100 Tonimbuk — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 52 / 44
Garfield North — Low flood risk: 52/100 Tonimbuk — Low flood risk: 44/100

Demographics

Garfield North rents higher ($387/wk vs $260/wk); Tonimbuk has higher household incomes ($105,248 vs $89,076).

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Population 236
+3% vs other
 229
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.6% +10.1%
Median age 50
same for both
Median household income $89,076/yr $105,248/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $387/wk
+33% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Garfield North Tonimbuk
0-4 5.1% / 7.4%
Garfield North — 0-4: 5.1% Tonimbuk — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 11.0% / 7.4%
Garfield North — 5-14: 11.0% Tonimbuk — 5-14: 7.4%
15-19 6.8% / 9.2%
Garfield North — 15-19: 6.8% Tonimbuk — 15-19: 9.2%
20-24 6.4% / 3.5%
Garfield North — 20-24: 6.4% Tonimbuk — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 6.8% / 8.3%
Garfield North — 25-34: 6.8% Tonimbuk — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 9.7% / 7.9%
Garfield North — 35-44: 9.7% Tonimbuk — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 14.4% / 21.0%
Garfield North — 45-54: 14.4% Tonimbuk — 45-54: 21.0%
55-64 16.9% / 21.0%
Garfield North — 55-64: 16.9% Tonimbuk — 55-64: 21.0%
65-74 16.9% / 12.2%
Garfield North — 65-74: 16.9% Tonimbuk — 65-74: 12.2%
75-84 6.4% / 7.4%
Garfield North — 75-84: 6.4% Tonimbuk — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ — / —
Garfield North — 85+: not among its largest Tonimbuk — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Garfield North 59.5% couple families
Garfield North — Couple Families: 59.5% Garfield North — Lone Person: 24.3% Garfield North — One Parent Families: 8.1% Garfield North — Group Household: 8.1%
Tonimbuk 70.5% couple families
Tonimbuk — Couple Families: 70.5% Tonimbuk — Lone Person: 22.7% Tonimbuk — One Parent Families: 6.8% Tonimbuk — 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.

Garfield North 5.3% renting
Garfield North — Owned Outright: 56.0% Garfield North — Mortgage: 38.7% Garfield North — Renting: 5.3%
Tonimbuk 11.0% renting
Tonimbuk — Owned Outright: 46.6% Tonimbuk — Mortgage: 42.5% Tonimbuk — Renting: 11.0%
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.

Garfield North Tonimbuk
England 4.7% / 3.1%
Garfield North — England: 4.7% Tonimbuk — England: 3.1%
New Zealand 1.3% / —
Garfield North — New Zealand: 1.3% Tonimbuk — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines 1.3% / —
Garfield North — Philippines: 1.3% Tonimbuk — Philippines: not among its largest

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

Qualifications

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

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Certificate III & IV 20.8% / 17.5%
Garfield North — Certificate III & IV: 20.8% Tonimbuk — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 14.4%
Garfield North — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Tonimbuk — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 11.4%
Garfield North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Tonimbuk — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 2.2%
Garfield North — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Tonimbuk — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / —
Garfield North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Tonimbuk — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Garfield North 100.0% houses
Garfield North — Houses: 100.0%
Tonimbuk 100.0% houses
Tonimbuk — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Median house price — $1,125,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Garfield North has more rural and farming land (52% vs 36%); Garfield North has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 32%).

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Rural and farming 52% 36%
Environmental 43% 32%
Parks and recreation 4% 31%
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

Garfield North Tonimbuk
New dwellings approved 1,323
across Cardinia
same for both
Approvals change year on year +13%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Garfield North Tonimbuk
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC

Liveability

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Garfield North carries more crime risk (38 vs 23).

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
38/100
 Low
23/100
Flood Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
56/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Garfield North Tonimbuk
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

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Waterways 1 20

Mobility

Tonimbuk sits further from the CBD (88.5 km vs 81 km).

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 81 km 88.5 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 67 min 72 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3814
 0.5%
postcode 3815
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 3814
 47
postcode 3815

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.

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Car (driver) 66.3% / 75.6%
Garfield North — Car (driver): 66.3% Tonimbuk — Car (driver): 75.6%
Worked from Home 19.8% / 24.4%
Garfield North — Worked from Home: 19.8% Tonimbuk — Worked from Home: 24.4%
Walked Only 8.9% / —
Garfield North — Walked Only: 8.9% Tonimbuk — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 5.0% / —
Garfield North — Car (passenger): 5.0% Tonimbuk — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).

Setting

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Elevation 131 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 139 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 27.2 km 31.3 km

NBN connectivity

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Connectivity score 29/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
93 premises
 0%
107 premises

Climate

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Annual rainfall 1,350 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Average residential rate $1,880/yr
same for both
Council Cardinia
same for both

Federal electorate

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Division La Trobe
same for both
Member Jason Wood
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Garfield North Tonimbuk
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Garfield North

Rural

Tonimbuk

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Garfield North

Garfield North vs Bunyip Garfield North vs Garfield Garfield North vs Tynong North Garfield North vs Bunyip North

Other comparisons with Tonimbuk

Tonimbuk vs Gembrook Tonimbuk vs Tynong North Tonimbuk vs Labertouche Tonimbuk vs Bunyip North
Full data on Garfield North Full data on Tonimbuk
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