Garfield vs Bunyip

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Bunyip: a median of $888,000, against $750,000 in Garfield. On these figures, Garfield tends to suit 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

Bunyip

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (5 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 52/100)

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

First-home buyers

Garfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($750,500 vs $888,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and 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

They split

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

  • Garfield sits closer to the CBD (79.7 km vs 83.2 km)
  • Bunyip is more walkable (70/100 vs 18/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bunyip

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (70/100 vs 18/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 52/100)

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

Investors

Bunyip

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (26.9% vs 18.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Garfield and Bunyip 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 Bunyip
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 Bunyip
Walkability 18 / 70
Garfield — Walkability: 18/100 Bunyip — Walkability: 70/100
Safety 48 / 60
Garfield — Safety: 48/100 Bunyip — Safety: 60/100
Low fire risk 100 / 39
Garfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Bunyip — Low fire risk: 39/100
Low flood risk 9 / 7
Garfield — Low flood risk: 9/100 Bunyip — Low flood risk: 7/100

Demographics

Bunyip has more residents (3,131 vs 2,114); Bunyip has higher household incomes ($100,204 vs $87,204).

Garfield Bunyip
Population 2,114 3,131
+48% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.4% +26.9%
Median age 39 38
Median household income $87,204/yr $100,204/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+3% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Garfield Bunyip
0-4 5.6% / 7.6%
Garfield — 0-4: 5.6% Bunyip — 0-4: 7.6%
5-14 15.2% / 15.2%
Garfield — 5-14: 15.2% Bunyip — 5-14: 15.2%
15-19 6.7% / 6.8%
Garfield — 15-19: 6.7% Bunyip — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 4.8% / 5.1%
Garfield — 20-24: 4.8% Bunyip — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 12.5% / 10.9%
Garfield — 25-34: 12.5% Bunyip — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 11.9% / 12.6%
Garfield — 35-44: 11.9% Bunyip — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 12.2% / 12.0%
Garfield — 45-54: 12.2% Bunyip — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 13.0% / 12.4%
Garfield — 55-64: 13.0% Bunyip — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 9.7% / 8.5%
Garfield — 65-74: 9.7% Bunyip — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 6.5% / 6.3%
Garfield — 75-84: 6.5% Bunyip — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.5% / 2.3%
Garfield — 85+: 1.5% Bunyip — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Garfield 58.7% couple families
Garfield — Couple Families: 58.7% Garfield — Lone Person: 29.3% Garfield — One Parent Families: 10.1% Garfield — Group Household: 1.0% Garfield — Other Families: 0.8%
Bunyip 57.0% couple families
Bunyip — Couple Families: 57.0% Bunyip — Lone Person: 27.4% Bunyip — One Parent Families: 12.4% Bunyip — Group Household: 2.1% Bunyip — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Garfield 11.7% renting
Garfield — Owned Outright: 36.5% Garfield — Mortgage: 51.8% Garfield — Renting: 11.7%
Bunyip 11.9% renting
Bunyip — Owned Outright: 34.2% Bunyip — Mortgage: 53.9% Bunyip — Renting: 11.9%
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 Bunyip
England 2.7% / 3.4%
Garfield — England: 2.7% Bunyip — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Garfield — New Zealand: 1.1% Bunyip — New Zealand: 1.0%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.4%
Garfield — Netherlands: 0.8% Bunyip — Netherlands: 0.4%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.4%
Garfield — Scotland: 0.4% Bunyip — Scotland: 0.4%
Germany 0.3% / 0.4%
Garfield — Germany: 0.3% Bunyip — Germany: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

Qualifications

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

Garfield Bunyip
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 20.0%
Garfield — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Bunyip — Certificate III & IV: 20.0%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 7.1%
Garfield — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Bunyip — Bachelor Degree: 7.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 6.7%
Garfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Bunyip — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.5%
Garfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Bunyip — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 1.6%
Garfield — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Bunyip — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Garfield 94.6% houses
Garfield — Houses: 94.6% Garfield — Flats / Apartments: 4.5% Garfield — Townhouses: 0.8%
Bunyip 97.5% houses
Bunyip — Houses: 97.5% Bunyip — Flats / Apartments: 0.8% Bunyip — Townhouses: 1.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Garfield Bunyip
Median house price $750,500 $888,000
Median unit price $535,000 $490,000
Median land price $885,000 $791,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 52 days
from 24 sales
 34 days
from 35 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Garfield Bunyip
3 bed $680K / $725K
Garfield — 3 bed: $680K (26 sales) Bunyip — 3 bed: $725K (21 sales)

26 vs 21 sales

4 bed $838K / $908K
Garfield — 4 bed: $838K (12 sales) Bunyip — 4 bed: $908K (44 sales)

12 vs 44 sales

Zoning mix

Garfield has more rural and farming land (83% vs 72%).

Garfield Bunyip
Rural and farming 83% 72%
Residential 6% 17%
Other and special use 7% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
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 Bunyip
New dwellings approved 1,323
across Cardinia
same for both
Approvals change year on year +13%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Garfield Bunyip
Houses — 3.2%
$550/wk on $882K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Garfield Bunyip
House price Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Income Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 52% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 25% of VIC

Liveability

Bunyip is more walkable (70 vs 18).

Garfield Bunyip
Grade C
same for both
Score 40/100 38/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bunyip carries more bushfire risk (61 vs 0); Garfield carries more crime risk (52 vs 40).

Garfield Bunyip
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
61/100
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
40/100
Flood High
91/100
 High
93/100
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

Garfield Bunyip
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Garfield

  • Garfield Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bunyip

  • Columba Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Bunyip Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Garfield Bunyip
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2
same for both
Parks & reserves 5 4
Childcare 2 5
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Waterways 0 5

Mobility

Bunyip sits further from the CBD (83.2 km vs 79.7 km).

Garfield Bunyip
Walkability score 18/100 70/100
Distance to Melbourne 79.7 km 83.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 66 min 68 min
Public transport score 44/100
Rail
 43/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 17 min
scheduled, not actual
 21 min
scheduled, not actual
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 Bunyip
Car (driver) 74.8% / 72.2%
Garfield — Car (driver): 74.8% Bunyip — Car (driver): 72.2%
Worked from Home 18.8% / 20.5%
Garfield — Worked from Home: 18.8% Bunyip — Worked from Home: 20.5%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 4.0%
Garfield — Car (passenger): 2.7% Bunyip — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Walked Only 2.3% / 1.5%
Garfield — Walked Only: 2.3% Bunyip — Walked Only: 1.5%
Train 1.4% / 1.3%
Garfield — Train: 1.4% Bunyip — Train: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.8%).

Setting

Garfield Bunyip
Elevation 27 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.8 km 25.1 km

NBN connectivity

Garfield Bunyip
Connectivity score 65/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
874 premises
 53%
1,333 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Garfield

Acreage Trains

Bunyip

Acreage Family Quiet Trains

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Garfield

Garfield vs Tynong Garfield vs Tynong North Garfield vs Iona Garfield vs Garfield North Garfield vs Cora Lynn

Other comparisons with Bunyip

Bunyip vs Longwarry Bunyip vs Iona Bunyip vs Garfield North Bunyip vs Longwarry North Bunyip vs Bunyip North
Full data on Garfield Full data on Bunyip
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.

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