Gembrook vs Pakenham Upper

Gembrook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 44 in Pakenham Upper. 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 Pakenham Upper: a median of $1.63 million, against $930,000 in Gembrook, though rent is higher in Gembrook. On these figures, Gembrook tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Pakenham Upper 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

Gembrook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 6)
  • But Pakenham Upper carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 87/100)

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

First-home buyers

Gembrook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($930,000 vs $1,632,500)
  • has cheaper land ($1,160,000 vs $1,375,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($255/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (62 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (67 km vs 77.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Gembrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.9% vs 2.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
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.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Walkability 0 / 10
Gembrook — Walkability: 0/100 Pakenham Upper — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 13 / 65
Gembrook — Safety: 13/100 Pakenham Upper — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 5 / 1
Gembrook — Low fire risk: 5/100 Pakenham Upper — Low fire risk: 1/100
Low flood risk 64 / 61
Gembrook — Low flood risk: 64/100 Pakenham Upper — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Gembrook has more residents (2,559 vs 1,196); Gembrook rents higher ($360/wk vs $255/wk).

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Population 2,559
+53% vs other
 1,196
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.9% +2.0%
Median age 41 44
Median household income $104,104/yr $134,836/yr
+30% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+29% vs other
 $255/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
0-4 5.3% / 4.9%
Gembrook — 0-4: 5.3% Pakenham Upper — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 15.1% / 12.8%
Gembrook — 5-14: 15.1% Pakenham Upper — 5-14: 12.8%
15-19 6.3% / 7.2%
Gembrook — 15-19: 6.3% Pakenham Upper — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 5.8% / 6.1%
Gembrook — 20-24: 5.8% Pakenham Upper — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 10.4% / 7.2%
Gembrook — 25-34: 10.4% Pakenham Upper — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 11.5% / 12.2%
Gembrook — 35-44: 11.5% Pakenham Upper — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 15.0% / 15.2%
Gembrook — 45-54: 15.0% Pakenham Upper — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 15.0% / 17.9%
Gembrook — 55-64: 15.0% Pakenham Upper — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 9.8% / 10.8%
Gembrook — 65-74: 9.8% Pakenham Upper — 65-74: 10.8%
75-84 4.9% / 5.0%
Gembrook — 75-84: 4.9% Pakenham Upper — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 1.1% / 1.2%
Gembrook — 85+: 1.1% Pakenham Upper — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gembrook 58.2% couple families
Gembrook — Couple Families: 58.2% Gembrook — Lone Person: 25.6% Gembrook — One Parent Families: 12.6% Gembrook — Group Household: 2.4% Gembrook — Other Families: 1.2%
Pakenham Upper 68.8% couple families
Pakenham Upper — Couple Families: 68.8% Pakenham Upper — Lone Person: 19.5% Pakenham Upper — One Parent Families: 7.5% Pakenham Upper — Group Household: 3.0% Pakenham Upper — 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.

Gembrook 12.4% renting
Gembrook — Owned Outright: 33.6% Gembrook — Mortgage: 54.1% Gembrook — Renting: 12.4%
Pakenham Upper 3.5% renting
Pakenham Upper — Owned Outright: 44.1% Pakenham Upper — Mortgage: 52.4% Pakenham Upper — Renting: 3.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 18.2%
Gembrook — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Pakenham Upper — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 12.3%
Gembrook — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Pakenham Upper — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 8.9%
Gembrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Pakenham Upper — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.8%
Gembrook — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Pakenham Upper — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.5%
Gembrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Pakenham Upper — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
England 4.6% / 4.7%
Gembrook — England: 4.6% Pakenham Upper — England: 4.7%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.3%
Gembrook — New Zealand: 1.1% Pakenham Upper — New Zealand: 1.3%
Netherlands 0.4% / 1.2%
Gembrook — Netherlands: 0.4% Pakenham Upper — Netherlands: 1.2%
Germany 0.7% / 0.6%
Gembrook — Germany: 0.7% Pakenham Upper — Germany: 0.6%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.6%
Gembrook — South Africa: 0.5% Pakenham Upper — South Africa: 0.6%
Italy 0.5% / —
Gembrook — Italy: 0.5% Pakenham Upper — Italy: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gembrook 97.5% houses
Gembrook — Houses: 97.5% Gembrook — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Pakenham Upper 100.0% houses
Pakenham Upper — Houses: 100.0% Pakenham Upper — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Median house price $930,000 $1,632,500
Median unit price $570,000 —
Median land price $1,160,000 $1,375,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 28 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.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
3 bed $880K / $1.6M
Gembrook — 3 bed: $880K (29 sales) Pakenham Upper — 3 bed: $1.6M (5 sales)

29 vs 5 sales

4 bed $1.02M / $1.45M
Gembrook — 4 bed: $1.02M (27 sales) Pakenham Upper — 4 bed: $1.45M (6 sales)

27 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Pakenham Upper has more land zoned for conservation (58% vs 18%); Pakenham Upper has more rural and farming land (35% vs 13%).

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Parks and recreation 68% 6%
Environmental 18% 58%
Rural and farming 13% 35%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
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

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
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.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Houses 3.3%
$650/wk on $1.04M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
House price Higher than 70% of VIC —
Income Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 44% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of VIC —

Liveability

Pakenham Upper is more walkable (10 vs 0); Pakenham Upper scores higher overall (46 vs 28).

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Grade D C
Score 28/100 46/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Gembrook carries more crime risk (87 vs 35).

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Bushfire High
95/100
 High
99/100
Crime High
87/100
 Low
35/100
Flood Low
36/100
 Low
39/100
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

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
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 Gembrook

  • Gembrook Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Pakenham Upper

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 18 6
Childcare 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 436 9

Mobility

Gembrook sits further from the CBD (77.9 km vs 67 km).

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 77.9 km
+14% vs other
 67 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 91 min 62 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 29/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 29.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3783
 0.8%
postcode 3810
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 3783
 43
postcode 3810

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.

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Car (driver) 70.1% / 65.7%
Gembrook — Car (driver): 70.1% Pakenham Upper — Car (driver): 65.7%
Worked from Home 24.6% / 29.3%
Gembrook — Worked from Home: 24.6% Pakenham Upper — Worked from Home: 29.3%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 4.1%
Gembrook — Car (passenger): 2.5% Pakenham Upper — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.0%
Gembrook — Walked Only: 1.9% Pakenham Upper — Walked Only: 1.0%
Train 0.7% / —
Gembrook — Train: 0.7% Pakenham Upper — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.1%).

Setting

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Elevation 154 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 189 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.6 km 24.0 km

NBN connectivity

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Connectivity score 58/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 35%
896 premises
 0%
399 premises

Climate

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Annual rainfall 1,350 mm 781 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Average residential rate $1,880/yr
same for both
Council Cardinia
same for both

Federal electorate

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Division La Trobe
same for both
Member Jason Wood
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gembrook Pakenham Upper
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gembrook

River Rural

Pakenham Upper

Acreage Premium

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gembrook

Gembrook vs Cockatoo Gembrook vs Nar Nar Goon North Gembrook vs Yellingbo Gembrook vs Tynong North Gembrook vs Labertouche Gembrook vs Tonimbuk

Other comparisons with Pakenham Upper

Pakenham Upper vs Pakenham Pakenham Upper vs Beaconsfield Upper Pakenham Upper vs Nar Nar Goon North Pakenham Upper vs Mount Burnett Pakenham Upper vs Dewhurst
Full data on Gembrook Full data on Pakenham Upper
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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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