Grantville vs Pioneer Bay

Pioneer Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 52 in Grantville. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Grantville: a median of $605,000, against $500,000 in Pioneer Bay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Pioneer Bay 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

Pioneer Bay

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 81/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
  • But Grantville has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Grantville has cheaper land ($387,500 vs $520,000)
  • Pioneer Bay has cheaper houses ($500,000 vs $605,000)

Weighs house 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

Pioneer Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (78 min vs 85 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (99 km vs 104.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Grantville has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 22%)
  • Pioneer Bay carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 81/100)

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

Investors

Grantville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (40.6% vs 3.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Grantville Pioneer Bay
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.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Walkability 10 / 13
Grantville — Walkability: 10/100 Pioneer Bay — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 19 / 49
Grantville — Safety: 19/100 Pioneer Bay — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 86 / 100
Grantville — Low fire risk: 86/100 Pioneer Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 34 / 22
Grantville — Low flood risk: 34/100 Pioneer Bay — Low flood risk: 22/100

Demographics

Grantville has more residents (1,168 vs 365); Grantville skews older (52 vs 41).

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Population 1,168
+69% vs other
 365
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +40.6% +3.7%
Median age 52 41
Median household income $57,564/yr
+13% vs other
 $49,972/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+7% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
0-4 5.0% / 7.4%
Grantville — 0-4: 5.0% Pioneer Bay — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 7.7% / 10.4%
Grantville — 5-14: 7.7% Pioneer Bay — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 2.8% / 2.7%
Grantville — 15-19: 2.8% Pioneer Bay — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 4.4% / 4.4%
Grantville — 20-24: 4.4% Pioneer Bay — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 10.3% / 13.2%
Grantville — 25-34: 10.3% Pioneer Bay — 25-34: 13.2%
35-44 9.8% / 13.4%
Grantville — 35-44: 9.8% Pioneer Bay — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 14.0% / 10.4%
Grantville — 45-54: 14.0% Pioneer Bay — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 17.8% / 13.7%
Grantville — 55-64: 17.8% Pioneer Bay — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 19.0% / 11.8%
Grantville — 65-74: 19.0% Pioneer Bay — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 7.4% / 7.4%
Grantville — 75-84: 7.4% Pioneer Bay — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 1.5% / 2.5%
Grantville — 85+: 1.5% Pioneer Bay — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Grantville 53.1% lone person
Grantville — Lone Person: 53.1% Grantville — Couple Families: 26.4% Grantville — One Parent Families: 15.6% Grantville — Group Household: 5.0% Grantville — Other Families: 0.0%
Pioneer Bay 52.5% lone person
Pioneer Bay — Lone Person: 52.5% Pioneer Bay — Couple Families: 23.0% Pioneer Bay — One Parent Families: 17.3% Pioneer Bay — Group Household: 3.6% Pioneer Bay — Other Families: 3.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Grantville 17.5% renting
Grantville — Owned Outright: 47.0% Grantville — Mortgage: 35.5% Grantville — Renting: 17.5%
Pioneer Bay 20.7% renting
Pioneer Bay — Owned Outright: 30.5% Pioneer Bay — Mortgage: 48.8% Pioneer Bay — Renting: 20.7%
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.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
England 5.9% / 7.1%
Grantville — England: 5.9% Pioneer Bay — England: 7.1%
New Zealand 2.3% / 1.9%
Grantville — New Zealand: 2.3% Pioneer Bay — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany 0.8% / 2.5%
Grantville — Germany: 0.8% Pioneer Bay — Germany: 2.5%
Italy 1.2% / 0.8%
Grantville — Italy: 1.2% Pioneer Bay — Italy: 0.8%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.8%
Grantville — Scotland: 0.6% Pioneer Bay — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

Qualifications

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

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Certificate III & IV 21.1% / 18.6%
Grantville — Certificate III & IV: 21.1% Pioneer Bay — Certificate III & IV: 18.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 9.3%
Grantville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Pioneer Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 4.1%
Grantville — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Pioneer Bay — Bachelor Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 2.7%
Grantville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Pioneer Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / —
Grantville — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Pioneer Bay — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Grantville 88.3% houses
Grantville — Houses: 88.3% Grantville — Flats / Apartments: 11.7%
Pioneer Bay 100.0% houses
Pioneer Bay — Houses: 100.0% Pioneer Bay — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Median house price $605,000 $500,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $387,500 $520,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 65 days
from 22 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.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
2 bed $558K / $456K
Grantville — 2 bed: $558K (10 sales) Pioneer Bay — 2 bed: $456K (7 sales)

10 vs 7 sales

3 bed $580K / $528K
Grantville — 3 bed: $580K (31 sales) Pioneer Bay — 3 bed: $528K (7 sales)

31 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Grantville has more rural and farming land (61% vs 1%).

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Residential 13% 83%
Rural and farming 61% 1%
Other and special use 16% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 8%
Parks and recreation 7% 8%
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

Grantville Pioneer Bay
New dwellings approved 393
across Bass Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Houses 3.7%
$500/wk on $704K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Grantville Pioneer Bay
House price Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
Income Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 9% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 46% of VIC —

Liveability

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Grade D —
Score 24/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Grantville carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0); Grantville carries more crime risk (81 vs 51).

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Bushfire Low
14/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
81/100
 Moderate
51/100
Flood Moderate
66/100
 High
78/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
68/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Grantville Pioneer Bay
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

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Grantville sits further from the CBD (104.4 km vs 99 km).

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Walkability score 10/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 104.4 km
+5% vs other
 99 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 78 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3984
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 3984
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.

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Car (driver) 77.5% / 89.1%
Grantville — Car (driver): 77.5% Pioneer Bay — Car (driver): 89.1%
Worked from Home 15.5% / 10.9%
Grantville — Worked from Home: 15.5% Pioneer Bay — Worked from Home: 10.9%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / —
Grantville — Car (passenger): 4.0% Pioneer Bay — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.2% / —
Grantville — Walked Only: 2.2% Pioneer Bay — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.8% / —
Grantville — Bus: 0.8% Pioneer Bay — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (89.1%).

Setting

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Elevation 96 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km 477 m

NBN connectivity

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Connectivity score 73/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 52%
780 premises
 48%
229 premises

Climate

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Annual rainfall 704 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Average residential rate $1,727/yr
same for both
Council Bass Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Grantville Pioneer Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Grantville

Acreage Coastal Retirees

Pioneer Bay

Affordable Coastal Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Grantville

Grantville vs Corinella Grantville vs The Gurdies Grantville vs Woodleigh Grantville vs Glen Forbes Grantville vs Kernot Grantville vs Adams Estate

Other comparisons with Pioneer Bay

Pioneer Bay vs The Gurdies
Full data on Grantville Full data on Pioneer Bay
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