Hastings vs Bittern

Hastings is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 46 in Bittern. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Bittern, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Bittern: a median of $938,000, against $708,000 in Hastings, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Hastings tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Bittern 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

Bittern

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 88/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 73%)
  • But Hastings has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Hastings

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($860,000 vs $1,352,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($708,000 vs $938,000)
  • has cheaper units ($538,250 vs $710,000)
  • But Bittern leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hastings

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $366/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hastings

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (71.9 km vs 77.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Hastings

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (27% vs 6%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 1)
  • But Bittern carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 88/100)

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

Investors

Bittern

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.4% vs 7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hastings Bittern
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.

Hastings Bittern
Walkability 57 / 57
Hastings — Walkability: 57/100 Bittern — Walkability: 57/100
Safety 12 / 67
Hastings — Safety: 12/100 Bittern — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 65 / 63
Hastings — Low fire risk: 65/100 Bittern — Low fire risk: 63/100
Low flood risk 42 / 54
Hastings — Low flood risk: 42/100 Bittern — Low flood risk: 54/100

Demographics

Hastings has more residents (10,369 vs 4,276); Bittern has higher household incomes ($83,980 vs $62,244).

Hastings Bittern
Population 10,369
+59% vs other
 4,276
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.9% +15.4%
Median age 41 46
Median household income $62,244/yr $83,980/yr
+35% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $366/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hastings Bittern
0-4 5.8% / 5.5%
Hastings — 0-4: 5.8% Bittern — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 12.5% / 11.6%
Hastings — 5-14: 12.5% Bittern — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.5% / 5.8%
Hastings — 15-19: 5.5% Bittern — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 4.7% / 4.7%
Hastings — 20-24: 4.7% Bittern — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 13.0% / 9.9%
Hastings — 25-34: 13.0% Bittern — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 11.7% / 10.7%
Hastings — 35-44: 11.7% Bittern — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 11.4% / 13.9%
Hastings — 45-54: 11.4% Bittern — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 11.6% / 14.8%
Hastings — 55-64: 11.6% Bittern — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 12.3% / 14.1%
Hastings — 65-74: 12.3% Bittern — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 8.6% / 7.8%
Hastings — 75-84: 8.6% Bittern — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ 2.9% / 1.4%
Hastings — 85+: 2.9% Bittern — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hastings 44.5% lone person
Hastings — Lone Person: 44.5% Hastings — Couple Families: 29.8% Hastings — One Parent Families: 20.5% Hastings — Group Household: 3.7% Hastings — Other Families: 1.5%
Bittern 34.6% lone person
Bittern — Lone Person: 34.6% Bittern — Couple Families: 48.0% Bittern — One Parent Families: 14.8% Bittern — Group Household: 1.9% Bittern — Other Families: 0.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hastings 32.2% renting
Hastings — Owned Outright: 33.8% Hastings — Mortgage: 34.0% Hastings — Renting: 32.2%
Bittern 12.7% renting
Bittern — Owned Outright: 43.5% Bittern — Mortgage: 43.8% Bittern — Renting: 12.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hastings Bittern
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 20.2%
Hastings — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Bittern — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.8%
Hastings — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Bittern — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.7% / 8.7%
Hastings — Bachelor Degree: 5.7% Bittern — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 2.3%
Hastings — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Bittern — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 2.1%
Hastings — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Bittern — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

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.

Hastings Bittern
England 6.4% / 8.3%
Hastings — England: 6.4% Bittern — England: 8.3%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.0%
Hastings — New Zealand: 1.7% Bittern — New Zealand: 1.0%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.8%
Hastings — Scotland: 0.9% Bittern — Scotland: 0.8%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.3%
Hastings — Philippines: 1.1% Bittern — Philippines: 0.3%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.7%
Hastings — Netherlands: 0.6% Bittern — Netherlands: 0.7%
Germany 0.6% / 0.7%
Hastings — Germany: 0.6% Bittern — Germany: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hastings 72.8% houses
Hastings — Houses: 72.8% Hastings — Townhouses: 24.7% Hastings — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Bittern 93.6% houses
Bittern — Houses: 93.6% Bittern — Townhouses: 6.2% Bittern — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Hastings Bittern
Median house price $708,000 $938,000
Median unit price $538,250 $710,000
Median land price $860,000 $1,352,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 103 sales
 32 days
from 26 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.

Hastings Bittern
2 bed $605K / $647K
Hastings — 2 bed: $605K (17 sales) Bittern — 2 bed: $647K (6 sales)

17 vs 6 sales

3 bed $695K / $775K
Hastings — 3 bed: $695K (140 sales) Bittern — 3 bed: $775K (26 sales)

140 vs 26 sales

4 bed $841K / $1.05M
Hastings — 4 bed: $841K (59 sales) Bittern — 4 bed: $1.05M (30 sales)

59 vs 30 sales

Zoning mix

Bittern has more rural and farming land (36% vs 24%).

Hastings Bittern
Residential 27% 42%
Rural and farming 24% 36%
Other and special use 31% 5%
Parks and recreation 4% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 5%
same for both
Industrial 3% 1%
Commercial 2% 0%
Planning zones cover 97% of Hastings and 98% of Bittern. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Hastings Bittern
New dwellings approved 791
across Mornington Peninsula
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Hastings Bittern
Houses 4.1%
$580/wk on $740K
 —
Units 4.8%
$500/wk on $545K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Hastings Bittern
House price Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Income Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Schools Higher than 27% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 87% of VIC
same for both
Affordability Higher than 19% of VIC
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 73% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 50% of VIC —

Liveability

Bittern scores higher overall (53 vs 24).

Hastings Bittern
Grade D B
Score 24/100 53/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Hastings carries more crime risk (88 vs 33); Hastings carries more flood risk (58 vs 46).

Hastings Bittern
Bushfire Low
35/100
 Low
37/100
Crime High
88/100
 Low
33/100
Flood Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
46/100
Coastal erosion Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Hastings Bittern
Inside the suburb 6 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Hastings

  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Western Port Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Hastings Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Wallaroo Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Oakwood School-Hastings Campus Government · Secondary
  • Advance College of Education Incorporated - Hastings Hub Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Bittern

  • Bittern Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Hastings Bittern
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 21 12
Childcare 8 2
GPs 4 1
Pharmacies 2 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 5 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 4 2

Mobility

Bittern sits further from the CBD (77.9 km vs 71.9 km).

Hastings Bittern
Walkability score 57/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 71.9 km 77.9 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 66 min 68 min
Public transport score 78/100
Rail · Bus
 46/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 45.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 12.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3915
 0.9%
postcode 3918
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 3915
 54
postcode 3918

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.

Hastings Bittern
Car (driver) 77.4% / 76.4%
Hastings — Car (driver): 77.4% Bittern — Car (driver): 76.4%
Worked from Home 13.3% / 18.2%
Hastings — Worked from Home: 13.3% Bittern — Worked from Home: 18.2%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 3.6%
Hastings — Car (passenger): 5.4% Bittern — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Walked Only 2.6% / 1.2%
Hastings — Walked Only: 2.6% Bittern — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bicycle 0.6% / 0.4%
Hastings — Bicycle: 0.6% Bittern — Bicycle: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.4%).

Setting

Hastings Bittern
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.1 km 2.6 km

NBN connectivity

Hastings Bittern
Connectivity score 70/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 45%
5,700 premises
 56%
1,868 premises

Climate

Hastings Bittern
Annual rainfall 696 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Hastings Bittern
Average residential rate $1,659/yr
same for both
Council Mornington Peninsula
same for both

Federal electorate

Hastings Bittern
Division Flinders
same for both
Member Zoe Mckenzie
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hastings Bittern
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hastings

Coastal Parks Regional Centre Townhouses

Bittern

Acreage Coastal

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hastings

Hastings vs Tyabb Hastings vs Moorooduc Hastings vs Tuerong

Other comparisons with Bittern

Bittern vs Crib Point Bittern vs Balnarring Bittern vs Somers Bittern vs Hmas Cerberus Bittern vs Tuerong
Full data on Hastings Full data on Bittern
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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