Iona vs Modella
Modella is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Iona. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Iona, most households are couple families. In Modella, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Iona tends to suit older residents, while Modella suits families with children.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Iona has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $320/wk)
- Modella has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 4%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Iona sits closer to the CBD (86.7 km vs 89.7 km)
- Modella has a shorter drive in (73 min vs 79 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Iona
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 11%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Modella
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (14.2% vs 5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Iona and Modella drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Iona has more residents (240 vs 169); Modella rents higher ($320/wk vs $250/wk).
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 240 +30% vs other | 169 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +5.3% | +14.2% |
| Median age | 47 | 44 |
| Median household income | $100,048/yr | $115,336/yr +15% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk | $320/wk +28% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).
Property market
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,020,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Modella has more rural and farming land (89% vs 20%).
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 20% | 89% |
| Other and special use | 80% | 4% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 7% |
| 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
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,323 across Cardinia | 619 across Baw Baw |
| Approvals change year on year | +13% | +49% |
Ranking within VIC
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 72% of VIC | Higher than 87% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of VIC | Higher than 39% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 51% of VIC | Higher than 22% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 50% of VIC | Higher than 61% of VIC |
Liveability
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 16/100 | Low 18/100 |
| Flood | High 99/100 | High 98/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 2 within 5 km |
Schools
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Modella sits further from the CBD (89.7 km vs 86.7 km).
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 86.7 km | 89.7 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 79 min | 73 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 3815 | 0.3% postcode 3816 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 3815 | 46 postcode 3816 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.4%).
Setting
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 25 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 29 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 19.7 km | 21.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 101 premises | 0% 61 premises |
Climate
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,350 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,880/yr | $2,138/yr |
| Council | Cardinia | Baw Baw |
Federal electorate
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | La Trobe | Monash |
| Member | Jason Wood | Mary Aldred |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Iona | Modella | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Iona
Other comparisons with Modella
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.