Kaarimba vs Waaia

Waaia is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 46 in Kaarimba. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kaarimba, about half of households are people living alone. In Waaia, most households are couple families. On these figures, Kaarimba tends to suit people living alone, while Waaia 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

Waaia

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 85/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Kaarimba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 20%)

Weighs 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

Kaarimba

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (153 min vs 165 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (217.8 km vs 229.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Waaia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 85/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kaarimba Waaia
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.

Kaarimba Waaia
Walkability 0 / 0
Kaarimba — Walkability: 0/100 Waaia — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 15 / 48
Kaarimba — Safety: 15/100 Waaia — Safety: 48/100
Low fire risk 61 / 100
Kaarimba — Low fire risk: 61/100 Waaia — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 3 / 22
Kaarimba — Low flood risk: 3/100 Waaia — Low flood risk: 22/100

Demographics

Waaia has more residents (420 vs 93); Kaarimba has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $70,200).

Kaarimba Waaia
Population 93 420
+352% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.4% +7.7%
Median age 46 36
Median household income $94,224/yr
+25% vs other
 $70,200/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+2% vs other
 $195/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kaarimba Waaia
0-4 8.6% / 8.1%
Kaarimba — 0-4: 8.6% Waaia — 0-4: 8.1%
5-14 10.8% / 18.6%
Kaarimba — 5-14: 10.8% Waaia — 5-14: 18.6%
15-19 6.5% / 5.0%
Kaarimba — 15-19: 6.5% Waaia — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 7.5% / 3.6%
Kaarimba — 20-24: 7.5% Waaia — 20-24: 3.6%
25-34 10.8% / 11.9%
Kaarimba — 25-34: 10.8% Waaia — 25-34: 11.9%
35-44 8.6% / 11.9%
Kaarimba — 35-44: 8.6% Waaia — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 15.1% / 12.4%
Kaarimba — 45-54: 15.1% Waaia — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 15.1% / 14.0%
Kaarimba — 55-64: 15.1% Waaia — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 5.4% / 10.2%
Kaarimba — 65-74: 5.4% Waaia — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 8.6% / 3.3%
Kaarimba — 75-84: 8.6% Waaia — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ — / 1.7%
Kaarimba — 85+: not among its largest Waaia — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kaarimba 52.4% couple families
Kaarimba — Couple Families: 52.4% Kaarimba — Lone Person: 47.6% Kaarimba — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Waaia 61.4% couple families
Waaia — Couple Families: 61.4% Waaia — Lone Person: 23.9% Waaia — One Parent Families: 14.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kaarimba 9.4% renting
Kaarimba — Owned Outright: 46.9% Kaarimba — Mortgage: 43.8% Kaarimba — Renting: 9.4%
Waaia 10.6% renting
Waaia — Owned Outright: 47.2% Waaia — Mortgage: 42.3% Waaia — Renting: 10.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kaarimba 91.7% houses
Kaarimba — Houses: 91.7% Kaarimba — Flats / Apartments: 8.3% Kaarimba — Townhouses: 0.0%
Waaia 94.2% houses
Waaia — Houses: 94.2% Waaia — Flats / Apartments: 2.9% Waaia — Townhouses: 2.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Kaarimba Waaia
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 21.9%
Kaarimba — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Waaia — Certificate III & IV: 21.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 5.0%
Kaarimba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Waaia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.5% / 3.1%
Kaarimba — Bachelor Degree: 6.5% Waaia — Bachelor Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 1.2%
Kaarimba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Waaia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.2%
Kaarimba — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Waaia — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

Property market

Kaarimba Waaia
Median house price — $422,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Kaarimba Waaia
Rural and farming 95% 96%
Parks and recreation 4% 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

Kaarimba Waaia
New dwellings approved 332
across Moira
same for both
Approvals change year on year -70%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Kaarimba Waaia
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 64% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC

Liveability

Kaarimba Waaia
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Kaarimba carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 0); Kaarimba carries more crime risk (85 vs 52).

Kaarimba Waaia
Bushfire Low
39/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
85/100
 Moderate
52/100
Flood High
97/100
 High
78/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Kaarimba Waaia
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Kaarimba

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

Schools in Waaia

  • Waaia Yalca South Primary School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Kaarimba Waaia
Parks & reserves 2 1

Mobility

Waaia sits further from the CBD (229.9 km vs 217.8 km).

Kaarimba Waaia
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 217.8 km 229.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 153 min 165 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3635
 0.0%
postcode 3637
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 3635
 62
postcode 3637

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.

Kaarimba Waaia
Car (driver) 50.9% / 72.7%
Kaarimba — Car (driver): 50.9% Waaia — Car (driver): 72.7%
Worked from Home 34.5% / 20.0%
Kaarimba — Worked from Home: 34.5% Waaia — Worked from Home: 20.0%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 5.5%
Kaarimba — Car (passenger): 7.3% Waaia — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Walked Only 7.3% / 1.8%
Kaarimba — Walked Only: 7.3% Waaia — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.7%).

Setting

Kaarimba Waaia
Elevation 104 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Kaarimba Waaia
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
51 premises
 0%
169 premises

Climate

Kaarimba Waaia
Annual rainfall 458 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Kaarimba Waaia
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Moira
same for both

Federal electorate

Kaarimba Waaia
Division Nicholls
same for both
Member Sam Birrell
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kaarimba Waaia
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kaarimba

Rural Young Families

Waaia

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kaarimba

Kaarimba vs Numurkah Kaarimba vs Nathalia Kaarimba vs Undera Kaarimba vs Bunbartha Kaarimba vs Mundoona Kaarimba vs Kotupna

Other comparisons with Waaia

Waaia vs Numurkah Waaia vs Nathalia Waaia vs Katunga Waaia vs Yalca
Full data on Kaarimba Full data on Waaia
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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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