Lima South vs Swanpool
Lima South is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in Swanpool. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lima South, about half of households are couple families. In Swanpool, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Lima South tends to suit families with children and couples, while Swanpool suits people living alone and older residents.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Lima South is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 49%)
- Swanpool has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)
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
Swanpool
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 8%)
- has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Swanpool
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (148 min vs 157 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (222.5 km vs 235.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Swanpool
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 21%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Lima South
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (43.4% vs 9.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Lima South and Swanpool 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
Swanpool has more residents (227 vs 142); Lima South has higher household incomes ($83,408 vs $57,408).
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 142 | 227 +60% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +43.4% | +9.7% |
| Median age | 47 | 54 |
| Median household income | $83,408/yr +31% vs other | $57,408/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +27% vs other | $220/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).
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 (19.4%).
Zoning mix
Swanpool has more rural and farming land (97% vs 50%).
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 50% | 97% |
| Parks and recreation | 48% | 1% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 2% same for both | |
| 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
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 235 across Benalla same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +65% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 51% of VIC | Higher than 16% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 24% of VIC | Higher than 44% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 50% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 17% of VIC | Higher than 14% of VIC |
Liveability
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Swanpool carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 0); Lima South carries more flood risk (21 vs 0).
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | High 97/100 |
| Crime | High 83/100 | High 82/100 |
| Flood | Low 21/100 | None 0/100 |
| 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
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Lima South
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Swanpool
- Peranbin Primary College-Swanpool Campus Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 8 |
Mobility
Lima South sits further from the CBD (235.9 km vs 222.5 km).
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 235.9 km +6% vs other | 222.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 157 min | 148 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 3673 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 66 postcode 3673 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).
Setting
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 239 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 204 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 20/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 33 premises | 0% 34 premises |
Climate
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 865 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.2°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,119/yr same for both | |
| Council | Benalla same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Indi same for both | |
| Member | Helen Haines same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Lima South | Swanpool | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Lima South
Other comparisons with Swanpool
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.