Loch Sport vs Forge Creek

Forge Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 63 in Loch Sport. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Loch Sport, most households are people living alone. In Forge Creek, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Forge Creek: a median of $840,000, against $345,000 in Loch Sport, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Loch Sport tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Forge Creek 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

Forge Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 20%)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Loch Sport has cheaper houses ($345,000 vs $840,000)
  • Forge Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Loch Sport has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $220/wk)
  • Forge Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

Loch Sport

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (189 min vs 210 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (264.9 km vs 288.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Loch Sport

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (46% vs 20%)
  • But Forge Creek carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 80/100)

Weighs 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

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

Loch Sport Forge Creek
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.

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Walkability 27 / 0
Loch Sport — Walkability: 27/100 Forge Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 20 / 73
Loch Sport — Safety: 20/100 Forge Creek — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 46 / 43
Loch Sport — Low fire risk: 46/100 Forge Creek — Low fire risk: 43/100
Low flood risk 8 / 26
Loch Sport — Low flood risk: 8/100 Forge Creek — Low flood risk: 26/100

Demographics

Loch Sport has more residents (1,021 vs 346); Forge Creek has higher household incomes ($96,876 vs $35,048).

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Population 1,021
+66% vs other
 346
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +25.4%
same for both
Median age 63 45
Median household income $35,048/yr $96,876/yr
+176% vs other
Median weekly rent $180/wk $220/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Loch Sport Forge Creek
0-4 0.9% / 3.5%
Loch Sport — 0-4: 0.9% Forge Creek — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 3.8% / 10.1%
Loch Sport — 5-14: 3.8% Forge Creek — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 2.0% / 12.1%
Loch Sport — 15-19: 2.0% Forge Creek — 15-19: 12.1%
20-24 2.1% / 4.0%
Loch Sport — 20-24: 2.1% Forge Creek — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 2.5% / 8.4%
Loch Sport — 25-34: 2.5% Forge Creek — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 3.0% / 9.5%
Loch Sport — 35-44: 3.0% Forge Creek — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 12.7% / 14.7%
Loch Sport — 45-54: 12.7% Forge Creek — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 26.5% / 15.9%
Loch Sport — 55-64: 26.5% Forge Creek — 55-64: 15.9%
65-74 31.7% / 12.4%
Loch Sport — 65-74: 31.7% Forge Creek — 65-74: 12.4%
75-84 12.6% / 6.4%
Loch Sport — 75-84: 12.6% Forge Creek — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 1.7% / 0.9%
Loch Sport — 85+: 1.7% Forge Creek — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Loch Sport 72.4% lone person
Loch Sport — Lone Person: 72.4% Loch Sport — Couple Families: 8.8% Loch Sport — One Parent Families: 11.5% Loch Sport — Group Household: 6.4% Loch Sport — Other Families: 0.9%
Forge Creek 23.5% lone person
Forge Creek — Lone Person: 23.5% Forge Creek — Couple Families: 68.6% Forge Creek — One Parent Families: 7.8% Forge Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Forge Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Loch Sport 7.5% renting
Loch Sport — Owned Outright: 69.3% Loch Sport — Mortgage: 23.2% Loch Sport — Renting: 7.5%
Forge Creek 8.2% renting
Forge Creek — Owned Outright: 48.0% Forge Creek — Mortgage: 43.9% Forge Creek — Renting: 8.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Certificate III & IV 21.4% / 15.6%
Loch Sport — Certificate III & IV: 21.4% Forge Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.6%
Bachelor Degree 4.8% / 11.0%
Loch Sport — Bachelor Degree: 4.8% Forge Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 6.9%
Loch Sport — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Forge Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 4.6%
Loch Sport — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Forge Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 4.6%
Loch Sport — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Forge Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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.

Loch Sport Forge Creek
England 7.1% / 2.0%
Loch Sport — England: 7.1% Forge Creek — England: 2.0%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.4%
Loch Sport — New Zealand: 1.9% Forge Creek — New Zealand: 1.4%
Germany 2.1% / —
Loch Sport — Germany: 2.1% Forge Creek — Germany: not among its largest
India — / 0.9%
Loch Sport — India: not among its largest Forge Creek — India: 0.9%
Italy — / 0.9%
Loch Sport — Italy: not among its largest Forge Creek — Italy: 0.9%
Ireland — / 0.9%
Loch Sport — Ireland: not among its largest Forge Creek — Ireland: 0.9%
Sri Lanka 0.7% / —
Loch Sport — Sri Lanka: 0.7% Forge Creek — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Loch Sport — Netherlands: 0.7% Forge Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Loch Sport 99.4% houses
Loch Sport — Houses: 99.4% Loch Sport — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Forge Creek 100.0% houses
Forge Creek — Houses: 100.0% Forge Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Median house price $345,000 $840,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $92,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 110 days
from 36 sales
 23 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Forge Creek has more rural and farming land (74% vs 0%).

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Parks and recreation 85% 22%
Rural and farming 0% 74%
Environmental 10% 2%
Residential 3% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
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

Loch Sport Forge Creek
New dwellings approved 209
across Wellington
 386
across East Gippsland
Approvals change year on year +17% +50%

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.

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Houses 4.5%
$390/wk on $450K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Loch Sport Forge Creek
House price Higher than 6% of VIC —
Income — Higher than 67% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 91% of VIC —

Liveability

Loch Sport is more walkable (27 vs 0).

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Grade D —
Score 11/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Loch Sport carries more crime risk (80 vs 27); Loch Sport carries more flood risk (92 vs 74).

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
57/100
Crime High
80/100
 Low
27/100
Flood High
92/100
 High
74/100
Coastal erosion Low
27/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Loch Sport

  • Loch Sport Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Forge Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 3 2
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 0 4
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Forge Creek sits further from the CBD (288.5 km vs 264.9 km).

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Walkability score 27/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 264.9 km 288.5 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 189 min 210 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3851
 0.5%
postcode 3875
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 3851
 47
postcode 3875

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.

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Car (driver) 76.6% / 67.5%
Loch Sport — Car (driver): 76.6% Forge Creek — Car (driver): 67.5%
Worked from Home 13.8% / 11.5%
Loch Sport — Worked from Home: 13.8% Forge Creek — Worked from Home: 11.5%
Walked Only 6.4% / 7.0%
Loch Sport — Walked Only: 6.4% Forge Creek — Walked Only: 7.0%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 10.2%
Loch Sport — Car (passenger): 3.2% Forge Creek — Car (passenger): 10.2%
Bus — / 3.8%
Loch Sport — Bus: not among its largest Forge Creek — Bus: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km 9.9 km
3.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Connectivity score 89/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 81%
2,518 premises
 0%
153 premises

Climate

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Annual rainfall 620 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Average residential rate $1,960/yr $1,807/yr
Council Wellington East Gippsland

Federal electorate

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Loch Sport Forge Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Loch Sport

Affordable Coastal Retirees Rural

Forge Creek

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Loch Sport

Loch Sport vs Raymond Island Loch Sport vs Goon Nure

Other comparisons with Forge Creek

Forge Creek vs Bairnsdale Forge Creek vs Eagle Point Forge Creek vs Newlands Arm Forge Creek vs Raymond Island Forge Creek vs Goon Nure
Full data on Loch Sport Full data on Forge Creek
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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