Loch vs Poowong

Poowong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Loch. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Poowong, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Loch: a median of $891,000, against $524,000 in Poowong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Poowong tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Poowong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)

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

First-home buyers

Poowong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($523,500 vs $891,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Poowong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $325/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Loch

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (83 min vs 92 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (105.2 km vs 114.7 km)
  • But Poowong is more walkable (35/100 vs 13/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Poowong

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (35/100 vs 13/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)

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

Loch and Poowong 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 Poowong
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 Poowong
Walkability 13 / 35
Loch — Walkability: 13/100 Poowong — Walkability: 35/100
Safety 41 / 63
Loch — Safety: 41/100 Poowong — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 100 / 84
Loch — Low fire risk: 100/100 Poowong — Low fire risk: 84/100
Low flood risk 63 / 69
Loch — Low flood risk: 63/100 Poowong — Low flood risk: 69/100

Demographics

Loch rents higher ($325/wk vs $250/wk); Loch skews older (50 vs 42).

Loch Poowong
Population 707 717
+1% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.8% +11.5%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $79,352/yr $84,500/yr
+6% vs other
Median weekly rent $325/wk
+23% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Loch Poowong
0-4 5.4% / 5.4%
Loch — 0-4: 5.4% Poowong — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 11.2% / 12.3%
Loch — 5-14: 11.2% Poowong — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 3.7% / 6.0%
Loch — 15-19: 3.7% Poowong — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 2.1% / 3.6%
Loch — 20-24: 2.1% Poowong — 20-24: 3.6%
25-34 10.7% / 13.2%
Loch — 25-34: 10.7% Poowong — 25-34: 13.2%
35-44 9.5% / 11.4%
Loch — 35-44: 9.5% Poowong — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 13.0% / 11.0%
Loch — 45-54: 13.0% Poowong — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 19.4% / 16.7%
Loch — 55-64: 19.4% Poowong — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 17.1% / 15.1%
Loch — 65-74: 17.1% Poowong — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 5.7% / 5.3%
Loch — 75-84: 5.7% Poowong — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 0.6% / 0.8%
Loch — 85+: 0.6% Poowong — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Loch 43.9% couple families
Loch — Couple Families: 43.9% Loch — Lone Person: 37.6% Loch — One Parent Families: 12.7% Loch — Group Household: 5.7% Loch — Other Families: 0.0%
Poowong 49.1% couple families
Poowong — Couple Families: 49.1% Poowong — Lone Person: 33.1% Poowong — One Parent Families: 10.3% Poowong — Group Household: 5.1% Poowong — Other Families: 2.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Loch 9.4% renting
Loch — Owned Outright: 47.5% Loch — Mortgage: 43.1% Loch — Renting: 9.4%
Poowong 8.3% renting
Poowong — Owned Outright: 52.6% Poowong — Mortgage: 39.1% Poowong — Renting: 8.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Loch Poowong
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 17.0%
Loch — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Poowong — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.6% / 8.1%
Loch — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6% Poowong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Bachelor Degree 8.1% / 8.5%
Loch — Bachelor Degree: 8.1% Poowong — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.1%
Loch — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Poowong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 1.3%
Loch — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Poowong — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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 Poowong
England 5.8% / 3.6%
Loch — England: 5.8% Poowong — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 1.8% / 0.7%
Loch — New Zealand: 1.8% Poowong — New Zealand: 0.7%
Scotland 1.0% / 1.5%
Loch — Scotland: 1.0% Poowong — Scotland: 1.5%
Sri Lanka 0.8% / —
Loch — Sri Lanka: 0.8% Poowong — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.8%
Loch — Ireland: not among its largest Poowong — Ireland: 0.8%
Taiwan 0.6% / —
Loch — Taiwan: 0.6% Poowong — Taiwan: not among its largest
Greece — / 0.4%
Loch — Greece: not among its largest Poowong — Greece: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Loch 95.9% houses
Loch — Houses: 95.9% Loch — Flats / Apartments: 4.1%
Poowong 97.1% houses
Poowong — Houses: 97.1% Poowong — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Loch Poowong
Median house price $891,000 $523,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $243,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 70 days
from 6 sales
 40 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Loch Poowong
Rural and farming 95% 96%
Parks and recreation 2% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
Residential 0% 1%
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 Poowong
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Loch Poowong
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 54% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 74% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC

Liveability

Poowong is more walkable (35 vs 13).

Loch Poowong
Grade B
same for both
Score 56/100 57/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Poowong carries more bushfire risk (16 vs 0); Loch carries more crime risk (59 vs 37).

Loch Poowong
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
16/100
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Low
37/100
Flood Low
37/100
 Low
31/100
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

Loch Poowong
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Loch

  • Loch Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Poowong

  • Poowong Consolidated School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Loch Poowong
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 2
same for both
GPs 0 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 3 7

Mobility

Poowong sits further from the CBD (114.7 km vs 105.2 km).

Loch Poowong
Walkability score 13/100 35/100
Distance to Melbourne 105.2 km 114.7 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 83 min 92 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3945
 0.0%
postcode 3988
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 3945
 53
postcode 3988

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 Poowong
Car (driver) 63.8% / 63.7%
Loch — Car (driver): 63.8% Poowong — Car (driver): 63.7%
Worked from Home 29.2% / 26.2%
Loch — Worked from Home: 29.2% Poowong — Worked from Home: 26.2%
Walked Only 2.6% / 6.6%
Loch — Walked Only: 2.6% Poowong — Walked Only: 6.6%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.4%
Loch — Car (passenger): 4.5% Poowong — Car (passenger): 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.8%).

Setting

Loch Poowong
Elevation 140 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 192 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.7 km 19.4 km

NBN connectivity

Loch Poowong
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
355 premises
 0%
319 premises

Climate

Loch Poowong
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Loch Poowong
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Loch Poowong
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Loch

Rural

Poowong

Affordable Quiet Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Loch

Loch vs Korumburra Loch vs Lang Lang Loch vs Nyora Loch vs Bena Loch vs Krowera Loch vs Woodleigh

Other comparisons with Poowong

Poowong vs Korumburra Poowong vs Nyora Poowong vs Poowong North Poowong vs Poowong East
Full data on Loch Full data on Poowong
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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