Mardan vs Dumbalk North
Mardan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 53 in Dumbalk North. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mardan, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Mardan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Dumbalk North suits people living alone.
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
- Mardan is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 59%)
- Dumbalk North carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 39/100)
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
Mardan
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($277/wk vs $400/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 22%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Mardan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 129 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (152.9 km vs 161.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Dumbalk North
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 39/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mardan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (18.1% vs -5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mardan and Dumbalk North 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
Mardan has more residents (248 vs 90); Dumbalk North rents higher ($400/wk vs $277/wk).
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 248 +64% vs other | 90 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +18.1% | -5.3% |
| Median age | 50 | 53 |
| Median household income | $85,748/yr | $94,224/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $277/wk | $400/wk +44% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% same for both | |
| Parks and recreation | 1% 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
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 170 across South Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +21% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 56% of VIC | Higher than 65% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 23% of VIC | Higher than 64% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 63% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 20% of VIC | Higher than 29% of VIC |
Liveability
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Mardan carries more crime risk (39 vs 18).
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 39/100 | Low 18/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
Dumbalk North sits further from the CBD (161.2 km vs 152.9 km).
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 152.9 km | 161.2 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 122 min | 129 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3953 | 0.6% postcode 3956 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 3953 | 36 postcode 3956 |
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 (51.6%).
Setting
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 215 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 122 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 26.4 km | 20.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 22/100 | 26/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 96 premises | 0% 37 premises |
Climate
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 700 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.7°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mardan | Dumbalk North | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Mardan
Other comparisons with Dumbalk North
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.