Marlo vs Orbost

Orbost is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 56 in Marlo. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Marlo: a median of $750,000, against $362,000 in Orbost, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Orbost 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

Marlo

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 85/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Orbost has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Orbost

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($115,000 vs $239,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($362,500 vs $750,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Marlo leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 24%)
  • Orbost has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Orbost

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (390.8 km vs 400.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Orbost

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Marlo carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 85/100)

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

Investors

Marlo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.7% vs 1.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Marlo Orbost
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.

Marlo Orbost
Walkability 0 / 10
Marlo — Walkability: 0/100 Orbost — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 72 / 15
Marlo — Safety: 72/100 Orbost — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 7 / 8
Marlo — Low fire risk: 7/100 Orbost — Low fire risk: 8/100
Low flood risk 38 / 29
Marlo — Low flood risk: 38/100 Orbost — Low flood risk: 29/100

Demographics

Orbost has more residents (2,264 vs 602); Marlo has higher household incomes ($71,916 vs $40,820).

Marlo Orbost
Population 602 2,264
+276% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.7% +1.7%
Median age 56 53
Median household income $71,916/yr
+43% vs other
 $40,820/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+24% vs other
 $190/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marlo Orbost
0-4 5.1% / 4.5%
Marlo — 0-4: 5.1% Orbost — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 7.1% / 11.3%
Marlo — 5-14: 7.1% Orbost — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 3.0% / 4.4%
Marlo — 15-19: 3.0% Orbost — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 0.8% / 3.5%
Marlo — 20-24: 0.8% Orbost — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 10.0% / 8.5%
Marlo — 25-34: 10.0% Orbost — 25-34: 8.5%
35-44 9.1% / 8.0%
Marlo — 35-44: 9.1% Orbost — 35-44: 8.0%
45-54 12.1% / 11.3%
Marlo — 45-54: 12.1% Orbost — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 22.1% / 16.5%
Marlo — 55-64: 22.1% Orbost — 55-64: 16.5%
65-74 19.1% / 16.2%
Marlo — 65-74: 19.1% Orbost — 65-74: 16.2%
75-84 9.6% / 11.4%
Marlo — 75-84: 9.6% Orbost — 75-84: 11.4%
85+ 1.8% / 4.2%
Marlo — 85+: 1.8% Orbost — 85+: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marlo 56.8% lone person
Marlo — Lone Person: 56.8% Marlo — Couple Families: 33.8% Marlo — One Parent Families: 6.8% Marlo — Group Household: 2.7% Marlo — Other Families: 0.0%
Orbost 56.0% lone person
Orbost — Lone Person: 56.0% Orbost — Couple Families: 24.1% Orbost — One Parent Families: 14.7% Orbost — Group Household: 3.4% Orbost — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marlo 17.3% renting
Marlo — Owned Outright: 57.9% Marlo — Mortgage: 24.8% Marlo — Renting: 17.3%
Orbost 22.6% renting
Orbost — Owned Outright: 55.3% Orbost — Mortgage: 22.1% Orbost — Renting: 22.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Marlo Orbost
Certificate III & IV 15.8% / 15.0%
Marlo — Certificate III & IV: 15.8% Orbost — Certificate III & IV: 15.0%
Bachelor Degree 14.5% / 5.5%
Marlo — Bachelor Degree: 14.5% Orbost — Bachelor Degree: 5.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 5.6%
Marlo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Orbost — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 1.1%
Marlo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Orbost — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 1.0%
Marlo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Orbost — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

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.

Marlo Orbost
England 4.0% / 2.7%
Marlo — England: 4.0% Orbost — England: 2.7%
Netherlands 1.2% / 0.4%
Marlo — Netherlands: 1.2% Orbost — Netherlands: 0.4%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.4%
Marlo — South Africa: 0.5% Orbost — South Africa: 0.4%
Sri Lanka 0.8% / —
Marlo — Sri Lanka: 0.8% Orbost — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.7%
Marlo — Philippines: not among its largest Orbost — Philippines: 0.7%
New Zealand — / 0.6%
Marlo — New Zealand: not among its largest Orbost — New Zealand: 0.6%
Canada 0.5% / —
Marlo — Canada: 0.5% Orbost — Canada: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.5%
Marlo — Germany: not among its largest Orbost — Germany: 0.5%
Italy — / 0.4%
Marlo — Italy: not among its largest Orbost — Italy: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marlo 95.7% houses
Marlo — Houses: 95.7% Marlo — Townhouses: 2.7% Marlo — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Orbost 93.6% houses
Orbost — Houses: 93.6% Orbost — Townhouses: 3.8% Orbost — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Marlo Orbost
Median house price $750,000 $362,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $239,000 $115,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 89 days
from 7 sales
 75 days
from 46 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Marlo Orbost
3 bed $790K / $368K
Marlo — 3 bed: $790K (8 sales) Orbost — 3 bed: $368K (77 sales)

8 vs 77 sales

4 bed $835K / $458K
Marlo — 4 bed: $835K (5 sales) Orbost — 4 bed: $458K (18 sales)

5 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

Marlo has more rural and farming land (41% vs 29%).

Marlo Orbost
Parks and recreation 53% 68%
Rural and farming 41% 29%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 1%
Residential 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

Marlo Orbost
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

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.

Marlo Orbost
Houses — 5.3%
$430/wk on $420K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Marlo Orbost
House price — Higher than 10% of VIC
Income Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 29% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 34% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 99% of VIC

Liveability

Orbost is more walkable (10 vs 0); Marlo scores higher overall (20 vs 9).

Marlo Orbost
Grade D
same for both
Score 20/100 9/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Orbost carries more crime risk (85 vs 28).

Marlo Orbost
Bushfire High
93/100
 High
92/100
Crime Low
28/100
 High
85/100
Flood Moderate
62/100
 High
71/100
Coastal erosion High
89/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Marlo Orbost
Inside the suburb 2 5
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Marlo

  • Marlo Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • School for Student Leadership-Snowy River Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Orbost

  • Orbost Community College Government · Combined below peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Orbost North Primary School Government · Primary
  • Orbost Primary School Government · Primary
  • Orbost Secondary College Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Marlo Orbost
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 8
Parks & reserves 4
same for both
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 12 11

Mobility

Marlo sits further from the CBD (400.7 km vs 390.8 km).

Marlo Orbost
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 400.7 km
+2% vs other
 390.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 305 min 309 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3888
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3888
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.

Marlo Orbost
Car (driver) 74.2% / 72.1%
Marlo — Car (driver): 74.2% Orbost — Car (driver): 72.1%
Worked from Home 19.0% / 12.4%
Marlo — Worked from Home: 19.0% Orbost — Worked from Home: 12.4%
Walked Only 3.2% / 8.2%
Marlo — Walked Only: 3.2% Orbost — Walked Only: 8.2%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 7.4%
Marlo — Car (passenger): 3.6% Orbost — Car (passenger): 7.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Marlo Orbost
Elevation 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 116 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.3 km 16.4 km

NBN connectivity

Marlo Orbost
Connectivity score 30/100 47/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
448 premises
 16%
1,422 premises

Council rates

Marlo Orbost
Average residential rate $1,807/yr
same for both
Council East Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Marlo Orbost
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marlo Orbost
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marlo

Retirees Rural

Orbost

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Marlo

Marlo vs Newmerella Marlo vs Bemm River Marlo vs Cabbage Tree Creek

Other comparisons with Orbost

Orbost vs Newmerella Orbost vs Jarrahmond
Full data on Marlo Full data on Orbost
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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