Meerlieu vs Bengworden
Bengworden is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 54 in Meerlieu. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Meerlieu, about half of households are people living alone. In Bengworden, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Meerlieu tends to suit people living alone, while Bengworden suits families with children.
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
Bengworden
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 92/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 55%)
- But Meerlieu has more parks and reserves (6 vs 2)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Meerlieu
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 19%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Meerlieu
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 21%)
- has cheaper rent ($166/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Meerlieu
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (255.3 km vs 260.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Meerlieu has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 19%)
- Bengworden carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 92/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Bengworden
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (57.6% vs 18.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Meerlieu and Bengworden 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
Bengworden rents higher ($300/wk vs $166/wk); Meerlieu skews older (54 vs 44).
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 90 | 93 +3% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +18.4% | +57.6% |
| Median age | 54 | 44 |
| Median household income | $82,316/yr +8% vs other | $75,816/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $166/wk | $300/wk +81% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).
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 (14.0%).
Zoning mix
Bengworden has more rural and farming land (95% vs 83%).
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 83% | 95% |
| Parks and recreation | 17% | 5% |
| 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
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 209 across Wellington | 386 across East Gippsland |
| Approvals change year on year | +17% | +50% |
Ranking within VIC
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 50% of VIC | Higher than 43% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 10% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 9% of VIC | Higher than 47% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 7% of VIC | Higher than 15% of VIC |
Liveability
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Meerlieu carries more crime risk (92 vs 40); Meerlieu carries more flood risk (92 vs 50).
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | High 92/100 | Moderate 40/100 |
| Flood | High 92/100 | Moderate 50/100 |
| 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
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 6 | 2 |
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
Bengworden sits further from the CBD (260.5 km vs 255.3 km).
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 255.3 km | 260.5 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 188 min | 189 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 3862 | 0.5% postcode 3875 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 3862 | 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.4%).
Setting
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 4 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 29 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 15.9 km | 17.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 18/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 19 premises | 0% 25 premises |
Climate
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,960/yr | $1,807/yr |
| Council | Wellington | East Gippsland |
Federal electorate
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Gippsland same for both | |
| Member | Darren Chester same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Meerlieu | Bengworden | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Meerlieu
Other comparisons with Bengworden
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.