Mepunga West vs Naringal
Mepunga West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 40 in Naringal. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Mepunga West tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples, while Naringal suits older residents.
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
Mepunga West
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 57/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 41%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Mepunga West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 22%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Naringal
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $290/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Naringal
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (176 min vs 184 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (241.7 km vs 250.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Mepunga West carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 57/100)
- Naringal has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 13%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mepunga West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.2% vs 3.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mepunga West and Naringal 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
Naringal has more residents (124 vs 83); Mepunga West rents higher ($290/wk vs $200/wk).
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83 | 124 +49% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.2% | +3.3% |
| Median age | 30 | 40 |
| Median household income | $123,448/yr +25% vs other | $92,612/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $290/wk +31% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.4%).
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 (24.1%).
Zoning mix
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 99% |
| Parks and recreation | 3% | 0% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 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
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 64 across Moyne same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -15% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 93% of VIC | Higher than 62% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 31% of VIC | Higher than 9% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 7% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 42% of VIC | Higher than 39% of VIC |
Liveability
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Naringal carries more crime risk (57 vs 11).
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 84/100 | High 83/100 |
| Crime | Low 11/100 | Moderate 57/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | Moderate 52/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Mepunga West sits further from the CBD (250.4 km vs 241.7 km).
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 250.4 km +3% vs other | 241.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 184 min | 176 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 3277 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 34 postcode 3277 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.7%).
Setting
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 37 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 49 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 3.5 km | 10.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 40 premises | 0% 61 premises |
Climate
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 717 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,613/yr same for both | |
| Council | Moyne same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mepunga West | Naringal | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Mepunga West
Naringal
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Mepunga West
Other comparisons with Naringal
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.