Mia Mia vs Derrinal
Mia Mia is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 58 in Derrinal. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mia Mia, most households are people living alone. In Derrinal, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Mia Mia tends to suit people living alone, while Derrinal 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
Mia Mia
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 83/100)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (102% vs 78%)
- But Derrinal is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 40%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Mia Mia
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 36%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Mia Mia
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $320/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 25%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Mia Mia
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (87 min vs 107 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (119.7 km vs 141.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Mia Mia carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 83/100)
- Derrinal has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 19%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Derrinal
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (102.0% vs 19.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mia Mia and Derrinal 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
Mia Mia has more residents (213 vs 99); Derrinal rents higher ($320/wk vs $240/wk).
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 213 +54% vs other | 99 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +19.7% | +102.0% |
| Median age | 52 | 58 |
| Median household income | $64,324/yr | $66,612/yr +4% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $240/wk | $320/wk +33% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).
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 (5.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $615,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Mia Mia has more rural and farming land (59% vs 0%); Derrinal has more land zoned for conservation (92% vs 39%).
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 39% | 92% |
| Rural and farming | 59% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 7% |
| 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
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 885 across Greater Bendigo same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +28% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 25% of VIC | Higher than 27% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 33% of VIC | Higher than 30% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 76% of VIC | Higher than 64% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 43% of VIC | Higher than 25% of VIC |
Liveability
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Derrinal carries more flood risk (24 vs 0); Derrinal carries more crime risk (83 vs 52).
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 51/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 52/100 | High 83/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 24/100 |
| 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
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Waterways | 21 | 2 |
Mobility
Derrinal sits further from the CBD (141.3 km vs 119.7 km).
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 119.7 km | 141.3 km +18% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 87 min | 107 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.0% postcode 3444 | 0.7% postcode 3523 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 49 postcode 3444 | 54 postcode 3523 |
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 (70.0%).
Setting
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 310 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 194 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 145 premises | 0% 49 premises |
Climate
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 553 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,949/yr same for both | |
| Council | Greater Bendigo same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo same for both | |
| Member | Lisa Chesters same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mia Mia | Derrinal | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Mia Mia
Other comparisons with Derrinal
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.