Middle Tarwin vs Tarwin Lower

Middle Tarwin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 53 in Tarwin Lower. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Middle Tarwin, most households are couple families. In Tarwin Lower, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Middle Tarwin tends to suit families with children and couples, while Tarwin Lower suits people living alone and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Middle Tarwin is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 48%)
  • Tarwin Lower has more parks and reserves (10 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Middle Tarwin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 28%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Middle Tarwin

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $210/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Middle Tarwin

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (123 min vs 138 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (158.5 km vs 175.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tarwin Lower

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Tarwin Lower

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (29.1% vs -4.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
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.

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Walkability 0 / 0
Middle Tarwin — Walkability: 0/100 Tarwin Lower — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 47 / 38
Middle Tarwin — Safety: 47/100 Tarwin Lower — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 88
Middle Tarwin — Low fire risk: 100/100 Tarwin Lower — Low fire risk: 88/100
Low flood risk 24 / 27
Middle Tarwin — Low flood risk: 24/100 Tarwin Lower — Low flood risk: 27/100

Demographics

Tarwin Lower has more residents (462 vs 91); Middle Tarwin has higher household incomes ($100,724 vs $65,624).

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Population 91 462
+408% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.2% +29.1%
Median age 41 53
Median household income $100,724/yr
+35% vs other
 $65,624/yr
Median weekly rent $180/wk $210/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
0-4 11.0% / 3.0%
Middle Tarwin — 0-4: 11.0% Tarwin Lower — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 8.8% / 11.0%
Middle Tarwin — 5-14: 8.8% Tarwin Lower — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 7.7% / 3.2%
Middle Tarwin — 15-19: 7.7% Tarwin Lower — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 — / 4.1%
Middle Tarwin — 20-24: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 7.7% / 6.3%
Middle Tarwin — 25-34: 7.7% Tarwin Lower — 25-34: 6.3%
35-44 15.4% / 12.3%
Middle Tarwin — 35-44: 15.4% Tarwin Lower — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 15.4% / 11.9%
Middle Tarwin — 45-54: 15.4% Tarwin Lower — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 20.9% / 19.9%
Middle Tarwin — 55-64: 20.9% Tarwin Lower — 55-64: 19.9%
65-74 8.8% / 21.0%
Middle Tarwin — 65-74: 8.8% Tarwin Lower — 65-74: 21.0%
75-84 6.6% / 6.5%
Middle Tarwin — 75-84: 6.6% Tarwin Lower — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ — / 1.9%
Middle Tarwin — 85+: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Middle Tarwin 59.1% couple families
Middle Tarwin — Couple Families: 59.1% Middle Tarwin — Lone Person: 40.9% Middle Tarwin — One Parent Families: 0.0% Middle Tarwin — Group Household: 0.0%
Tarwin Lower 40.2% couple families
Tarwin Lower — Couple Families: 40.2% Tarwin Lower — Lone Person: 49.0% Tarwin Lower — One Parent Families: 7.8% Tarwin Lower — Group Household: 2.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Middle Tarwin 10.3% renting
Middle Tarwin — Owned Outright: 69.0% Middle Tarwin — Mortgage: 20.7% Middle Tarwin — Renting: 10.3%
Tarwin Lower 11.1% renting
Tarwin Lower — Owned Outright: 54.5% Tarwin Lower — Mortgage: 34.4% Tarwin Lower — Renting: 11.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
England 3.3% / 4.5%
Middle Tarwin — England: 3.3% Tarwin Lower — England: 4.5%
Netherlands 5.5% / 1.5%
Middle Tarwin — Netherlands: 5.5% Tarwin Lower — Netherlands: 1.5%
New Zealand — / 2.2%
Middle Tarwin — New Zealand: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — New Zealand: 2.2%
Germany — / 0.6%
Middle Tarwin — Germany: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — Germany: 0.6%
Fiji — / 0.6%
Middle Tarwin — Fiji: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — Fiji: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

Qualifications

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

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Certificate III & IV 19.8% / 17.3%
Middle Tarwin — Certificate III & IV: 19.8% Tarwin Lower — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 11.0% / 12.3%
Middle Tarwin — Bachelor Degree: 11.0% Tarwin Lower — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 9.5%
Middle Tarwin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Tarwin Lower — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 2.8%
Middle Tarwin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Tarwin Lower — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%
Postgraduate Degree — / 4.5%
Middle Tarwin — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Tarwin Lower — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Middle Tarwin 100.0% houses
Middle Tarwin — Houses: 100.0% Middle Tarwin — Townhouses: 0.0%
Tarwin Lower 97.4% houses
Tarwin Lower — Houses: 97.4% Tarwin Lower — Townhouses: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Median house price — $421,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,075,000

Zoning mix

Middle Tarwin has more rural and farming land (96% vs 82%).

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Rural and farming 96% 82%
Parks and recreation 4% 10%
Planning zones cover 100% of Middle Tarwin and 92% of Tarwin Lower. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 73% of VIC —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC

Liveability

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Tarwin Lower carries more bushfire risk (12 vs 0).

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
12/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood High
76/100
 High
73/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
92/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Middle Tarwin

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Tarwin Lower

  • Tarwin Lower Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 10
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Tarwin Lower sits further from the CBD (175.9 km vs 158.5 km).

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 158.5 km 175.9 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 123 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3956
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3956
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.

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Car (driver) 54.5% / 61.3%
Middle Tarwin — Car (driver): 54.5% Tarwin Lower — Car (driver): 61.3%
Worked from Home 36.4% / 31.2%
Middle Tarwin — Worked from Home: 36.4% Tarwin Lower — Worked from Home: 31.2%
Walked Only 9.1% / 7.5%
Middle Tarwin — Walked Only: 9.1% Tarwin Lower — Walked Only: 7.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.3%).

Setting

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.8 km 3.6 km

NBN connectivity

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Connectivity score 28/100 20/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
39 premises
 0%
121 premises

Climate

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Middle Tarwin Tarwin Lower
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Middle Tarwin

Rural Young Families

Tarwin Lower

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Middle Tarwin

Middle Tarwin vs Meeniyan Middle Tarwin vs Buffalo Middle Tarwin vs Pound Creek Middle Tarwin vs Tarwin

Other comparisons with Tarwin Lower

Tarwin Lower vs Venus Bay Tarwin Lower vs Fish Creek Tarwin Lower vs Buffalo Tarwin Lower vs Walkerville Tarwin Lower vs Pound Creek
Full data on Middle Tarwin Full data on Tarwin Lower
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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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