Middle Tarwin vs Tarwin
Tarwin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 41 in Middle Tarwin. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Middle Tarwin tends to suit people living alone, while Tarwin suits families with children and couples.
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
Tarwin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 59%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Tarwin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 19%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Tarwin
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 10%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $180/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Tarwin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (153.3 km vs 158.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Tarwin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (5.4% vs -4.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Middle Tarwin and Tarwin 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
Middle Tarwin has more residents (91 vs 59); Middle Tarwin skews older (41 vs 34).
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 91 +35% vs other | 59 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.2% | +5.4% |
| Median age | 41 | 34 |
| Median household income | $100,724/yr +1% vs other | $99,632/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $180/wk +17% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).
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 (19.8%).
Zoning mix
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 97% |
| Parks and recreation | 4% | 2% |
| 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
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 73% of VIC | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 51% of VIC | Higher than 19% 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 40% of VIC |
Liveability
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Middle Tarwin carries more flood risk (76 vs 41).
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 53/100 | Moderate 47/100 |
| Flood | High 76/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| 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
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
Middle Tarwin sits further from the CBD (158.5 km vs 153.3 km).
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 158.5 km +3% vs other | 153.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 123 min | 125 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.5%).
Setting
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 24 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 36 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 7.8 km | 12.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 39 premises | 0% 23 premises |
Climate
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Middle Tarwin | Tarwin | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Middle Tarwin
Tarwin
More comparisons
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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.