Mirboo vs Mardan

Mardan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 54 in Mirboo. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mirboo, about half of households are people living alone. In Mardan, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Mirboo tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Mardan 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

Mardan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 44%)
  • carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 50/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Mirboo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($203/wk vs $277/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mardan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (152.9 km vs 168.2 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 134 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Mirboo has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 22%)
  • Mardan carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 50/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mirboo Mardan
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.

Mirboo Mardan
Walkability 0 / 0
Mirboo — Walkability: 0/100 Mardan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 50 / 61
Mirboo — Safety: 50/100 Mardan — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 89 / 100
Mirboo — Low fire risk: 89/100 Mardan — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Mirboo — Low flood risk: 100/100 Mardan — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mardan rents higher ($277/wk vs $203/wk); Mirboo has more residents (334 vs 248).

Mirboo Mardan
Population 334
+26% vs other
 248
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.2% +18.1%
Median age 54 50
Median household income $63,752/yr $85,748/yr
+35% vs other
Median weekly rent $203/wk $277/wk
+36% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mirboo Mardan
0-4 3.3% / 4.4%
Mirboo — 0-4: 3.3% Mardan — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 8.7% / 14.5%
Mirboo — 5-14: 8.7% Mardan — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 4.2% / 6.0%
Mirboo — 15-19: 4.2% Mardan — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 1.5% / 5.2%
Mirboo — 20-24: 1.5% Mardan — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 10.2% / 6.5%
Mirboo — 25-34: 10.2% Mardan — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 9.9% / 8.5%
Mirboo — 35-44: 9.9% Mardan — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 10.8% / 15.7%
Mirboo — 45-54: 10.8% Mardan — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 18.3% / 20.2%
Mirboo — 55-64: 18.3% Mardan — 55-64: 20.2%
65-74 19.5% / 13.3%
Mirboo — 65-74: 19.5% Mardan — 65-74: 13.3%
75-84 10.5% / 8.5%
Mirboo — 75-84: 10.5% Mardan — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ 0.9% / —
Mirboo — 85+: 0.9% Mardan — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mirboo 33.3% couple families
Mirboo — Couple Families: 33.3% Mirboo — Lone Person: 51.9% Mirboo — One Parent Families: 11.1% Mirboo — Group Household: 3.7%
Mardan 54.2% couple families
Mardan — Couple Families: 54.2% Mardan — Lone Person: 30.5% Mardan — One Parent Families: 15.3% Mardan — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mirboo 6.9% renting
Mirboo — Owned Outright: 53.1% Mirboo — Mortgage: 40.0% Mirboo — Renting: 6.9%
Mardan 14.3% renting
Mardan — Owned Outright: 47.6% Mardan — Mortgage: 38.1% Mardan — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mirboo Mardan
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 17.3%
Mirboo — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Mardan — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 4.8%
Mirboo — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Mardan — Bachelor Degree: 4.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 5.2%
Mirboo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Mardan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 3.2%
Mirboo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Mardan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 2.0%
Mirboo — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Mardan — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

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.

Mirboo Mardan
England 4.8% / 2.4%
Mirboo — England: 4.8% Mardan — England: 2.4%
Japan 1.5% / —
Mirboo — Japan: 1.5% Mardan — Japan: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.2%
Mirboo — Philippines: not among its largest Mardan — Philippines: 1.2%
Thailand — / 1.2%
Mirboo — Thailand: not among its largest Mardan — Thailand: 1.2%
New Zealand 0.9% / —
Mirboo — New Zealand: 0.9% Mardan — New Zealand: not among its largest
South Africa 0.9% / —
Mirboo — South Africa: 0.9% Mardan — South Africa: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Mirboo — Italy: 0.9% Mardan — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mirboo 94.8% houses
Mirboo — Houses: 94.8% Mirboo — Flats / Apartments: 5.2%
Mardan 100.0% houses
Mardan — Houses: 100.0% Mardan — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Mirboo Mardan
Rural and farming 97% 99%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
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

Mirboo Mardan
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Mirboo Mardan
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 25% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC

Liveability

Mirboo Mardan
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mirboo carries more bushfire risk (11 vs 0); Mirboo carries more crime risk (50 vs 39).

Mirboo Mardan
Bushfire Low
11/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 Low
39/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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

Mirboo Mardan
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

Mirboo Mardan
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 11 1

Mobility

Mirboo sits further from the CBD (168.2 km vs 152.9 km).

Mirboo Mardan
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 168.2 km
+9% vs other
 152.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 134 min 122 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3871
 0.4%
postcode 3953
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 3871
 44
postcode 3953

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.

Mirboo Mardan
Car (driver) 59.3% / 51.6%
Mirboo — Car (driver): 59.3% Mardan — Car (driver): 51.6%
Worked from Home 32.7% / 44.1%
Mirboo — Worked from Home: 32.7% Mardan — Worked from Home: 44.1%
Walked Only 5.3% / 4.3%
Mirboo — Walked Only: 5.3% Mardan — Walked Only: 4.3%
Bus 2.7% / —
Mirboo — Bus: 2.7% Mardan — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.3%).

Setting

Mirboo Mardan
Elevation 179 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 215 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.5 km 26.4 km

NBN connectivity

Mirboo Mardan
Connectivity score 20/100 22/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
120 premises
 0%
96 premises

Climate

Mirboo Mardan
Annual rainfall 700 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Mirboo Mardan
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Mirboo Mardan
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mirboo Mardan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mirboo

Retirees Rural

Mardan

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mirboo

Mirboo vs Mirboo North Mirboo vs Boolarra South Mirboo vs Dumbalk North Mirboo vs Dollar

Other comparisons with Mardan

Mardan vs Mirboo North Mardan vs Dumbalk Mardan vs Nerrena Mardan vs Berrys Creek Mardan vs Koorooman Mardan vs Dumbalk North
Full data on Mirboo Full data on Mardan
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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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