Modella vs Catani

Catani is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 44 in Modella. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Modella, about half of households are couple families. In Catani, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Modella: a median of $1.02 million, against $780,000 in Catani, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Catani tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Modella

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 39/100)

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

First-home buyers

Catani

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($780,000 vs $1,020,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Modella has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 14%)
  • Catani has cheaper rent ($210/wk vs $320/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Catani

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (83.5 km vs 89.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Modella

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 39/100)

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

Investors

Modella

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.2% vs 1.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Modella Catani
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.

Modella Catani
Walkability 0 / 0
Modella — Walkability: 0/100 Catani — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 82 / 61
Modella — Safety: 82/100 Catani — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Modella — Low fire risk: 100/100 Catani — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 2 / 1
Modella — Low flood risk: 2/100 Catani — Low flood risk: 1/100

Demographics

Catani has more residents (297 vs 169); Modella rents higher ($320/wk vs $210/wk).

Modella Catani
Population 169 297
+76% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.2% +1.0%
Median age 44 41
Median household income $115,336/yr
+31% vs other
 $79,040/yr
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+34% vs other
 $210/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Modella Catani
0-4 3.6% / 7.7%
Modella — 0-4: 3.6% Catani — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 14.8% / 12.1%
Modella — 5-14: 14.8% Catani — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.9% / 6.7%
Modella — 15-19: 5.9% Catani — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 5.9% / 4.7%
Modella — 20-24: 5.9% Catani — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 11.2% / 14.1%
Modella — 25-34: 11.2% Catani — 25-34: 14.1%
35-44 12.4% / 11.1%
Modella — 35-44: 12.4% Catani — 35-44: 11.1%
45-54 18.3% / 13.5%
Modella — 45-54: 18.3% Catani — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 20.1% / 15.5%
Modella — 55-64: 20.1% Catani — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 6.5% / 8.4%
Modella — 65-74: 6.5% Catani — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 4.7% / 5.1%
Modella — 75-84: 4.7% Catani — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ — / 1.7%
Modella — 85+: not among its largest Catani — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Modella 54.1% couple families
Modella — Couple Families: 54.1% Modella — Lone Person: 24.3% Modella — One Parent Families: 21.6%
Catani 59.5% couple families
Catani — Couple Families: 59.5% Catani — Lone Person: 24.3% Catani — One Parent Families: 16.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Modella 27.5% renting
Modella — Owned Outright: 37.3% Modella — Mortgage: 35.3% Modella — Renting: 27.5%
Catani 14.1% renting
Catani — Owned Outright: 39.4% Catani — Mortgage: 46.5% Catani — Renting: 14.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Modella 100.0% houses
Modella — Houses: 100.0%
Catani 100.0% houses
Catani — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Modella Catani
Certificate III & IV 17.8% / 19.5%
Modella — Certificate III & IV: 17.8% Catani — Certificate III & IV: 19.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 6.1%
Modella — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Catani — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Bachelor Degree 4.1% / 3.4%
Modella — Bachelor Degree: 4.1% Catani — Bachelor Degree: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / —
Modella — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Catani — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.0%
Modella — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Catani — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

Property market

Modella Catani
Median house price $1,020,000 $780,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Modella has more rural and farming land (89% vs 65%).

Modella Catani
Rural and farming 89% 65%
Other and special use 4% 33%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 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

Modella Catani
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
 1,323
across Cardinia
Approvals change year on year +49% +13%

Ranking within VIC

Modella Catani
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC

Liveability

Modella Catani
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Catani carries more crime risk (39 vs 18).

Modella Catani
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
18/100
 Low
39/100
Flood High
98/100
 High
99/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Modella Catani
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

Modella Catani
Parks & reserves 1 0

Mobility

Modella sits further from the CBD (89.7 km vs 83.5 km).

Modella Catani
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 89.7 km
+7% vs other
 83.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 73 min 69 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3816
 0.3%
postcode 3981
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 3816
 51
postcode 3981

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.

Modella Catani
Car (driver) 57.8% / 71.3%
Modella — Car (driver): 57.8% Catani — Car (driver): 71.3%
Worked from Home 36.1% / 22.1%
Modella — Worked from Home: 36.1% Catani — Worked from Home: 22.1%
Walked Only — / 6.6%
Modella — Walked Only: not among its largest Catani — Walked Only: 6.6%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / —
Modella — Car (passenger): 6.0% Catani — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.3%).

Setting

Modella Catani
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.4 km 14.8 km

NBN connectivity

Modella Catani
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
61 premises
 0%
123 premises

Climate

Modella Catani
Annual rainfall 1,350 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Modella Catani
Average residential rate $2,138/yr $1,880/yr
Council Baw Baw Cardinia

Federal electorate

Modella Catani
Division Monash La Trobe
Member Mary Aldred Jason Wood
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Modella Catani
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Modella

Rural

Catani

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Modella

Modella vs Longwarry Modella vs Ripplebrook Modella vs Iona Modella vs Heath Hill

Other comparisons with Catani

Catani vs Bayles Catani vs Yannathan Catani vs Iona Catani vs Cora Lynn Catani vs Heath Hill
Full data on Modella Full data on Catani
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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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