Mount Buller vs Tolmie

Mount Buller is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 52 in Tolmie. In Mount Buller, about half of households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Tolmie, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Mount Buller tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Tolmie 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

They split

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

  • Mount Buller carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 36/100)
  • Tolmie is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 13%)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Buller

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Mount Buller

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (48% vs 7%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($241/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Tolmie

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (183 min vs 293 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (217.5 km vs 251.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Mount Buller has more units and townhouses to downsize into (58% vs 2%)
  • Tolmie is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Mount Buller

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (37.0% vs 22.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Buller Tolmie
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.

Mount Buller Tolmie
Walkability 0 / 13
Mount Buller — Walkability: 0/100 Tolmie — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 90 / 64
Mount Buller — Safety: 90/100 Tolmie — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 10 / 5
Mount Buller — Low fire risk: 10/100 Tolmie — Low fire risk: 5/100
Low flood risk 87 / 100
Mount Buller — Low flood risk: 87/100 Tolmie — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tolmie skews older (52 vs 27); Tolmie has more residents (547 vs 333).

Mount Buller Tolmie
Population 333 547
+64% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +37.0% +22.4%
Median age 27 52
Median household income $92,248/yr
+24% vs other
 $70,356/yr
Median weekly rent $241/wk $300/wk
+24% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Buller Tolmie
0-4 0.9% / 3.7%
Mount Buller — 0-4: 0.9% Tolmie — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 5.4% / 12.2%
Mount Buller — 5-14: 5.4% Tolmie — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 7.8% / 4.0%
Mount Buller — 15-19: 7.8% Tolmie — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 20.4% / 1.3%
Mount Buller — 20-24: 20.4% Tolmie — 20-24: 1.3%
25-34 36.6% / 6.8%
Mount Buller — 25-34: 36.6% Tolmie — 25-34: 6.8%
35-44 8.7% / 9.3%
Mount Buller — 35-44: 8.7% Tolmie — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 6.0% / 17.0%
Mount Buller — 45-54: 6.0% Tolmie — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 7.5% / 21.6%
Mount Buller — 55-64: 7.5% Tolmie — 55-64: 21.6%
65-74 3.0% / 20.1%
Mount Buller — 65-74: 3.0% Tolmie — 65-74: 20.1%
75-84 2.4% / 4.9%
Mount Buller — 75-84: 2.4% Tolmie — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ — / —
Mount Buller — 85+: not among its largest Tolmie — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (36.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Buller 64.5% lone person
Mount Buller — Lone Person: 64.5% Mount Buller — Couple Families: 12.9% Mount Buller — Group Household: 22.6% Mount Buller — One Parent Families: 0.0% Mount Buller — Other Families: 0.0%
Tolmie 40.4% lone person
Tolmie — Lone Person: 40.4% Tolmie — Couple Families: 43.9% Tolmie — Group Household: 0.0% Tolmie — One Parent Families: 13.2% Tolmie — Other Families: 2.6%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Buller 47.7% renting
Mount Buller — Owned Outright: 40.9% Mount Buller — Mortgage: 11.4% Mount Buller — Renting: 47.7%
Tolmie 6.7% renting
Tolmie — Owned Outright: 48.6% Tolmie — Mortgage: 44.8% Tolmie — Renting: 6.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mount Buller Tolmie
Certificate III & IV 8.4% / 18.1%
Mount Buller — Certificate III & IV: 8.4% Tolmie — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Bachelor Degree 14.1% / 11.7%
Mount Buller — Bachelor Degree: 14.1% Tolmie — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.1% / 8.8%
Mount Buller — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1% Tolmie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 3.1%
Mount Buller — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Tolmie — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 4.0%
Mount Buller — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Tolmie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

Mount Buller Tolmie
England 1.5% / 6.4%
Mount Buller — England: 1.5% Tolmie — England: 6.4%
Germany 1.2% / 0.9%
Mount Buller — Germany: 1.2% Tolmie — Germany: 0.9%
Taiwan 1.8% / —
Mount Buller — Taiwan: 1.8% Tolmie — Taiwan: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / 0.5%
Mount Buller — Italy: 0.9% Tolmie — Italy: 0.5%
New Zealand — / 1.1%
Mount Buller — New Zealand: not among its largest Tolmie — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 0.9% / —
Mount Buller — China: 0.9% Tolmie — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Buller 41.5% houses
Mount Buller — Houses: 41.5% Mount Buller — Flats / Apartments: 58.5%
Tolmie 98.1% houses
Tolmie — Houses: 98.1% Tolmie — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Buller Tolmie
Median house price — $790,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $810,000

Zoning mix

Tolmie has more rural and farming land (29% vs 0%).

Mount Buller Tolmie
Parks and recreation 99% 69%
Rural and farming 0% 29%
Environmental 0% 2%
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

Mount Buller Tolmie
New dwellings approved 76
across Mansfield
 238
across Wangaratta
Approvals change year on year -50% +329%

Ranking within VIC

Mount Buller Tolmie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 59% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC

Liveability

Tolmie is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Mount Buller Tolmie
Grade — C
Score — 39/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Mount Buller carries more flood risk (13 vs 0); Tolmie carries more crime risk (36 vs 10).

Mount Buller Tolmie
Bushfire High
90/100
 High
95/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Low
36/100
Flood Low
13/100
 None
0/100
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

Mount Buller Tolmie
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Mount Buller

  • Mansfield Primary School-Mt Buller Campus Government · Primary
  • Mansfield Secondary College-Mansfield Secondary Mt Buller Annexe Government · Secondary

Schools in Tolmie

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

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Buller Tolmie
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 4
same for both
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1615 156

Mobility

Mount Buller sits further from the CBD (251.5 km vs 217.5 km).

Mount Buller Tolmie
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 251.5 km
+14% vs other
 217.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 293 min 183 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3723
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3723
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.

Mount Buller Tolmie
Car (driver) 8.8% / 72.9%
Mount Buller — Car (driver): 8.8% Tolmie — Car (driver): 72.9%
Walked Only 72.1% / 3.0%
Mount Buller — Walked Only: 72.1% Tolmie — Walked Only: 3.0%
Worked from Home 16.9% / 20.6%
Mount Buller — Worked from Home: 16.9% Tolmie — Worked from Home: 20.6%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 3.5%
Mount Buller — Car (passenger): 2.2% Tolmie — Car (passenger): 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.9%).

Setting

Mount Buller Tolmie
Elevation 867 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 891 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mount Buller Tolmie
Connectivity score 99/100 27/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
459 premises
 0%
231 premises

Climate

Mount Buller Tolmie
Annual rainfall 1,633 mm 964 mm
Summer max (Jan) 17.1°C 30.4°C
Winter min (Jul) -2.1°C 3.7°C

Council rates

Mount Buller Tolmie
Average residential rate $1,697/yr $1,962/yr
Council Mansfield Wangaratta

Federal electorate

Mount Buller Tolmie
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Buller Tolmie
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Buller

Apartments Multicultural River Rural Students

Tolmie

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Buller

Mount Buller vs Merrijig Mount Buller vs Jamieson Mount Buller vs Howqua

Other comparisons with Tolmie

Tolmie vs Merrijig Tolmie vs Barwite Tolmie vs Cheshunt Tolmie vs Myrrhee Tolmie vs Bridge Creek
Full data on Mount Buller Full data on Tolmie
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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