Nariel Valley vs Benambra
Nariel Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 59 in Benambra. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Nariel Valley, most households are couple families. In Benambra, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Nariel Valley tends to suit couples, while Benambra 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
Nariel Valley
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 28%)
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 32/100)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (114% vs 96%)
- But Benambra has more parks and reserves (11 vs 6)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Nariel Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (1% vs 26%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Benambra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $165/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Benambra
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (337 min vs 398 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (437.7 km vs 496.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Benambra
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (39% vs 25%)
- But Nariel Valley carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 32/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Benambra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.1% vs -3.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Nariel Valley and Benambra 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
Benambra has more residents (173 vs 87); Nariel Valley has higher household incomes ($81,224 vs $52,884).
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 87 | 173 +99% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.3% | +16.1% |
| Median age | 52 | 59 |
| Median household income | $81,224/yr +35% vs other | $52,884/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $165/wk +9% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).
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 (25.3%).
Property market
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $277,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $227,500 |
Zoning mix
Benambra has more rural and farming land (44% vs 6%).
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks and recreation | 94% | 56% |
| Rural and farming | 6% | 44% |
| 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
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 19 across Towong | 386 across East Gippsland |
| Approvals change year on year | — | +50% |
Ranking within VIC
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 49% of VIC | Higher than 11% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 25% of VIC | Higher than 70% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of VIC | Higher than 29% of VIC |
Liveability
Benambra is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Nariel Valley carries more flood risk (32 vs 0); Benambra carries more crime risk (32 vs 18).
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 90/100 | High 87/100 |
| Crime | Low 18/100 | Low 32/100 |
| Flood | Low 32/100 | 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
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 6 | 11 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 35 | 26 |
Mobility
Nariel Valley sits further from the CBD (496.1 km vs 437.7 km).
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 496.1 km +12% vs other | 437.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 398 min | 337 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3707 | 0.0% postcode 3900 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 71 postcode 3707 | — |
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 (67.4%).
Setting
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 868 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 979 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 17/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 49 premises | 0% 183 premises |
Climate
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 947 mm | 1,488 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.0°C | 17.1°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.9°C | -2.4°C |
Council rates
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,875/yr | $1,807/yr |
| Council | Towong | East Gippsland |
Federal electorate
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Indi | Gippsland |
| Member | Helen Haines | Darren Chester |
| Party | Independent | The Nationals |
First Home Owner Grant
| Nariel Valley | Benambra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Benambra
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Nariel Valley
Other comparisons with Benambra
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.