Nerrena vs Dumbalk
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Nerrena, most households are couple families. In Dumbalk, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Nerrena tends to suit families with children and couples, while Dumbalk suits people living alone.
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
- Nerrena is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 43%)
- Dumbalk carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 65/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Nerrena
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Nerrena leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)
- Dumbalk has cheaper rent ($268/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Nerrena
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (142.9 km vs 153.6 km)
- has a shorter drive in (116 min vs 122 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Dumbalk
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 65/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Dumbalk
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (10.2% vs -4.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Nerrena and Dumbalk 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
Dumbalk has more residents (455 vs 238); Nerrena has higher household incomes ($90,012 vs $57,616).
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 238 | 455 +91% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.0% | +10.2% |
| Median age | 46 | 48 |
| Median household income | $90,012/yr +36% vs other | $57,616/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +11% vs other | $268/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $487,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $325,000 |
Zoning mix
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 98% | 97% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 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
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 170 across South Gippsland same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +21% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 60% of VIC | Higher than 16% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 20% of VIC | Higher than 1% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 63% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 41% of VIC | Higher than 48% of VIC |
Liveability
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Nerrena carries more flood risk (48 vs 28); Nerrena carries more crime risk (65 vs 41).
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 65/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 48/100 | Low 28/100 |
| 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
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Dumbalk sits further from the CBD (153.6 km vs 142.9 km).
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 142.9 km | 153.6 km +7% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 116 min | 122 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 3953 | 0.6% postcode 3956 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 3953 | 36 postcode 3956 |
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 (65.7%).
Setting
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 111 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 53 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 23.0 km | 21.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 101 premises | 0% 213 premises |
Climate
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,282/yr same for both | |
| Council | South Gippsland same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Nerrena | Dumbalk | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Dumbalk
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Nerrena
Other comparisons with Dumbalk
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.