Nerrena vs Koonwarra

Nerrena is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 53 in Koonwarra. 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 Koonwarra, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Nerrena tends to suit families with children and couples, while Koonwarra 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

Nerrena

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 61%)

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

Koonwarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($252/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Koonwarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Koonwarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Nerrena

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-4.0% vs -9.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Nerrena Koonwarra
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.

Nerrena Koonwarra
Walkability 0 / 23
Nerrena — Walkability: 0/100 Koonwarra — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 35 / 44
Nerrena — Safety: 35/100 Koonwarra — Safety: 44/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Nerrena — Low fire risk: 100/100 Koonwarra — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 52 / 53
Nerrena — Low flood risk: 52/100 Koonwarra — Low flood risk: 53/100

Demographics

Koonwarra has more residents (366 vs 238); Nerrena rents higher ($300/wk vs $252/wk).

Nerrena Koonwarra
Population 238 366
+54% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.0% -9.4%
Median age 46 53
Median household income $90,012/yr $94,900/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+16% vs other
 $252/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nerrena Koonwarra
0-4 5.9% / 2.7%
Nerrena — 0-4: 5.9% Koonwarra — 0-4: 2.7%
5-14 18.9% / 9.0%
Nerrena — 5-14: 18.9% Koonwarra — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 6.3% / 6.6%
Nerrena — 15-19: 6.3% Koonwarra — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 2.5% / 5.7%
Nerrena — 20-24: 2.5% Koonwarra — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 6.7% / 4.6%
Nerrena — 25-34: 6.7% Koonwarra — 25-34: 4.6%
35-44 8.4% / 7.9%
Nerrena — 35-44: 8.4% Koonwarra — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 16.8% / 16.4%
Nerrena — 45-54: 16.8% Koonwarra — 45-54: 16.4%
55-64 12.6% / 23.2%
Nerrena — 55-64: 12.6% Koonwarra — 55-64: 23.2%
65-74 17.6% / 13.7%
Nerrena — 65-74: 17.6% Koonwarra — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 6.3% / 6.6%
Nerrena — 75-84: 6.3% Koonwarra — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ — / 1.9%
Nerrena — 85+: not among its largest Koonwarra — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nerrena 66.7% couple families
Nerrena — Couple Families: 66.7% Nerrena — Lone Person: 25.0% Nerrena — One Parent Families: 8.3%
Koonwarra 49.4% couple families
Koonwarra — Couple Families: 49.4% Koonwarra — Lone Person: 39.3% Koonwarra — One Parent Families: 11.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nerrena 11.4% renting
Nerrena — Owned Outright: 57.0% Nerrena — Mortgage: 31.6% Nerrena — Renting: 11.4%
Koonwarra 4.5% renting
Koonwarra — Owned Outright: 59.4% Koonwarra — Mortgage: 36.1% Koonwarra — Renting: 4.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Nerrena Koonwarra
England 4.2% / 2.2%
Nerrena — England: 4.2% Koonwarra — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.1%
Nerrena — New Zealand: 2.1% Koonwarra — New Zealand: 1.1%
Scotland 2.1% / 1.1%
Nerrena — Scotland: 2.1% Koonwarra — Scotland: 1.1%
Germany — / 1.1%
Nerrena — Germany: not among its largest Koonwarra — Germany: 1.1%
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Nerrena — Netherlands: not among its largest Koonwarra — Netherlands: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

Qualifications

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

Nerrena Koonwarra
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 17.2%
Nerrena — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Koonwarra — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.0% / 16.9%
Nerrena — Bachelor Degree: 8.0% Koonwarra — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 8.5%
Nerrena — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Koonwarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 3.6%
Nerrena — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Koonwarra — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.7%
Nerrena — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Koonwarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nerrena 100.0% houses
Nerrena — Houses: 100.0% Nerrena — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Koonwarra 97.9% houses
Koonwarra — Houses: 97.9% Koonwarra — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Nerrena Koonwarra
Rural and farming 98% 93%
Parks and recreation 1% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
Residential 0% 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

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

Ranking within VIC

Nerrena Koonwarra
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 36% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC

Liveability

Koonwarra is more walkable (23 vs 0).

Nerrena Koonwarra
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Nerrena Koonwarra
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
56/100
Flood Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
47/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Nerrena Koonwarra
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Nerrena

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

Schools in Koonwarra

  • Koonwarra Village School Independent · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Nerrena Koonwarra
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 1 3
Waterways 0 8

Mobility

Nerrena Koonwarra
Walkability score 0/100 23/100
Distance to Melbourne 142.9 km 144 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 116 min 114 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3953
 0.0%
postcode 3954
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3953
 63
postcode 3954

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.

Nerrena Koonwarra
Car (driver) 65.7% / 69.9%
Nerrena — Car (driver): 65.7% Koonwarra — Car (driver): 69.9%
Worked from Home 25.9% / 26.2%
Nerrena — Worked from Home: 25.9% Koonwarra — Worked from Home: 26.2%
Walked Only 8.3% / 3.8%
Nerrena — Walked Only: 8.3% Koonwarra — Walked Only: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.9%).

Setting

Nerrena Koonwarra
Elevation 111 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 28 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.0 km 14.9 km

NBN connectivity

Nerrena Koonwarra
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
101 premises
 0%
179 premises

Climate

Nerrena Koonwarra
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 Koonwarra
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Nerrena Koonwarra
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nerrena Koonwarra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nerrena

Family Rural

Koonwarra

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nerrena

Nerrena vs Leongatha Nerrena vs Meeniyan Nerrena vs Leongatha South Nerrena vs Dumbalk Nerrena vs Mardan Nerrena vs Koorooman

Other comparisons with Koonwarra

Koonwarra vs Meeniyan Koonwarra vs Leongatha South Koonwarra vs Tarwin
Full data on Nerrena Full data on Koonwarra
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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