Nicholson vs Metung

Nicholson is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 60 in Metung. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Nicholson, about half of households are couple families. In Metung, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Nicholson: a median of $710,000, against $642,000 in Metung, though rent is higher in Metung. On these figures, Nicholson tends to suit couples, while Metung 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

They split

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

  • Nicholson is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 45%)
  • Metung carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 60/100)

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

First-home buyers

Metung

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($222,500 vs $380,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($642,500 vs $710,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Nicholson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $346/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Nicholson

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (221 min vs 234 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (294.8 km vs 312 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Metung

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 60/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 25%)
  • But Nicholson is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

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

Nicholson Metung
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.

Nicholson Metung
Walkability 22 / 0
Nicholson — Walkability: 22/100 Metung — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 40 / 69
Nicholson — Safety: 40/100 Metung — Safety: 69/100
Low fire risk 6 / 88
Nicholson — Low fire risk: 6/100 Metung — Low fire risk: 88/100
Low flood risk 33 / 20
Nicholson — Low flood risk: 33/100 Metung — Low flood risk: 20/100

Demographics

Metung has more residents (1,899 vs 1,322); Metung skews older (60 vs 47).

Nicholson Metung
Population 1,322 1,899
+44% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.7% —
Median age 47 60
Median household income $72,280/yr
+12% vs other
 $63,388/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk $346/wk
+15% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nicholson Metung
0-4 5.2% / 2.8%
Nicholson — 0-4: 5.2% Metung — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 12.6% / 8.8%
Nicholson — 5-14: 12.6% Metung — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 5.5% / 3.2%
Nicholson — 15-19: 5.5% Metung — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 4.2% / 1.6%
Nicholson — 20-24: 4.2% Metung — 20-24: 1.6%
25-34 10.2% / 5.2%
Nicholson — 25-34: 10.2% Metung — 25-34: 5.2%
35-44 9.1% / 8.2%
Nicholson — 35-44: 9.1% Metung — 35-44: 8.2%
45-54 11.8% / 10.6%
Nicholson — 45-54: 11.8% Metung — 45-54: 10.6%
55-64 16.0% / 20.6%
Nicholson — 55-64: 16.0% Metung — 55-64: 20.6%
65-74 15.8% / 25.8%
Nicholson — 65-74: 15.8% Metung — 65-74: 25.8%
75-84 7.8% / 10.8%
Nicholson — 75-84: 7.8% Metung — 75-84: 10.8%
85+ 1.8% / 1.6%
Nicholson — 85+: 1.8% Metung — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nicholson 35.7% lone person
Nicholson — Lone Person: 35.7% Nicholson — Couple Families: 45.8% Nicholson — One Parent Families: 14.4% Nicholson — Group Household: 3.1% Nicholson — Other Families: 0.9%
Metung 51.2% lone person
Metung — Lone Person: 51.2% Metung — Couple Families: 32.6% Metung — One Parent Families: 12.3% Metung — Group Household: 2.2% Metung — Other Families: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nicholson 7.7% renting
Nicholson — Owned Outright: 51.8% Nicholson — Mortgage: 40.5% Nicholson — Renting: 7.7%
Metung 15.3% renting
Metung — Owned Outright: 58.4% Metung — Mortgage: 26.3% Metung — Renting: 15.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Nicholson Metung
Certificate III & IV 21.6% / 17.5%
Nicholson — Certificate III & IV: 21.6% Metung — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 12.5%
Nicholson — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Metung — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 11.6%
Nicholson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Metung — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 3.8%
Nicholson — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Metung — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.5%
Nicholson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Metung — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

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.

Nicholson Metung
England 4.0% / 8.2%
Nicholson — England: 4.0% Metung — England: 8.2%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.2%
Nicholson — New Zealand: 0.9% Metung — New Zealand: 1.2%
Scotland 0.5% / 1.1%
Nicholson — Scotland: 0.5% Metung — Scotland: 1.1%
Netherlands 0.5% / 0.9%
Nicholson — Netherlands: 0.5% Metung — Netherlands: 0.9%
South Africa — / 1.3%
Nicholson — South Africa: not among its largest Metung — South Africa: 1.3%
Germany 0.5% / 0.7%
Nicholson — Germany: 0.5% Metung — Germany: 0.7%
Philippines 0.5% / 0.6%
Nicholson — Philippines: 0.5% Metung — Philippines: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nicholson 93.1% houses
Nicholson — Houses: 93.1% Nicholson — Flats / Apartments: 6.9% Nicholson — Townhouses: 0.0%
Metung 97.2% houses
Metung — Houses: 97.2% Metung — Flats / Apartments: 1.2% Metung — Townhouses: 1.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Nicholson Metung
Median house price $710,000 $642,500
Median unit price — $345,000
Median land price $380,000 $222,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 104 days
from 16 sales
 69 days
from 35 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Nicholson Metung
3 bed $745K / $620K
Nicholson — 3 bed: $745K (13 sales) Metung — 3 bed: $620K (42 sales)

13 vs 42 sales

4 bed $730K / $820K
Nicholson — 4 bed: $730K (15 sales) Metung — 4 bed: $820K (18 sales)

15 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

Nicholson has more rural and farming land (86% vs 47%).

Nicholson Metung
Rural and farming 86% 47%
Parks and recreation 10% 23%
Residential 4% 22%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 7%
Environmental 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

Nicholson Metung
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Nicholson Metung
Houses 3.9%
$600/wk on $799K
 4.2%
$625/wk on $780K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Nicholson Metung
House price — Higher than 30% of VIC
Income Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 24% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 42% of VIC
EV adoption — Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC

Liveability

Nicholson is more walkable (22 vs 0); Metung scores higher overall (37 vs 18).

Nicholson Metung
Grade D C
Score 18/100 37/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Nicholson carries more bushfire risk (94 vs 12); Nicholson carries more crime risk (60 vs 31).

Nicholson Metung
Bushfire High
94/100
 Low
12/100
Crime Moderate
60/100
 Low
31/100
Flood Moderate
67/100
 High
80/100
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

Nicholson Metung
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Nicholson

  • Nicholson Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Metung

  • Metung Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Nicholson Metung
Parks & reserves 3
same for both
Childcare 1 0
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 7 1

Mobility

Metung sits further from the CBD (312 km vs 294.8 km).

Nicholson Metung
Walkability score 22/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 294.8 km 312 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 221 min 234 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3882
 0.8%
postcode 3904
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 3882
 48
postcode 3904

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.

Nicholson Metung
Car (driver) 79.4% / 68.7%
Nicholson — Car (driver): 79.4% Metung — Car (driver): 68.7%
Worked from Home 13.2% / 23.5%
Nicholson — Worked from Home: 13.2% Metung — Worked from Home: 23.5%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.5%
Nicholson — Car (passenger): 4.6% Metung — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Walked Only 2.0% / 3.4%
Nicholson — Walked Only: 2.0% Metung — Walked Only: 3.4%
Bus 0.7% / —
Nicholson — Bus: 0.7% Metung — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Nicholson Metung
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.6 km 7.4 km

NBN connectivity

Nicholson Metung
Connectivity score 30/100 59/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
613 premises
 33%
1,431 premises

Climate

Nicholson Metung
Annual rainfall 620 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Nicholson Metung
Average residential rate $1,807/yr
same for both
Council East Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Nicholson Metung
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nicholson Metung
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nicholson

Retirees Rural

Metung

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nicholson

Nicholson vs Lucknow Nicholson vs East Bairnsdale Nicholson vs Eagle Point Nicholson vs Sarsfield Nicholson vs Johnsonville Nicholson vs Tambo Upper

Other comparisons with Metung

Metung vs Paynesville Metung vs Eagle Point Metung vs Swan Reach Metung vs Raymond Island Metung vs Nungurner Metung vs Johnsonville
Full data on Nicholson Full data on Metung
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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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