Nilma vs Darnum

Nilma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Darnum. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Nilma: a median of $995,000, against $871,000 in Darnum, though rent is higher in Darnum. On these figures, Nilma tends to suit 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

  • Nilma has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Darnum carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 57/100)

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

First-home buyers

Darnum

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($871,000 vs $995,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Nilma

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $307/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Nilma

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (109.5 km vs 113.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Nilma is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)
  • Darnum carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 57/100)

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

Investors

Nilma

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (19.9% vs 1.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Nilma Darnum
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.

Nilma Darnum
Walkability 27 / 0
Nilma — Walkability: 27/100 Darnum — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 53
Nilma — Safety: 43/100 Darnum — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 54 / 100
Nilma — Low fire risk: 54/100 Darnum — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 20 / 36
Nilma — Low flood risk: 20/100 Darnum — Low flood risk: 36/100

Demographics

Darnum has more residents (759 vs 410); Darnum rents higher ($307/wk vs $270/wk).

Nilma Darnum
Population 410 759
+85% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +19.9% +1.1%
Median age 38 41
Median household income $84,500/yr $90,688/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $270/wk $307/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nilma Darnum
0-4 5.6% / 5.1%
Nilma — 0-4: 5.6% Darnum — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 17.1% / 15.0%
Nilma — 5-14: 17.1% Darnum — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 8.8% / 6.9%
Nilma — 15-19: 8.8% Darnum — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 2.0% / 5.0%
Nilma — 20-24: 2.0% Darnum — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 11.7% / 9.1%
Nilma — 25-34: 11.7% Darnum — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 9.0% / 12.4%
Nilma — 35-44: 9.0% Darnum — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 13.4% / 17.5%
Nilma — 45-54: 13.4% Darnum — 45-54: 17.5%
55-64 12.9% / 12.0%
Nilma — 55-64: 12.9% Darnum — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 11.0% / 8.4%
Nilma — 65-74: 11.0% Darnum — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 4.6% / 5.4%
Nilma — 75-84: 4.6% Darnum — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.7% / 0.7%
Nilma — 85+: 1.7% Darnum — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nilma 60.0% couple families
Nilma — Couple Families: 60.0% Nilma — Lone Person: 32.9% Nilma — One Parent Families: 7.1% Nilma — Group Household: 0.0% Nilma — Other Families: 0.0%
Darnum 55.8% couple families
Darnum — Couple Families: 55.8% Darnum — Lone Person: 22.1% Darnum — One Parent Families: 15.5% Darnum — Group Household: 5.0% Darnum — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nilma 5.4% renting
Nilma — Owned Outright: 47.3% Nilma — Mortgage: 47.3% Nilma — Renting: 5.4%
Darnum 6.4% renting
Darnum — Owned Outright: 41.7% Darnum — Mortgage: 51.9% Darnum — Renting: 6.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Nilma Darnum
Certificate III & IV 18.3% / 19.6%
Nilma — Certificate III & IV: 18.3% Darnum — Certificate III & IV: 19.6%
Bachelor Degree 11.5% / 6.5%
Nilma — Bachelor Degree: 11.5% Darnum — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 7.2%
Nilma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Darnum — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 1.7%
Nilma — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Darnum — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 1.7%
Nilma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Darnum — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

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.

Nilma Darnum
England 1.7% / 2.0%
Nilma — England: 1.7% Darnum — England: 2.0%
Netherlands 1.0% / 1.2%
Nilma — Netherlands: 1.0% Darnum — Netherlands: 1.2%
New Zealand — / 1.1%
Nilma — New Zealand: not among its largest Darnum — New Zealand: 1.1%
Greece 0.7% / —
Nilma — Greece: 0.7% Darnum — Greece: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.4%
Nilma — Philippines: not among its largest Darnum — Philippines: 0.4%
Thailand — / 0.4%
Nilma — Thailand: not among its largest Darnum — Thailand: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nilma 96.1% houses
Nilma — Houses: 96.1% Nilma — Townhouses: 0.0% Nilma — Flats / Apartments: 3.9%
Darnum 86.9% houses
Darnum — Houses: 86.9% Darnum — Townhouses: 12.7% Darnum — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Nilma Darnum
Median house price $995,000 $871,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 86 days
from 4 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.

Nilma Darnum
3 bed $825K / $690K
Nilma — 3 bed: $825K (6 sales) Darnum — 3 bed: $690K (8 sales)

6 vs 8 sales

4 bed $995K / $872K
Nilma — 4 bed: $995K (5 sales) Darnum — 4 bed: $872K (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Darnum has more rural and farming land (94% vs 65%).

Nilma Darnum
Rural and farming 65% 94%
Residential 28% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 2%
Parks and recreation 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

Nilma Darnum
New dwellings approved 619
across Baw Baw
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Nilma Darnum
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC

Liveability

Nilma is more walkable (27 vs 0).

Nilma Darnum
Grade — C
Score — 41/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Nilma carries more bushfire risk (46 vs 0); Nilma carries more flood risk (80 vs 64).

Nilma Darnum
Bushfire Moderate
46/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood High
80/100
 Moderate
64/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Nilma Darnum
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Nilma

  • Nilma Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Darnum

  • Darnum Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Nilma Darnum
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Childcare 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Darnum sits further from the CBD (113.6 km vs 109.5 km).

Nilma Darnum
Walkability score 27/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 109.5 km 113.6 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 82 min 86 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3821
 0.3%
postcode 3822
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 3821
 54
postcode 3822

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.

Nilma Darnum
Car (driver) 71.1% / 71.7%
Nilma — Car (driver): 71.1% Darnum — Car (driver): 71.7%
Worked from Home 18.1% / 18.6%
Nilma — Worked from Home: 18.1% Darnum — Worked from Home: 18.6%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / 6.3%
Nilma — Car (passenger): 6.7% Darnum — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Walked Only 4.0% / 1.6%
Nilma — Walked Only: 4.0% Darnum — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus — / 1.9%
Nilma — Bus: not among its largest Darnum — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.7%).

Setting

Nilma Darnum
Elevation 101 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 135 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 41.9 km 45.3 km

NBN connectivity

Nilma Darnum
Connectivity score 65/100 54/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
140 premises
 32%
292 premises

Climate

Nilma Darnum
Annual rainfall 1,090 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Nilma Darnum
Average residential rate $2,138/yr
same for both
Council Baw Baw
same for both

Federal electorate

Nilma Darnum
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nilma Darnum
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nilma

Acreage Family

Darnum

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nilma

Nilma vs Warragul Nilma vs Nilma North Nilma vs Bona Vista

Other comparisons with Darnum

Darnum vs Yarragon Darnum vs Nilma North Darnum vs Shady Creek Darnum vs Cloverlea Darnum vs Bona Vista
Full data on Nilma Full data on Darnum
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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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