Northwood vs Puckapunyal

Puckapunyal is the younger of the two, with a median age of 24 against 43 in Northwood. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Northwood, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Puckapunyal, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Puckapunyal tends to suit renters, young adults, and families with children.

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

Puckapunyal

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (91% vs 76%)

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

First-home buyers

Puckapunyal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Puckapunyal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (98% vs 5%)

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

Commuting to the city

Northwood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (92 min vs 119 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (116.9 km vs 129.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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 population growth.

Where they sit

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

Northwood Puckapunyal
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.

Northwood Puckapunyal
Walkability 0 / 0
Northwood — Walkability: 0/100 Puckapunyal — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 81 / 78
Northwood — Safety: 81/100 Puckapunyal — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 72 / 52
Northwood — Low fire risk: 72/100 Puckapunyal — Low fire risk: 52/100
Low flood risk 16 / 87
Northwood — Low flood risk: 16/100 Puckapunyal — Low flood risk: 87/100

Demographics

Puckapunyal has more residents (1,108 vs 203); Northwood skews older (43 vs 24).

Northwood Puckapunyal
Population 203 1,108
+446% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +2.8%
Median age 43 24
Median household income $98,540/yr $130,520/yr
+32% vs other
Median weekly rent $280/wk
+5% vs other
 $265/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Northwood Puckapunyal
0-4 3.0% / 9.9%
Northwood — 0-4: 3.0% Puckapunyal — 0-4: 9.9%
5-14 11.8% / 14.5%
Northwood — 5-14: 11.8% Puckapunyal — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 6.9% / 10.5%
Northwood — 15-19: 6.9% Puckapunyal — 15-19: 10.5%
20-24 6.9% / 15.3%
Northwood — 20-24: 6.9% Puckapunyal — 20-24: 15.3%
25-34 13.8% / 24.1%
Northwood — 25-34: 13.8% Puckapunyal — 25-34: 24.1%
35-44 12.3% / 16.9%
Northwood — 35-44: 12.3% Puckapunyal — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 12.3% / 6.8%
Northwood — 45-54: 12.3% Puckapunyal — 45-54: 6.8%
55-64 16.7% / 1.4%
Northwood — 55-64: 16.7% Puckapunyal — 55-64: 1.4%
65-74 11.8% / —
Northwood — 65-74: 11.8% Puckapunyal — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 4.4% / —
Northwood — 75-84: 4.4% Puckapunyal — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 2.0% / —
Northwood — 85+: 2.0% Puckapunyal — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Northwood 48.9% couple families
Northwood — Couple Families: 48.9% Northwood — Lone Person: 24.4% Northwood — One Parent Families: 26.7%
Puckapunyal 87.5% couple families
Puckapunyal — Couple Families: 87.5% Puckapunyal — Lone Person: 9.4% Puckapunyal — One Parent Families: 3.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Northwood 5.0% renting
Northwood — Owned Outright: 45.0% Northwood — Mortgage: 50.0% Northwood — Renting: 5.0%
Puckapunyal 97.9% renting
Puckapunyal — Owned Outright: 0.0% Puckapunyal — Mortgage: 2.1% Puckapunyal — Renting: 97.9%
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.

Northwood Puckapunyal
England 3.4% / 2.5%
Northwood — England: 3.4% Puckapunyal — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 4.4% / 0.8%
Northwood — New Zealand: 4.4% Puckapunyal — New Zealand: 0.8%
South Africa 2.0% / 0.8%
Northwood — South Africa: 2.0% Puckapunyal — South Africa: 0.8%
Malaysia — / 1.6%
Northwood — Malaysia: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Malaysia: 1.6%
Germany — / 1.0%
Northwood — Germany: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Germany: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

Qualifications

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

Northwood Puckapunyal
Certificate III & IV 19.2% / 15.3%
Northwood — Certificate III & IV: 19.2% Puckapunyal — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.4% / 7.6%
Northwood — Bachelor Degree: 8.4% Puckapunyal — Bachelor Degree: 7.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 6.9%
Northwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Puckapunyal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.9%
Northwood — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.0%
Northwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Northwood 98.5% houses
Northwood — Houses: 98.5% Northwood — Townhouses: 0.0% Northwood — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Puckapunyal 98.7% houses
Puckapunyal — Houses: 98.7% Puckapunyal — Townhouses: 2.6% Puckapunyal — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Zoning mix

Northwood has more rural and farming land (96% vs 0%).

Northwood Puckapunyal
Other and special use 0% 100%
Rural and farming 96% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
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

Northwood Puckapunyal
New dwellings approved 1,074
across Mitchell
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Northwood Puckapunyal
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC

Liveability

Northwood Puckapunyal
Grade — B
Score — 61/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Northwood carries more flood risk (84 vs 13); Puckapunyal carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 28).

Northwood Puckapunyal
Bushfire Low
28/100
 Moderate
48/100
Crime Low
19/100
 Low
22/100
Flood High
84/100
 Low
13/100
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

Northwood Puckapunyal
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Northwood

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

Schools in Puckapunyal

  • Puckapunyal Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Northwood Puckapunyal
Parks & reserves 2 0
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Waterways 0 7

Mobility

Puckapunyal sits further from the CBD (129.6 km vs 116.9 km).

Northwood Puckapunyal
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 116.9 km 129.6 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 119 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3660
 0.8%
postcode 3662
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 3660
 3
postcode 3662

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.

Northwood Puckapunyal
Car (driver) 74.2% / 57.1%
Northwood — Car (driver): 74.2% Puckapunyal — Car (driver): 57.1%
Walked Only 5.6% / 26.5%
Northwood — Walked Only: 5.6% Puckapunyal — Walked Only: 26.5%
Worked from Home 15.7% / 10.4%
Northwood — Worked from Home: 15.7% Puckapunyal — Worked from Home: 10.4%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 2.6%
Northwood — Car (passenger): 4.5% Puckapunyal — Car (passenger): 2.6%
Bicycle — / 3.4%
Northwood — Bicycle: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Bicycle: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Northwood Puckapunyal
Elevation 133 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 199 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Northwood Puckapunyal
Connectivity score 28/100 88/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
78 premises
 69%
393 premises

Climate

Northwood Puckapunyal
Annual rainfall 540 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Northwood Puckapunyal
Average residential rate $1,947/yr
same for both
Council Mitchell
same for both

Federal electorate

Northwood Puckapunyal
Division Nicholls
same for both
Member Sam Birrell
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Northwood Puckapunyal
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Northwood

Rural

Puckapunyal

Family Rural Students Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Northwood

Northwood vs Seymour Northwood vs Hilldene Northwood vs Mangalore Northwood vs Tabilk

Other comparisons with Puckapunyal

Puckapunyal vs Heathcote Puckapunyal vs Hilldene Puckapunyal vs Tooborac Puckapunyal vs Glenaroua Puckapunyal vs Tabilk Puckapunyal vs Mitchellstown
Full data on Northwood Full data on Puckapunyal
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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