Pakenham South vs Cardinia

Comparing Pakenham South and Cardinia, VIC: Cardinia is more walkable (20 vs 0); Cardinia rents higher ($390/wk vs $231/wk); and Cardinia carries more crime risk (84 vs 51).

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

Pakenham South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cardinia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 30%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Pakenham South

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 10%)
  • has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $390/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 21%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cardinia

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (63.3 km vs 70.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Pakenham South carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 84/100)
  • Cardinia is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Pakenham South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.0% vs -9.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pakenham South Cardinia
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.

Pakenham South Cardinia
Walkability 0 / 20
Pakenham South — Walkability: 0/100 Cardinia — Walkability: 20/100
Safety 49 / 16
Pakenham South — Safety: 49/100 Cardinia — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Pakenham South — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cardinia — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 1 / 2
Pakenham South — Low flood risk: 1/100 Cardinia — Low flood risk: 2/100

Demographics

Cardinia rents higher ($390/wk vs $231/wk); Cardinia has more residents (342 vs 229).

Pakenham South Cardinia
Population 229 342
+49% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.0% -9.0%
Median age 46 44
Median household income $89,856/yr $97,500/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $231/wk $390/wk
+69% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pakenham South Cardinia
0-4 3.1% / 3.8%
Pakenham South — 0-4: 3.1% Cardinia — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 10.5% / 9.9%
Pakenham South — 5-14: 10.5% Cardinia — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 6.1% / 9.9%
Pakenham South — 15-19: 6.1% Cardinia — 15-19: 9.9%
20-24 8.3% / 4.4%
Pakenham South — 20-24: 8.3% Cardinia — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 10.5% / 10.2%
Pakenham South — 25-34: 10.5% Cardinia — 25-34: 10.2%
35-44 8.3% / 12.3%
Pakenham South — 35-44: 8.3% Cardinia — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 14.0% / 13.5%
Pakenham South — 45-54: 14.0% Cardinia — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 13.5% / 15.8%
Pakenham South — 55-64: 13.5% Cardinia — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 15.3% / 13.7%
Pakenham South — 65-74: 15.3% Cardinia — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 7.4% / 4.4%
Pakenham South — 75-84: 7.4% Cardinia — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 1.7% / 1.5%
Pakenham South — 85+: 1.7% Cardinia — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pakenham South 67.4% couple families
Pakenham South — Couple Families: 67.4% Pakenham South — Lone Person: 21.7% Pakenham South — One Parent Families: 10.9%
Cardinia 65.8% couple families
Cardinia — Couple Families: 65.8% Cardinia — Lone Person: 22.4% Cardinia — One Parent Families: 11.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham South 25.7% renting
Pakenham South — Owned Outright: 45.7% Pakenham South — Mortgage: 28.6% Pakenham South — Renting: 25.7%
Cardinia 10.4% renting
Cardinia — Owned Outright: 47.2% Cardinia — Mortgage: 42.5% Cardinia — Renting: 10.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pakenham South Cardinia
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 17.3%
Pakenham South — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% Cardinia — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 8.2%
Pakenham South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Cardinia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 5.8%
Pakenham South — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Cardinia — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 1.3% / 2.6%
Pakenham South — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3% Cardinia — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.0%
Pakenham South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Cardinia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

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.

Pakenham South Cardinia
New Zealand 2.6% / 2.9%
Pakenham South — New Zealand: 2.6% Cardinia — New Zealand: 2.9%
England 3.9% / 0.9%
Pakenham South — England: 3.9% Cardinia — England: 0.9%
India 2.2% / —
Pakenham South — India: 2.2% Cardinia — India: not among its largest
Vietnam 1.7% / —
Pakenham South — Vietnam: 1.7% Cardinia — Vietnam: not among its largest
Germany 1.7% / —
Pakenham South — Germany: 1.7% Cardinia — Germany: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.9%
Pakenham South — Netherlands: not among its largest Cardinia — Netherlands: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham South 100.0% houses
Pakenham South — Houses: 100.0%
Cardinia 100.0% houses
Cardinia — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Zoning mix

Pakenham South Cardinia
Rural and farming 83% 89%
Other and special use 13% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 2%
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

Pakenham South Cardinia
New dwellings approved 1,323
across Cardinia
same for both
Approvals change year on year +13%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Pakenham South Cardinia
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC

Liveability

Cardinia is more walkable (20 vs 0).

Pakenham South Cardinia
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Cardinia carries more crime risk (84 vs 51).

Pakenham South Cardinia
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
84/100
Flood High
99/100
 High
98/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Pakenham South Cardinia
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Pakenham South

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

Schools in Cardinia

  • Cardinia Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Pakenham South Cardinia
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 1 6

Mobility

Pakenham South sits further from the CBD (70.1 km vs 63.3 km).

Pakenham South Cardinia
Walkability score 0/100 20/100
Distance to Melbourne 70.1 km
+10% vs other
 63.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 58 min 54 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3810
 1.6%
postcode 3978
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 3810
 91
postcode 3978

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.

Pakenham South Cardinia
Car (driver) 65.0% / 58.7%
Pakenham South — Car (driver): 65.0% Cardinia — Car (driver): 58.7%
Worked from Home 20.0% / 29.7%
Pakenham South — Worked from Home: 20.0% Cardinia — Worked from Home: 29.7%
Car (passenger) 9.0% / 3.9%
Pakenham South — Car (passenger): 9.0% Cardinia — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Walked Only 6.0% / 5.2%
Pakenham South — Walked Only: 6.0% Cardinia — Walked Only: 5.2%
Train — / 2.6%
Pakenham South — Train: not among its largest Cardinia — Train: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.0%).

Setting

Pakenham South Cardinia
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.1 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

Pakenham South Cardinia
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
84 premises
 0%
150 premises

Climate

Pakenham South Cardinia
Annual rainfall 781 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Pakenham South Cardinia
Average residential rate $1,880/yr
same for both
Council Cardinia
same for both

Federal electorate

Pakenham South Cardinia
Division La Trobe
same for both
Member Jason Wood
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pakenham South Cardinia
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pakenham South

Rural

Cardinia

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pakenham South

Pakenham South vs Pakenham Pakenham South vs Koo Wee Rup Pakenham South vs Officer South Pakenham South vs Nar Nar Goon

Other comparisons with Cardinia

Cardinia vs Clyde North Cardinia vs Clyde Cardinia vs Koo Wee Rup Cardinia vs Tooradin Cardinia vs Officer South Cardinia vs Dalmore
Full data on Pakenham South Full data on Cardinia
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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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