Pakenham Upper vs Nar Nar Goon North

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 Pakenham Upper: a median of $1.63 million, against $710,000 in Nar Nar Goon North, though rent is higher in Nar Nar Goon North. On these figures, Nar Nar Goon North tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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 Upper

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 72/100)

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

First-home buyers

Nar Nar Goon North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($374,000 vs $1,375,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($710,500 vs $1,632,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($255/wk vs $361/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (67 km vs 74 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pakenham Upper

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

Nar Nar Goon North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.7% vs 2.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Pakenham Upper and Nar Nar Goon North 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 Upper Nar Nar Goon North
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 Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Walkability 10 / 0
Pakenham Upper — Walkability: 10/100 Nar Nar Goon North — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 65 / 28
Pakenham Upper — Safety: 65/100 Nar Nar Goon North — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 1 / 2
Pakenham Upper — Low fire risk: 1/100 Nar Nar Goon North — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 61 / 51
Pakenham Upper — Low flood risk: 61/100 Nar Nar Goon North — Low flood risk: 51/100

Demographics

Pakenham Upper has more residents (1,196 vs 819); Nar Nar Goon North rents higher ($361/wk vs $255/wk).

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Population 1,196
+32% vs other
 819
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.0% +12.7%
Median age 44
same for both
Median household income $134,836/yr
+18% vs other
 $110,032/yr
Median weekly rent $255/wk $361/wk
+42% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
0-4 4.9% / 3.3%
Pakenham Upper — 0-4: 4.9% Nar Nar Goon North — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 12.8% / 12.9%
Pakenham Upper — 5-14: 12.8% Nar Nar Goon North — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 7.2% / 7.8%
Pakenham Upper — 15-19: 7.2% Nar Nar Goon North — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 6.1% / 6.0%
Pakenham Upper — 20-24: 6.1% Nar Nar Goon North — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 7.2% / 9.0%
Pakenham Upper — 25-34: 7.2% Nar Nar Goon North — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 12.2% / 12.2%
Pakenham Upper — 35-44: 12.2% Nar Nar Goon North — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 15.2% / 16.0%
Pakenham Upper — 45-54: 15.2% Nar Nar Goon North — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 17.9% / 15.5%
Pakenham Upper — 55-64: 17.9% Nar Nar Goon North — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 10.8% / 11.8%
Pakenham Upper — 65-74: 10.8% Nar Nar Goon North — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 5.0% / 3.7%
Pakenham Upper — 75-84: 5.0% Nar Nar Goon North — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.2% / 2.1%
Pakenham Upper — 85+: 1.2% Nar Nar Goon North — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pakenham Upper 68.8% couple families
Pakenham Upper — Couple Families: 68.8% Pakenham Upper — Lone Person: 19.5% Pakenham Upper — One Parent Families: 7.5% Pakenham Upper — Other Families: 1.1% Pakenham Upper — Group Household: 3.0%
Nar Nar Goon North 64.4% couple families
Nar Nar Goon North — Couple Families: 64.4% Nar Nar Goon North — Lone Person: 22.7% Nar Nar Goon North — One Parent Families: 10.4% Nar Nar Goon North — Other Families: 2.5% Nar Nar Goon North — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham Upper 3.5% renting
Pakenham Upper — Owned Outright: 44.1% Pakenham Upper — Mortgage: 52.4% Pakenham Upper — Renting: 3.5%
Nar Nar Goon North 9.5% renting
Nar Nar Goon North — Owned Outright: 40.0% Nar Nar Goon North — Mortgage: 50.5% Nar Nar Goon North — Renting: 9.5%
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.

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
England 4.7% / 3.2%
Pakenham Upper — England: 4.7% Nar Nar Goon North — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.1%
Pakenham Upper — New Zealand: 1.3% Nar Nar Goon North — New Zealand: 1.1%
Netherlands 1.2% / 0.6%
Pakenham Upper — Netherlands: 1.2% Nar Nar Goon North — Netherlands: 0.6%
Germany 0.6% / 0.7%
Pakenham Upper — Germany: 0.6% Nar Nar Goon North — Germany: 0.7%
South Africa 0.6% / 0.6%
Pakenham Upper — South Africa: 0.6% Nar Nar Goon North — South Africa: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Certificate III & IV 18.2% / 16.6%
Pakenham Upper — Certificate III & IV: 18.2% Nar Nar Goon North — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.3% / 8.2%
Pakenham Upper — Bachelor Degree: 12.3% Nar Nar Goon North — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 6.6%
Pakenham Upper — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Nar Nar Goon North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / 2.4%
Pakenham Upper — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Nar Nar Goon North — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.0%
Pakenham Upper — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Nar Nar Goon North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham Upper 100.0% houses
Pakenham Upper — Houses: 100.0% Pakenham Upper — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Nar Nar Goon North 99.6% houses
Nar Nar Goon North — Houses: 99.6% Nar Nar Goon North — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Median house price $1,632,500 $710,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,375,000 $374,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 108 days
from 11 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.

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
3 bed $1.6M / $620K
Pakenham Upper — 3 bed: $1.6M (5 sales) Nar Nar Goon North — 3 bed: $620K (7 sales)

5 vs 7 sales

4 bed $1.45M / $720K
Pakenham Upper — 4 bed: $1.45M (6 sales) Nar Nar Goon North — 4 bed: $720K (39 sales)

6 vs 39 sales

Zoning mix

Nar Nar Goon North has more rural and farming land (76% vs 35%); Pakenham Upper has more land zoned for conservation (58% vs 18%).

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Rural and farming 35% 76%
Environmental 58% 18%
Parks and recreation 6% 2%
Residential 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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 Upper Nar Nar Goon North
New dwellings approved 1,323
across Cardinia
same for both
Approvals change year on year +13%
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.

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Houses — 3.3%
$610/wk on $952K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
House price — Higher than 56% of VIC
Income Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 75% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 28% of VIC

Liveability

Pakenham Upper is more walkable (10 vs 0); Pakenham Upper scores higher overall (46 vs 31).

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Grade C
same for both
Score 46/100 31/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Nar Nar Goon North carries more crime risk (72 vs 35); Nar Nar Goon North carries more flood risk (49 vs 39).

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
35/100
 High
72/100
Flood Low
39/100
 Moderate
49/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Parks & reserves 6 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 9 10

Mobility

Nar Nar Goon North sits further from the CBD (74 km vs 67 km).

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 67 km 74 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 62 min 61 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3810
 0.4%
postcode 3812
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 3810
 68
postcode 3812

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 Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Car (driver) 65.7% / 67.8%
Pakenham Upper — Car (driver): 65.7% Nar Nar Goon North — Car (driver): 67.8%
Worked from Home 29.3% / 23.6%
Pakenham Upper — Worked from Home: 29.3% Nar Nar Goon North — Worked from Home: 23.6%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 4.1%
Pakenham Upper — Car (passenger): 4.1% Nar Nar Goon North — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 1.0% / 3.2%
Pakenham Upper — Walked Only: 1.0% Nar Nar Goon North — Walked Only: 3.2%
Train — / 1.2%
Pakenham Upper — Train: not among its largest Nar Nar Goon North — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).

Setting

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Elevation 189 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 106 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.0 km 22.7 km

NBN connectivity

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Connectivity score 29/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
399 premises
 0%
276 premises

Climate

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Annual rainfall 781 mm 1,350 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Average residential rate $1,880/yr
same for both
Council Cardinia
same for both

Federal electorate

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Division La Trobe
same for both
Member Jason Wood
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pakenham Upper Nar Nar Goon North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pakenham Upper

Acreage Premium

Nar Nar Goon North

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pakenham Upper

Pakenham Upper vs Pakenham Pakenham Upper vs Beaconsfield Upper Pakenham Upper vs Gembrook Pakenham Upper vs Mount Burnett Pakenham Upper vs Dewhurst

Other comparisons with Nar Nar Goon North

Nar Nar Goon North vs Pakenham Nar Nar Goon North vs Gembrook Nar Nar Goon North vs Nar Nar Goon Nar Nar Goon North vs Maryknoll Nar Nar Goon North vs Tynong North
Full data on Pakenham Upper Full data on Nar Nar Goon North
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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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