Pakenham vs Nar Nar Goon

Pakenham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 41 in Nar Nar Goon. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Pakenham: a median of $700,000, against $635,000 in Nar Nar Goon, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Pakenham tends to suit 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

Pakenham

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (26 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (39 vs 4)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (15 vs 3)
  • But Nar Nar Goon has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 86%)

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

First-home buyers

Nar Nar Goon

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($420,000 vs $525,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($635,000 vs $700,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Nar Nar Goon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $351/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pakenham

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (62.4 km vs 71.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (53 min vs 58 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pakenham

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (13 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (14% vs 2%)

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

Investors

Pakenham

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (16.6% vs 1.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.2% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Pakenham and Nar Nar Goon 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 Nar Nar Goon
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 Nar Nar Goon
Walkability 94 / 0
Pakenham — Walkability: 94/100 Nar Nar Goon — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 32
Pakenham — Safety: 26/100 Nar Nar Goon — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 44 / 85
Pakenham — Low fire risk: 44/100 Nar Nar Goon — Low fire risk: 85/100
Low flood risk 22 / 6
Pakenham — Low flood risk: 22/100 Nar Nar Goon — Low flood risk: 6/100

Demographics

Pakenham has more residents (54,118 vs 1,023); Nar Nar Goon skews older (41 vs 33).

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Population 54,118
+98% vs other
 1,023
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.6% +1.1%
Median age 33 41
Median household income $86,528/yr
same for both
Median weekly rent $351/wk
+13% vs other
 $305/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
0-4 8.3% / 5.8%
Pakenham — 0-4: 8.3% Nar Nar Goon — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 15.7% / 12.6%
Pakenham — 5-14: 15.7% Nar Nar Goon — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 5.7% / 6.7%
Pakenham — 15-19: 5.7% Nar Nar Goon — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.1% / 5.4%
Pakenham — 20-24: 6.1% Nar Nar Goon — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 17.6% / 12.7%
Pakenham — 25-34: 17.6% Nar Nar Goon — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 15.7% / 11.0%
Pakenham — 35-44: 15.7% Nar Nar Goon — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 11.0% / 15.0%
Pakenham — 45-54: 11.0% Nar Nar Goon — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 8.0% / 16.7%
Pakenham — 55-64: 8.0% Nar Nar Goon — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 6.3% / 10.9%
Pakenham — 65-74: 6.3% Nar Nar Goon — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 4.1% / 2.6%
Pakenham — 75-84: 4.1% Nar Nar Goon — 75-84: 2.6%
85+ 1.5% / 1.0%
Pakenham — 85+: 1.5% Nar Nar Goon — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pakenham 47.9% couple families
Pakenham — Couple Families: 47.9% Pakenham — Lone Person: 27.6% Pakenham — One Parent Families: 19.5% Pakenham — Group Household: 3.6% Pakenham — Other Families: 1.5%
Nar Nar Goon 49.1% couple families
Nar Nar Goon — Couple Families: 49.1% Nar Nar Goon — Lone Person: 28.3% Nar Nar Goon — One Parent Families: 17.0% Nar Nar Goon — Group Household: 3.4% Nar Nar Goon — Other Families: 2.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham 32.2% renting
Pakenham — Owned Outright: 19.5% Pakenham — Mortgage: 48.3% Pakenham — Renting: 32.2%
Nar Nar Goon 22.8% renting
Nar Nar Goon — Owned Outright: 36.9% Nar Nar Goon — Mortgage: 40.2% Nar Nar Goon — Renting: 22.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 22.2%
Pakenham — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Nar Nar Goon — Certificate III & IV: 22.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 6.7%
Pakenham — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Nar Nar Goon — Bachelor Degree: 6.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 6.1%
Pakenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Nar Nar Goon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 0.6%
Pakenham — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Nar Nar Goon — Postgraduate Degree: 0.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 0.5%
Pakenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Nar Nar Goon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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 Nar Nar Goon
India 6.0% / 1.8%
Pakenham — India: 6.0% Nar Nar Goon — India: 1.8%
England 3.2% / 3.8%
Pakenham — England: 3.2% Nar Nar Goon — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.4%
Pakenham — New Zealand: 1.9% Nar Nar Goon — New Zealand: 1.4%
Sri Lanka 2.0% / —
Pakenham — Sri Lanka: 2.0% Nar Nar Goon — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Philippines 1.2% / 0.4%
Pakenham — Philippines: 1.2% Nar Nar Goon — Philippines: 0.4%
Netherlands — / 0.9%
Pakenham — Netherlands: not among its largest Nar Nar Goon — Netherlands: 0.9%
Germany — / 0.5%
Pakenham — Germany: not among its largest Nar Nar Goon — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pakenham 86.4% houses
Pakenham — Houses: 86.4% Pakenham — Townhouses: 12.7% Pakenham — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Nar Nar Goon 98.3% houses
Nar Nar Goon — Houses: 98.3% Nar Nar Goon — Townhouses: 0.9% Nar Nar Goon — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Median house price $700,000 $635,000
Median unit price $515,000 $565,000
Median land price $525,000 $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 638 sales
 35 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 Nar Nar Goon
3 bed $662K / $446K
Pakenham — 3 bed: $662K (767 sales) Nar Nar Goon — 3 bed: $446K (12 sales)

767 vs 12 sales

4 bed $750K / $650K
Pakenham — 4 bed: $750K (598 sales) Nar Nar Goon — 4 bed: $650K (19 sales)

598 vs 19 sales

5 bed $855K / $1.3M
Pakenham — 5 bed: $855K (39 sales) Nar Nar Goon — 5 bed: $1.3M (5 sales)

39 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Nar Nar Goon has more rural and farming land (70% vs 45%).

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Rural and farming 45% 70%
Residential 29% 6%
Other and special use 6% 20%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 4%
Industrial 5% 0%
Environmental 3% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 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

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
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 Nar Nar Goon
Houses 4.2%
$580/wk on $718K
 3.7%
$640/wk on $890K
Units 4.9%
$510/wk on $545K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
House price Higher than 41% of VIC —
Income Higher than 56% of VIC
same for both
Schools Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 2% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 7% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 67% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 54% of VIC —

Liveability

Pakenham is more walkable (94 vs 0); Pakenham scores higher overall (36 vs 22).

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Grade C D
Score 36/100 22/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Pakenham carries more bushfire risk (56 vs 15); Nar Nar Goon carries more flood risk (94 vs 78).

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Bushfire Moderate
56/100
 Low
15/100
Crime High
74/100
 Moderate
68/100
Flood High
78/100
 High
94/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Inside the suburb 15 3
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 7 0
Rated below peers 4 2

Schools in Pakenham

  • Beaconhills College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Kuyim Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Lakeside College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Pakenham Consolidated School Government · Primary at peers
  • Pakenham Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Pakenham Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers

Schools in Nar Nar Goon

  • Nar Nar Goon Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St James School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Chairo Christian School - Pakenham Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Supermarkets 9 0
Cafes & restaurants 18 1
Parks & reserves 26 1
Childcare 39 4
GPs 13 1
Pharmacies 8 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6 1
Fuel stations 10 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 43 2

Mobility

Nar Nar Goon sits further from the CBD (71.6 km vs 62.4 km).

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Walkability score 94/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 62.4 km 71.6 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 53 min 58 min
Public transport score 83/100
Rail · Bus
 43/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 229.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 20 min
scheduled, not actual
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 Nar Nar Goon
Car (driver) 71.5% / 65.9%
Pakenham — Car (driver): 71.5% Nar Nar Goon — Car (driver): 65.9%
Worked from Home 18.4% / 25.3%
Pakenham — Worked from Home: 18.4% Nar Nar Goon — Worked from Home: 25.3%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 4.2%
Pakenham — Car (passenger): 4.9% Nar Nar Goon — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Train 3.5% / 2.4%
Pakenham — Train: 3.5% Nar Nar Goon — Train: 2.4%
Walked Only 1.0% / 2.2%
Pakenham — Walked Only: 1.0% Nar Nar Goon — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.5%).

Setting

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Elevation 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.4 km 15.9 km

NBN connectivity

Pakenham Nar Nar Goon
Connectivity score 77/100 31/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 59%
21,915 premises
 1%
416 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Pakenham

Family Large Blocks Parks Regional Centre River Transport Hub

Nar Nar Goon

Rural Trains

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pakenham

Pakenham vs Officer Pakenham vs Beaconsfield Upper Pakenham vs Pakenham Upper Pakenham vs Officer South Pakenham vs Nar Nar Goon North Pakenham vs Pakenham South

Other comparisons with Nar Nar Goon

Nar Nar Goon vs Nar Nar Goon North Nar Nar Goon vs Tynong Nar Nar Goon vs Bayles Nar Nar Goon vs Tynong North Nar Nar Goon vs Pakenham South Nar Nar Goon vs Cora Lynn
Full data on Pakenham Full data on Nar Nar Goon
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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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