Pennyroyal vs Barwon Downs

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pennyroyal, about half of households are couple families. In Barwon Downs, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Pennyroyal tends to suit couples, while Barwon Downs suits 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

Pennyroyal

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 34%)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 61/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Pennyroyal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $230/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pennyroyal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (146 km vs 157.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (119 min vs 126 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Pennyroyal carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 61/100)
  • Barwon Downs has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 21%)

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

Investors

Pennyroyal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.9% vs 3.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
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.

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Walkability 0 / 0
Pennyroyal — Walkability: 0/100 Barwon Downs — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 50 / 39
Pennyroyal — Safety: 50/100 Barwon Downs — Safety: 39/100
Low fire risk 6 / 14
Pennyroyal — Low fire risk: 6/100 Barwon Downs — Low fire risk: 14/100
Low flood risk 69 / 58
Pennyroyal — Low flood risk: 69/100 Barwon Downs — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

Pennyroyal has higher household incomes ($99,632 vs $53,924); Barwon Downs rents higher ($230/wk vs $150/wk).

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Population 110 136
+24% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.9% +3.8%
Median age 47 48
Median household income $99,632/yr
+46% vs other
 $53,924/yr
Median weekly rent $150/wk $230/wk
+53% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
0-4 4.5% / 2.2%
Pennyroyal — 0-4: 4.5% Barwon Downs — 0-4: 2.2%
5-14 12.7% / 10.3%
Pennyroyal — 5-14: 12.7% Barwon Downs — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 — / 7.4%
Pennyroyal — 15-19: not among its largest Barwon Downs — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 3.6% / —
Pennyroyal — 20-24: 3.6% Barwon Downs — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 7.3% / 5.1%
Pennyroyal — 25-34: 7.3% Barwon Downs — 25-34: 5.1%
35-44 18.2% / 14.7%
Pennyroyal — 35-44: 18.2% Barwon Downs — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 20.9% / 19.1%
Pennyroyal — 45-54: 20.9% Barwon Downs — 45-54: 19.1%
55-64 21.8% / 11.8%
Pennyroyal — 55-64: 21.8% Barwon Downs — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 18.2% / 19.9%
Pennyroyal — 65-74: 18.2% Barwon Downs — 65-74: 19.9%
75-84 2.7% / 2.9%
Pennyroyal — 75-84: 2.7% Barwon Downs — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ — / 4.4%
Pennyroyal — 85+: not among its largest Barwon Downs — 85+: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pennyroyal 26.7% lone person
Pennyroyal — Lone Person: 26.7% Pennyroyal — Couple Families: 53.3% Pennyroyal — One Parent Families: 20.0%
Barwon Downs 65.8% lone person
Barwon Downs — Lone Person: 65.8% Barwon Downs — Couple Families: 26.3% Barwon Downs — One Parent Families: 7.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pennyroyal 10.0% renting
Pennyroyal — Owned Outright: 60.0% Pennyroyal — Mortgage: 30.0% Pennyroyal — Renting: 10.0%
Barwon Downs 6.1% renting
Barwon Downs — Owned Outright: 51.0% Barwon Downs — Mortgage: 42.9% Barwon Downs — Renting: 6.1%
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.

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
England 6.4% / —
Pennyroyal — England: 6.4% Barwon Downs — England: not among its largest
Japan — / 4.4%
Pennyroyal — Japan: not among its largest Barwon Downs — Japan: 4.4%
China 2.7% / —
Pennyroyal — China: 2.7% Barwon Downs — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

Qualifications

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

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Bachelor Degree 21.8% / 16.9%
Pennyroyal — Bachelor Degree: 21.8% Barwon Downs — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 14.7%
Pennyroyal — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Barwon Downs — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.0% / 8.8%
Pennyroyal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0% Barwon Downs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 10.0% / 2.9%
Pennyroyal — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0% Barwon Downs — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 3.7%
Pennyroyal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Barwon Downs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pennyroyal 91.9% houses
Pennyroyal — Houses: 91.9% Pennyroyal — Flats / Apartments: 8.1%
Barwon Downs 100.0% houses
Barwon Downs — Houses: 100.0% Barwon Downs — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Median house price — $708,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Pennyroyal has more land zoned for conservation (56% vs 0%); Barwon Downs has more rural and farming land (30% vs 7%).

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Parks and recreation 37% 70%
Environmental 56% 0%
Rural and farming 7% 30%
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

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
New dwellings approved 300
across Surf Coast
 226
across Colac Otway
Approvals change year on year +57% +64%

Ranking within VIC

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 54% of VIC Higher than 60% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 70% of VIC

Liveability

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Barwon Downs carries more flood risk (42 vs 31); Barwon Downs carries more crime risk (61 vs 50).

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Bushfire High
94/100
 High
86/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 Moderate
61/100
Flood Low
31/100
 Moderate
42/100
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

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
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

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Waterways 2 36

Mobility

Barwon Downs sits further from the CBD (157.3 km vs 146 km).

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 146 km 157.3 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 119 min 126 min
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3235
 0.6%
postcode 3243
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 3235
 36
postcode 3243

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.

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Car (driver) 46.6% / 61.9%
Pennyroyal — Car (driver): 46.6% Barwon Downs — Car (driver): 61.9%
Worked from Home 53.4% / 31.7%
Pennyroyal — Worked from Home: 53.4% Barwon Downs — Worked from Home: 31.7%
Car (passenger) — / 6.3%
Pennyroyal — Car (passenger): not among its largest Barwon Downs — Car (passenger): 6.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.9%).

Setting

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Elevation 267 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 238 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.3 km 15.0 km

NBN connectivity

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Connectivity score 27/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
57 premises
 0%
122 premises

Climate

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Annual rainfall 599 mm 607 mm
Summer max (Jan) 23.2°C —
Winter min (Jul) 7.6°C —

Council rates

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Average residential rate $2,314/yr $2,023/yr
Council Surf Coast Colac Otway

Federal electorate

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pennyroyal Barwon Downs
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pennyroyal

Rural

Barwon Downs

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal vs Deans Marsh Pennyroyal vs Murroon

Other comparisons with Barwon Downs

Barwon Downs vs Lorne Barwon Downs vs Forrest Barwon Downs vs Gerangamete Barwon Downs vs Murroon
Full data on Pennyroyal Full data on Barwon Downs
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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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