Port Fairy vs Toolong

Toolong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 51 in Port Fairy. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Port Fairy, about half of households are people living alone. In Toolong, most households are couple families. On these figures, Port Fairy tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Toolong suits couples.

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

Toolong

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 39/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 50%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)
  • But Port Fairy has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Toolong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 28%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Toolong

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $300/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Port Fairy

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (217 min vs 225 min)
  • But Toolong sits closer to the CBD (284 km vs 290.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Port Fairy

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 16%)
  • But Toolong carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 39/100)

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

Investors

Port Fairy

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.0% vs -3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Port Fairy Toolong
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.

Port Fairy Toolong
Walkability 10 / 0
Port Fairy — Walkability: 10/100 Toolong — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 61 / 76
Port Fairy — Safety: 61/100 Toolong — Safety: 76/100
Low fire risk 60 / 100
Port Fairy — Low fire risk: 60/100 Toolong — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 100
Port Fairy — Low flood risk: 37/100 Toolong — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Port Fairy has more residents (3,742 vs 88); Port Fairy rents higher ($300/wk vs $150/wk).

Port Fairy Toolong
Population 3,742
+98% vs other
 88
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.0% -3.3%
Median age 51 40
Median household income $75,400/yr $84,500/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+50% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Port Fairy Toolong
0-4 4.5% / 5.7%
Port Fairy — 0-4: 4.5% Toolong — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 12.8% / 13.6%
Port Fairy — 5-14: 12.8% Toolong — 5-14: 13.6%
15-19 5.0% / —
Port Fairy — 15-19: 5.0% Toolong — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.4% / —
Port Fairy — 20-24: 2.4% Toolong — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 7.5% / 11.4%
Port Fairy — 25-34: 7.5% Toolong — 25-34: 11.4%
35-44 11.0% / 20.5%
Port Fairy — 35-44: 11.0% Toolong — 35-44: 20.5%
45-54 11.2% / 12.5%
Port Fairy — 45-54: 11.2% Toolong — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 13.9% / 13.6%
Port Fairy — 55-64: 13.9% Toolong — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 17.9% / 5.7%
Port Fairy — 65-74: 17.9% Toolong — 65-74: 5.7%
75-84 9.7% / 10.2%
Port Fairy — 75-84: 9.7% Toolong — 75-84: 10.2%
85+ 4.4% / —
Port Fairy — 85+: 4.4% Toolong — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Port Fairy 37.0% couple families
Port Fairy — Couple Families: 37.0% Port Fairy — Lone Person: 46.0% Port Fairy — One Parent Families: 12.9% Port Fairy — Group Household: 2.6% Port Fairy — Other Families: 1.4%
Toolong 68.4% couple families
Toolong — Couple Families: 68.4% Toolong — Lone Person: 31.6% Toolong — One Parent Families: 0.0% Toolong — Group Household: 0.0% Toolong — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Port Fairy 20.7% renting
Port Fairy — Owned Outright: 51.6% Port Fairy — Mortgage: 27.6% Port Fairy — Renting: 20.7%
Toolong 0.0% renting
Toolong — Owned Outright: 40.7% Toolong — Mortgage: 59.3% Toolong — Renting: 0.0%
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.

Port Fairy Toolong
England 2.7% / 6.8%
Port Fairy — England: 2.7% Toolong — England: 6.8%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Port Fairy — New Zealand: 1.4% Toolong — New Zealand: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Port Fairy — South Africa: 0.4% Toolong — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.3% / —
Port Fairy — Netherlands: 0.3% Toolong — Netherlands: not among its largest
Germany 0.2% / —
Port Fairy — Germany: 0.2% Toolong — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.8%).

Qualifications

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

Port Fairy Toolong
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 13.6%
Port Fairy — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Toolong — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Bachelor Degree 14.9% / 9.1%
Port Fairy — Bachelor Degree: 14.9% Toolong — Bachelor Degree: 9.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 10.2%
Port Fairy — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Toolong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 5.7%
Port Fairy — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Toolong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 4.0% / 3.4%
Port Fairy — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0% Toolong — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Port Fairy 90.0% houses
Port Fairy — Houses: 90.0% Port Fairy — Townhouses: 8.6% Port Fairy — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Toolong 100.0% houses
Toolong — Houses: 100.0% Toolong — Townhouses: 0.0% Toolong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Port Fairy Toolong
Median house price $850,000 —
Median unit price $703,500 —
Median land price $900,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 120 days
from 40 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Port Fairy Toolong
Rural and farming 92% 100%
Residential 4% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 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

Port Fairy Toolong
New dwellings approved 64
across Moyne
same for both
Approvals change year on year -15%
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.

Port Fairy Toolong
Houses 2.7%
$545/wk on $1.05M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Port Fairy Toolong
House price Higher than 54% of VIC —
Income Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 35% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of VIC —

Liveability

Port Fairy is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Port Fairy Toolong
Grade C —
Score 40/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Port Fairy carries more flood risk (63 vs 0); Port Fairy carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).

Port Fairy Toolong
Bushfire Moderate
40/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
39/100
 Low
24/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
57/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Port Fairy Toolong
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Port Fairy

  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Port Fairy Consolidated School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Toolong

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

Amenities in the suburb

Port Fairy Toolong
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 19 0
Parks & reserves 9 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Port Fairy sits further from the CBD (290.4 km vs 284 km).

Port Fairy Toolong
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 290.4 km
+2% vs other
 284 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 217 min 225 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3284
 0.5%
postcode 3285
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3284
 39
postcode 3285

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.

Port Fairy Toolong
Car (driver) 66.1% / 54.8%
Port Fairy — Car (driver): 66.1% Toolong — Car (driver): 54.8%
Worked from Home 21.7% / 45.2%
Port Fairy — Worked from Home: 21.7% Toolong — Worked from Home: 45.2%
Walked Only 6.0% / —
Port Fairy — Walked Only: 6.0% Toolong — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 4.3% / —
Port Fairy — Car (passenger): 4.3% Toolong — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 1.1% / —
Port Fairy — Bicycle: 1.1% Toolong — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Port Fairy Toolong
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.1 km 5.9 km

NBN connectivity

Port Fairy Toolong
Connectivity score 61/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
2,512 premises
 0%
46 premises

Climate

Port Fairy Toolong
Annual rainfall 699 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.2°C
same for both

Council rates

Port Fairy Toolong
Average residential rate $1,613/yr
same for both
Council Moyne
same for both

Federal electorate

Port Fairy Toolong
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Port Fairy Toolong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Port Fairy

Acreage Retirees

Toolong

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Port Fairy

Port Fairy vs Yambuk Port Fairy vs Killarney Port Fairy vs Rosebrook Port Fairy vs Orford Port Fairy vs Tarrone

Other comparisons with Toolong

Toolong vs Kirkstall Toolong vs Crossley Toolong vs Rosebrook Toolong vs Tarrone
Full data on Port Fairy Full data on Toolong
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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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