Portland North vs Portland West

Portland North is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 49 in Portland West. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families.

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

Portland West

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 51/100)
  • But Portland North has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Portland North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (261 min vs 275 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (352.2 km vs 360.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Portland West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 51/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Portland North Portland West
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.

Portland North Portland West
Walkability 0 / 0
Portland North — Walkability: 0/100 Portland West — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 64
Portland North — Safety: 49/100 Portland West — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 4 / 10
Portland North — Low fire risk: 4/100 Portland West — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 100 / 81
Portland North — Low flood risk: 100/100 Portland West — Low flood risk: 81/100

Demographics

Portland West skews older (49 vs 46).

Portland North Portland West
Population 708
+13% vs other
 619
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.3% +8.8%
Median age 46 49
Median household income $98,072/yr $100,412/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Portland North Portland West
0-4 5.1% / 4.2%
Portland North — 0-4: 5.1% Portland West — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 11.2% / 10.7%
Portland North — 5-14: 11.2% Portland West — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 5.8% / 8.1%
Portland North — 15-19: 5.8% Portland West — 15-19: 8.1%
20-24 4.2% / 3.2%
Portland North — 20-24: 4.2% Portland West — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 11.0% / 7.4%
Portland North — 25-34: 11.0% Portland West — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 12.0% / 10.8%
Portland North — 35-44: 12.0% Portland West — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 12.1% / 17.8%
Portland North — 45-54: 12.1% Portland West — 45-54: 17.8%
55-64 14.8% / 17.9%
Portland North — 55-64: 14.8% Portland West — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 17.1% / 14.9%
Portland North — 65-74: 17.1% Portland West — 65-74: 14.9%
75-84 4.5% / 3.9%
Portland North — 75-84: 4.5% Portland West — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 2.5% / 1.0%
Portland North — 85+: 2.5% Portland West — 85+: 1.0%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Portland North 55.7% couple families
Portland North — Couple Families: 55.7% Portland North — Lone Person: 23.5% Portland North — One Parent Families: 18.1% Portland North — Group Household: 2.7%
Portland West 62.2% couple families
Portland West — Couple Families: 62.2% Portland West — Lone Person: 26.7% Portland West — One Parent Families: 6.7% Portland West — Group Household: 4.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Portland North 6.4% renting
Portland North — Owned Outright: 50.0% Portland North — Mortgage: 43.6% Portland North — Renting: 6.4%
Portland West 6.0% renting
Portland West — Owned Outright: 49.5% Portland West — Mortgage: 44.4% Portland West — Renting: 6.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Portland North Portland West
Certificate III & IV 21.3% / 20.2%
Portland North — Certificate III & IV: 21.3% Portland West — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 11.8%
Portland North — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Portland West — Bachelor Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.2%
Portland North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Portland West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 3.2%
Portland North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Portland West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 1.0%
Portland North — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Portland West — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

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.

Portland North Portland West
England 3.2% / 2.3%
Portland North — England: 3.2% Portland West — England: 2.3%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.5%
Portland North — New Zealand: 1.6% Portland West — New Zealand: 1.5%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.8%
Portland North — Philippines: 0.6% Portland West — Philippines: 0.8%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.5%
Portland North — Scotland: 0.4% Portland West — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Portland North — Netherlands: 0.7% Portland West — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 0.6% / —
Portland North — India: 0.6% Portland West — India: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.6%
Portland North — Germany: not among its largest Portland West — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Portland North 96.9% houses
Portland North — Houses: 96.9% Portland North — Townhouses: 3.1%
Portland West 100.9% houses
Portland West — Houses: 100.9% Portland West — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Portland North Portland West
Median house price $710,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $230,000 —

Zoning mix

Portland North has more rural and farming land (71% vs 40%); Portland West has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 7%).

Portland North Portland West
Rural and farming 71% 40%
Environmental 7% 33%
Parks and recreation 3% 26%
Industrial 14% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 1%
Residential 2% 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

Portland North Portland West
New dwellings approved 60
across Glenelg
same for both
Approvals change year on year -65%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Portland North Portland West
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 6% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC

Liveability

Portland North Portland West
Grade D
same for both
Score 28/100 30/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Portland West carries more flood risk (19 vs 0); Portland North carries more crime risk (51 vs 36).

Portland North Portland West
Bushfire High
96/100
 High
90/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 Low
36/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
19/100
Coastal erosion Low
27/100
 Moderate
59/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Portland North Portland West
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Portland North

  • Portland North Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Portland West

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

Amenities in the suburb

Portland North Portland West
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 6
Childcare 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Portland West sits further from the CBD (360.6 km vs 352.2 km).

Portland North Portland West
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 352.2 km 360.6 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 261 min 275 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3305
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3305
same for both

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.

Portland North Portland West
Car (driver) 83.2% / 79.2%
Portland North — Car (driver): 83.2% Portland West — Car (driver): 79.2%
Worked from Home 10.7% / 12.1%
Portland North — Worked from Home: 10.7% Portland West — Worked from Home: 12.1%
Car (passenger) 6.2% / 5.7%
Portland North — Car (passenger): 6.2% Portland West — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Walked Only — / 3.0%
Portland North — Walked Only: not among its largest Portland West — Walked Only: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.2%).

Setting

Portland North Portland West
Elevation 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km 2.8 km

NBN connectivity

Portland North Portland West
Connectivity score 62/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
376 premises
 0%
263 premises

Climate

Portland North Portland West
Annual rainfall 661 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Portland North Portland West
Average residential rate $1,852/yr
same for both
Council Glenelg
same for both

Federal electorate

Portland North Portland West
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Portland North Portland West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Portland North

Acreage

Portland West

Coastal Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Portland North

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Other comparisons with Portland West

Portland West vs Portland Portland West vs Cashmore Portland West vs Cape Bridgewater
Full data on Portland North Full data on Portland West
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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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