Smiths Beach vs Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 51 in Smiths Beach. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Smiths Beach, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Smiths Beach: a median of $768,000, against $600,000 in Sunset Strip, though rent is higher in Sunset Strip. On these figures, Smiths Beach tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Sunset Strip suits families with children and 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

Smiths Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 53/100)

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

First-home buyers

Sunset Strip

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($600,000 vs $767,500)
  • has cheaper land ($457,500 vs $580,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Smiths Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (28% vs 35%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Smiths Beach

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 53/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 14%)

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

Investors

Smiths Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (39.4% vs 17.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Smiths Beach and Sunset Strip drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
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.

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Walkability 27 / 31
Smiths Beach — Walkability: 27/100 Sunset Strip — Walkability: 31/100
Safety 71 / 47
Smiths Beach — Safety: 71/100 Sunset Strip — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Smiths Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sunset Strip — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 71 / 100
Smiths Beach — Low flood risk: 71/100 Sunset Strip — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sunset Strip has more residents (503 vs 315); Smiths Beach skews older (51 vs 38).

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Population 315 503
+60% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +39.4% +17.8%
Median age 51 38
Median household income $61,412/yr
+15% vs other
 $52,468/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
0-4 6.3% / 5.2%
Smiths Beach — 0-4: 6.3% Sunset Strip — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 9.2% / 17.5%
Smiths Beach — 5-14: 9.2% Sunset Strip — 5-14: 17.5%
15-19 5.1% / 4.8%
Smiths Beach — 15-19: 5.1% Sunset Strip — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 2.5% / 4.6%
Smiths Beach — 20-24: 2.5% Sunset Strip — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 9.8% / 13.9%
Smiths Beach — 25-34: 9.8% Sunset Strip — 25-34: 13.9%
35-44 10.8% / 16.3%
Smiths Beach — 35-44: 10.8% Sunset Strip — 35-44: 16.3%
45-54 11.7% / 10.1%
Smiths Beach — 45-54: 11.7% Sunset Strip — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 25.1% / 14.7%
Smiths Beach — 55-64: 25.1% Sunset Strip — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 14.3% / 10.1%
Smiths Beach — 65-74: 14.3% Sunset Strip — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 7.3% / 3.0%
Smiths Beach — 75-84: 7.3% Sunset Strip — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 2.2% / 0.8%
Smiths Beach — 85+: 2.2% Sunset Strip — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Smiths Beach 51.6% lone person
Smiths Beach — Lone Person: 51.6% Smiths Beach — Couple Families: 36.3% Smiths Beach — One Parent Families: 5.5% Smiths Beach — Group Household: 6.6% Smiths Beach — Other Families: 0.0%
Sunset Strip 42.7% lone person
Sunset Strip — Lone Person: 42.7% Sunset Strip — Couple Families: 28.0% Sunset Strip — One Parent Families: 21.3% Sunset Strip — Group Household: 5.5% Sunset Strip — Other Families: 2.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Smiths Beach 19.5% renting
Smiths Beach — Owned Outright: 51.7% Smiths Beach — Mortgage: 28.8% Smiths Beach — Renting: 19.5%
Sunset Strip 27.5% renting
Sunset Strip — Owned Outright: 28.5% Sunset Strip — Mortgage: 44.0% Sunset Strip — Renting: 27.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 18.1%
Smiths Beach — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Sunset Strip — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Bachelor Degree 19.7% / 6.0%
Smiths Beach — Bachelor Degree: 19.7% Sunset Strip — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.2% / 9.7%
Smiths Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2% Sunset Strip — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Postgraduate Degree 6.7% / 2.0%
Smiths Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7% Sunset Strip — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.4%
Smiths Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Sunset Strip — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

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.

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
England 3.5% / 4.8%
Smiths Beach — England: 3.5% Sunset Strip — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 2.9% / 1.6%
Smiths Beach — New Zealand: 2.9% Sunset Strip — New Zealand: 1.6%
Philippines — / 2.4%
Smiths Beach — Philippines: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Philippines: 2.4%
Netherlands 1.9% / —
Smiths Beach — Netherlands: 1.9% Sunset Strip — Netherlands: not among its largest
Ireland 1.3% / —
Smiths Beach — Ireland: 1.3% Sunset Strip — Ireland: not among its largest
Malaysia 1.0% / —
Smiths Beach — Malaysia: 1.0% Sunset Strip — Malaysia: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 0.6%
Smiths Beach — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Sri Lanka: 0.6%
Zimbabwe — / 0.6%
Smiths Beach — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Zimbabwe: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Smiths Beach 97.0% houses
Smiths Beach — Houses: 97.0% Smiths Beach — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Sunset Strip 99.0% houses
Sunset Strip — Houses: 99.0% Sunset Strip — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Median house price $767,500 $600,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $580,000 $457,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 110 days
from 7 sales
 154 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

Smiths Beach has more rural and farming land (15% vs 0%).

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Residential 66% 90%
Parks and recreation 17% 3%
Rural and farming 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 7%
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

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
New dwellings approved 393
across Bass Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
House price Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC
Income Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 11% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 7% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC

Liveability

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Grade — C
Score — 48/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Smiths Beach carries more flood risk (29 vs 0); Sunset Strip carries more crime risk (53 vs 29).

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
29/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood Low
29/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion Low
17/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
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

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Parks & reserves 1
same for both

Mobility

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Walkability score 27/100 31/100
Distance to Melbourne 135.4 km 134.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 110 min 109 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3922
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3922
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.

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Car (driver) 58.6% / 75.3%
Smiths Beach — Car (driver): 58.6% Sunset Strip — Car (driver): 75.3%
Worked from Home 30.8% / 17.3%
Smiths Beach — Worked from Home: 30.8% Sunset Strip — Worked from Home: 17.3%
Walked Only 6.8% / —
Smiths Beach — Walked Only: 6.8% Sunset Strip — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 1.9%
Smiths Beach — Car (passenger): 3.8% Sunset Strip — Car (passenger): 1.9%
Bus — / 3.1%
Smiths Beach — Bus: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Bus: 3.1%
Bicycle — / 2.5%
Smiths Beach — Bicycle: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Bicycle: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.3%).

Setting

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 368 m
427 m to a named beach
 1.2 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Connectivity score 75/100 73/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
597 premises
 51%
368 premises

Climate

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Annual rainfall 704 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Average residential rate $1,727/yr
same for both
Council Bass Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Smiths Beach Sunset Strip
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Smiths Beach

Acreage Beach Beachfront Coastal

Sunset Strip

Beach Coastal Family Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Smiths Beach

Smiths Beach vs Cowes Smiths Beach vs Ventnor Smiths Beach vs Sunderland Bay

Other comparisons with Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip vs Cowes Sunset Strip vs Rhyll Sunset Strip vs Sunderland Bay
Full data on Smiths Beach Full data on Sunset Strip
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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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