Smoko vs Wandiligong
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Smoko, most households are people living alone. In Wandiligong, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Smoko tends to suit people living alone, while Wandiligong suits families with children and 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
Wandiligong
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 26/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 30%)
- But Smoko has more separate houses rather than flats (113% vs 101%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Wandiligong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Wandiligong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 27%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Smoko is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- Wandiligong sits closer to the CBD (333.1 km vs 339.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Smoko is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- Wandiligong carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 26/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Smoko
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (21.7% vs 15.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Smoko and Wandiligong drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Wandiligong has more residents (522 vs 56); Wandiligong has higher household incomes ($83,980 vs $50,232).
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56 | 522 +832% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +21.7% | +15.2% |
| Median age | 49 | 47 |
| Median household income | $50,232/yr | $83,980/yr +67% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk | $275/wk +6% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $845,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Wandiligong has more rural and farming land (43% vs 7%).
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks and recreation | 92% | 56% |
| Rural and farming | 7% | 43% |
| Residential | 0% | 1% |
| 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
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 32 across Alpine same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -42% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 10% of VIC | Higher than 51% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 69% of VIC | Higher than 29% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 79% of VIC | Higher than 93% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 1% of VIC | Higher than 42% of VIC |
Liveability
Smoko is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 46/100 |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Smoko carries more crime risk (26 vs 11).
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 98/100 | High 99/100 |
| Crime | Low 26/100 | Low 11/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Smoko
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Wandiligong
- Wandiligong Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 same for both | |
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 2 | 76 |
Mobility
Smoko sits further from the CBD (339.8 km vs 333.1 km).
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 339.8 km +2% vs other | 333.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 232 min | 231 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.1% postcode 3741 | 1.8% postcode 3744 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 45 postcode 3741 | 48 postcode 3744 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.1%).
Setting
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 427 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 384 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 9 premises | 0% 278 premises |
Climate
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 895 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,945/yr same for both | |
| Council | Alpine same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Indi same for both | |
| Member | Helen Haines same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Smoko | Wandiligong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Smoko
Other comparisons with Wandiligong
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.