South Dudley vs Wonthaggi

South Dudley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 55 in Wonthaggi. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In South Dudley, about half of households are people living alone. In Wonthaggi, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Wonthaggi: a median of $515,000, against $440,000 in South Dudley, though rent is higher in South Dudley. On these figures, Wonthaggi tends to suit people living alone and older residents.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • South Dudley is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 38%)
  • Wonthaggi has more parks and reserves (27 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

South Dudley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($440,000 vs $515,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • South Dudley sits closer to the CBD (133.9 km vs 137.2 km)
  • Wonthaggi is more walkable (64/100 vs 44/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wonthaggi

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 21%)
  • is more walkable (64/100 vs 44/100)
  • But South Dudley carries lower crime risk (80/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Wonthaggi

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.0% vs -8.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

South Dudley Wonthaggi
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.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Walkability 44 / 64
South Dudley — Walkability: 44/100 Wonthaggi — Walkability: 64/100
Safety 20 / 9
South Dudley — Safety: 20/100 Wonthaggi — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 76
South Dudley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wonthaggi — Low fire risk: 76/100
Low flood risk 100 / 74
South Dudley — Low flood risk: 100/100 Wonthaggi — Low flood risk: 74/100

Demographics

Wonthaggi has more residents (5,215 vs 421); Wonthaggi skews older (55 vs 42).

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Population 421 5,215
+1139% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.7% +5.0%
Median age 42 55
Median household income $51,636/yr
+14% vs other
 $44,304/yr
Median weekly rent $290/wk
+7% vs other
 $270/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
0-4 4.3% / 3.6%
South Dudley — 0-4: 4.3% Wonthaggi — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 11.2% / 9.2%
South Dudley — 5-14: 11.2% Wonthaggi — 5-14: 9.2%
15-19 4.3% / 4.4%
South Dudley — 15-19: 4.3% Wonthaggi — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 4.5% / 3.7%
South Dudley — 20-24: 4.5% Wonthaggi — 20-24: 3.7%
25-34 14.7% / 9.0%
South Dudley — 25-34: 14.7% Wonthaggi — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 11.9% / 9.2%
South Dudley — 35-44: 11.9% Wonthaggi — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 11.9% / 10.8%
South Dudley — 45-54: 11.9% Wonthaggi — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 14.3% / 14.9%
South Dudley — 55-64: 14.3% Wonthaggi — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 11.9% / 17.9%
South Dudley — 65-74: 11.9% Wonthaggi — 65-74: 17.9%
75-84 7.6% / 11.6%
South Dudley — 75-84: 7.6% Wonthaggi — 75-84: 11.6%
85+ 1.9% / 5.6%
South Dudley — 85+: 1.9% Wonthaggi — 85+: 5.6%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Dudley 47.8% lone person
South Dudley — Lone Person: 47.8% South Dudley — Couple Families: 28.7% South Dudley — One Parent Families: 17.6% South Dudley — Group Household: 5.9% South Dudley — Other Families: 0.0%
Wonthaggi 57.3% lone person
Wonthaggi — Lone Person: 57.3% Wonthaggi — Couple Families: 20.9% Wonthaggi — One Parent Families: 17.1% Wonthaggi — Group Household: 3.7% Wonthaggi — Other Families: 1.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Dudley 24.4% renting
South Dudley — Owned Outright: 39.8% South Dudley — Mortgage: 35.8% South Dudley — Renting: 24.4%
Wonthaggi 30.2% renting
Wonthaggi — Owned Outright: 47.7% Wonthaggi — Mortgage: 22.1% Wonthaggi — Renting: 30.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Certificate III & IV 21.6% / 16.6%
South Dudley — Certificate III & IV: 21.6% Wonthaggi — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 6.8%
South Dudley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Wonthaggi — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.2% / 7.0%
South Dudley — Bachelor Degree: 5.2% Wonthaggi — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 1.5%
South Dudley — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Wonthaggi — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.6%
South Dudley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Wonthaggi — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

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.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
England 4.5% / 5.1%
South Dudley — England: 4.5% Wonthaggi — England: 5.1%
Netherlands 1.7% / 0.6%
South Dudley — Netherlands: 1.7% Wonthaggi — Netherlands: 0.6%
India 1.0% / 0.8%
South Dudley — India: 1.0% Wonthaggi — India: 0.8%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
South Dudley — New Zealand: not among its largest Wonthaggi — New Zealand: 1.3%
Italy — / 1.2%
South Dudley — Italy: not among its largest Wonthaggi — Italy: 1.2%
Nepal 1.0% / —
South Dudley — Nepal: 1.0% Wonthaggi — Nepal: not among its largest
Ireland 1.0% / —
South Dudley — Ireland: 1.0% Wonthaggi — Ireland: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.7%
South Dudley — Scotland: not among its largest Wonthaggi — Scotland: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Dudley 100.0% houses
South Dudley — Houses: 100.0% South Dudley — Townhouses: 0.0% South Dudley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wonthaggi 85.8% houses
Wonthaggi — Houses: 85.8% Wonthaggi — Townhouses: 8.8% Wonthaggi — Flats / Apartments: 5.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Median house price $440,000 $515,000
Median unit price $417,000 $419,500
Median land price — $265,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 4 sales
 56 days
from 87 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
2 bed $435K / $462K
South Dudley — 2 bed: $435K (7 sales) Wonthaggi — 2 bed: $462K (26 sales)

7 vs 26 sales

3 bed $440K / $520K
South Dudley — 3 bed: $440K (15 sales) Wonthaggi — 3 bed: $520K (86 sales)

15 vs 86 sales

Zoning mix

South Dudley has more rural and farming land (79% vs 58%).

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Rural and farming 79% 58%
Parks and recreation 1% 25%
Residential 12% 11%
Commercial 6% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 3%
Industrial 0% 2%
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

South Dudley Wonthaggi
New dwellings approved 393
across Bass Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Houses — 4.9%
$578/wk on $619K
Units — 4.9%
$425/wk on $449K

Ranking within VIC

South Dudley Wonthaggi
House price Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC
Income Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 57% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 74% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 57% of VIC

Liveability

Wonthaggi is more walkable (64 vs 44).

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Grade — C
Score — 38/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Wonthaggi carries more flood risk (26 vs 0); Wonthaggi carries more bushfire risk (24 vs 0).

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
24/100
Crime High
80/100
 High
91/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
26/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
46/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Inside the suburb 0 8
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in South Dudley

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

Schools in Wonthaggi

  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Wonthaggi Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Bass Coast College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Wonthaggi North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Bass Coast College-Community VCAL Program Campus Government · Secondary
  • Bass Coast College-Dudley Campus Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 10
Parks & reserves 1 27
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 1 4
Beaches 0 2

Mobility

Wonthaggi sits further from the CBD (137.2 km vs 133.9 km).

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Walkability score 44/100 64/100
Distance to Melbourne 133.9 km 137.2 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 108 min 111 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3995
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 3995
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.

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Car (driver) 68.2% / 74.3%
South Dudley — Car (driver): 68.2% Wonthaggi — Car (driver): 74.3%
Worked from Home 14.3% / 11.8%
South Dudley — Worked from Home: 14.3% Wonthaggi — Worked from Home: 11.8%
Car (passenger) 10.4% / 5.4%
South Dudley — Car (passenger): 10.4% Wonthaggi — Car (passenger): 5.4%
Walked Only 3.9% / 7.0%
South Dudley — Walked Only: 3.9% Wonthaggi — Walked Only: 7.0%
Bicycle 3.2% / 1.6%
South Dudley — Bicycle: 3.2% Wonthaggi — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.3%).

Setting

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Elevation 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.8 km
3.8 km to a named beach
 4.0 km
3.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Connectivity score 71/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 48%
248 premises
 47%
3,750 premises

Climate

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Average residential rate $1,727/yr
same for both
Council Bass Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

South Dudley Wonthaggi
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

South Dudley

Acreage Affordable

Wonthaggi

Acreage Affordable Parks Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Dudley

South Dudley vs North Wonthaggi South Dudley vs Dalyston

Other comparisons with Wonthaggi

Wonthaggi vs Inverloch Wonthaggi vs North Wonthaggi Wonthaggi vs Cape Paterson Wonthaggi vs Dalyston Wonthaggi vs Harmers Haven
Full data on South Dudley Full data on Wonthaggi
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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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