Tarwin Lower vs Buffalo

Buffalo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 53 in Tarwin Lower. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tarwin Lower, about half of households are people living alone. In Buffalo, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Buffalo: a median of $625,000, against $422,000 in Tarwin Lower, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Tarwin Lower tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Buffalo 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

Tarwin Lower

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)
  • But Buffalo is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 48%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Tarwin Lower has cheaper houses ($421,500 vs $625,000)
  • Buffalo leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 28%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tarwin Lower

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($210/wk vs $260/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Buffalo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (162.3 km vs 175.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (128 min vs 138 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tarwin Lower

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 22%)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

Tarwin Lower

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (29.1% vs 4.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
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.

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Walkability 0 / 0
Tarwin Lower — Walkability: 0/100 Buffalo — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 38 / 22
Tarwin Lower — Safety: 38/100 Buffalo — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 88 / 100
Tarwin Lower — Low fire risk: 88/100 Buffalo — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 27 / 42
Tarwin Lower — Low flood risk: 27/100 Buffalo — Low flood risk: 42/100

Demographics

Tarwin Lower has more residents (462 vs 284); Buffalo has higher household incomes ($85,748 vs $65,624).

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Population 462
+39% vs other
 284
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +29.1% +4.4%
Median age 53 47
Median household income $65,624/yr $85,748/yr
+31% vs other
Median weekly rent $210/wk $260/wk
+24% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
0-4 3.0% / 5.6%
Tarwin Lower — 0-4: 3.0% Buffalo — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 11.0% / 13.0%
Tarwin Lower — 5-14: 11.0% Buffalo — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 3.2% / 7.4%
Tarwin Lower — 15-19: 3.2% Buffalo — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 4.1% / 4.9%
Tarwin Lower — 20-24: 4.1% Buffalo — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 6.3% / 5.6%
Tarwin Lower — 25-34: 6.3% Buffalo — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 12.3% / 10.6%
Tarwin Lower — 35-44: 12.3% Buffalo — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 11.9% / 14.8%
Tarwin Lower — 45-54: 11.9% Buffalo — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 19.9% / 15.1%
Tarwin Lower — 55-64: 19.9% Buffalo — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 21.0% / 13.7%
Tarwin Lower — 65-74: 21.0% Buffalo — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 6.5% / 6.7%
Tarwin Lower — 75-84: 6.5% Buffalo — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 1.9% / 1.4%
Tarwin Lower — 85+: 1.9% Buffalo — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tarwin Lower 40.2% couple families
Tarwin Lower — Couple Families: 40.2% Tarwin Lower — Lone Person: 49.0% Tarwin Lower — One Parent Families: 7.8% Tarwin Lower — Group Household: 2.9%
Buffalo 50.9% couple families
Buffalo — Couple Families: 50.9% Buffalo — Lone Person: 36.8% Buffalo — One Parent Families: 12.3% Buffalo — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tarwin Lower 11.1% renting
Tarwin Lower — Owned Outright: 54.5% Tarwin Lower — Mortgage: 34.4% Tarwin Lower — Renting: 11.1%
Buffalo 15.5% renting
Buffalo — Owned Outright: 48.8% Buffalo — Mortgage: 35.7% Buffalo — Renting: 15.5%
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.

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
England 4.5% / 2.5%
Tarwin Lower — England: 4.5% Buffalo — England: 2.5%
Netherlands 1.5% / 2.5%
Tarwin Lower — Netherlands: 1.5% Buffalo — Netherlands: 2.5%
New Zealand 2.2% / —
Tarwin Lower — New Zealand: 2.2% Buffalo — New Zealand: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / —
Tarwin Lower — Germany: 0.6% Buffalo — Germany: not among its largest
Fiji 0.6% / —
Tarwin Lower — Fiji: 0.6% Buffalo — Fiji: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Qualifications

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

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Certificate III & IV 17.3% / 14.8%
Tarwin Lower — Certificate III & IV: 17.3% Buffalo — Certificate III & IV: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 12.3% / 9.9%
Tarwin Lower — Bachelor Degree: 12.3% Buffalo — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 6.3%
Tarwin Lower — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Buffalo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 1.4%
Tarwin Lower — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Buffalo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / —
Tarwin Lower — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Buffalo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tarwin Lower 97.4% houses
Tarwin Lower — Houses: 97.4% Tarwin Lower — Townhouses: 2.6%
Buffalo 100.0% houses
Buffalo — Houses: 100.0% Buffalo — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Median house price $421,500 $625,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,075,000 —

Zoning mix

Buffalo has more rural and farming land (97% vs 82%).

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Rural and farming 82% 97%
Parks and recreation 10% 2%
Planning zones cover 92% of Tarwin Lower and 100% of Buffalo. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 56% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC

Liveability

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Tarwin Lower carries more bushfire risk (12 vs 0); Tarwin Lower carries more flood risk (73 vs 58).

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Bushfire Low
12/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
62/100
 High
78/100
Flood High
73/100
 Moderate
58/100
Coastal erosion High
92/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Tarwin Lower

  • Tarwin Lower Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Buffalo

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

Amenities in the suburb

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 10 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 4 1

Mobility

Tarwin Lower sits further from the CBD (175.9 km vs 162.3 km).

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 175.9 km
+8% vs other
 162.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 138 min 128 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3956
 0.0%
postcode 3958
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3956
 40
postcode 3958

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.

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Car (driver) 61.3% / 56.0%
Tarwin Lower — Car (driver): 61.3% Buffalo — Car (driver): 56.0%
Worked from Home 31.2% / 32.8%
Tarwin Lower — Worked from Home: 31.2% Buffalo — Worked from Home: 32.8%
Walked Only 7.5% / 6.4%
Tarwin Lower — Walked Only: 7.5% Buffalo — Walked Only: 6.4%
Car (passenger) — / 4.8%
Tarwin Lower — Car (passenger): not among its largest Buffalo — Car (passenger): 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.3%).

Setting

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.6 km 15.0 km

NBN connectivity

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Connectivity score 20/100 28/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
121 premises
 0%
142 premises

Climate

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
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

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tarwin Lower Buffalo
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tarwin Lower

Retirees Rural

Buffalo

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tarwin Lower

Tarwin Lower vs Venus Bay Tarwin Lower vs Fish Creek Tarwin Lower vs Walkerville Tarwin Lower vs Pound Creek Tarwin Lower vs Middle Tarwin

Other comparisons with Buffalo

Buffalo vs Foster Buffalo vs Fish Creek Buffalo vs Meeniyan Buffalo vs Stony Creek Buffalo vs Foster North Buffalo vs Middle Tarwin
Full data on Tarwin Lower Full data on Buffalo
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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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