Tarwin vs Pound Creek

Tarwin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 53 in Pound Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Tarwin tends to suit families with children and couples, while Pound Creek suits 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

Tarwin

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 62/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 72%)

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

First-home buyers

Tarwin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Tarwin

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 10%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $230/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Tarwin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (153.3 km vs 156.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Tarwin carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 62/100)
  • Pound Creek has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 12%)

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

Where they sit

Tarwin and Pound Creek 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 Pound Creek
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 Pound Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Tarwin — Walkability: 0/100 Pound Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 53 / 38
Tarwin — Safety: 53/100 Pound Creek — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 89
Tarwin — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pound Creek — Low fire risk: 89/100
Low flood risk 59 / 31
Tarwin — Low flood risk: 59/100 Pound Creek — Low flood risk: 31/100

Demographics

Pound Creek has more residents (126 vs 59); Pound Creek skews older (53 vs 34).

Tarwin Pound Creek
Population 59 126
+114% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.4% —
Median age 34 53
Median household income $99,632/yr
+15% vs other
 $84,500/yr
Median weekly rent $150/wk $230/wk
+53% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tarwin Pound Creek
0-4 10.2% / —
Tarwin — 0-4: 10.2% Pound Creek — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 15.3% / 14.3%
Tarwin — 5-14: 15.3% Pound Creek — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 13.6% / 7.9%
Tarwin — 15-19: 13.6% Pound Creek — 15-19: 7.9%
20-24 — / —
Tarwin — 20-24: not among its largest Pound Creek — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 6.8% / 3.2%
Tarwin — 25-34: 6.8% Pound Creek — 25-34: 3.2%
35-44 16.9% / 7.9%
Tarwin — 35-44: 16.9% Pound Creek — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 10.2% / 15.9%
Tarwin — 45-54: 10.2% Pound Creek — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 11.9% / 21.4%
Tarwin — 55-64: 11.9% Pound Creek — 55-64: 21.4%
65-74 5.1% / 21.4%
Tarwin — 65-74: 5.1% Pound Creek — 65-74: 21.4%
75-84 6.8% / 5.6%
Tarwin — 75-84: 6.8% Pound Creek — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ — / 2.4%
Tarwin — 85+: not among its largest Pound Creek — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tarwin 82.4% couple families
Tarwin — Couple Families: 82.4% Tarwin — Lone Person: 17.6% Tarwin — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Pound Creek 62.1% couple families
Pound Creek — Couple Families: 62.1% Pound Creek — Lone Person: 27.6% Pound Creek — One Parent Families: 10.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tarwin 23.5% renting
Tarwin — Owned Outright: 47.1% Tarwin — Mortgage: 29.4% Tarwin — Renting: 23.5%
Pound Creek 10.3% renting
Pound Creek — Owned Outright: 56.4% Pound Creek — Mortgage: 33.3% Pound Creek — Renting: 10.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tarwin 100.0% houses
Tarwin — Houses: 100.0% Tarwin — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Pound Creek 95.8% houses
Pound Creek — Houses: 95.8% Pound Creek — Flats / Apartments: 4.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Tarwin Pound Creek
Certificate III & IV 16.9% / 13.5%
Tarwin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9% Pound Creek — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Bachelor Degree 15.3% / 11.9%
Tarwin — Bachelor Degree: 15.3% Pound Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.9% / 7.1%
Tarwin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9% Pound Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.4%
Tarwin — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Pound Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.4%
Tarwin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Pound Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Zoning mix

Tarwin Pound Creek
Rural and farming 97% 98%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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 Pound Creek
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Tarwin Pound Creek
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 54% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 19% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC

Liveability

Tarwin Pound Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Pound Creek carries more bushfire risk (11 vs 0); Pound Creek carries more flood risk (69 vs 41).

Tarwin Pound Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
11/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
69/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
29/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Tarwin Pound Creek
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

Tarwin Pound Creek
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 1 12

Mobility

Pound Creek sits further from the CBD (156.4 km vs 153.3 km).

Tarwin Pound Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 153.3 km 156.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 125 min 124 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3956
 1.1%
postcode 3996
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3956
 39
postcode 3996

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 Pound Creek
Car (driver) 52.6% / 60.0%
Tarwin — Car (driver): 52.6% Pound Creek — Car (driver): 60.0%
Worked from Home 31.6% / 34.0%
Tarwin — Worked from Home: 31.6% Pound Creek — Worked from Home: 34.0%
Walked Only 15.8% / 6.0%
Tarwin — Walked Only: 15.8% Pound Creek — Walked Only: 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.0%).

Setting

Tarwin Pound Creek
Elevation 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.4 km 3.8 km

NBN connectivity

Tarwin Pound Creek
Connectivity score 29/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
23 premises
 0%
62 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

Tarwin Pound Creek
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Tarwin

Family Rural Young Families

Pound Creek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tarwin

Tarwin vs Meeniyan Tarwin vs Leongatha South Tarwin vs Koonwarra Tarwin vs Middle Tarwin

Other comparisons with Pound Creek

Pound Creek vs Inverloch Pound Creek vs Leongatha South Pound Creek vs Tarwin Lower Pound Creek vs Middle Tarwin
Full data on Tarwin Full data on Pound Creek
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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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