Tawonga South vs Smoko

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tawonga South, about half of households are people living alone. In Smoko, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Tawonga South tends to suit older residents, while Smoko suits people living alone.

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

  • Tawonga South is already more of a family suburb (45% vs 30%)
  • Smoko has more separate houses rather than flats (113% vs 96%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Tawonga South leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 27%)
  • Smoko has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $285/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Smoko

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (232 min vs 259 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (339.8 km vs 362.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tawonga South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 21%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Tawonga South Smoko
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.

Tawonga South Smoko
Walkability 4 / 10
Tawonga South — Walkability: 4/100 Smoko — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 73 / 74
Tawonga South — Safety: 73/100 Smoko — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 1 / 2
Tawonga South — Low fire risk: 1/100 Smoko — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Tawonga South — Low flood risk: 100/100 Smoko — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tawonga South has more residents (1,012 vs 56); Tawonga South has higher household incomes ($72,384 vs $50,232).

Tawonga South Smoko
Population 1,012
+94% vs other
 56
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +17.4% +21.7%
Median age 50 49
Median household income $72,384/yr
+31% vs other
 $50,232/yr
Median weekly rent $285/wk
+9% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tawonga South Smoko
0-4 4.2% / —
Tawonga South — 0-4: 4.2% Smoko — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 11.0% / 16.1%
Tawonga South — 5-14: 11.0% Smoko — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 5.5% / —
Tawonga South — 15-19: 5.5% Smoko — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 1.7% / —
Tawonga South — 20-24: 1.7% Smoko — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 8.0% / —
Tawonga South — 25-34: 8.0% Smoko — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 12.3% / 14.3%
Tawonga South — 35-44: 12.3% Smoko — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 13.6% / 10.7%
Tawonga South — 45-54: 13.6% Smoko — 45-54: 10.7%
55-64 15.1% / 25.0%
Tawonga South — 55-64: 15.1% Smoko — 55-64: 25.0%
65-74 17.6% / 7.1%
Tawonga South — 65-74: 17.6% Smoko — 65-74: 7.1%
75-84 9.2% / 14.3%
Tawonga South — 75-84: 9.2% Smoko — 75-84: 14.3%
85+ 2.9% / —
Tawonga South — 85+: 2.9% Smoko — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tawonga South 51.2% lone person
Tawonga South — Lone Person: 51.2% Tawonga South — Couple Families: 36.8% Tawonga South — One Parent Families: 8.4% Tawonga South — Group Household: 3.6%
Smoko 70.0% lone person
Smoko — Lone Person: 70.0% Smoko — Couple Families: 30.0% Smoko — One Parent Families: 0.0% Smoko — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tawonga South 14.0% renting
Tawonga South — Owned Outright: 51.5% Tawonga South — Mortgage: 34.5% Tawonga South — Renting: 14.0%
Smoko 0.0% renting
Smoko — Owned Outright: 57.9% Smoko — Mortgage: 42.1% Smoko — Renting: 0.0%
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.

Tawonga South Smoko
England 4.2% / 10.7%
Tawonga South — England: 4.2% Smoko — England: 10.7%
Germany 1.6% / —
Tawonga South — Germany: 1.6% Smoko — Germany: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.5% / —
Tawonga South — New Zealand: 1.5% Smoko — New Zealand: not among its largest
Netherlands 1.1% / —
Tawonga South — Netherlands: 1.1% Smoko — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 1.0% / —
Tawonga South — India: 1.0% Smoko — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

Qualifications

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

Tawonga South Smoko
Certificate III & IV 15.9% / 17.9%
Tawonga South — Certificate III & IV: 15.9% Smoko — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 17.0% / 8.9%
Tawonga South — Bachelor Degree: 17.0% Smoko — Bachelor Degree: 8.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 8.9%
Tawonga South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Smoko — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.3% / 7.1%
Tawonga South — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3% Smoko — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / —
Tawonga South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Smoko — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tawonga South 96.1% houses
Tawonga South — Houses: 96.1% Tawonga South — Flats / Apartments: 2.9% Tawonga South — Townhouses: 1.0%
Smoko 113.0% houses
Smoko — Houses: 113.0% Smoko — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Smoko — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Tawonga South Smoko
Median house price $690,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $292,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 104 days
from 12 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Tawonga South Smoko
Parks and recreation 87% 92%
Rural and farming 6% 7%
Residential 6% 0%
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

Tawonga South Smoko
New dwellings approved 32
across Alpine
same for both
Approvals change year on year -42%
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.

Tawonga South Smoko
Houses 3.1%
$490/wk on $815K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Tawonga South Smoko
House price Higher than 23% of VIC —
Income Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 68% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 1% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of VIC —

Liveability

Tawonga South Smoko
Grade C —
Score 42/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Tawonga South Smoko
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Low
26/100
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

Tawonga South Smoko
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

Tawonga South Smoko
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Tawonga South sits further from the CBD (362.2 km vs 339.8 km).

Tawonga South Smoko
Walkability score 4/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 362.2 km
+6% vs other
 339.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 259 min 232 min
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3698
 1.1%
postcode 3741
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 63
postcode 3698
 45
postcode 3741

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.

Tawonga South Smoko
Car (driver) 55.0% / 48.0%
Tawonga South — Car (driver): 55.0% Smoko — Car (driver): 48.0%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 52.0%
Tawonga South — Worked from Home: 26.5% Smoko — Worked from Home: 52.0%
Walked Only 9.2% / —
Tawonga South — Walked Only: 9.2% Smoko — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 6.4% / —
Tawonga South — Car (passenger): 6.4% Smoko — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 3.1% / —
Tawonga South — Bicycle: 3.1% Smoko — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.0%).

Setting

Tawonga South Smoko
Elevation 684 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 427 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Tawonga South Smoko
Connectivity score 69/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
670 premises
 0%
9 premises

Climate

Tawonga South Smoko
Annual rainfall 895 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Tawonga South Smoko
Average residential rate $1,945/yr
same for both
Council Alpine
same for both

Federal electorate

Tawonga South Smoko
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Tawonga South

Acreage Retirees

Smoko

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tawonga South

Tawonga South vs Mount Beauty Tawonga South vs Tawonga Tawonga South vs Falls Creek Tawonga South vs Freeburgh Tawonga South vs Hotham Heights

Other comparisons with Smoko

Smoko vs Wandiligong Smoko vs Harrietville Smoko vs Buckland Smoko vs Freeburgh Smoko vs Hotham Heights
Full data on Tawonga South Full data on Smoko
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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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