Thorpdale vs Mirboo North
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Thorpdale, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Thorpdale: a median of $945,000, against $530,000 in Mirboo North. On these figures, Mirboo North tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Thorpdale
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 59/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 54%)
- But Mirboo North has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Mirboo North
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($530,000 vs $945,000)
Weighs house 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
Thorpdale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (105 min vs 120 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (139 km vs 156.1 km)
- But Mirboo North is more walkable (36/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here
- Thorpdale carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 59/100)
- Mirboo North is more walkable (36/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, 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
Thorpdale and Mirboo North 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
Mirboo North has more residents (2,263 vs 475); Mirboo North skews older (48 vs 46).
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 475 | 2,263 +376% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.8% | +3.0% |
| Median age | 46 | 48 |
| Median household income | $63,440/yr | $63,596/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk | $255/wk +2% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).
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 (4.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $945,000 | $530,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $430,000 |
| Median land price | — | $680,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 58 days from 3 sales | 91 days from 22 sales |
Zoning mix
Thorpdale has more rural and farming land (98% vs 85%).
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 98% | 85% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 12% |
| Residential | 0% | 2% |
| 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
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 619 across Baw Baw | 170 across South Gippsland |
| Approvals change year on year | +49% | +21% |
Ranking within VIC
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 13% of VIC |
| Income | Higher than 24% of VIC | Higher than 25% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 54% of VIC | Higher than 84% of VIC |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 72% of VIC |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 58% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 46% of VIC | Higher than 75% of VIC |
Liveability
Mirboo North is more walkable (36 vs 0).
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 38/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Mirboo North carries more bushfire risk (55 vs 0); Mirboo North carries more flood risk (20 vs 0).
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| Crime | Low 27/100 | Moderate 59/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 20/100 |
| 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
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 2 |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Thorpdale
- Thorpdale Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Mirboo North
- Mirboo North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
- Mirboo North Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 7 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 4 |
| Childcare | 1 | 2 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 2 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 7 |
Mobility
Mirboo North sits further from the CBD (156.1 km vs 139 km).
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 36/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 139 km | 156.1 km +12% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 105 min | 120 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3835 | 0.6% postcode 3871 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 46 postcode 3835 | 51 postcode 3871 |
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 (70.5%).
Setting
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 321 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 238 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 43.7 km | 33.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 62/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 230 premises | 40% 1,019 premises |
Climate
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 700 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.7°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,138/yr | $2,282/yr |
| Council | Baw Baw | South Gippsland |
Federal electorate
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Monash same for both | |
| Member | Mary Aldred same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Thorpdale | Mirboo North | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Thorpdale
Mirboo North
More comparisons
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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.