Tooborac vs Puckapunyal

Puckapunyal is the younger of the two, with a median age of 24 against 49 in Tooborac. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tooborac, the large majority of households own their home. In Puckapunyal, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Tooborac tends to suit people living alone, while Puckapunyal suits renters, young adults, and families with children.

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

Puckapunyal

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (91% vs 51%)
  • But Tooborac has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Puckapunyal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Puckapunyal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (98% vs 11%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 18%)

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

Commuting to the city

Tooborac

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (89 min vs 119 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (106.5 km vs 129.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tooborac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs 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

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

Tooborac Puckapunyal
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.

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Walkability 20 / 0
Tooborac — Walkability: 20/100 Puckapunyal — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 71 / 78
Tooborac — Safety: 71/100 Puckapunyal — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 43 / 52
Tooborac — Low fire risk: 43/100 Puckapunyal — Low fire risk: 52/100
Low flood risk 100 / 87
Tooborac — Low flood risk: 100/100 Puckapunyal — Low flood risk: 87/100

Demographics

Puckapunyal has more residents (1,108 vs 319); Tooborac skews older (49 vs 24).

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Population 319 1,108
+247% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% +2.8%
Median age 49 24
Median household income $70,772/yr $130,520/yr
+84% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $265/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tooborac Puckapunyal
0-4 4.4% / 9.9%
Tooborac — 0-4: 4.4% Puckapunyal — 0-4: 9.9%
5-14 9.1% / 14.5%
Tooborac — 5-14: 9.1% Puckapunyal — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 3.4% / 10.5%
Tooborac — 15-19: 3.4% Puckapunyal — 15-19: 10.5%
20-24 7.2% / 15.3%
Tooborac — 20-24: 7.2% Puckapunyal — 20-24: 15.3%
25-34 8.8% / 24.1%
Tooborac — 25-34: 8.8% Puckapunyal — 25-34: 24.1%
35-44 10.7% / 16.9%
Tooborac — 35-44: 10.7% Puckapunyal — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 16.3% / 6.8%
Tooborac — 45-54: 16.3% Puckapunyal — 45-54: 6.8%
55-64 18.2% / 1.4%
Tooborac — 55-64: 18.2% Puckapunyal — 55-64: 1.4%
65-74 13.8% / —
Tooborac — 65-74: 13.8% Puckapunyal — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 7.8% / —
Tooborac — 75-84: 7.8% Puckapunyal — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.6% / —
Tooborac — 85+: 1.6% Puckapunyal — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tooborac 38.4% couple families
Tooborac — Couple Families: 38.4% Tooborac — Lone Person: 39.5% Tooborac — One Parent Families: 12.8% Tooborac — Group Household: 9.3%
Puckapunyal 87.5% couple families
Puckapunyal — Couple Families: 87.5% Puckapunyal — Lone Person: 9.4% Puckapunyal — One Parent Families: 3.1% Puckapunyal — 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.

Tooborac 11.0% renting
Tooborac — Owned Outright: 42.2% Tooborac — Mortgage: 46.8% Tooborac — Renting: 11.0%
Puckapunyal 97.9% renting
Puckapunyal — Owned Outright: 0.0% Puckapunyal — Mortgage: 2.1% Puckapunyal — Renting: 97.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 15.3%
Tooborac — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Puckapunyal — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 6.9% / 7.6%
Tooborac — Bachelor Degree: 6.9% Puckapunyal — Bachelor Degree: 7.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 6.9%
Tooborac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Puckapunyal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 1.9%
Tooborac — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Puckapunyal — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.0%
Tooborac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

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.

Tooborac Puckapunyal
England 1.9% / 2.5%
Tooborac — England: 1.9% Puckapunyal — England: 2.5%
Italy 2.5% / —
Tooborac — Italy: 2.5% Puckapunyal — Italy: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.8%
Tooborac — New Zealand: 1.3% Puckapunyal — New Zealand: 0.8%
Malaysia — / 1.6%
Tooborac — Malaysia: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Malaysia: 1.6%
Germany — / 1.0%
Tooborac — Germany: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Germany: 1.0%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Tooborac — South Africa: not among its largest Puckapunyal — South Africa: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tooborac 100.0% houses
Tooborac — Houses: 100.0% Tooborac — Townhouses: 0.0%
Puckapunyal 98.7% houses
Puckapunyal — Houses: 98.7% Puckapunyal — Townhouses: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Median house price $592,500 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 65 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Tooborac has more rural and farming land (92% vs 0%).

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Other and special use 0% 100%
Rural and farming 92% 0%
Parks and recreation 7% 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

Tooborac Puckapunyal
New dwellings approved 1,074
across Mitchell
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Tooborac Puckapunyal
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC

Liveability

Tooborac is more walkable (20 vs 0).

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Grade — B
Score — 61/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Puckapunyal carries more flood risk (13 vs 0).

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
48/100
Crime Low
29/100
 Low
22/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
13/100
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

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Tooborac

  • Tooborac Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Puckapunyal

  • Puckapunyal Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 8 0
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Waterways 11 7

Mobility

Puckapunyal sits further from the CBD (129.6 km vs 106.5 km).

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Walkability score 20/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 106.5 km 129.6 km
+22% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 119 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 3522
 0.8%
postcode 3662
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 3522
 3
postcode 3662

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.

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Car (driver) 67.7% / 57.1%
Tooborac — Car (driver): 67.7% Puckapunyal — Car (driver): 57.1%
Walked Only 6.8% / 26.5%
Tooborac — Walked Only: 6.8% Puckapunyal — Walked Only: 26.5%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 10.4%
Tooborac — Worked from Home: 21.8% Puckapunyal — Worked from Home: 10.4%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 2.6%
Tooborac — Car (passenger): 3.8% Puckapunyal — Car (passenger): 2.6%
Bicycle — / 3.4%
Tooborac — Bicycle: not among its largest Puckapunyal — Bicycle: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.7%).

Setting

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Elevation 307 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 199 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Connectivity score 29/100 88/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
177 premises
 69%
393 premises

Climate

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Annual rainfall 553 mm 540 mm
Summer max (Jan) 29.6°C —
Winter min (Jul) 3.1°C —

Council rates

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Average residential rate $1,947/yr
same for both
Council Mitchell
same for both

Federal electorate

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Division Bendigo Nicholls
Member Lisa Chesters Sam Birrell
Party Australian Labor Party The Nationals

First Home Owner Grant

Tooborac Puckapunyal
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tooborac

Quiet River Rural

Puckapunyal

Family Rural Students Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tooborac

Tooborac vs Heathcote Tooborac vs Pyalong Tooborac vs Glenaroua Tooborac vs Nulla Vale

Other comparisons with Puckapunyal

Puckapunyal vs Heathcote Puckapunyal vs Hilldene Puckapunyal vs Glenaroua Puckapunyal vs Northwood Puckapunyal vs Tabilk Puckapunyal vs Mitchellstown
Full data on Tooborac Full data on Puckapunyal
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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