Toolern Vale vs Long Forest

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Toolern Vale is closer to the city centre: 46.5 km, against 54.1 km.

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

Long Forest

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 81/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (85% vs 74%)
  • But Toolern Vale has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Long Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Toolern Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($385/wk vs $520/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Toolern Vale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (30/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (46.5 km vs 54.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Toolern Vale is more walkable (30/100 vs 0/100)
  • Long Forest carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 81/100)

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

Investors

Toolern Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.0% vs -5.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Toolern Vale Long Forest
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.

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Walkability 30 / 0
Toolern Vale — Walkability: 30/100 Long Forest — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 19 / 57
Toolern Vale — Safety: 19/100 Long Forest — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 25 / 34
Toolern Vale — Low fire risk: 25/100 Long Forest — Low fire risk: 34/100
Low flood risk 100 / 71
Toolern Vale — Low flood risk: 100/100 Long Forest — Low flood risk: 71/100

Demographics

Toolern Vale has more residents (818 vs 343); Long Forest rents higher ($520/wk vs $385/wk).

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Population 818
+58% vs other
 343
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.0% -5.0%
Median age 44
same for both
Median household income $99,216/yr $126,724/yr
+28% vs other
Median weekly rent $385/wk $520/wk
+35% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Toolern Vale Long Forest
0-4 4.9% / 1.5%
Toolern Vale — 0-4: 4.9% Long Forest — 0-4: 1.5%
5-14 11.6% / 13.1%
Toolern Vale — 5-14: 11.6% Long Forest — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 6.5% / 10.2%
Toolern Vale — 15-19: 6.5% Long Forest — 15-19: 10.2%
20-24 6.8% / 5.5%
Toolern Vale — 20-24: 6.8% Long Forest — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 7.1% / 7.3%
Toolern Vale — 25-34: 7.1% Long Forest — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 12.6% / 14.6%
Toolern Vale — 35-44: 12.6% Long Forest — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 15.8% / 16.9%
Toolern Vale — 45-54: 15.8% Long Forest — 45-54: 16.9%
55-64 14.1% / 16.3%
Toolern Vale — 55-64: 14.1% Long Forest — 55-64: 16.3%
65-74 12.1% / 13.1%
Toolern Vale — 65-74: 12.1% Long Forest — 65-74: 13.1%
75-84 6.7% / 2.9%
Toolern Vale — 75-84: 6.7% Long Forest — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ 1.2% / —
Toolern Vale — 85+: 1.2% Long Forest — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Toolern Vale 59.7% couple families
Toolern Vale — Couple Families: 59.7% Toolern Vale — Lone Person: 25.8% Toolern Vale — One Parent Families: 14.5%
Long Forest 64.1% couple families
Long Forest — Couple Families: 64.1% Long Forest — Lone Person: 15.4% Long Forest — One Parent Families: 20.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Toolern Vale 8.1% renting
Toolern Vale — Owned Outright: 46.8% Toolern Vale — Mortgage: 45.2% Toolern Vale — Renting: 8.1%
Long Forest 0.0% renting
Long Forest — Owned Outright: 46.2% Long Forest — Mortgage: 53.8% Long Forest — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Certificate III & IV 17.4% / 20.1%
Toolern Vale — Certificate III & IV: 17.4% Long Forest — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 10.8%
Toolern Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Long Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.7% / 9.0%
Toolern Vale — Bachelor Degree: 8.7% Long Forest — Bachelor Degree: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 2.9%
Toolern Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Long Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.5%
Toolern Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Long Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Toolern Vale Long Forest
England 2.9% / 4.7%
Toolern Vale — England: 2.9% Long Forest — England: 4.7%
New Zealand 1.0% / 2.3%
Toolern Vale — New Zealand: 1.0% Long Forest — New Zealand: 2.3%
Germany 0.6% / 0.9%
Toolern Vale — Germany: 0.6% Long Forest — Germany: 0.9%
Scotland 1.0% / —
Toolern Vale — Scotland: 1.0% Long Forest — Scotland: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.9%
Toolern Vale — Netherlands: not among its largest Long Forest — Netherlands: 0.9%
Italy 0.6% / —
Toolern Vale — Italy: 0.6% Long Forest — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Toolern Vale 97.7% houses
Toolern Vale — Houses: 97.7% Toolern Vale — Townhouses: 1.5% Toolern Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Long Forest 100.0% houses
Long Forest — Houses: 100.0% Long Forest — Townhouses: 0.0% Long Forest — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Median house price — $1,070,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Toolern Vale has more land zoned for conservation (30% vs 1%).

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Rural and farming 56% 58%
Parks and recreation 8% 37%
Environmental 30% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 5%
Other and special use 1% 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

Toolern Vale Long Forest
New dwellings approved 4,602
across Melton
 338
across Moorabool
Approvals change year on year +5% +4%

Ranking within VIC

Toolern Vale Long Forest
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 71% of VIC —
Schools Higher than 27% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 38% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC

Liveability

Toolern Vale is more walkable (30 vs 0).

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Grade C —
Score 36/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Long Forest carries more flood risk (29 vs 0); Toolern Vale carries more crime risk (81 vs 43).

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Bushfire High
75/100
 Moderate
66/100
Crime High
81/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
29/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Toolern Vale

  • Toolern Vale and District Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Melton Christian College - Online Campus Independent · Combined
  • Melton Christian College - Toolern Vale Campus Independent · Combined

Schools in Long Forest

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

Amenities in the suburb

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Parks & reserves 3 1
Childcare 2 0
Waterways 5 1

Mobility

Long Forest sits further from the CBD (54.1 km vs 46.5 km).

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Walkability score 30/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 46.5 km 54.1 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 44 min 46 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3337
 0.7%
postcode 3340
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3337
 42
postcode 3340

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.

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Car (driver) 62.7% / 64.8%
Toolern Vale — Car (driver): 62.7% Long Forest — Car (driver): 64.8%
Worked from Home 26.6% / 25.5%
Toolern Vale — Worked from Home: 26.6% Long Forest — Worked from Home: 25.5%
Car (passenger) 6.3% / 6.1%
Toolern Vale — Car (passenger): 6.3% Long Forest — Car (passenger): 6.1%
Train 2.1% / 3.6%
Toolern Vale — Train: 2.1% Long Forest — Train: 3.6%
Walked Only 2.4% / —
Toolern Vale — Walked Only: 2.4% Long Forest — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.8%).

Setting

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Elevation 233 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 175 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 36.0 km 36.5 km

NBN connectivity

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Connectivity score 29/100 22/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
283 premises
 0%
66 premises

Climate

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Toolern Vale Long Forest
PM2.5 4.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Average residential rate $1,779/yr $1,979/yr
Council Melton Moorabool

Federal electorate

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Division Hawke
same for both
Member Sam Rae
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Toolern Vale Long Forest
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Toolern Vale

Outer River

Long Forest

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Toolern Vale

Toolern Vale vs Harkness Toolern Vale vs Kurunjang Toolern Vale vs Gisborne Toolern Vale vs Melton Toolern Vale vs Diggers Rest Toolern Vale vs Gisborne South

Other comparisons with Long Forest

Long Forest vs Harkness Long Forest vs Brookfield Long Forest vs Melton West Long Forest vs Hopetoun Park Long Forest vs Coimadai Long Forest vs Merrimu
Full data on Toolern Vale Full data on Long Forest
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or