Toongabbie vs Cowwarr

Toongabbie is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Cowwarr. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Toongabbie, about half of households are couple families. In Cowwarr, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Toongabbie: a median of $668,000, against $548,000 in Cowwarr, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Toongabbie tends to suit families with children, while Cowwarr suits 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

Toongabbie

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 58/100)
  • But Cowwarr has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Cowwarr

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($547,500 vs $668,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cowwarr

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($215/wk vs $270/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowwarr

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (138 min vs 158 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (184.4 km vs 189.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Toongabbie carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 58/100)
  • Cowwarr has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 15%)

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

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

Toongabbie Cowwarr
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.

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Walkability 0 / 0
Toongabbie — Walkability: 0/100 Cowwarr — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 66 / 42
Toongabbie — Safety: 66/100 Cowwarr — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 4 / 2
Toongabbie — Low fire risk: 4/100 Cowwarr — Low fire risk: 2/100
Low flood risk 73 / 19
Toongabbie — Low flood risk: 73/100 Cowwarr — Low flood risk: 19/100

Demographics

Toongabbie has more residents (1,085 vs 389); Toongabbie rents higher ($270/wk vs $215/wk).

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Population 1,085
+64% vs other
 389
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.7% +5.7%
Median age 39 47
Median household income $90,064/yr
+9% vs other
 $81,692/yr
Median weekly rent $270/wk
+20% vs other
 $215/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Toongabbie Cowwarr
0-4 5.6% / 4.6%
Toongabbie — 0-4: 5.6% Cowwarr — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 15.3% / 10.8%
Toongabbie — 5-14: 15.3% Cowwarr — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 5.0% / 5.9%
Toongabbie — 15-19: 5.0% Cowwarr — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.6% / 6.2%
Toongabbie — 20-24: 5.6% Cowwarr — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 11.8% / 11.1%
Toongabbie — 25-34: 11.8% Cowwarr — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 14.3% / 10.5%
Toongabbie — 35-44: 14.3% Cowwarr — 35-44: 10.5%
45-54 10.6% / 13.1%
Toongabbie — 45-54: 10.6% Cowwarr — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 15.9% / 17.5%
Toongabbie — 55-64: 15.9% Cowwarr — 55-64: 17.5%
65-74 12.4% / 17.5%
Toongabbie — 65-74: 12.4% Cowwarr — 65-74: 17.5%
75-84 2.2% / 4.1%
Toongabbie — 75-84: 2.2% Cowwarr — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 0.3% / 0.8%
Toongabbie — 85+: 0.3% Cowwarr — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Toongabbie 54.1% couple families
Toongabbie — Couple Families: 54.1% Toongabbie — Lone Person: 29.3% Toongabbie — One Parent Families: 14.7% Toongabbie — Group Household: 1.9%
Cowwarr 58.0% couple families
Cowwarr — Couple Families: 58.0% Cowwarr — Lone Person: 24.6% Cowwarr — One Parent Families: 13.0% Cowwarr — Group Household: 4.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Toongabbie 3.7% renting
Toongabbie — Owned Outright: 40.4% Toongabbie — Mortgage: 55.9% Toongabbie — Renting: 3.7%
Cowwarr 8.8% renting
Cowwarr — Owned Outright: 56.8% Cowwarr — Mortgage: 34.4% Cowwarr — Renting: 8.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Certificate III & IV 21.8% / 16.5%
Toongabbie — Certificate III & IV: 21.8% Cowwarr — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 6.9% / 7.7%
Toongabbie — Bachelor Degree: 6.9% Cowwarr — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 5.1%
Toongabbie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Cowwarr — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 2.6%
Toongabbie — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Cowwarr — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.0%
Toongabbie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Cowwarr — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

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.

Toongabbie Cowwarr
England 1.4% / 2.1%
Toongabbie — England: 1.4% Cowwarr — England: 2.1%
New Zealand 0.7% / 1.5%
Toongabbie — New Zealand: 0.7% Cowwarr — New Zealand: 1.5%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Toongabbie — Philippines: not among its largest Cowwarr — Philippines: 1.3%
Netherlands 0.5% / —
Toongabbie — Netherlands: 0.5% Cowwarr — Netherlands: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Toongabbie — South Africa: 0.4% Cowwarr — South Africa: not among its largest
Scotland 0.3% / —
Toongabbie — Scotland: 0.3% Cowwarr — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Toongabbie 99.2% houses
Toongabbie — Houses: 99.2% Toongabbie — Townhouses: 0.8%
Cowwarr 100.0% houses
Cowwarr — Houses: 100.0% Cowwarr — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Median house price $668,000 $547,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $619,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 16 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cowwarr has more rural and farming land (71% vs 48%).

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Rural and farming 48% 71%
Parks and recreation 51% 27%
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

Toongabbie Cowwarr
New dwellings approved 529
across Latrobe (Vic.)
 209
across Wellington
Approvals change year on year +66% +17%

Ranking within VIC

Toongabbie Cowwarr
House price Higher than 14% of VIC —
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 96% of VIC —
EV adoption — Higher than 66% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC

Liveability

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Grade D —
Score 25/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Cowwarr carries more flood risk (81 vs 27); Cowwarr carries more crime risk (58 vs 34).

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Bushfire High
96/100
 High
98/100
Crime Low
34/100
 Moderate
58/100
Flood Low
27/100
 High
81/100
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

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Toongabbie

  • Toongabbie Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Cowwarr

  • Cowwarr Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 6 0
Childcare 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 68 9

Mobility

Toongabbie sits further from the CBD (189.3 km vs 184.4 km).

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 189.3 km
+3% vs other
 184.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 158 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3856
 0.7%
postcode 3857
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 3856
 72
postcode 3857

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.

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Car (driver) 80.9% / 79.1%
Toongabbie — Car (driver): 80.9% Cowwarr — Car (driver): 79.1%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 13.1%
Toongabbie — Worked from Home: 10.8% Cowwarr — Worked from Home: 13.1%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 5.2%
Toongabbie — Car (passenger): 4.5% Cowwarr — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 2.7% / 2.6%
Toongabbie — Walked Only: 2.7% Cowwarr — Walked Only: 2.6%
Bus 1.1% / —
Toongabbie — Bus: 1.1% Cowwarr — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.9%).

Setting

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Elevation 234 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
419 premises
 0%
153 premises

Climate

Toongabbie Cowwarr
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

Air quality (annual mean)

Toongabbie Cowwarr
PM2.5 7.7 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.56 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Average residential rate $1,746/yr $1,960/yr
Council Latrobe (Vic.) Wellington

Federal electorate

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Toongabbie Cowwarr
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Toongabbie

Rural

Cowwarr

Affordable River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Toongabbie

Toongabbie vs Glengarry Toongabbie vs Glengarry North Toongabbie vs Winnindoo

Other comparisons with Cowwarr

Cowwarr vs Heyfield Cowwarr vs Denison Cowwarr vs Seaton Cowwarr vs Winnindoo
Full data on Toongabbie Full data on Cowwarr
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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