Waaia vs Katunga

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Waaia, most households are couple families. In Katunga, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Katunga: a median of $508,000, against $422,000 in Waaia, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Waaia tends to suit families with children 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Waaia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($422,000 vs $507,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Waaia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($195/wk vs $240/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Waaia sits closer to the CBD (229.9 km vs 238.2 km)
  • Katunga is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Katunga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (24/100 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

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

Waaia Katunga
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.

Waaia Katunga
Walkability 0 / 24
Waaia — Walkability: 0/100 Katunga — Walkability: 24/100
Safety 48 / 43
Waaia — Safety: 48/100 Katunga — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Waaia — Low fire risk: 100/100 Katunga — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 22 / 55
Waaia — Low flood risk: 22/100 Katunga — Low flood risk: 55/100

Demographics

Katunga has more residents (1,025 vs 420); Katunga rents higher ($240/wk vs $195/wk).

Waaia Katunga
Population 420 1,025
+144% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% +2.9%
Median age 36 38
Median household income $70,200/yr $78,260/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $195/wk $240/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waaia Katunga
0-4 8.1% / 5.3%
Waaia — 0-4: 8.1% Katunga — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 18.6% / 14.1%
Waaia — 5-14: 18.6% Katunga — 5-14: 14.1%
15-19 5.0% / 6.9%
Waaia — 15-19: 5.0% Katunga — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 3.6% / 6.2%
Waaia — 20-24: 3.6% Katunga — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 11.9% / 13.0%
Waaia — 25-34: 11.9% Katunga — 25-34: 13.0%
35-44 11.9% / 13.7%
Waaia — 35-44: 11.9% Katunga — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 12.4% / 13.0%
Waaia — 45-54: 12.4% Katunga — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 14.0% / 12.7%
Waaia — 55-64: 14.0% Katunga — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 10.2% / 10.8%
Waaia — 65-74: 10.2% Katunga — 65-74: 10.8%
75-84 3.3% / 3.6%
Waaia — 75-84: 3.3% Katunga — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ 1.7% / 1.2%
Waaia — 85+: 1.7% Katunga — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Waaia 61.4% couple families
Waaia — Couple Families: 61.4% Waaia — Lone Person: 23.9% Waaia — One Parent Families: 14.8% Waaia — Group Household: 0.0%
Katunga 51.8% couple families
Katunga — Couple Families: 51.8% Katunga — Lone Person: 23.2% Katunga — One Parent Families: 18.3% Katunga — Group Household: 6.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Waaia 10.6% renting
Waaia — Owned Outright: 47.2% Waaia — Mortgage: 42.3% Waaia — Renting: 10.6%
Katunga 18.3% renting
Katunga — Owned Outright: 41.2% Katunga — Mortgage: 40.5% Katunga — Renting: 18.3%
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.

Waaia Katunga
New Zealand 1.9% / 2.0%
Waaia — New Zealand: 1.9% Katunga — New Zealand: 2.0%
Netherlands 2.1% / 0.9%
Waaia — Netherlands: 2.1% Katunga — Netherlands: 0.9%
Philippines — / 2.6%
Waaia — Philippines: not among its largest Katunga — Philippines: 2.6%
Taiwan — / 2.5%
Waaia — Taiwan: not among its largest Katunga — Taiwan: 2.5%
England — / 1.2%
Waaia — England: not among its largest Katunga — England: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

Qualifications

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

Waaia Katunga
Certificate III & IV 21.9% / 15.8%
Waaia — Certificate III & IV: 21.9% Katunga — Certificate III & IV: 15.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 7.8%
Waaia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% Katunga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Bachelor Degree 3.1% / 8.3%
Waaia — Bachelor Degree: 3.1% Katunga — Bachelor Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.9%
Waaia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Katunga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 0.3%
Waaia — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Katunga — Postgraduate Degree: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Waaia 94.2% houses
Waaia — Houses: 94.2% Waaia — Townhouses: 2.9% Waaia — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Katunga 100.9% houses
Katunga — Houses: 100.9% Katunga — Townhouses: 0.9% Katunga — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Waaia Katunga
Median house price $422,000 $507,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $420,000

Zoning mix

Waaia Katunga
Rural and farming 96% 99%
Parks and recreation 3% 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

Waaia Katunga
New dwellings approved 332
across Moira
same for both
Approvals change year on year -70%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Waaia Katunga
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC

Liveability

Katunga is more walkable (24 vs 0).

Waaia Katunga
Grade — C
Score — 45/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Waaia carries more flood risk (78 vs 45).

Waaia Katunga
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
57/100
Flood High
78/100
 Moderate
45/100
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

Waaia Katunga
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Waaia

  • Waaia Yalca South Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Katunga

  • Katunga Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Waaia Katunga
Parks & reserves 1 2
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 0 8

Mobility

Katunga sits further from the CBD (238.2 km vs 229.9 km).

Waaia Katunga
Walkability score 0/100 24/100
Distance to Melbourne 229.9 km 238.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 165 min 166 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3637
 0.0%
postcode 3640
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 3637
 82
postcode 3640

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.

Waaia Katunga
Car (driver) 72.7% / 67.5%
Waaia — Car (driver): 72.7% Katunga — Car (driver): 67.5%
Worked from Home 20.0% / 15.7%
Waaia — Worked from Home: 20.0% Katunga — Worked from Home: 15.7%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 7.1%
Waaia — Car (passenger): 5.5% Katunga — Car (passenger): 7.1%
Walked Only 1.8% / 9.7%
Waaia — Walked Only: 1.8% Katunga — Walked Only: 9.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.7%).

Setting

Waaia Katunga
Elevation 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 113 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Waaia Katunga
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
169 premises
 0%
434 premises

Climate

Waaia Katunga
Annual rainfall 458 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Waaia Katunga
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Moira
same for both

Federal electorate

Waaia Katunga
Division Nicholls
same for both
Member Sam Birrell
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Waaia Katunga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Waaia

Family Rural

Katunga

Affordable River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Waaia

Waaia vs Numurkah Waaia vs Nathalia Waaia vs Yalca Waaia vs Kaarimba

Other comparisons with Katunga

Katunga vs Numurkah Katunga vs Strathmerton Katunga vs Yarroweyah Katunga vs Yalca Katunga vs Muckatah Katunga vs Naring
Full data on Waaia Full data on Katunga
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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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