Ararat vs Cathcart

Ararat is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 53 in Cathcart. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ararat, about half of households are people living alone. In Cathcart, most households are couple families. On these figures, Ararat tends to suit people living alone, while Cathcart suits couples and older residents.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Ararat has more childcare (8 vs 0)
  • Cathcart carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 85/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Cathcart

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (7% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($138/wk vs $250/wk)
  • But Ararat has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 11%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ararat

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (141 min vs 147 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (207.4 km vs 211.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cathcart

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 85/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 24%)
  • But Ararat has more GPs (4 vs 0)

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

Investors

Cathcart

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.9% vs 2.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ararat Cathcart
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.

Ararat Cathcart
Walkability 4 / 0
Ararat — Walkability: 4/100 Cathcart — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 15 / 68
Ararat — Safety: 15/100 Cathcart — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 49 / 86
Ararat — Low fire risk: 49/100 Cathcart — Low fire risk: 86/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Ararat — Low flood risk: 100/100 Cathcart — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ararat has more residents (8,500 vs 110); Ararat rents higher ($250/wk vs $138/wk).

Ararat Cathcart
Population 8,500
+99% vs other
 110
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +20.9%
Median age 45 53
Median household income $63,232/yr $98,748/yr
+56% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+45% vs other
 $138/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ararat Cathcart
0-4 5.0% / 4.5%
Ararat — 0-4: 5.0% Cathcart — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.5% / 10.9%
Ararat — 5-14: 9.5% Cathcart — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 4.9% / 4.5%
Ararat — 15-19: 4.9% Cathcart — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 5.3% / 5.5%
Ararat — 20-24: 5.3% Cathcart — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 13.8% / 5.5%
Ararat — 25-34: 13.8% Cathcart — 25-34: 5.5%
35-44 11.1% / 8.2%
Ararat — 35-44: 11.1% Cathcart — 35-44: 8.2%
45-54 12.4% / 18.2%
Ararat — 45-54: 12.4% Cathcart — 45-54: 18.2%
55-64 13.8% / 20.0%
Ararat — 55-64: 13.8% Cathcart — 55-64: 20.0%
65-74 12.9% / 22.7%
Ararat — 65-74: 12.9% Cathcart — 65-74: 22.7%
75-84 7.8% / 7.3%
Ararat — 75-84: 7.8% Cathcart — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ 3.6% / 2.7%
Ararat — 85+: 3.6% Cathcart — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ararat 28.5% couple families
Ararat — Couple Families: 28.5% Ararat — Lone Person: 48.0% Ararat — One Parent Families: 17.1% Ararat — Group Household: 4.3% Ararat — Other Families: 2.0%
Cathcart 66.7% couple families
Cathcart — Couple Families: 66.7% Cathcart — Lone Person: 33.3% Cathcart — One Parent Families: 0.0% Cathcart — Group Household: 0.0% Cathcart — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ararat 27.4% renting
Ararat — Owned Outright: 42.1% Ararat — Mortgage: 30.5% Ararat — Renting: 27.4%
Cathcart 11.4% renting
Cathcart — Owned Outright: 51.4% Cathcart — Mortgage: 37.1% Cathcart — Renting: 11.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ararat 89.5% houses
Ararat — Houses: 89.5% Ararat — Townhouses: 9.1% Ararat — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Cathcart 100.0% houses
Cathcart — Houses: 100.0% Cathcart — Townhouses: 0.0% Cathcart — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Ararat Cathcart
Certificate III & IV 15.0% / 16.4%
Ararat — Certificate III & IV: 15.0% Cathcart — Certificate III & IV: 16.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.6% / 12.7%
Ararat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6% Cathcart — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.7%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 5.5%
Ararat — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Cathcart — Bachelor Degree: 5.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.7%
Ararat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Cathcart — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / —
Ararat — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Cathcart — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Property market

Ararat Cathcart
Median house price $425,000 —
Median unit price $347,500 —
Median land price $212,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 52 days
from 129 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cathcart has more rural and farming land (98% vs 73%).

Ararat Cathcart
Rural and farming 73% 98%
Parks and recreation 17% 1%
Residential 5% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 1%
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

Ararat Cathcart
New dwellings approved 56
across Ararat
same for both
Approvals change year on year +80%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Ararat Cathcart
Houses 4.8%
$435/wk on $470K
 —
Units 5.8%
$350/wk on $313K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ararat Cathcart
House price Higher than 8% of VIC —
Income Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Schools Higher than 33% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 89% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 96% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 88% of VIC —

Liveability

Ararat Cathcart
Grade D —
Score 23/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Ararat carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 14); Ararat carries more crime risk (85 vs 32).

Ararat Cathcart
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 Low
14/100
Crime High
85/100
 Low
32/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Ararat Cathcart
Inside the suburb 7 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Ararat

  • Ararat Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Ararat Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Ararat West Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Ararat North Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Marian College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Schools in Cathcart

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

Amenities in the suburb

Ararat Cathcart
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 10 0
Parks & reserves 16 2
Childcare 8 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6 0
Fuel stations 5 0
EV chargers 4 0
Waterways 18 8

Mobility

Cathcart sits further from the CBD (211.2 km vs 207.4 km).

Ararat Cathcart
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 207.4 km 211.2 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 141 min 147 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3377
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 3377
same for both

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.

Ararat Cathcart
Car (driver) 76.1% / 86.1%
Ararat — Car (driver): 76.1% Cathcart — Car (driver): 86.1%
Worked from Home 7.4% / 13.9%
Ararat — Worked from Home: 7.4% Cathcart — Worked from Home: 13.9%
Car (passenger) 8.3% / —
Ararat — Car (passenger): 8.3% Cathcart — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 6.6% / —
Ararat — Walked Only: 6.6% Cathcart — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.8% / —
Ararat — Bus: 0.8% Cathcart — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.1%).

Setting

Ararat Cathcart
Elevation 304 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 330 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ararat Cathcart
Connectivity score 69/100 28/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
4,432 premises
 0%
47 premises

Climate

Ararat Cathcart
Annual rainfall 554 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Ararat Cathcart
Average residential rate $2,002/yr
same for both
Council Ararat
same for both

Federal electorate

Ararat Cathcart
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ararat Cathcart
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ararat

Acreage Affordable

Cathcart

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Cathcart

Cathcart vs Moyston
Full data on Ararat Full data on Cathcart
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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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