Barrabool vs Ceres

Ceres is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 44 in Barrabool. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Ceres tends to suit 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

They split

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

  • Barrabool carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 27/100)
  • Ceres has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Ceres

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 20%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Ceres

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $301/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Ceres

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (82.6 km vs 86.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Barrabool carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 27/100)
  • Ceres is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)

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

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

Barrabool Ceres
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.

Barrabool Ceres
Walkability 0 / 21
Barrabool — Walkability: 0/100 Ceres — Walkability: 21/100
Safety 88 / 73
Barrabool — Safety: 88/100 Ceres — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 100 / 67
Barrabool — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ceres — Low fire risk: 67/100
Low flood risk 41 / 33
Barrabool — Low flood risk: 41/100 Ceres — Low flood risk: 33/100

Demographics

Ceres has higher household incomes ($162,500 vs $133,224); Barrabool rents higher ($301/wk vs $250/wk).

Barrabool Ceres
Population 247 266
+8% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +4.7%
Median age 44 41
Median household income $133,224/yr $162,500/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $301/wk
+17% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barrabool Ceres
0-4 6.5% / 4.9%
Barrabool — 0-4: 6.5% Ceres — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 9.3% / 20.7%
Barrabool — 5-14: 9.3% Ceres — 5-14: 20.7%
15-19 9.3% / 7.1%
Barrabool — 15-19: 9.3% Ceres — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 2.8% / 4.1%
Barrabool — 20-24: 2.8% Ceres — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 8.9% / 6.0%
Barrabool — 25-34: 8.9% Ceres — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 13.0% / 10.9%
Barrabool — 35-44: 13.0% Ceres — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 12.1% / 17.7%
Barrabool — 45-54: 12.1% Ceres — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 17.0% / 15.4%
Barrabool — 55-64: 17.0% Ceres — 55-64: 15.4%
65-74 12.6% / 7.9%
Barrabool — 65-74: 12.6% Ceres — 65-74: 7.9%
75-84 3.6% / 3.0%
Barrabool — 75-84: 3.6% Ceres — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 1.2% / 1.5%
Barrabool — 85+: 1.2% Ceres — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barrabool 64.7% couple families
Barrabool — Couple Families: 64.7% Barrabool — Lone Person: 25.5% Barrabool — One Parent Families: 9.8%
Ceres 66.2% couple families
Ceres — Couple Families: 66.2% Ceres — Lone Person: 27.7% Ceres — One Parent Families: 6.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barrabool 9.4% renting
Barrabool — Owned Outright: 49.4% Barrabool — Mortgage: 41.2% Barrabool — Renting: 9.4%
Ceres 3.3% renting
Ceres — Owned Outright: 51.1% Ceres — Mortgage: 45.6% Ceres — Renting: 3.3%
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.

Barrabool Ceres
England 1.6% / 5.6%
Barrabool — England: 1.6% Ceres — England: 5.6%
New Zealand 1.6% / —
Barrabool — New Zealand: 1.6% Ceres — New Zealand: not among its largest
Singapore — / 1.1%
Barrabool — Singapore: not among its largest Ceres — Singapore: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

Qualifications

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

Barrabool Ceres
Bachelor Degree 17.8% / 27.1%
Barrabool — Bachelor Degree: 17.8% Ceres — Bachelor Degree: 27.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.0% / 7.9%
Barrabool — Certificate III & IV: 13.0% Ceres — Certificate III & IV: 7.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.0%
Barrabool — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Ceres — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.5% / 4.9%
Barrabool — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5% Ceres — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 5.3%
Barrabool — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Ceres — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barrabool 100.0% houses
Barrabool — Houses: 100.0% Barrabool — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Ceres 96.6% houses
Ceres — Houses: 96.6% Ceres — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Barrabool Ceres
Median house price — $1,131,250
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Barrabool Ceres
Rural and farming 99% 96%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
Parks and recreation 0% 1%
Residential 0% 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

Barrabool Ceres
New dwellings approved 300
across Surf Coast
 3,468
across Greater Geelong
Approvals change year on year +57% +56%

Ranking within VIC

Barrabool Ceres
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 74% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC

Liveability

Ceres is more walkable (21 vs 0).

Barrabool Ceres
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ceres carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0); Ceres carries more crime risk (27 vs 12).

Barrabool Ceres
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Low
12/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
67/100
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

Barrabool Ceres
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km None 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 7.9 km

Schools in Barrabool

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

Schools in Ceres

  • Ceres Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Woodline Primary Independent · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Barrabool Ceres
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Barrabool sits further from the CBD (86.1 km vs 82.6 km).

Barrabool Ceres
Walkability score 0/100 21/100
Distance to Melbourne 86.1 km
+4% vs other
 82.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 67 min 65 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3221
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.

Barrabool Ceres
Car (driver) 68.5% / 60.9%
Barrabool — Car (driver): 68.5% Ceres — Car (driver): 60.9%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 32.0%
Barrabool — Worked from Home: 27.0% Ceres — Worked from Home: 32.0%
Car (passenger) — / 7.0%
Barrabool — Car (passenger): not among its largest Ceres — Car (passenger): 7.0%
Walked Only 4.5% / —
Barrabool — Walked Only: 4.5% Ceres — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.5%).

Setting

Barrabool Ceres
Elevation 146 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 137 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.8 km 7.9 km

NBN connectivity

Barrabool Ceres
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
91 premises
 0%
99 premises

Climate

Barrabool Ceres
Annual rainfall 454 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Barrabool Ceres
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Barrabool Ceres
Average residential rate $2,314/yr $1,802/yr
Council Surf Coast Greater Geelong

Federal electorate

Barrabool Ceres
Division Wannon Corangamite
Member Dan Tehan Libby Coker
Party Liberal Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Barrabool Ceres
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barrabool

Rural

Ceres

Family Professionals Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barrabool

Barrabool vs Waurn Ponds Barrabool vs Fyansford Barrabool vs Gnarwarre Barrabool vs Mount Moriac Barrabool vs Stonehaven

Other comparisons with Ceres

Ceres vs Highton Ceres vs Waurn Ponds Ceres vs Wandana Heights Ceres vs Fyansford Ceres vs Stonehaven
Full data on Barrabool Full data on Ceres
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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