Breakwater vs Thomson

In both, most homes are detached houses. In Breakwater, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. In Thomson, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Thomson tends to suit renters.

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

Thomson

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Thomson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($515,000 vs $705,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thomson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 39%)

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

Commuting to the city

Thomson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 48/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (78.2 km vs 80.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Thomson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 48/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Breakwater Thomson
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.

Breakwater Thomson
Walkability 48 / 77
Breakwater — Walkability: 48/100 Thomson — Walkability: 77/100
Safety 10 / 12
Breakwater — Safety: 10/100 Thomson — Safety: 12/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Breakwater — Low fire risk: 100/100 Thomson — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 15 / 88
Breakwater — Low flood risk: 15/100 Thomson — Low flood risk: 88/100

Demographics

Thomson has more residents (1,606 vs 1,060); Breakwater skews older (40 vs 38).

Breakwater Thomson
Population 1,060 1,606
+52% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.5% -0.1%
Median age 40 38
Median household income $56,004/yr $58,552/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+2% vs other
 $295/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Breakwater Thomson
0-4 4.1% / 4.2%
Breakwater — 0-4: 4.1% Thomson — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 10.5% / 8.4%
Breakwater — 5-14: 10.5% Thomson — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 3.3% / 3.5%
Breakwater — 15-19: 3.3% Thomson — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 8.4% / 9.8%
Breakwater — 20-24: 8.4% Thomson — 20-24: 9.8%
25-34 17.4% / 19.3%
Breakwater — 25-34: 17.4% Thomson — 25-34: 19.3%
35-44 14.0% / 14.6%
Breakwater — 35-44: 14.0% Thomson — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 11.1% / 10.2%
Breakwater — 45-54: 11.1% Thomson — 45-54: 10.2%
55-64 12.6% / 12.8%
Breakwater — 55-64: 12.6% Thomson — 55-64: 12.8%
65-74 9.7% / 9.0%
Breakwater — 65-74: 9.7% Thomson — 65-74: 9.0%
75-84 7.3% / 6.0%
Breakwater — 75-84: 7.3% Thomson — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 2.1% / 1.9%
Breakwater — 85+: 2.1% Thomson — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Breakwater 49.7% lone person
Breakwater — Lone Person: 49.7% Breakwater — Couple Families: 20.6% Breakwater — One Parent Families: 19.4% Breakwater — Group Household: 7.7% Breakwater — Other Families: 2.6%
Thomson 57.1% lone person
Thomson — Lone Person: 57.1% Thomson — Couple Families: 18.0% Thomson — One Parent Families: 14.1% Thomson — Group Household: 8.8% Thomson — Other Families: 2.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Breakwater 39.1% renting
Breakwater — Owned Outright: 30.1% Breakwater — Mortgage: 30.8% Breakwater — Renting: 39.1%
Thomson 53.6% renting
Thomson — Owned Outright: 21.4% Thomson — Mortgage: 25.0% Thomson — Renting: 53.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Breakwater Thomson
Certificate III & IV 20.5% / 18.5%
Breakwater — Certificate III & IV: 20.5% Thomson — Certificate III & IV: 18.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 10.3%
Breakwater — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Thomson — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 7.8%
Breakwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Thomson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 3.7%
Breakwater — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Thomson — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.9%
Breakwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Thomson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

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.

Breakwater Thomson
England 2.2% / 3.4%
Breakwater — England: 2.2% Thomson — England: 3.4%
India 1.3% / 2.1%
Breakwater — India: 1.3% Thomson — India: 2.1%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.2%
Breakwater — New Zealand: 0.9% Thomson — New Zealand: 1.2%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.6%
Breakwater — Philippines: 0.8% Thomson — Philippines: 0.6%
Pakistan 0.8% / —
Breakwater — Pakistan: 0.8% Thomson — Pakistan: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.7%
Breakwater — Scotland: not among its largest Thomson — Scotland: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Breakwater 76.4% houses
Breakwater — Houses: 76.4% Breakwater — Townhouses: 8.8% Breakwater — Flats / Apartments: 14.8%
Thomson 69.3% houses
Thomson — Houses: 69.3% Thomson — Townhouses: 27.2% Thomson — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Breakwater Thomson
Median house price $565,000 $591,000
Median unit price $705,000 $515,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 3 sales
 8 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Breakwater has more industrially zoned land (33% vs 0%).

Breakwater Thomson
Residential 13% 77%
Industrial 33% 0%
Parks and recreation 26% 17%
Other and special use 22% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 6%
Rural and farming 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

Breakwater Thomson
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +56%
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.

Breakwater Thomson
Houses 4.0%
$478/wk on $622K
 3.7%
$450/wk on $627K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Breakwater Thomson
House price Higher than 19% of VIC —
Income Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 71% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 45% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 43% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC

Liveability

Thomson scores higher overall (56 vs 24); Thomson is more walkable (77 vs 48).

Breakwater Thomson
Grade D B
Score 24/100 56/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Breakwater carries more flood risk (85 vs 12).

Breakwater Thomson
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
90/100
 High
88/100
Flood High
85/100
 Low
12/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Breakwater Thomson
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 3.8 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 2.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.9% 1.4%

Schools in Breakwater

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

Schools in Thomson

  • Tate Street Primary School Geelong Government · Primary above peers
  • Geelong East Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Margaret's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Breakwater Thomson
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 0 5

Mobility

Breakwater sits further from the CBD (80.3 km vs 78.2 km).

Breakwater Thomson
Walkability score 48/100 77/100
Distance to Melbourne 80.3 km
+3% vs other
 78.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 72 min 68 min
Public transport score 54/100 75/100
Peak arrivals per hour 19.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 40.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3219
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 3219
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.

Breakwater Thomson
Car (driver) 79.3% / 72.7%
Breakwater — Car (driver): 79.3% Thomson — Car (driver): 72.7%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 17.9%
Breakwater — Worked from Home: 10.8% Thomson — Worked from Home: 17.9%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.2%
Breakwater — Car (passenger): 4.6% Thomson — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Bus 2.4% / 2.0%
Breakwater — Bus: 2.4% Thomson — Bus: 2.0%
Walked Only 2.2% / 1.4%
Breakwater — Walked Only: 2.2% Thomson — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.3%).

Setting

Breakwater Thomson
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.9 km
4.0 km to a named beach
 2.5 km
2.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Breakwater Thomson
Connectivity score 71/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
1,052 premises
 51%
1,033 premises

Climate

Breakwater Thomson
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Breakwater Thomson
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Breakwater Thomson
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Breakwater Thomson
Division Corio
same for both
Member Richard Marles
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Breakwater Thomson
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Breakwater

Affordable Quiet

Thomson

Coastal Parks Quiet Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Breakwater

Breakwater vs Belmont Breakwater vs St Albans Park Breakwater vs East Geelong Breakwater vs Whittington Breakwater vs Charlemont Breakwater vs South Geelong

Other comparisons with Thomson

Thomson vs St Albans Park Thomson vs Newcomb Thomson vs East Geelong Thomson vs Whittington Thomson vs South Geelong
Full data on Breakwater Full data on Thomson
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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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