Caveat vs Highlands
Highlands is the younger of the two, with a median age of 54 against 58 in Caveat. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Caveat, the large majority of households are people living alone. On these figures, Caveat tends to suit people living alone, while Highlands suits 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
Highlands
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 35/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
First-home buyers
Caveat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 28%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Caveat
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (4% vs 12%)
- has cheaper rent ($50/wk vs $158/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Highlands
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (113 min vs 127 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (141.6 km vs 154.7 km)
- But Caveat is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Highlands
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 17%)
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 35/100)
- But Caveat is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Caveat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (43.9% vs 23.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Caveat and Highlands drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Highlands rents higher ($158/wk vs $50/wk); Highlands has more residents (151 vs 59).
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 59 | 151 +156% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +43.9% | +23.8% |
| Median age | 58 | 54 |
| Median household income | $71,500/yr same for both | |
| Median weekly rent | $50/wk | $158/wk +216% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).
Property market
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $780,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 95% | 94% |
| Parks and recreation | 5% | 6% |
| 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
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 82 across Murrindindi same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +83% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 36% of VIC same for both | |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 71% of VIC | Higher than 49% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 17% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 7% of VIC | Higher than 13% of VIC |
Liveability
Caveat is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Highlands carries more flood risk (50 vs 0); Caveat carries more crime risk (35 vs 24).
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 28/100 | Low 36/100 |
| Crime | Low 35/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Moderate 50/100 |
| 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
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 2 |
| Waterways | 9 | 35 |
Mobility
Caveat sits further from the CBD (154.7 km vs 141.6 km).
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 154.7 km +8% vs other | 141.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 127 min | 113 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 3660 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 46 postcode 3660 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.3%).
Setting
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 562 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 605 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 16/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 27 premises | 0% 48 premises |
Climate
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 648 mm | 540 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,973/yr same for both | |
| Council | Murrindindi same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Indi same for both | |
| Member | Helen Haines same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Caveat | Highlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Caveat
Other comparisons with Highlands
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.