Colac Colac vs Nariel Valley

Comparing Colac Colac and Nariel Valley, VIC: Colac Colac carries more crime risk (67 vs 18); Nariel Valley has more residents (87 vs 61); and Nariel Valley sits further from the CBD (496.1 km vs 438.5 km).

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

Nariel Valley

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 67/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 2)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (114% vs 83%)

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

First-home buyers

Nariel Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (1% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Nariel Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($165/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Colac Colac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (295 min vs 398 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (438.5 km vs 496.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Nariel Valley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 67/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Colac Colac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (19.6% vs -3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
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.

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Walkability 0 / 0
Colac Colac — Walkability: 0/100 Nariel Valley — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 33 / 82
Colac Colac — Safety: 33/100 Nariel Valley — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 1 / 10
Colac Colac — Low fire risk: 1/100 Nariel Valley — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 19 / 68
Colac Colac — Low flood risk: 19/100 Nariel Valley — Low flood risk: 68/100

Demographics

Nariel Valley has more residents (87 vs 61); Colac Colac rents higher ($200/wk vs $165/wk).

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Population 61 87
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +19.6% -3.3%
Median age 50 52
Median household income $71,500/yr $81,224/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+18% vs other
 $165/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
0-4 4.9% / 6.9%
Colac Colac — 0-4: 4.9% Nariel Valley — 0-4: 6.9%
5-14 9.8% / 9.2%
Colac Colac — 5-14: 9.8% Nariel Valley — 5-14: 9.2%
15-19 4.9% / 9.2%
Colac Colac — 15-19: 4.9% Nariel Valley — 15-19: 9.2%
20-24 — / 8.0%
Colac Colac — 20-24: not among its largest Nariel Valley — 20-24: 8.0%
25-34 — / —
Colac Colac — 25-34: not among its largest Nariel Valley — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 11.5% / 6.9%
Colac Colac — 35-44: 11.5% Nariel Valley — 35-44: 6.9%
45-54 16.4% / 23.0%
Colac Colac — 45-54: 16.4% Nariel Valley — 45-54: 23.0%
55-64 11.5% / 16.1%
Colac Colac — 55-64: 11.5% Nariel Valley — 55-64: 16.1%
65-74 13.1% / 12.6%
Colac Colac — 65-74: 13.1% Nariel Valley — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 4.9% / 9.2%
Colac Colac — 75-84: 4.9% Nariel Valley — 75-84: 9.2%
85+ — / 3.4%
Colac Colac — 85+: not among its largest Nariel Valley — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Colac Colac 64.3% couple families
Colac Colac — Couple Families: 64.3% Colac Colac — Lone Person: 35.7%
Nariel Valley 60.0% couple families
Nariel Valley — Couple Families: 60.0% Nariel Valley — Lone Person: 40.0%
Couple Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Colac Colac 17.4% renting
Colac Colac — Owned Outright: 47.8% Colac Colac — Mortgage: 34.8% Colac Colac — Renting: 17.4%
Nariel Valley 16.0% renting
Nariel Valley — Owned Outright: 68.0% Nariel Valley — Mortgage: 16.0% Nariel Valley — Renting: 16.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Colac Colac 83.3% houses
Colac Colac — Houses: 83.3% Colac Colac — Flats / Apartments: 16.7%
Nariel Valley 114.3% houses
Nariel Valley — Houses: 114.3% Nariel Valley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 25.3%
Colac Colac — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Nariel Valley — Certificate III & IV: 25.3%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 5.7%
Colac Colac — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Nariel Valley — Bachelor Degree: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.9% / 3.4%
Colac Colac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9% Nariel Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 5.7%
Colac Colac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Nariel Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.4%
Colac Colac — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Nariel Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).

Zoning mix

Colac Colac has more rural and farming land (98% vs 6%).

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Rural and farming 98% 6%
Parks and recreation 1% 94%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
New dwellings approved 19
across Towong
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC

Liveability

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Colac Colac carries more crime risk (67 vs 18); Colac Colac carries more flood risk (81 vs 32).

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
90/100
Crime Moderate
67/100
 Low
18/100
Flood High
81/100
 Low
32/100
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

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
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

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Parks & reserves 2 6
Waterways 0 35

Mobility

Nariel Valley sits further from the CBD (496.1 km vs 438.5 km).

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 438.5 km 496.1 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 295 min 398 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3707
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 71
postcode 3707
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.

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Car (driver) 58.3% / 67.4%
Colac Colac — Car (driver): 58.3% Nariel Valley — Car (driver): 67.4%
Worked from Home 29.2% / 32.6%
Colac Colac — Worked from Home: 29.2% Nariel Valley — Worked from Home: 32.6%
Walked Only 12.5% / —
Colac Colac — Walked Only: 12.5% Nariel Valley — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.4%).

Setting

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Elevation 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 868 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Connectivity score 29/100 17/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
25 premises
 0%
49 premises

Climate

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Annual rainfall 947 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 2.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Average residential rate $1,875/yr
same for both
Council Towong
same for both

Federal electorate

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Colac Colac Nariel Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Colac Colac

Rural

Nariel Valley

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Colac Colac

Colac Colac vs Corryong Colac Colac vs Cudgewa Colac Colac vs Thowgla Valley

Other comparisons with Nariel Valley

Nariel Valley vs Cudgewa Nariel Valley vs Benambra Nariel Valley vs Dartmouth Nariel Valley vs Thowgla Valley Nariel Valley vs Biggara
Full data on Colac Colac Full data on Nariel Valley
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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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