Colac Colac vs Thowgla Valley

Colac Colac is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 57 in Thowgla Valley. 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, Colac Colac tends to suit people living alone, while Thowgla Valley 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

Thowgla Valley

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 67/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 64%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 83%)

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

Thowgla Valley

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $200/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 14%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Colac Colac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (295 min vs 317 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (438.5 km vs 454.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Thowgla Valley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 67/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (36% 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 -14.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Colac Colac and Thowgla 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 Thowgla 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 Thowgla Valley
Walkability 0 / 0
Colac Colac — Walkability: 0/100 Thowgla Valley — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 33 / 79
Colac Colac — Safety: 33/100 Thowgla Valley — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 1 / 3
Colac Colac — Low fire risk: 1/100 Thowgla Valley — Low fire risk: 3/100
Low flood risk 19 / 45
Colac Colac — Low flood risk: 19/100 Thowgla Valley — Low flood risk: 45/100

Demographics

Colac Colac rents higher ($200/wk vs $130/wk); Thowgla Valley skews older (57 vs 50).

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Population 61 70
+15% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +19.6% -14.6%
Median age 50 57
Median household income $71,500/yr
same for both
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+35% vs other
 $130/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
0-4 4.9% / —
Colac Colac — 0-4: 4.9% Thowgla Valley — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.8% / 12.9%
Colac Colac — 5-14: 9.8% Thowgla Valley — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 4.9% / 4.3%
Colac Colac — 15-19: 4.9% Thowgla Valley — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 — / 8.6%
Colac Colac — 20-24: not among its largest Thowgla Valley — 20-24: 8.6%
25-34 — / 8.6%
Colac Colac — 25-34: not among its largest Thowgla Valley — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 11.5% / 5.7%
Colac Colac — 35-44: 11.5% Thowgla Valley — 35-44: 5.7%
45-54 16.4% / 8.6%
Colac Colac — 45-54: 16.4% Thowgla Valley — 45-54: 8.6%
55-64 11.5% / 18.6%
Colac Colac — 55-64: 11.5% Thowgla Valley — 55-64: 18.6%
65-74 13.1% / 28.6%
Colac Colac — 65-74: 13.1% Thowgla Valley — 65-74: 28.6%
75-84 4.9% / 7.1%
Colac Colac — 75-84: 4.9% Thowgla Valley — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ — / —
Colac Colac — 85+: not among its largest Thowgla Valley — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.6%).

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% Colac Colac — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Thowgla Valley 57.9% couple families
Thowgla Valley — Couple Families: 57.9% Thowgla Valley — Lone Person: 21.1% Thowgla Valley — One Parent Families: 21.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

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%
Thowgla Valley 0.0% renting
Thowgla Valley — Owned Outright: 100.0% Thowgla Valley — Mortgage: 0.0% Thowgla Valley — Renting: 0.0%
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%
Thowgla Valley 100.0% houses
Thowgla Valley — Houses: 100.0% Thowgla Valley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 27.1%
Colac Colac — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Thowgla Valley — Certificate III & IV: 27.1%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 5.7%
Colac Colac — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Thowgla Valley — Bachelor Degree: 5.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 8.6%
Colac Colac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Thowgla Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.9% / —
Colac Colac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9% Thowgla Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

Zoning mix

Colac Colac has more rural and farming land (98% vs 46%).

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Rural and farming 98% 46%
Parks and recreation 1% 54%
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 Thowgla Valley
New dwellings approved 19
across Towong
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 17% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC

Liveability

Colac Colac Thowgla 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 21); Colac Colac carries more flood risk (81 vs 55).

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
97/100
Crime Moderate
67/100
 Low
21/100
Flood High
81/100
 Moderate
55/100
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 Thowgla 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 Thowgla Valley
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Thowgla Valley sits further from the CBD (454.7 km vs 438.5 km).

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 438.5 km 454.7 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 295 min 317 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 Thowgla Valley
Car (driver) 58.3% / 66.7%
Colac Colac — Car (driver): 58.3% Thowgla Valley — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 29.2% / 33.3%
Colac Colac — Worked from Home: 29.2% Thowgla Valley — Worked from Home: 33.3%
Walked Only 12.5% / —
Colac Colac — Walked Only: 12.5% Thowgla Valley — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).

Setting

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Elevation 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 414 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Connectivity score 29/100 22/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
25 premises
 0%
36 premises

Climate

Colac Colac Thowgla Valley
Annual rainfall 947 mm 1,406 mm
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C 16.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 2.9°C -4.1°C

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Colac Colac Thowgla 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

Thowgla Valley

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Thowgla Valley

Thowgla Valley vs Corryong Thowgla Valley vs Towong Thowgla Valley vs Nariel Valley Thowgla Valley vs Biggara
Full data on Colac Colac Full data on Thowgla 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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