Colac East vs Colac

In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Colac East tends to suit young adults.

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

Colac

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (20 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (10 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 0)

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

Colac East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $260/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Colac East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (108 min vs 115 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Colac East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (27% vs 14%)
  • Colac has more GPs (5 vs 0)

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

Investors

Colac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.2% vs -22.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Colac East and Colac 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 East Colac
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 East Colac
Walkability 4 / 4
Colac East — Walkability: 4/100 Colac — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 14 / 17
Colac East — Safety: 14/100 Colac — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Colac East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Colac — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 82 / 1
Colac East — Low flood risk: 82/100 Colac — Low flood risk: 1/100

Demographics

Colac has more residents (9,243 vs 168); Colac East has higher household incomes ($80,132 vs $57,616).

Colac East Colac
Population 168 9,243
+5402% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -22.6% +2.2%
Median age 46 44
Median household income $80,132/yr
+28% vs other
 $57,616/yr
Median weekly rent $230/wk $260/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Colac East Colac
0-4 1.8% / 5.4%
Colac East — 0-4: 1.8% Colac — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 4.2% / 10.7%
Colac East — 5-14: 4.2% Colac — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 — / 5.0%
Colac East — 15-19: not among its largest Colac — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 4.8% / 5.4%
Colac East — 20-24: 4.8% Colac — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 24.4% / 13.8%
Colac East — 25-34: 24.4% Colac — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 6.0% / 10.6%
Colac East — 35-44: 6.0% Colac — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 6.5% / 11.2%
Colac East — 45-54: 6.5% Colac — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 16.1% / 11.8%
Colac East — 55-64: 16.1% Colac — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 16.7% / 12.6%
Colac East — 65-74: 16.7% Colac — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 8.3% / 9.0%
Colac East — 75-84: 8.3% Colac — 75-84: 9.0%
85+ 1.8% / 4.8%
Colac East — 85+: 1.8% Colac — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Colac East 46.9% lone person
Colac East — Lone Person: 46.9% Colac East — Couple Families: 25.0% Colac East — One Parent Families: 9.4% Colac East — Group Household: 9.4% Colac East — Other Families: 9.4%
Colac 51.2% lone person
Colac — Lone Person: 51.2% Colac — Couple Families: 25.5% Colac — One Parent Families: 15.5% Colac — Group Household: 5.8% Colac — 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.

Colac East 36.9% renting
Colac East — Owned Outright: 44.6% Colac East — Mortgage: 18.5% Colac East — Renting: 36.9%
Colac 31.3% renting
Colac — Owned Outright: 39.8% Colac — Mortgage: 28.8% Colac — Renting: 31.3%
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.

Colac East Colac
Taiwan 9.5% / 1.3%
Colac East — Taiwan: 9.5% Colac — Taiwan: 1.3%
China 3.6% / 1.5%
Colac East — China: 3.6% Colac — China: 1.5%
England — / 1.4%
Colac East — England: not among its largest Colac — England: 1.4%
New Zealand — / 1.0%
Colac East — New Zealand: not among its largest Colac — New Zealand: 1.0%
India — / 0.6%
Colac East — India: not among its largest Colac — India: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

Qualifications

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

Colac East Colac
Certificate III & IV 13.7% / 17.1%
Colac East — Certificate III & IV: 13.7% Colac — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Bachelor Degree 10.7% / 6.4%
Colac East — Bachelor Degree: 10.7% Colac — Bachelor Degree: 6.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 5.8%
Colac East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Colac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 0.9%
Colac East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Colac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.4%
Colac East — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Colac — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Colac East 72.7% houses
Colac East — Houses: 72.7% Colac East — Townhouses: 21.2% Colac East — Flats / Apartments: 6.1%
Colac 85.9% houses
Colac — Houses: 85.9% Colac — Townhouses: 12.6% Colac — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Colac East Colac
Median house price — $500,000
Median unit price — $415,000
Median land price — $260,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 36 days
from 112 sales

Zoning mix

Colac East has more rural and farming land (41% vs 2%); Colac East has more industrially zoned land (30% vs 1%).

Colac East Colac
Parks and recreation 0% 78%
Rural and farming 41% 2%
Industrial 30% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 22% 2%
Residential 1% 16%
Other and special use 4% 0%
Commercial 2% 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

Colac East Colac
New dwellings approved 226
across Colac Otway
same for both
Approvals change year on year +64%
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.

Colac East Colac
Houses — 5.7%
$575/wk on $525K
Units — 4.6%
$405/wk on $455K

Ranking within VIC

Colac East Colac
House price — Higher than 11% of VIC
Income Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 65% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 69% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 28% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 100% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 40% of VIC

Liveability

Colac East Colac
Grade — D
Score — 27/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Colac carries more flood risk (99 vs 18).

Colac East Colac
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 High
83/100
Flood Low
18/100
 High
99/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Colac East Colac
Inside the suburb 0 9
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Colac East

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

Schools in Colac

  • Colac Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Trinity College Colac Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Colac Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Colac South West Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Colac West Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Colac East Colac
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 13
Parks & reserves 0 20
Childcare 0 10
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 7
Fuel stations 1 4
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Colac East Colac
Walkability score 4/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 150 km 151.9 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 108 min 115 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3250
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3250
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 East Colac
Car (driver) 62.5% / 78.1%
Colac East — Car (driver): 62.5% Colac — Car (driver): 78.1%
Walked Only 15.0% / 6.0%
Colac East — Walked Only: 15.0% Colac — Walked Only: 6.0%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 6.5%
Colac East — Worked from Home: 12.5% Colac — Worked from Home: 6.5%
Car (passenger) 10.0% / 8.3%
Colac East — Car (passenger): 10.0% Colac — Car (passenger): 8.3%
Bicycle — / 0.9%
Colac East — Bicycle: not among its largest Colac — Bicycle: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.1%).

Setting

Colac East Colac
Elevation 155 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 115 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.5 km 41.6 km

NBN connectivity

Colac East Colac
Connectivity score 69/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
194 premises
 40%
5,207 premises

Climate

Colac East Colac
Annual rainfall 607 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Colac East Colac
Average residential rate $2,023/yr
same for both
Council Colac Otway
same for both

Federal electorate

Colac East Colac
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Colac East

Quiet Retirees Rural Townhouses

Colac

Affordable Regional Centre Retirees

More comparisons

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Colac East vs Elliminyt Colac East vs Irrewarra Colac East vs Yeo

Other comparisons with Colac

Colac vs Elliminyt Colac vs Irrewarra Colac vs Cororooke Colac vs Ondit Colac vs Colac West Colac vs Balintore
Full data on Colac East Full data on Colac
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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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