Colac vs Cororooke

Cororooke is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 44 in Colac. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Colac, about half of households are people living alone. In Cororooke, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cororooke: a median of $581,000, against $500,000 in Colac, though rent is higher in Colac. On these figures, Colac tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Cororooke suits families with children and couples.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Colac has more parks and reserves (20 vs 1)
  • Cororooke carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 83/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Colac has cheaper houses ($500,000 vs $581,000)
  • Cororooke leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cororooke

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $260/wk)
  • But Colac has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

Colac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (151.9 km vs 160.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (115 min vs 120 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Colac

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (14% vs 2%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 10%)
  • But Cororooke carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 83/100)

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

Investors

Cororooke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.5% vs 2.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Colac and Cororooke 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 Cororooke
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 Cororooke
Walkability 4 / 0
Colac — Walkability: 4/100 Cororooke — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 17 / 85
Colac — Safety: 17/100 Cororooke — Safety: 85/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Colac — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cororooke — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 1 / 67
Colac — Low flood risk: 1/100 Cororooke — Low flood risk: 67/100

Demographics

Colac has more residents (9,243 vs 358); Cororooke has higher household incomes ($77,220 vs $57,616).

Colac Cororooke
Population 9,243
+96% vs other
 358
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.2% +15.5%
Median age 44 33
Median household income $57,616/yr $77,220/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk
+12% vs other
 $230/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Colac Cororooke
0-4 5.4% / 6.1%
Colac — 0-4: 5.4% Cororooke — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 10.7% / 16.8%
Colac — 5-14: 10.7% Cororooke — 5-14: 16.8%
15-19 5.0% / 7.3%
Colac — 15-19: 5.0% Cororooke — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 5.4% / 4.7%
Colac — 20-24: 5.4% Cororooke — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 13.8% / 14.8%
Colac — 25-34: 13.8% Cororooke — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 10.6% / 12.3%
Colac — 35-44: 10.6% Cororooke — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 11.2% / 10.1%
Colac — 45-54: 11.2% Cororooke — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 11.8% / 15.4%
Colac — 55-64: 11.8% Cororooke — 55-64: 15.4%
65-74 12.6% / 6.1%
Colac — 65-74: 12.6% Cororooke — 65-74: 6.1%
75-84 9.0% / 3.9%
Colac — 75-84: 9.0% Cororooke — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 4.8% / —
Colac — 85+: 4.8% Cororooke — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Cororooke 37.0% lone person
Cororooke — Lone Person: 37.0% Cororooke — Couple Families: 45.7% Cororooke — One Parent Families: 17.3% Cororooke — Group Household: 0.0% Cororooke — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Colac 31.3% renting
Colac — Owned Outright: 39.8% Colac — Mortgage: 28.8% Colac — Renting: 31.3%
Cororooke 12.5% renting
Cororooke — Owned Outright: 31.2% Cororooke — Mortgage: 56.2% Cororooke — Renting: 12.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Colac Cororooke
Certificate III & IV 17.1% / 20.4%
Colac — Certificate III & IV: 17.1% Cororooke — Certificate III & IV: 20.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 6.4%
Colac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Cororooke — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 5.0%
Colac — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Cororooke — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 2.2%
Colac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Cororooke — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 0.8%
Colac — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Cororooke — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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 Cororooke
England 1.4% / 1.7%
Colac — England: 1.4% Cororooke — England: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.1%
Colac — New Zealand: 1.0% Cororooke — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 1.5% / —
Colac — China: 1.5% Cororooke — China: not among its largest
Taiwan 1.3% / —
Colac — Taiwan: 1.3% Cororooke — Taiwan: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 1.1%
Colac — Vietnam: not among its largest Cororooke — Vietnam: 1.1%
India 0.6% / —
Colac — India: 0.6% Cororooke — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Colac 85.9% houses
Colac — Houses: 85.9% Colac — Townhouses: 12.6% Colac — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Cororooke 97.5% houses
Cororooke — Houses: 97.5% Cororooke — Townhouses: 0.0% Cororooke — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Colac Cororooke
Median house price $500,000 $581,000
Median unit price $415,000 —
Median land price $260,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 112 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cororooke has more rural and farming land (97% vs 2%).

Colac Cororooke
Rural and farming 2% 97%
Parks and recreation 78% 1%
Residential 16% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Commercial 1% 0%
Industrial 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 Cororooke
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 Cororooke
Houses 5.7%
$575/wk on $525K
 —
Units 4.6%
$405/wk on $455K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Colac Cororooke
House price Higher than 11% of VIC —
Income Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
Schools Higher than 65% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 69% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 28% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 100% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 40% of VIC —

Liveability

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

Risk profile

Colac carries more crime risk (83 vs 15); Colac carries more flood risk (99 vs 33).

Colac Cororooke
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
83/100
 Low
15/100
Flood High
99/100
 Low
33/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

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

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

Schools in Cororooke

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

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Cororooke sits further from the CBD (160.5 km vs 151.9 km).

Colac Cororooke
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 151.9 km 160.5 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 120 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3250
 0.0%
postcode 3254
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3250
 55
postcode 3254

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 Cororooke
Car (driver) 78.1% / 83.1%
Colac — Car (driver): 78.1% Cororooke — Car (driver): 83.1%
Worked from Home 6.5% / 7.4%
Colac — Worked from Home: 6.5% Cororooke — Worked from Home: 7.4%
Car (passenger) 8.3% / 4.7%
Colac — Car (passenger): 8.3% Cororooke — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only 6.0% / 4.7%
Colac — Walked Only: 6.0% Cororooke — Walked Only: 4.7%
Bicycle 0.9% / —
Colac — Bicycle: 0.9% Cororooke — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.1%).

Setting

Colac Cororooke
Elevation 115 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 125 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 41.6 km 47.3 km

NBN connectivity

Colac Cororooke
Connectivity score 67/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
5,207 premises
 0%
147 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Colac

Affordable Regional Centre Retirees

Cororooke

Acreage Family

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Colac

Colac vs Elliminyt Colac vs Irrewarra Colac vs Colac East Colac vs Ondit Colac vs Colac West Colac vs Balintore

Other comparisons with Cororooke

Cororooke vs Larpent Cororooke vs Coragulac Cororooke vs Corunnun Cororooke vs Colac West Cororooke vs Balintore
Full data on Colac Full data on Cororooke
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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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