Freshwater Creek vs Moriac

Moriac is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 45 in Freshwater Creek. 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, Freshwater Creek tends to suit older residents, while Moriac 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

Moriac

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 57/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 74%)

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

First-home buyers

Moriac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Freshwater Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (15% vs 4%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $410/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Freshwater Creek sits closer to the CBD (96.1 km vs 99 km)
  • Moriac is more walkable (51/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Moriac

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (51/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Freshwater Creek has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Freshwater Creek Moriac
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.

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Walkability 0 / 51
Freshwater Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Moriac — Walkability: 51/100
Safety 43 / 88
Freshwater Creek — Safety: 43/100 Moriac — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Freshwater Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Moriac — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 47 / 41
Freshwater Creek — Low flood risk: 47/100 Moriac — Low flood risk: 41/100

Demographics

Moriac has more residents (852 vs 454); Moriac rents higher ($410/wk vs $300/wk).

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Population 454 852
+88% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.7% +9.0%
Median age 45 38
Median household income $108,524/yr $129,272/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $410/wk
+37% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Creek Moriac
0-4 3.7% / 7.0%
Freshwater Creek — 0-4: 3.7% Moriac — 0-4: 7.0%
5-14 14.3% / 18.4%
Freshwater Creek — 5-14: 14.3% Moriac — 5-14: 18.4%
15-19 8.6% / 5.8%
Freshwater Creek — 15-19: 8.6% Moriac — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 3.7% / 4.3%
Freshwater Creek — 20-24: 3.7% Moriac — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 6.6% / 8.1%
Freshwater Creek — 25-34: 6.6% Moriac — 25-34: 8.1%
35-44 12.1% / 17.7%
Freshwater Creek — 35-44: 12.1% Moriac — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 16.5% / 14.8%
Freshwater Creek — 45-54: 16.5% Moriac — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 13.0% / 11.0%
Freshwater Creek — 55-64: 13.0% Moriac — 55-64: 11.0%
65-74 14.5% / 8.7%
Freshwater Creek — 65-74: 14.5% Moriac — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 6.2% / 3.1%
Freshwater Creek — 75-84: 6.2% Moriac — 75-84: 3.1%
85+ 2.0% / 0.8%
Freshwater Creek — 85+: 2.0% Moriac — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Creek 61.4% couple families
Freshwater Creek — Couple Families: 61.4% Freshwater Creek — Lone Person: 25.7% Freshwater Creek — One Parent Families: 12.9% Freshwater Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Moriac 76.6% couple families
Moriac — Couple Families: 76.6% Moriac — Lone Person: 14.7% Moriac — One Parent Families: 6.1% Moriac — Group Household: 2.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Creek 14.8% renting
Freshwater Creek — Owned Outright: 51.7% Freshwater Creek — Mortgage: 33.6% Freshwater Creek — Renting: 14.8%
Moriac 4.5% renting
Moriac — Owned Outright: 40.2% Moriac — Mortgage: 55.3% Moriac — Renting: 4.5%
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.

Freshwater Creek Moriac
England 3.3% / 3.4%
Freshwater Creek — England: 3.3% Moriac — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 1.3% / —
Freshwater Creek — New Zealand: 1.3% Moriac — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Freshwater Creek — Scotland: 0.7% Moriac — Scotland: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Freshwater Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Moriac — Netherlands: 0.7%
Italy — / 0.4%
Freshwater Creek — Italy: not among its largest Moriac — Italy: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

Qualifications

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

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Bachelor Degree 16.3% / 14.6%
Freshwater Creek — Bachelor Degree: 16.3% Moriac — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Certificate III & IV 13.2% / 16.7%
Freshwater Creek — Certificate III & IV: 13.2% Moriac — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 10.7%
Freshwater Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Moriac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.7%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 3.5%
Freshwater Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Moriac — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.9%
Freshwater Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Moriac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Creek 94.2% houses
Freshwater Creek — Houses: 94.2% Freshwater Creek — Flats / Apartments: 5.8%
Moriac 100.0% houses
Moriac — Houses: 100.0% Moriac — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Median house price — $901,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Rural and farming 99% 90%
Residential 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
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

Freshwater Creek Moriac
New dwellings approved 300
across Surf Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +57%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Freshwater Creek Moriac
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC

Liveability

Moriac is more walkable (51 vs 0).

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Grade — A
Score — 74/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Freshwater Creek carries more crime risk (57 vs 12).

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Moderate
53/100
 Moderate
59/100
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

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Freshwater Creek

  • Freshwater Creek Steiner School Independent · Primary below peers

Schools in Moriac

  • Moriac Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 1
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 27 5

Mobility

Moriac sits further from the CBD (99 km vs 96.1 km).

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Walkability score 0/100 51/100
Distance to Melbourne 96.1 km 99 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 75 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3217
 1.6%
postcode 3240
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 3217
 62
postcode 3240

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.

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Car (driver) 58.3% / 68.6%
Freshwater Creek — Car (driver): 58.3% Moriac — Car (driver): 68.6%
Worked from Home 33.3% / 25.9%
Freshwater Creek — Worked from Home: 33.3% Moriac — Worked from Home: 25.9%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 3.0%
Freshwater Creek — Car (passenger): 3.4% Moriac — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Walked Only 3.4% / 2.5%
Freshwater Creek — Walked Only: 3.4% Moriac — Walked Only: 2.5%
Bicycle 1.5% / —
Freshwater Creek — Bicycle: 1.5% Moriac — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.6%).

Setting

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 93 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 16.0 km

NBN connectivity

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
183 premises
 0%
311 premises

Climate

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Annual rainfall 599 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Freshwater Creek Moriac
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Average residential rate $2,314/yr
same for both
Council Surf Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Freshwater Creek Moriac
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Freshwater Creek

Rural

Moriac

Acreage Family Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Freshwater Creek

Freshwater Creek vs Torquay Freshwater Creek vs Mount Duneed Freshwater Creek vs Waurn Ponds Freshwater Creek vs Bellbrae Freshwater Creek vs Mount Moriac Freshwater Creek vs Paraparap

Other comparisons with Moriac

Moriac vs Modewarre Moriac vs Mount Moriac Moriac vs Paraparap
Full data on Freshwater Creek Full data on Moriac
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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