Highton vs Ceres

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Highton, about half of households are couple families. In Ceres, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ceres: a median of $1.13 million, against $900,000 in Highton, though rent is higher in Highton. On these figures, Highton tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Ceres 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

Highton

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (13 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)
  • But Ceres is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 62%)

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

  • Highton has cheaper houses ($900,000 vs $1,131,250)
  • Ceres leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 22%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ceres

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $360/wk)
  • But Highton has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 3%)

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

Commuting to the city

Highton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (76/100 vs 21/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Highton

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (76/100 vs 21/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 12%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Highton Ceres
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.

Highton Ceres
Walkability 76 / 21
Highton — Walkability: 76/100 Ceres — Walkability: 21/100
Safety 73 / 73
Highton — Safety: 73/100 Ceres — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 100 / 67
Highton — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ceres — Low fire risk: 67/100
Low flood risk 42 / 33
Highton — Low flood risk: 42/100 Ceres — Low flood risk: 33/100

Demographics

Highton has more residents (20,736 vs 266); Ceres has higher household incomes ($162,500 vs $106,808).

Highton Ceres
Population 20,736
+99% vs other
 266
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.4% +4.7%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $106,808/yr $162,500/yr
+52% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+31% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Highton Ceres
0-4 5.3% / 4.9%
Highton — 0-4: 5.3% Ceres — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 13.5% / 20.7%
Highton — 5-14: 13.5% Ceres — 5-14: 20.7%
15-19 6.1% / 7.1%
Highton — 15-19: 6.1% Ceres — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 7.3% / 4.1%
Highton — 20-24: 7.3% Ceres — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 12.0% / 6.0%
Highton — 25-34: 12.0% Ceres — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 13.2% / 10.9%
Highton — 35-44: 13.2% Ceres — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 12.9% / 17.7%
Highton — 45-54: 12.9% Ceres — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 11.4% / 15.4%
Highton — 55-64: 11.4% Ceres — 55-64: 15.4%
65-74 9.8% / 7.9%
Highton — 65-74: 9.8% Ceres — 65-74: 7.9%
75-84 6.4% / 3.0%
Highton — 75-84: 6.4% Ceres — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 2.1% / 1.5%
Highton — 85+: 2.1% Ceres — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Highton 50.6% couple families
Highton — Couple Families: 50.6% Highton — Lone Person: 32.2% Highton — One Parent Families: 11.2% Highton — Group Household: 5.1% Highton — Other Families: 0.9%
Ceres 66.2% couple families
Ceres — Couple Families: 66.2% Ceres — Lone Person: 27.7% Ceres — One Parent Families: 6.2% Ceres — Group Household: 0.0% Ceres — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Highton 21.8% renting
Highton — Owned Outright: 39.3% Highton — Mortgage: 39.0% Highton — Renting: 21.8%
Ceres 3.3% renting
Ceres — Owned Outright: 51.1% Ceres — Mortgage: 45.6% Ceres — Renting: 3.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Highton Ceres
Bachelor Degree 19.2% / 27.1%
Highton — Bachelor Degree: 19.2% Ceres — Bachelor Degree: 27.1%
Certificate III & IV 11.4% / 7.9%
Highton — Certificate III & IV: 11.4% Ceres — Certificate III & IV: 7.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 6.0%
Highton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Ceres — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 6.8% / 5.3%
Highton — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8% Ceres — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 4.9%
Highton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Ceres — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.9%

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

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.

Highton Ceres
England 3.4% / 5.6%
Highton — England: 3.4% Ceres — England: 5.6%
India 2.4% / —
Highton — India: 2.4% Ceres — India: not among its largest
China 1.5% / —
Highton — China: 1.5% Ceres — China: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Highton — New Zealand: 1.1% Ceres — New Zealand: not among its largest
Singapore — / 1.1%
Highton — Singapore: not among its largest Ceres — Singapore: 1.1%
South Africa 0.8% / —
Highton — South Africa: 0.8% Ceres — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Highton 87.3% houses
Highton — Houses: 87.3% Highton — Townhouses: 12.4% Highton — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Ceres 96.6% houses
Ceres — Houses: 96.6% Ceres — Townhouses: 0.0% Ceres — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Highton Ceres
Median house price $900,000 $1,131,250
Median unit price $500,000 —
Median land price $456,250 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 218 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Ceres has more rural and farming land (96% vs 0%).

Highton Ceres
Rural and farming 0% 96%
Residential 76% 1%
Parks and recreation 12% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 2%
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

Highton Ceres
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +56%
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.

Highton Ceres
Houses 3.2%
$618/wk on $1M
 —
Units 4.2%
$450/wk on $555K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Highton Ceres
House price Higher than 62% of VIC —
Income Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Schools Higher than 11% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 64% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 16% of VIC —

Liveability

Highton is more walkable (76 vs 21).

Highton Ceres
Grade B —
Score 60/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Ceres carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0).

Highton Ceres
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Low
27/100
same for both
Flood Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
67/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Highton Ceres
Inside the suburb 5 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 5.0 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 7.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.7% 3.8%

Schools in Highton

  • Bellaire Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Highton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Montpellier Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Christian College Geelong - Junior School – Belmont Independent · Combined
  • Christian College Geelong - Middle School – Highton Independent · Combined

Schools in Ceres

  • Ceres Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Woodline Primary Independent · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Highton Ceres
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 8 0
Parks & reserves 22 2
Childcare 13 1
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 17 0

Mobility

Highton Ceres
Walkability score 76/100 21/100
Distance to Melbourne 82.2 km 82.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 64 min 65 min
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3216
 0.9%
postcode 3221
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3216
 —
postcode 3221

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.

Highton Ceres
Car (driver) 64.6% / 60.9%
Highton — Car (driver): 64.6% Ceres — Car (driver): 60.9%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 32.0%
Highton — Worked from Home: 27.0% Ceres — Worked from Home: 32.0%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 7.0%
Highton — Car (passenger): 4.6% Ceres — Car (passenger): 7.0%
Walked Only 1.3% / —
Highton — Walked Only: 1.3% Ceres — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 1.0% / —
Highton — Bus: 1.0% Ceres — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.6%).

Setting

Highton Ceres
Elevation 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 137 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.3 km 7.9 km

NBN connectivity

Highton Ceres
Connectivity score 76/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 56%
9,304 premises
 0%
99 premises

Climate

Highton Ceres
Annual rainfall — 454 mm
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C 26.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C 5.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Highton Ceres
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Highton Ceres
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Highton Ceres
Division Corio Corangamite
Member Richard Marles Libby Coker
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Highton Ceres
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Highton

Parks Professionals Regional Centre

Ceres

Family Professionals Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Highton

Highton vs Belmont Highton vs Grovedale Highton vs Newtown Highton vs Waurn Ponds Highton vs Wandana Heights Highton vs Fyansford

Other comparisons with Ceres

Ceres vs Waurn Ponds Ceres vs Wandana Heights Ceres vs Fyansford Ceres vs Barrabool Ceres vs Stonehaven
Full data on Highton Full data on Ceres
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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