Manifold Heights vs Newtown

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Newtown: a median of $1.1 million, against $890,000 in Manifold Heights, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Manifold Heights tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Newtown

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (15 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Manifold Heights

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($890,000 vs $1,100,000)
  • has cheaper units ($485,000 vs $552,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Manifold Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Manifold Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 81/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Manifold Heights is more walkable (89/100 vs 81/100)
  • Newtown carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 61/100)

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

Investors

Manifold Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.3% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Manifold Heights Newtown
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.

Manifold Heights Newtown
Walkability 89 / 81
Manifold Heights — Walkability: 89/100 Newtown — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 39 / 51
Manifold Heights — Safety: 39/100 Newtown — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 100 / 16
Manifold Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newtown — Low fire risk: 16/100
Low flood risk 85 / 21
Manifold Heights — Low flood risk: 85/100 Newtown — Low flood risk: 21/100

Demographics

Newtown has more residents (10,445 vs 2,681); Newtown rents higher ($360/wk vs $310/wk).

Manifold Heights Newtown
Population 2,681 10,445
+290% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.2% +2.9%
Median age 39 40
Median household income $94,640/yr $108,784/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk $360/wk
+16% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Manifold Heights Newtown
0-4 6.1% / 5.0%
Manifold Heights — 0-4: 6.1% Newtown — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 15.1% / 14.2%
Manifold Heights — 5-14: 15.1% Newtown — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 5.6% / 6.5%
Manifold Heights — 15-19: 5.6% Newtown — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 4.8% / 5.9%
Manifold Heights — 20-24: 4.8% Newtown — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 12.6% / 11.0%
Manifold Heights — 25-34: 12.6% Newtown — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 14.8% / 12.9%
Manifold Heights — 35-44: 14.8% Newtown — 35-44: 12.9%
45-54 13.1% / 14.0%
Manifold Heights — 45-54: 13.1% Newtown — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 13.2% / 12.9%
Manifold Heights — 55-64: 13.2% Newtown — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 8.8% / 10.1%
Manifold Heights — 65-74: 8.8% Newtown — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 4.3% / 5.6%
Manifold Heights — 75-84: 4.3% Newtown — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 1.6% / 1.9%
Manifold Heights — 85+: 1.6% Newtown — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Manifold Heights 43.1% couple families
Manifold Heights — Couple Families: 43.1% Manifold Heights — Lone Person: 40.9% Manifold Heights — One Parent Families: 11.1% Manifold Heights — Group Household: 3.7% Manifold Heights — Other Families: 1.2%
Newtown 44.0% couple families
Newtown — Couple Families: 44.0% Newtown — Lone Person: 38.7% Newtown — One Parent Families: 11.7% Newtown — Group Household: 4.9% Newtown — Other Families: 0.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Manifold Heights 32.1% renting
Manifold Heights — Owned Outright: 32.7% Manifold Heights — Mortgage: 35.2% Manifold Heights — Renting: 32.1%
Newtown 29.7% renting
Newtown — Owned Outright: 38.1% Newtown — Mortgage: 32.1% Newtown — Renting: 29.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Manifold Heights Newtown
Bachelor Degree 18.9% / 21.3%
Manifold Heights — Bachelor Degree: 18.9% Newtown — Bachelor Degree: 21.3%
Certificate III & IV 12.0% / 9.7%
Manifold Heights — Certificate III & IV: 12.0% Newtown — Certificate III & IV: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 8.6%
Manifold Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Newtown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 6.2% / 7.7%
Manifold Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2% Newtown — Postgraduate Degree: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 3.8%
Manifold Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Newtown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

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.

Manifold Heights Newtown
England 2.2% / 2.8%
Manifold Heights — England: 2.2% Newtown — England: 2.8%
India 1.7% / 1.3%
Manifold Heights — India: 1.7% Newtown — India: 1.3%
New Zealand 0.9% / 0.9%
Manifold Heights — New Zealand: 0.9% Newtown — New Zealand: 0.9%
Italy 0.7% / 0.5%
Manifold Heights — Italy: 0.7% Newtown — Italy: 0.5%
China — / 1.1%
Manifold Heights — China: not among its largest Newtown — China: 1.1%
Netherlands 0.4% / 0.5%
Manifold Heights — Netherlands: 0.4% Newtown — Netherlands: 0.5%
Nepal 0.6% / —
Manifold Heights — Nepal: 0.6% Newtown — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Manifold Heights 74.6% houses
Manifold Heights — Houses: 74.6% Manifold Heights — Townhouses: 13.8% Manifold Heights — Flats / Apartments: 11.7%
Newtown 77.0% houses
Newtown — Houses: 77.0% Newtown — Townhouses: 20.5% Newtown — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Manifold Heights Newtown
Median house price $890,000 $1,100,000
Median unit price $485,000 $552,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 10 sales
 31 days
from 93 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Manifold Heights Newtown
3 bed $868K / $995K
Manifold Heights — 3 bed: $868K (22 sales) Newtown — 3 bed: $995K (93 sales)

22 vs 93 sales

4 bed $1.16M / $1.4M
Manifold Heights — 4 bed: $1.16M (7 sales) Newtown — 4 bed: $1.4M (62 sales)

7 vs 62 sales

Zoning mix

Manifold Heights Newtown
Residential 94% 71%
Parks and recreation 2% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 6%
Commercial 2% 3%
Industrial 0% 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

Manifold Heights Newtown
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.

Manifold Heights Newtown
Houses 4.3%
$660/wk on $800K
 2.4%
$625/wk on $1.33M
Units — 3.9%
$435/wk on $585K

Ranking within VIC

Manifold Heights Newtown
House price Higher than 61% of VIC —
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 49% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 96% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 51% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 3% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 7% of VIC

Liveability

Manifold Heights scores higher overall (78 vs 51); Manifold Heights is more walkable (89 vs 81).

Manifold Heights Newtown
Grade A B
Score 78/100 51/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Newtown carries more bushfire risk (84 vs 0); Newtown carries more flood risk (79 vs 15).

Manifold Heights Newtown
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
84/100
Crime Moderate
61/100
 Moderate
49/100
Flood Low
15/100
 High
79/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Manifold Heights Newtown
Inside the suburb 1 10
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 3
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 2.8 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.9% 2.9%

Schools in Manifold Heights

  • Manifold Heights Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Newtown

  • Fyans Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Robert's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Chilwell Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Newtown Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Sacred Heart College Catholic · Secondary below peers
  • St Joseph's College Geelong Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Manifold Heights Newtown
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 2 19
Parks & reserves 2 18
Childcare 2 15
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 2 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Manifold Heights Newtown
Walkability score 89/100 81/100
Distance to Melbourne 76.2 km 77.8 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 63 min 66 min
Public transport score 75/100
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 39.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 98.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 3218
 1.9%
postcode 3220
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 24
postcode 3218
 24
postcode 3220

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.

Manifold Heights Newtown
Car (driver) 62.6% / 58.6%
Manifold Heights — Car (driver): 62.6% Newtown — Car (driver): 58.6%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 29.2%
Manifold Heights — Worked from Home: 26.5% Newtown — Worked from Home: 29.2%
Walked Only 3.4% / 5.1%
Manifold Heights — Walked Only: 3.4% Newtown — Walked Only: 5.1%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 4.0%
Manifold Heights — Car (passenger): 4.2% Newtown — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Bicycle 1.1% / 1.4%
Manifold Heights — Bicycle: 1.1% Newtown — Bicycle: 1.4%
Bus 1.1% / 0.8%
Manifold Heights — Bus: 1.1% Newtown — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.6%).

Setting

Manifold Heights Newtown
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.9 km
3.3 km to a named beach
 2.5 km
3.1 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Manifold Heights Newtown
Connectivity score 77/100 81/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
1,290 premises
 53%
5,473 premises

Climate

Manifold Heights Newtown
Annual rainfall 454 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Manifold Heights Newtown
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Manifold Heights Newtown
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Manifold Heights Newtown
Division Corio
same for both
Member Richard Marles
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Manifold Heights Newtown
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Manifold Heights

Coastal Parks

Newtown

Coastal Parks Professionals Regional Centre Townhouses Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Manifold Heights

Manifold Heights vs Geelong West Manifold Heights vs Hamlyn Heights Manifold Heights vs Herne Hill

Other comparisons with Newtown

Newtown vs Highton Newtown vs Belmont Newtown vs Geelong West Newtown vs Geelong Newtown vs Herne Hill Newtown vs Fyansford
Full data on Manifold Heights Full data on Newtown
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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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