Ombersley vs Irrewarra
Ombersley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 47 in Irrewarra. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ombersley, most households are couple families. In Irrewarra, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Ombersley tends to suit young adults and couples, while Irrewarra suits people living alone and older residents.
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
Ombersley
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 51/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 57%)
- But Irrewarra has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
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
Irrewarra
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($238/wk vs $425/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
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
- Ombersley sits closer to the CBD (134.8 km vs 150.9 km)
- Irrewarra has a shorter drive in (111 min vs 118 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Ombersley carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 51/100)
- Irrewarra has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 15%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Irrewarra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (5.8% vs -4.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Ombersley and Irrewarra drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Irrewarra has more residents (365 vs 93); Ombersley rents higher ($425/wk vs $238/wk).
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 93 | 365 +292% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.1% | +5.8% |
| Median age | 35 | 47 |
| Median household income | $93,184/yr +12% vs other | $82,316/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $425/wk +44% vs other | $238/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 92% |
| Parks and recreation | 4% | 6% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 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
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 226 across Colac Otway same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +64% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 63% of VIC | Higher than 50% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of VIC | Higher than 21% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 47% of VIC | Higher than 4% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 18% of VIC | Higher than 55% of VIC |
Liveability
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Ombersley carries more bushfire risk (26 vs 0); Irrewarra carries more crime risk (51 vs 10).
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 26/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 10/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 61/100 | High 74/100 |
| 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
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 4 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 9 | 3 |
Mobility
Irrewarra sits further from the CBD (150.9 km vs 134.8 km).
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 134.8 km | 150.9 km +12% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 118 min | 111 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 3241 | 0.1% postcode 3249 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 3241 | 39 postcode 3249 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).
Setting
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 116 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 117 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 36.3 km | 38.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 20/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 25 premises | 1% 185 premises |
Climate
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 607 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,023/yr same for both | |
| Council | Colac Otway same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Ombersley | Irrewarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Ombersley
Other comparisons with Irrewarra
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.