Stonehaven vs Ceres
Ceres is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 44 in Stonehaven. 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, Stonehaven tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Ceres suits families with children.
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
Ceres
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 44/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 57%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Ceres
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 19%)
Weighs 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 $485/wk)
- But Stonehaven has a bigger rental market to choose from (19% vs 3%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Ceres
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Ceres
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 44/100)
- But Stonehaven has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 12%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Ceres
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.7% vs -2.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Stonehaven 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.
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
Ceres has more residents (266 vs 79); Stonehaven rents higher ($485/wk vs $250/wk).
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 79 | 266 +237% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.5% | +4.7% |
| Median age | 44 | 41 |
| Median household income | $143,000/yr | $162,500/yr +14% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $485/wk +48% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (5.6%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,131,250 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 96% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 2% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 1% |
| Residential | 0% | 1% |
| 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
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 186 across Golden Plains | 3,468 across Greater Geelong |
| Approvals change year on year | +10% | +56% |
Ranking within VIC
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 97% of VIC | Higher than 99% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 39% of VIC | Higher than 80% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 84% of VIC | Higher than 74% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 61% of VIC | Higher than 62% of VIC |
Liveability
Ceres is more walkable (21 vs 0).
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Ceres carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 17); Stonehaven carries more crime risk (44 vs 27).
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 17/100 | Low 33/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 44/100 | Low 27/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 48/100 | Moderate 67/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 2 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
| Universities within 10 km | None | 2 Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 7.9 km |
Schools in Stonehaven
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Ceres
- Ceres Primary School Government · Primary at peers
- Woodline Primary Independent · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 2 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 21/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 83.3 km | 82.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 64 min | 65 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.3% postcode 3218 | 0.9% postcode 3221 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 24 postcode 3218 | — 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.9%).
Setting
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 64 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 137 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 11.7 km | 7.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 35 premises | 0% 99 premises |
Climate
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.0 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 20.5 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,052/yr | $1,802/yr |
| Council | Golden Plains | Greater Geelong |
Federal electorate
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Corio | Corangamite |
| Member | Richard Marles | Libby Coker |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Stonehaven | Ceres | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Stonehaven
Ceres
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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.