Waurn Ponds vs Barrabool

Waurn Ponds is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 44 in Barrabool. 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, Waurn Ponds tends to suit young adults.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Waurn Ponds has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • Barrabool carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 58/100)

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

Barrabool

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($301/wk vs $430/wk)
  • But Waurn Ponds has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 9%)

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

Commuting to the city

Waurn Ponds

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Waurn Ponds is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)
  • Barrabool carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 58/100)

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

Investors

Barrabool

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.1% vs -1.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
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.

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Walkability 18 / 0
Waurn Ponds — Walkability: 18/100 Barrabool — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 42 / 88
Waurn Ponds — Safety: 42/100 Barrabool — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 69 / 100
Waurn Ponds — Low fire risk: 69/100 Barrabool — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 67 / 41
Waurn Ponds — Low flood risk: 67/100 Barrabool — Low flood risk: 41/100

Demographics

Waurn Ponds has more residents (4,956 vs 247); Barrabool skews older (44 vs 27).

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Population 4,956
+95% vs other
 247
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.8% +5.1%
Median age 27 44
Median household income $118,872/yr $133,224/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+30% vs other
 $301/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
0-4 3.9% / 6.5%
Waurn Ponds — 0-4: 3.9% Barrabool — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 12.2% / 9.3%
Waurn Ponds — 5-14: 12.2% Barrabool — 5-14: 9.3%
15-19 13.0% / 9.3%
Waurn Ponds — 15-19: 13.0% Barrabool — 15-19: 9.3%
20-24 16.5% / 2.8%
Waurn Ponds — 20-24: 16.5% Barrabool — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 12.1% / 8.9%
Waurn Ponds — 25-34: 12.1% Barrabool — 25-34: 8.9%
35-44 10.5% / 13.0%
Waurn Ponds — 35-44: 10.5% Barrabool — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 13.4% / 12.1%
Waurn Ponds — 45-54: 13.4% Barrabool — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 8.5% / 17.0%
Waurn Ponds — 55-64: 8.5% Barrabool — 55-64: 17.0%
65-74 6.1% / 12.6%
Waurn Ponds — 65-74: 6.1% Barrabool — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 3.1% / 3.6%
Waurn Ponds — 75-84: 3.1% Barrabool — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ 0.5% / 1.2%
Waurn Ponds — 85+: 0.5% Barrabool — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Waurn Ponds 61.0% couple families
Waurn Ponds — Couple Families: 61.0% Waurn Ponds — Lone Person: 19.2% Waurn Ponds — One Parent Families: 12.6% Waurn Ponds — Group Household: 6.0% Waurn Ponds — Other Families: 1.1%
Barrabool 64.7% couple families
Barrabool — Couple Families: 64.7% Barrabool — Lone Person: 25.5% Barrabool — One Parent Families: 9.8% Barrabool — Group Household: 0.0% Barrabool — 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.

Waurn Ponds 21.3% renting
Waurn Ponds — Owned Outright: 34.7% Waurn Ponds — Mortgage: 44.0% Waurn Ponds — Renting: 21.3%
Barrabool 9.4% renting
Barrabool — Owned Outright: 49.4% Barrabool — Mortgage: 41.2% Barrabool — Renting: 9.4%
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.

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
England 2.9% / 1.6%
Waurn Ponds — England: 2.9% Barrabool — England: 1.6%
India 4.0% / —
Waurn Ponds — India: 4.0% Barrabool — India: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.6%
Waurn Ponds — New Zealand: 0.8% Barrabool — New Zealand: 1.6%
China 1.4% / —
Waurn Ponds — China: 1.4% Barrabool — China: not among its largest
Sri Lanka 1.4% / —
Waurn Ponds — Sri Lanka: 1.4% Barrabool — Sri Lanka: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

Qualifications

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

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 17.8%
Waurn Ponds — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Barrabool — Bachelor Degree: 17.8%
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 13.0%
Waurn Ponds — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Barrabool — Certificate III & IV: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 6.9%
Waurn Ponds — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Barrabool — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 3.2%
Waurn Ponds — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Barrabool — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 4.5%
Waurn Ponds — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Barrabool — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Waurn Ponds 97.6% houses
Waurn Ponds — Houses: 97.6% Waurn Ponds — Townhouses: 2.4%
Barrabool 100.0% houses
Barrabool — Houses: 100.0% Barrabool — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Median house price $790,000 —
Median unit price $510,000 —
Median land price $638,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 58 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Barrabool has more rural and farming land (99% vs 75%).

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Rural and farming 75% 99%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 1%
Residential 8% 0%
Other and special use 2% 0%
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

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
 300
across Surf Coast
Approvals change year on year +56% +57%

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.

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Houses 3.7%
$610/wk on $855K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
House price Higher than 48% of VIC —
Income Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 89% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC —

Liveability

Waurn Ponds is more walkable (18 vs 0).

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Grade B —
Score 55/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Waurn Ponds carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0); Waurn Ponds carries more crime risk (58 vs 12).

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Bushfire Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Low
33/100
 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

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 9.6 km
 None

Schools in Waurn Ponds

  • Christian College Geelong - Senior School – Waurn Ponds Independent · Combined

Schools in Barrabool

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 5 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 14 2

Mobility

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Walkability score 18/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 87.9 km
+2% vs other
 86.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 67 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.

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Car (driver) 70.2% / 68.5%
Waurn Ponds — Car (driver): 70.2% Barrabool — Car (driver): 68.5%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 27.0%
Waurn Ponds — Worked from Home: 19.7% Barrabool — Worked from Home: 27.0%
Walked Only 1.4% / 4.5%
Waurn Ponds — Walked Only: 1.4% Barrabool — Walked Only: 4.5%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / —
Waurn Ponds — Car (passenger): 4.8% Barrabool — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 2.2% / —
Waurn Ponds — Bus: 2.2% Barrabool — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.2%).

Setting

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Elevation 104 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 146 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.1 km 11.8 km

NBN connectivity

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Connectivity score 70/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
1,552 premises
 0%
91 premises

Climate

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
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)

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Average residential rate $1,802/yr $2,314/yr
Council Greater Geelong Surf Coast

Federal electorate

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Division Corangamite Wannon
Member Libby Coker Dan Tehan
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Waurn Ponds Barrabool
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Waurn Ponds

Acreage River Students

Barrabool

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Waurn Ponds

Waurn Ponds vs Highton Waurn Ponds vs Grovedale Waurn Ponds vs Mount Duneed Waurn Ponds vs Wandana Heights Waurn Ponds vs Freshwater Creek Waurn Ponds vs Ceres

Other comparisons with Barrabool

Barrabool vs Fyansford Barrabool vs Gnarwarre Barrabool vs Ceres Barrabool vs Mount Moriac Barrabool vs Stonehaven
Full data on Waurn Ponds Full data on Barrabool
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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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