Waurn Ponds vs Mount Duneed

Waurn Ponds is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 32 in Mount Duneed. 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, Mount Duneed tends to suit 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

Mount Duneed

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (8 vs 2)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 5)
  • But Waurn Ponds carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 73/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Waurn Ponds

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 73 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (87.9 km vs 93.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Waurn Ponds

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

Mount Duneed

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (291.8% vs -1.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Waurn Ponds and Mount Duneed 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 Mount Duneed
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 Mount Duneed
Walkability 18 / 13
Waurn Ponds — Walkability: 18/100 Mount Duneed — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 42 / 27
Waurn Ponds — Safety: 42/100 Mount Duneed — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 69 / 100
Waurn Ponds — Low fire risk: 69/100 Mount Duneed — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 67 / 50
Waurn Ponds — Low flood risk: 67/100 Mount Duneed — Low flood risk: 50/100

Demographics

Mount Duneed skews older (32 vs 27).

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Population 4,956 6,182
+25% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.8% +291.8%
Median age 27 32
Median household income $118,872/yr $118,248/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk $446/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
0-4 3.9% / 9.5%
Waurn Ponds — 0-4: 3.9% Mount Duneed — 0-4: 9.5%
5-14 12.2% / 14.8%
Waurn Ponds — 5-14: 12.2% Mount Duneed — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 13.0% / 4.8%
Waurn Ponds — 15-19: 13.0% Mount Duneed — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 16.5% / 6.9%
Waurn Ponds — 20-24: 16.5% Mount Duneed — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 12.1% / 20.0%
Waurn Ponds — 25-34: 12.1% Mount Duneed — 25-34: 20.0%
35-44 10.5% / 16.6%
Waurn Ponds — 35-44: 10.5% Mount Duneed — 35-44: 16.6%
45-54 13.4% / 10.3%
Waurn Ponds — 45-54: 13.4% Mount Duneed — 45-54: 10.3%
55-64 8.5% / 8.1%
Waurn Ponds — 55-64: 8.5% Mount Duneed — 55-64: 8.1%
65-74 6.1% / 6.6%
Waurn Ponds — 65-74: 6.1% Mount Duneed — 65-74: 6.6%
75-84 3.1% / 2.2%
Waurn Ponds — 75-84: 3.1% Mount Duneed — 75-84: 2.2%
85+ 0.5% / 0.3%
Waurn Ponds — 85+: 0.5% Mount Duneed — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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%
Mount Duneed 56.5% couple families
Mount Duneed — Couple Families: 56.5% Mount Duneed — Lone Person: 21.8% Mount Duneed — One Parent Families: 13.7% Mount Duneed — Group Household: 6.8% Mount Duneed — Other Families: 1.2%
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%
Mount Duneed 23.6% renting
Mount Duneed — Owned Outright: 20.8% Mount Duneed — Mortgage: 55.6% Mount Duneed — Renting: 23.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 17.2%
Waurn Ponds — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Mount Duneed — Bachelor Degree: 17.2%
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 14.3%
Waurn Ponds — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Mount Duneed — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.7%
Waurn Ponds — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Mount Duneed — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 4.9%
Waurn Ponds — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Mount Duneed — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 2.6%
Waurn Ponds — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Mount Duneed — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

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 Mount Duneed
India 4.0% / 4.0%
Waurn Ponds — India: 4.0% Mount Duneed — India: 4.0%
England 2.9% / 2.8%
Waurn Ponds — England: 2.9% Mount Duneed — England: 2.8%
China 1.4% / 1.0%
Waurn Ponds — China: 1.4% Mount Duneed — China: 1.0%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.5%
Waurn Ponds — New Zealand: 0.8% Mount Duneed — New Zealand: 1.5%
Philippines 0.7% / 0.8%
Waurn Ponds — Philippines: 0.7% Mount Duneed — Philippines: 0.8%
Sri Lanka 1.4% / —
Waurn Ponds — Sri Lanka: 1.4% Mount Duneed — Sri Lanka: not among its largest

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

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% Waurn Ponds — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Mount Duneed 97.0% houses
Mount Duneed — Houses: 97.0% Mount Duneed — Townhouses: 1.3% Mount Duneed — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Median house price $790,000 $730,000
Median unit price $510,000 —
Median land price $638,000 $720,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 58 sales
 31 days
from 219 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.

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
3 bed $740K / $661K
Waurn Ponds — 3 bed: $740K (45 sales) Mount Duneed — 3 bed: $661K (82 sales)

45 vs 82 sales

4 bed $820K / $750K
Waurn Ponds — 4 bed: $820K (53 sales) Mount Duneed — 4 bed: $750K (196 sales)

53 vs 196 sales

Zoning mix

Waurn Ponds has more rural and farming land (75% vs 58%).

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Rural and farming 75% 58%
Other and special use 2% 20%
Residential 8% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 4%
Parks and recreation 1%
same for both
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 Mount Duneed
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 Mount Duneed
Houses 3.7%
$610/wk on $855K
 3.8%
$590/wk on $800K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
House price Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC
Income Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 57% of VIC

Liveability

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Grade B
same for both
Score 55/100 54/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Waurn Ponds carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0); Mount Duneed carries more flood risk (50 vs 33).

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Bushfire Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 High
73/100
Flood Low
33/100
 Moderate
50/100
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 Mount Duneed
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
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 Mount Duneed

  • Mirripoa Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount Duneed Regional Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 3
same for both
Parks & reserves 5 10
Childcare 2 8
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 2
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 14
same for both

Mobility

Mount Duneed sits further from the CBD (93.5 km vs 87.9 km).

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Walkability score 18/100 13/100
Distance to Melbourne 87.9 km 93.5 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 73 min
Public transport score 76/100 89/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 91.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 63.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3216
 1.2%
postcode 3217
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3216
 53
postcode 3217

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 Mount Duneed
Car (driver) 70.2% / 69.8%
Waurn Ponds — Car (driver): 70.2% Mount Duneed — Car (driver): 69.8%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 23.9%
Waurn Ponds — Worked from Home: 19.7% Mount Duneed — Worked from Home: 23.9%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 3.8%
Waurn Ponds — Car (passenger): 4.8% Mount Duneed — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Bus 2.2% / 1.0%
Waurn Ponds — Bus: 2.2% Mount Duneed — Bus: 1.0%
Train 1.3% / 1.0%
Waurn Ponds — Train: 1.3% Mount Duneed — Train: 1.0%
Walked Only 1.4% / 0.2%
Waurn Ponds — Walked Only: 1.4% Mount Duneed — Walked Only: 0.2%

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

Setting

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Elevation 104 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 43 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.1 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Connectivity score 70/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
1,552 premises
 77%
1,108 premises

Climate

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Federal electorate

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
Division Corangamite
same for both
Member Libby Coker
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Waurn Ponds Mount Duneed
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

Mount Duneed

Acreage Family Transport Hub Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Waurn Ponds

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

Other comparisons with Mount Duneed

Mount Duneed vs Torquay Mount Duneed vs Grovedale Mount Duneed vs Armstrong Creek Mount Duneed vs Charlemont Mount Duneed vs Connewarre Mount Duneed vs Freshwater Creek
Full data on Waurn Ponds Full data on Mount Duneed
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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