Waurn Ponds vs Mount Moriac

Waurn Ponds is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 42 in Mount Moriac. 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

Waurn Ponds

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 87/100)

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

Mount Moriac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $430/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Waurn Ponds

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (18/100 vs 10/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (87.9 km vs 97.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Waurn Ponds

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (18/100 vs 10/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 87/100)
  • But Mount Moriac has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Mount Moriac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.6% vs -1.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Waurn Ponds and Mount Moriac 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 Moriac
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 Moriac
Walkability 18 / 10
Waurn Ponds — Walkability: 18/100 Mount Moriac — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 42 / 13
Waurn Ponds — Safety: 42/100 Mount Moriac — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 69 / 100
Waurn Ponds — Low fire risk: 69/100 Mount Moriac — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 67 / 61
Waurn Ponds — Low flood risk: 67/100 Mount Moriac — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Waurn Ponds has more residents (4,956 vs 251); Mount Moriac skews older (42 vs 27).

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Population 4,956
+95% vs other
 251
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.8% +4.6%
Median age 27 42
Median household income $118,872/yr $128,076/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+30% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
0-4 3.9% / 8.4%
Waurn Ponds — 0-4: 3.9% Mount Moriac — 0-4: 8.4%
5-14 12.2% / 11.6%
Waurn Ponds — 5-14: 12.2% Mount Moriac — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 13.0% / 6.4%
Waurn Ponds — 15-19: 13.0% Mount Moriac — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 16.5% / 7.6%
Waurn Ponds — 20-24: 16.5% Mount Moriac — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 12.1% / 8.4%
Waurn Ponds — 25-34: 12.1% Mount Moriac — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 10.5% / 11.6%
Waurn Ponds — 35-44: 10.5% Mount Moriac — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 13.4% / 13.9%
Waurn Ponds — 45-54: 13.4% Mount Moriac — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 8.5% / 11.2%
Waurn Ponds — 55-64: 8.5% Mount Moriac — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 6.1% / 9.6%
Waurn Ponds — 65-74: 6.1% Mount Moriac — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 3.1% / 7.2%
Waurn Ponds — 75-84: 3.1% Mount Moriac — 75-84: 7.2%
85+ 0.5% / 1.2%
Waurn Ponds — 85+: 0.5% Mount Moriac — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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 Moriac 63.8% couple families
Mount Moriac — Couple Families: 63.8% Mount Moriac — Lone Person: 22.4% Mount Moriac — One Parent Families: 13.8% Mount Moriac — Group Household: 0.0% Mount Moriac — 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%
Mount Moriac 11.4% renting
Mount Moriac — Owned Outright: 41.8% Mount Moriac — Mortgage: 46.8% Mount Moriac — Renting: 11.4%
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 Mount Moriac
England 2.9% / 4.4%
Waurn Ponds — England: 2.9% Mount Moriac — England: 4.4%
India 4.0% / —
Waurn Ponds — India: 4.0% Mount Moriac — India: not among its largest
China 1.4% / —
Waurn Ponds — China: 1.4% Mount Moriac — China: not among its largest
Sri Lanka 1.4% / —
Waurn Ponds — Sri Lanka: 1.4% Mount Moriac — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.8% / —
Waurn Ponds — New Zealand: 0.8% Mount Moriac — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

Qualifications

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

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 15.1%
Waurn Ponds — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Mount Moriac — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 12.0%
Waurn Ponds — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Mount Moriac — Bachelor Degree: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.8%
Waurn Ponds — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Mount Moriac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / —
Waurn Ponds — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Mount Moriac — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 1.2%
Waurn Ponds — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Mount Moriac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

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

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%
Mount Moriac 100.0% houses
Mount Moriac — Houses: 100.0% Mount Moriac — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
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

Mount Moriac has more rural and farming land (97% vs 75%).

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Rural and farming 75% 97%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 2%
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 Mount Moriac
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 Moriac
Houses 3.7%
$610/wk on $855K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
House price Higher than 48% of VIC —
Income Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 89% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 47% of VIC —

Liveability

Waurn Ponds is more walkable (18 vs 10).

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

Risk profile

Waurn Ponds carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0); Mount Moriac carries more crime risk (87 vs 58).

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Bushfire Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 High
87/100
Flood Low
33/100
 Low
39/100
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 Moriac
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 Mount Moriac

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

Amenities in the suburb

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 5 1
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 7

Mobility

Mount Moriac sits further from the CBD (97.1 km vs 87.9 km).

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Walkability score 18/100 10/100
Distance to Melbourne 87.9 km 97.1 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 72 min
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3216
 1.6%
postcode 3240
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 3216
 62
postcode 3240

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 Moriac
Car (driver) 70.2% / 67.8%
Waurn Ponds — Car (driver): 70.2% Mount Moriac — Car (driver): 67.8%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 26.1%
Waurn Ponds — Worked from Home: 19.7% Mount Moriac — Worked from Home: 26.1%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 3.5%
Waurn Ponds — Car (passenger): 4.8% Mount Moriac — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 1.4% / 2.6%
Waurn Ponds — Walked Only: 1.4% Mount Moriac — Walked Only: 2.6%
Bus 2.2% / —
Waurn Ponds — Bus: 2.2% Mount Moriac — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Elevation 104 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 138 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.1 km 16.6 km

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
Annual rainfall — 599 mm
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C 23.2°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C 7.6°C

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Waurn Ponds Mount Moriac
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 Moriac

Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Mount Moriac

Mount Moriac vs Mount Duneed Mount Moriac vs Moriac Mount Moriac vs Freshwater Creek Mount Moriac vs Gnarwarre Mount Moriac vs Modewarre Mount Moriac vs Barrabool
Full data on Waurn Ponds Full data on Mount Moriac
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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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