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Colac vs Melbourne

Urban Area comparison ≈ 157 km apart · Colac profile · Melbourne profile

Colac Melbourne

Melbourne and Colac are two very different Victorian locations, separated by about 157 km. Melbourne is a massive hub with a diverse population; 36.2% of residents were born overseas and 34.7% use a language other than English at home. It is also a center for high qualifications and income, with 33.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and a typical weekly household income of $1,900. In contrast, Colac is a smaller area where 88.1% of homes are separate houses and the typical resident is older at 42. More people in Colac own their homes outright, with 39.8% compared to 29.6% in Melbourne.

Both areas share some common ground in the basics of daily life, with similar shares of people who have served in the Defence Force and nearly the same percentage of homes without a motor vehicle. However, the gaps between them are often widening. Since 2011, the difference in typical household income has grown to $650, and the gap in university qualifications has also increased. This shift is seen alongside a growing divide in work habits, as the number of people working from home in Melbourne has risen far above the figure in Colac.

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Where they differ most

Population: 4,805,087 larger in Melbourne Born overseas: 26.2 pts higher in Melbourne Other language: 27.4 pts higher in Melbourne Year 12: 27.4 pts higher in Melbourne People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Melbourne

Demographics & Identity

Population in Colacin Melbourne +4,805,087 larger in Melbourne gap widening
12,756 12th pct 4,817,843 100th pct
Median age in Colacin Melbourne +5 yrs older in Colac gap narrowing
42 yrs 57th pct 37 yrs 21st pct
First Nations in Colacin Melbourne +0.9 pts higher in Colac gap steady
1.5% 6th pct 0.7% 0th pct
Aged 65+ in Colacin Melbourne +9.1 pts higher in Colac gap widening
24.1% 75th pct 15.0% 17th pct
Under 15 in Colacin Melbourne +1.1 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
17.0% 27th pct 18.1% 49th pct
De facto in Colacin Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in Colac gap steady
12.3% 39th pct 10.7% 11th pct

Age structure

24.1% Young adults (25–44) +7.1 pts ▸ 31.1%
24.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +9.1 pts 15.0%
23.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.4 pts 23.5%
17.0% Children (0–14) +1.1 pts ▸ 18.1%
10.8% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 12.3%

Marital status

42.3% Married +4.6 pts ▸ 46.9%
36.7% Never married +1.4 pts ▸ 38.1%
9.7% Divorced ◂ +2.1 pts 7.6%
7.9% Widowed ◂ +3.4 pts 4.5%
3.5% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 2.9%

Age & sex structure

Colac Melbourne

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Colacin Melbourne +26.2 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
9.9% 21st pct 36.2% 100th pct

Country of birth

84.7% Australia ◂ +25.2 pts 59.5%
0.5% India +4.5 pts ▸ 5.0%
1.3% China +2.2 pts ▸ 3.4%
1.3% England +1.3 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.1% Vietnam +1.8 pts ▸ 1.9%
0.9% New Zealand +0.8 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.6% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.3% Italy +0.9 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.0% South Africa +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

41.7% Australian ◂ +18.6 pts 23.1%
40.4% English ◂ +15.1 pts 25.2%
14.7% Irish ◂ +6.5 pts 8.2%
12.3% Scottish ◂ +5.2 pts 7.0%
2.2% Chinese +6.2 pts ▸ 8.5%
2.9% Italian +3.7 pts ▸ 6.6%
0.5% Indian +4.9 pts ▸ 5.4%
0.4% Greek +3.2 pts ▸ 3.5%
3.3% German ◂ +0.5 pts 2.8%
0.1% Vietnamese +2.3 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.7% Filipino +1.0 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%

Language

Other language in Colacin Melbourne +27.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
7.3% 58th pct 34.7% 98th pct
Limited English in Colacin Melbourne +3.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
2.1% 86th pct 5.6% 97th pct

Language used at home

87.8% English only ◂ +27.3 pts 60.5%
2.2% Mandarin +2.2 pts ▸ 4.4%
0.1% Vietnamese +2.2 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.0% Greek +2.1 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.2% Punjabi +1.8 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.3% Arabic +1.5 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.3% Italian +1.4 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.1% Cantonese +1.6 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.1% Hindi +1.2 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

No religion in Colacin Melbourne +7.6 pts higher in Colac gap widening
44.7% 62nd pct 37.1% 23rd pct

Religious affiliation

46.6% Christianity ◂ +6.4 pts 40.1%
44.7% No religion ◂ +7.6 pts 37.1%
6.8% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 6.2%
0.6% Islam +4.8 pts ▸ 5.4%
0.4% Hinduism +3.9 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.7% Buddhism +3.2 pts ▸ 3.9%
0.3% Other religions +1.8 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.0% Judaism +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Colacin Melbourne +27.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
39.8% 27th pct 67.2% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Colacin Melbourne +21.6 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
11.4% 16th pct 33.0% 100th pct

Highest year of school

39.8% Year 12 +27.4 pts ▸ 67.2%
19.3% Year 10 ◂ +9.9 pts 9.4%
17.7% Year 9 or below ◂ +8.4 pts 9.3%
16.6% Year 11 ◂ +8.1 pts 8.5%

Highest qualification level

41.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +22.2 pts 19.0%
16.3% Bachelor degree +16.3 pts ▸ 32.6%
15.1% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.3 pts ▸ 15.3%
3.3% Postgraduate degree +10.4 pts ▸ 13.7%
2.8% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.8 pts ▸ 4.6%
2.2% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

12.7% Management & commerce +8.4 pts ▸ 21.0%
13.5% Engineering & related ◂ +1.2 pts 12.3%
13.3% Society & culture ◂ +0.9 pts 12.5%
10.8% Health ◂ +1.0 pts 9.8%
9.9% Education ◂ +2.6 pts 7.4%
7.9% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +3.4 pts 4.5%
6.5% Architecture & building ◂ +1.3 pts 5.2%
1.1% Information technology +4.2 pts ▸ 5.3%
2.1% Creative arts +2.8 pts ▸ 4.9%
1.5% Natural & physical sciences +2.3 pts ▸ 3.8%
3.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.2 pts 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Colacin Melbourne +$140 higher in Melbourne gap widening
$701 40th pct $841 82nd pct
Household income in Colacin Melbourne +$650 higher in Melbourne gap widening
$1,250 27th pct $1,900 87th pct
Family income in Colacin Melbourne +$542 higher in Melbourne gap widening
$1,701 35th pct $2,243 86th pct
High earners in Colacin Melbourne +8.8 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
4.8% 9th pct 13.7% 85th pct
High-income homes in Colacin Melbourne +14.9 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
10.5% 19th pct 25.4% 88th pct

Household income distribution

32.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +8.5 pts 23.9%
28.0% $1,500–$2,999 +2.9 pts ▸ 30.9%
22.5% Under $650 ◂ +8.5 pts 14.0%
4.5% $4,000 or more +9.7 pts ▸ 14.2%
6.0% $3,000–$3,999 +5.1 pts ▸ 11.1%

Personal income distribution

43.9% Under $650 ◂ +5.1 pts 38.8%
37.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.0 pts 30.6%
10.5% $1,500–$2,999 +8.3 pts ▸ 18.9%
1.4% $3,000 or more +4.2 pts ▸ 5.6%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Colacin Melbourne +8.1 pts higher in Colac
33.5% 58th pct 25.4% 13th pct
Mental health in Colacin Melbourne +1.9 pts higher in Colac
10.0% 39th pct 8.1% 16th pct
Needs assistance in Colacin Melbourne +3.2 pts higher in Colac gap widening
8.8% 86th pct 5.6% 25th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.6% Arthritis ◂ +4.7 pts 6.9%
10.0% Mental health ◂ +1.9 pts 8.1%
9.1% Asthma ◂ +1.2 pts 7.8%
7.9% Other condition ◂ +0.2 pts 7.7%
5.9% Diabetes ◂ +1.4 pts 4.5%
5.0% Heart disease ◂ +1.7 pts 3.3%
3.4% Cancer ◂ +0.9 pts 2.5%
2.4% Lung condition ◂ +1.3 pts 1.2%
1.4% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%
1.1% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

58.2% None +9.4 pts ▸ 67.6%
22.0% One condition ◂ +4.1 pts 17.9%
7.4% Two conditions ◂ +2.3 pts 5.1%
4.1% Three or more ◂ +1.7 pts 2.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Colacin Melbourne +3.1 pts higher in Colac gap steady
15.1% 46th pct 12.0% 6th pct
Unpaid carers in Colacin Melbourne +1.5 pts higher in Colac gap steady
14.1% 83rd pct 12.5% 42nd pct
Unpaid child care in Colacin Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
24.9% 38th pct 26.5% 62nd pct
Defence service in Colacin Melbourne +0.8 pts higher in Colac
2.4% 13th pct 1.6% 0th pct
Housework 15h+ in Colacin Melbourne +2.7 pts higher in Colac gap narrowing
21.7% 50th pct 19.0% 14th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Colacin Melbourne +0.3 larger in Melbourne gap widening
2.3 14th pct 2.6 86th pct
One-parent in Colacin Melbourne +3.0 pts higher in Colac gap widening
16.0% 43rd pct 12.9% 12th pct
Living alone in Colacin Melbourne +9.4 pts higher in Colac gap widening
34.3% 91st pct 24.9% 14th pct

Family composition

52.1% Couples with children +9.9 pts ▸ 62.0%
30.3% Couples without children ◂ +6.6 pts 23.8%
16.0% One-parent families ◂ +3.0 pts 12.9%
1.4% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%

Household size

34.3% 1 person ◂ +9.4 pts 24.9%
33.2% 2 people ◂ +2.0 pts 31.2%
11.4% 4 people +5.8 pts ▸ 17.2%
12.7% 3 people +4.2 pts ▸ 16.9%
5.8% 5 people +0.7 pts ▸ 6.6%
2.6% 6 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Colacin Melbourne +$130 higher in Melbourne gap widening
$260 22nd pct $390 88th pct
Mortgage in Colacin Melbourne +$700 higher in Melbourne gap widening
$1,300 29th pct $2,000 88th pct
People / bedroom in Colacin Melbourne +0.20 higher in Melbourne gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.90 100th pct
Renting in Colacin Melbourne +4.7 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
25.8% 24th pct 30.5% 49th pct
Owned outright in Colacin Melbourne +10.2 pts higher in Colac gap steady
39.8% 80th pct 29.6% 25th pct
Separate houses in Colacin Melbourne +20.8 pts higher in Colac gap steady
88.1% 78th pct 67.3% 9th pct
3+ bedrooms in Colacin Melbourne +7.6 pts higher in Colac gap narrowing
79.6% 68th pct 71.9% 16th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.8% Owned outright ◂ +10.2 pts 29.6%
31.0% Owned with a mortgage +5.8 pts ▸ 36.9%
25.8% Rented +4.7 pts ▸ 30.5%
2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%
1.3% Other tenure +0.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

Types of homes

88.1% Separate house ◂ +20.8 pts 67.3%
10.7% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.7 pts ▸ 16.4%
0.0% Flat or apartment +15.9 pts ▸ 15.9%
1.1% Other dwelling ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

52.8% 3 bedrooms ◂ +13.4 pts 39.4%
23.5% 4 bedrooms +3.3 pts ▸ 26.8%
14.4% 2 bedrooms +6.1 pts ▸ 20.6%
3.8% 1 bedroom +2.1 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.2% 5 or more +2.5 pts ▸ 5.7%
0.4% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

55.0% $200–$349 ◂ +31.2 pts 23.7%
17.5% $350–$549 +33.6 pts ▸ 51.0%
21.2% Under $200 ◂ +14.3 pts 7.0%
0.4% $550–$749 +9.7 pts ▸ 10.0%
0.0% $750 or more +4.7 pts ▸ 4.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

49.4% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +24.2 pts 25.2%
16.3% $1,800–$2,999 +18.5 pts ▸ 34.8%
25.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +12.0 pts 13.0%
3.9% $3,000 or more +16.6 pts ▸ 20.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Colacin Melbourne +0.9 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
7.8% 86th pct 8.7% 89th pct
Work from home in Colacin Melbourne +22.8 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
6.2% 33rd pct 29.0% 100th pct
PT commute in Colacin Melbourne +3.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
0.2% 7th pct 3.6% 95th pct

How people get to work

67.8% Car (driver) ◂ +21.5 pts 46.3%
6.2% Worked at home +22.8 pts ▸ 29.0%
6.4% Car (passenger) ◂ +3.2 pts 3.2%
4.5% Walked ◂ +2.5 pts 2.0%
0.1% Train +2.0 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.7% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Bus +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

37.5% 1 vehicle even 37.5%
35.8% 2 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 36.9%
12.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.2 pts 11.0%
7.8% No vehicle +0.9 pts ▸ 8.7%
6.7% 4 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Colacin Melbourne +5.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
35.6% 20th pct 41.0% 55th pct
Recent arrivals in Colacin Melbourne +14.8 pts higher in Colac gap widening
30.7% 99th pct 15.9% 66th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Colacin Melbourne +2.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
3.0% 3rd pct 5.3% 67th pct
Participation in Colacin Melbourne +6.4 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
57.7% 49th pct 64.1% 85th pct
Full-time in Colacin Melbourne +3.2 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
57.0% 46th pct 60.2% 70th pct

Industries people work in

19.8% Manufacturing ◂ +12.9 pts 6.9%
14.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.9 pts 13.5%
10.2% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 9.4%
2.8% Professional & technical +6.9 pts ▸ 9.7%
8.2% Construction +1.0 pts ▸ 9.1%
6.8% Education & training +1.9 pts ▸ 8.7%
6.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.4 pts 6.1%
5.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +4.9 pts 0.6%
4.0% Public administration & safety +1.4 pts ▸ 5.4%
3.4% Transport & warehousing +1.5 pts ▸ 4.9%
1.1% Finance & insurance +3.6 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.8% Other services ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%

Occupations people work in

11.4% Professionals +15.6 pts ▸ 27.0%
22.8% Labourers ◂ +15.0 pts 7.8%
14.3% Technicians & trades ◂ +2.3 pts 12.0%
9.7% Managers +4.1 pts ▸ 13.8%
13.5% Community & personal service ◂ +3.0 pts 10.5%
8.8% Clerical & administrative +4.1 pts ▸ 12.9%
9.1% Sales workers ◂ +0.8 pts 8.3%
8.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.5 pts 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Colacin Melbourne +1.4 higher in Melbourne
5.8 80th pct 7.2 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Colacin Melbourne +0.9 more in Melbourne
5.8 86th pct 6.7 99th pct
15-min city in Colacin Melbourne +12.0 pts higher in Melbourne
71.5% 86th pct 83.5% 98th pct
Walk to shops in Colacin Melbourne +8.1 pts higher in Melbourne
74.8% 90th pct 82.9% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Colacin Melbourne +5.3 pts higher in Melbourne
86.4% 64th pct 91.7% 84th pct
Walk to school in Colacin Melbourne +6.1 pts higher in Melbourne
82.0% 91st pct 88.0% 100th pct
Walk to a park in Colacin Melbourne +6.5 pts higher in Melbourne
91.3% 59th pct 97.9% 97th pct
Walk to health in Colacin Melbourne +22.1 pts higher in Melbourne
51.8% 80th pct 73.9% 100th pct
Amenities/1k in Colacin Melbourne +1.8 more in Colac
15.7 55th pct 13.9 43rd pct
Intersections/km² in Colacin Melbourne +87 higher in Melbourne
18 46th pct 105 100th pct
Mean slope in Colacin Melbourne +1.3 pts higher in Melbourne
3.4% 18th pct 4.7% 42nd pct

Compare Colac with nearby areas

Ballarat Geelong Warrnambool Bacchus Marsh Gisborne Castlemaine Bendigo Melbourne Not in any Significant Urban Area Portland Horsham Warragul - Drouin

Compare Melbourne with nearby areas

Warragul - Drouin Gisborne Bacchus Marsh Geelong Traralgon - Morwell Moe - Newborough Castlemaine Ballarat Shepparton - Mooroopna Bendigo Colac Sale

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Colac vs Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2006/colac/vs/2011/melbourne