Colac Otway crime rate and Crime Score · Victoria council area
Colac Otway is a council area in Victoria with about 22,209 residents. It has a Crime Score 51 out of 100 (moderate), 165th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by sexual offences (90th percentile), homicide (78th percentile), assault (43rd percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 54.
In 2024-25: violent 1,175 per 100,000 (+37% vs five years earlier); property 3,593 per 100,000 (+3% vs five years earlier); break-ins 428 per 100,000 (-28% vs five years earlier); theft 1,810 per 100,000 (+21% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 32nd of 79 Victoria councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Colac Otway council area is 2.9% (Victoria 5%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 3.2% of occupied homes (224 public and 60 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; Victoria 2.5%). An estimated 89 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 40.2 per 10,000 residents (Victoria 47.1), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 11.1% of residents were born overseas (Victoria 31.6%), most often in England, New Zealand, China. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 3.2% (confidence 79 of 100); social housing about 3% of homes; about 39.5 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 11.2% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
Figures are for 2024-25, the latest year Victoria has published; some other states have released 2025-26.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,175 | 261 | +37% |
| Property | 3,593 | 798 | +3% |
| Break-ins | 428 | 95 | -28% |
| Theft | 1,810 | 402 | +21% |
Questions
Is Colac Otway safe?
Colac Otway recorded 1,180 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2024-25, about 11% higher than the Victoria rate (1,060) and close to the national rate (1,220). Its Crime Score is 51.2 out of 100 (moderate), 165th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Colac Otway?
95 break-ins were recorded in 2024-25: 428 per 100,000 residents, about 39% lower than the Victoria rate (705).
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Suburbs in the Colac Otway council area
Aire Valley · Apollo Bay · Barwon Downs · Beeac · Beech Forest · Birregurra · Cape Otway · Carlisle River · Chapple Vale · Colac · Colac East · Colac West · Coragulac · Cororooke · Cressy · Cundare · Cundare North · Dreeite South · Elliminyt · Eurack · Ferguson · Forrest · Gellibrand · Gellibrand Lower · Gerangamete · Glenaire · Grey River · Hordern Vale · Irrewarra · Johanna · Kennedys Creek · Kennett River · Larpent · Lavers Hill · Marengo · Mount Sabine · Murroon · Nalangil · Ondit · Petticoat Creek · Separation Creek · Skenes Creek · Skenes Creek North · Sugarloaf · Swan Marsh · Warncoort · Warrion · Wattle Hill · Weeaproinah · Weering · Whoorel · Wongarra · Wye River · Wyelangta · Yeodene · Yuulong
Postcodes in the Colac Otway council area
3233 · 3234 · 3236 · 3237 · 3238 · 3239 · 3242 · 3243 · 3249 · 3250 · 3251 · 3254 · 3322
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/vic-colac-otway/ · Australian Crime Map