Bellbrae vs Bells Beach

Bells Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 52 in Bellbrae. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bellbrae, about half of households are couple families. In Bells Beach, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Bellbrae tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Bells Beach suits couples.

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

  • Bellbrae carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 79/100)
  • Bells Beach is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Bells Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 34%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Bellbrae

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($380/wk vs $525/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Bellbrae

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (102 km vs 106 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bellbrae

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 79/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 26%)

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

Investors

Bellbrae

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (55.6% vs 16.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bellbrae Bells Beach
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.

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Walkability 0 / 0
Bellbrae — Walkability: 0/100 Bells Beach — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 83 / 21
Bellbrae — Safety: 83/100 Bells Beach — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 21 / 10
Bellbrae — Low fire risk: 21/100 Bells Beach — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 77 / 100
Bellbrae — Low flood risk: 77/100 Bells Beach — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Bellbrae has more residents (1,346 vs 151); Bells Beach has higher household incomes ($135,200 vs $80,912).

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Population 1,346
+89% vs other
 151
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +55.6% +16.2%
Median age 52 48
Median household income $80,912/yr $135,200/yr
+67% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk $525/wk
+38% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bellbrae Bells Beach
0-4 3.8% / 5.3%
Bellbrae — 0-4: 3.8% Bells Beach — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.7% / 10.6%
Bellbrae — 5-14: 13.7% Bells Beach — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 5.3% / 6.0%
Bellbrae — 15-19: 5.3% Bells Beach — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 2.0% / 2.0%
Bellbrae — 20-24: 2.0% Bells Beach — 20-24: 2.0%
25-34 5.0% / 5.3%
Bellbrae — 25-34: 5.0% Bells Beach — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 12.1% / 10.6%
Bellbrae — 35-44: 12.1% Bells Beach — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 10.5% / 16.6%
Bellbrae — 45-54: 10.5% Bells Beach — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 12.5% / 13.9%
Bellbrae — 55-64: 12.5% Bells Beach — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 13.5% / 19.2%
Bellbrae — 65-74: 13.5% Bells Beach — 65-74: 19.2%
75-84 15.2% / 7.3%
Bellbrae — 75-84: 15.2% Bells Beach — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ 6.8% / —
Bellbrae — 85+: 6.8% Bells Beach — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bellbrae 50.5% couple families
Bellbrae — Couple Families: 50.5% Bellbrae — Lone Person: 38.2% Bellbrae — One Parent Families: 7.6% Bellbrae — Group Household: 2.7% Bellbrae — Other Families: 1.0%
Bells Beach 85.7% couple families
Bells Beach — Couple Families: 85.7% Bells Beach — Lone Person: 14.3% Bells Beach — One Parent Families: 0.0% Bells Beach — Group Household: 0.0% Bells Beach — 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.

Bellbrae 6.8% renting
Bellbrae — Owned Outright: 57.2% Bellbrae — Mortgage: 35.9% Bellbrae — Renting: 6.8%
Bells Beach 9.3% renting
Bells Beach — Owned Outright: 58.1% Bells Beach — Mortgage: 32.6% Bells Beach — Renting: 9.3%
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.

Bellbrae Bells Beach
England 5.6% / 6.6%
Bellbrae — England: 5.6% Bells Beach — England: 6.6%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Scotland: 0.7% Bells Beach — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Germany: 0.7% Bells Beach — Germany: not among its largest
South Africa 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — South Africa: 0.7% Bells Beach — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Netherlands: 0.7% Bells Beach — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.6%).

Qualifications

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

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Bachelor Degree 16.6% / 27.2%
Bellbrae — Bachelor Degree: 16.6% Bells Beach — Bachelor Degree: 27.2%
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 9.9%
Bellbrae — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Bells Beach — Certificate III & IV: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 10.6%
Bellbrae — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Bells Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 2.6%
Bellbrae — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Bells Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 5.3%
Bellbrae — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Bells Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bellbrae 98.2% houses
Bellbrae — Houses: 98.2% Bellbrae — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Bells Beach 100.0% houses
Bells Beach — Houses: 100.0% Bells Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Median house price $2,440,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,830,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 60 days
from 4 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Bellbrae has more rural and farming land (82% vs 0%); Bells Beach has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 11%).

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Rural and farming 82% 0%
Environmental 11% 68%
Parks and recreation 1% 32%
Residential 4% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 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

Bellbrae Bells Beach
New dwellings approved 300
across Surf Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +57%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bellbrae Bells Beach
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC

Liveability

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Grade B —
Score 56/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bellbrae carries more flood risk (23 vs 0); Bells Beach carries more crime risk (79 vs 17).

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
90/100
Crime Low
17/100
 High
79/100
Flood Low
23/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
62/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Bellbrae

  • Bellbrae Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bells Beach

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

Amenities in the suburb

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 1 0
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Bells Beach sits further from the CBD (106 km vs 102 km).

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 102 km 106 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 83 min
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3228
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 3228
same for both

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.

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Car (driver) 58.6% / 59.4%
Bellbrae — Car (driver): 58.6% Bells Beach — Car (driver): 59.4%
Worked from Home 34.9% / 32.8%
Bellbrae — Worked from Home: 34.9% Bells Beach — Worked from Home: 32.8%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 7.8%
Bellbrae — Car (passenger): 2.9% Bells Beach — Car (passenger): 7.8%
Walked Only 3.6% / —
Bellbrae — Walked Only: 3.6% Bells Beach — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.4%).

Setting

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Elevation 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.2 km 726 m
1.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Connectivity score 62/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 47%
578 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Annual rainfall 599 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bellbrae Bells Beach
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Average residential rate $2,314/yr
same for both
Council Surf Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Division Corangamite
same for both
Member Libby Coker
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bellbrae Bells Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bellbrae

Acreage Luxury Retirees

Bells Beach

Beach Coastal Professionals Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bellbrae

Bellbrae vs Torquay Bellbrae vs Jan Juc Bellbrae vs Anglesea Bellbrae vs Freshwater Creek Bellbrae vs Paraparap

Other comparisons with Bells Beach

Bells Beach vs Jan Juc Bells Beach vs Anglesea
Full data on Bellbrae Full data on Bells Beach
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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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