Bellbrae vs Paraparap

Paraparap is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 52 in Bellbrae. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bellbrae tends to suit older residents, while Paraparap suits 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

Bellbrae

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 86%)

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

First-home buyers

Paraparap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 34%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Paraparap

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 7%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $380/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 105 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bellbrae

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 14%)
  • But Paraparap has more units and townhouses to downsize into (14% vs 2%)

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

Investors

Bellbrae

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (55.6% vs 10.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bellbrae and Paraparap 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 Paraparap
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 Paraparap
Walkability 0 / 0
Bellbrae — Walkability: 0/100 Paraparap — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 83 / 43
Bellbrae — Safety: 83/100 Paraparap — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 21 / 18
Bellbrae — Low fire risk: 21/100 Paraparap — Low fire risk: 18/100
Low flood risk 77 / 46
Bellbrae — Low flood risk: 77/100 Paraparap — Low flood risk: 46/100

Demographics

Bellbrae has more residents (1,346 vs 167); Paraparap has higher household incomes ($120,224 vs $80,912).

Bellbrae Paraparap
Population 1,346
+88% vs other
 167
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +55.6% +10.6%
Median age 52 44
Median household income $80,912/yr $120,224/yr
+49% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+21% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bellbrae Paraparap
0-4 3.8% / 4.8%
Bellbrae — 0-4: 3.8% Paraparap — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 13.7% / 19.2%
Bellbrae — 5-14: 13.7% Paraparap — 5-14: 19.2%
15-19 5.3% / 5.4%
Bellbrae — 15-19: 5.3% Paraparap — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 2.0% / 4.2%
Bellbrae — 20-24: 2.0% Paraparap — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 5.0% / 4.2%
Bellbrae — 25-34: 5.0% Paraparap — 25-34: 4.2%
35-44 12.1% / 15.0%
Bellbrae — 35-44: 12.1% Paraparap — 35-44: 15.0%
45-54 10.5% / 14.4%
Bellbrae — 45-54: 10.5% Paraparap — 45-54: 14.4%
55-64 12.5% / 19.8%
Bellbrae — 55-64: 12.5% Paraparap — 55-64: 19.8%
65-74 13.5% / 11.4%
Bellbrae — 65-74: 13.5% Paraparap — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 15.2% / —
Bellbrae — 75-84: 15.2% Paraparap — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 6.8% / 3.0%
Bellbrae — 85+: 6.8% Paraparap — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

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%
Paraparap 47.9% couple families
Paraparap — Couple Families: 47.9% Paraparap — Lone Person: 31.2% Paraparap — One Parent Families: 14.6% Paraparap — Group Household: 6.2% Paraparap — 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%
Paraparap 23.2% renting
Paraparap — Owned Outright: 53.6% Paraparap — Mortgage: 23.2% Paraparap — Renting: 23.2%
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 Paraparap
England 5.6% / 3.6%
Bellbrae — England: 5.6% Paraparap — England: 3.6%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Scotland: 0.7% Paraparap — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Germany: 0.7% Paraparap — Germany: not among its largest
South Africa 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — South Africa: 0.7% Paraparap — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Bellbrae — Netherlands: 0.7% Paraparap — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

Qualifications

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

Bellbrae Paraparap
Bachelor Degree 16.6% / 18.6%
Bellbrae — Bachelor Degree: 16.6% Paraparap — Bachelor Degree: 18.6%
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 12.6%
Bellbrae — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Paraparap — Certificate III & IV: 12.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 5.4%
Bellbrae — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Paraparap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 1.8%
Bellbrae — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Paraparap — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.4%
Bellbrae — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Paraparap — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bellbrae 98.2% houses
Bellbrae — Houses: 98.2% Bellbrae — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Paraparap 85.7% houses
Paraparap — Houses: 85.7% Paraparap — Flats / Apartments: 14.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bellbrae Paraparap
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

Paraparap has more rural and farming land (96% vs 82%); Bellbrae has more land zoned for conservation (11% vs 0%).

Bellbrae Paraparap
Rural and farming 82% 96%
Environmental 11% 0%
Residential 4% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 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

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

Ranking within VIC

Bellbrae Paraparap
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 52% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC

Liveability

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

Risk profile

Paraparap carries more crime risk (57 vs 17); Paraparap carries more flood risk (54 vs 23).

Bellbrae Paraparap
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
82/100
Crime Low
17/100
 Moderate
57/100
Flood Low
23/100
 Moderate
54/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Bellbrae Paraparap
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 Paraparap

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

Amenities in the suburb

Bellbrae Paraparap
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 1 0
Waterways 3 2

Mobility

Paraparap sits further from the CBD (105 km vs 102 km).

Bellbrae Paraparap
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 102 km 105 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 83 min
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3228
 1.6%
postcode 3240
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 3228
 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.

Bellbrae Paraparap
Car (driver) 58.6% / 62.8%
Bellbrae — Car (driver): 58.6% Paraparap — Car (driver): 62.8%
Worked from Home 34.9% / 37.2%
Bellbrae — Worked from Home: 34.9% Paraparap — Worked from Home: 37.2%
Walked Only 3.6% / —
Bellbrae — Walked Only: 3.6% Paraparap — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.9% / —
Bellbrae — Car (passenger): 2.9% Paraparap — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.8%).

Setting

Bellbrae Paraparap
Elevation 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 90 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.2 km 11.5 km

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Bellbrae Paraparap
Division Corangamite Wannon
Member Libby Coker Dan Tehan
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Bellbrae Paraparap
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

Paraparap

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bellbrae

Bellbrae vs Torquay Bellbrae vs Jan Juc Bellbrae vs Anglesea Bellbrae vs Freshwater Creek Bellbrae vs Bells Beach

Other comparisons with Paraparap

Paraparap vs Anglesea Paraparap vs Moriac Paraparap vs Freshwater Creek Paraparap vs Gherang Paraparap vs Modewarre
Full data on Bellbrae Full data on Paraparap
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or