Bells Beach vs Anglesea

Bells Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 54 in Anglesea. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bells Beach, the large majority of households are couple families. In Anglesea, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Bells Beach tends to suit couples, while Anglesea suits people living alone.

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

Anglesea

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 79/100)
  • But Bells Beach is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 48%)

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 29%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Anglesea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($405/wk vs $525/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Bells Beach

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (83 min vs 115 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (106 km vs 121.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Anglesea

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 79/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 26%)

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

Investors

Anglesea

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (26.1% vs 16.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bells Beach Anglesea
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.

Bells Beach Anglesea
Walkability 0 / 0
Bells Beach — Walkability: 0/100 Anglesea — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 21 / 56
Bells Beach — Safety: 21/100 Anglesea — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 10 / 23
Bells Beach — Low fire risk: 10/100 Anglesea — Low fire risk: 23/100
Low flood risk 100 / 43
Bells Beach — Low flood risk: 100/100 Anglesea — Low flood risk: 43/100

Demographics

Anglesea has more residents (3,208 vs 151); Bells Beach has higher household incomes ($135,200 vs $88,452).

Bells Beach Anglesea
Population 151 3,208
+2025% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.2% +26.1%
Median age 48 54
Median household income $135,200/yr
+35% vs other
 $88,452/yr
Median weekly rent $525/wk
+23% vs other
 $405/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bells Beach Anglesea
0-4 5.3% / 5.0%
Bells Beach — 0-4: 5.3% Anglesea — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.6% / 9.3%
Bells Beach — 5-14: 10.6% Anglesea — 5-14: 9.3%
15-19 6.0% / 3.8%
Bells Beach — 15-19: 6.0% Anglesea — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 2.0% / 3.2%
Bells Beach — 20-24: 2.0% Anglesea — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 5.3% / 7.9%
Bells Beach — 25-34: 5.3% Anglesea — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 10.6% / 10.4%
Bells Beach — 35-44: 10.6% Anglesea — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 16.6% / 11.3%
Bells Beach — 45-54: 16.6% Anglesea — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 13.9% / 16.9%
Bells Beach — 55-64: 13.9% Anglesea — 55-64: 16.9%
65-74 19.2% / 19.1%
Bells Beach — 65-74: 19.2% Anglesea — 65-74: 19.1%
75-84 7.3% / 9.5%
Bells Beach — 75-84: 7.3% Anglesea — 75-84: 9.5%
85+ — / 3.2%
Bells Beach — 85+: not among its largest Anglesea — 85+: 3.2%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Anglesea 38.1% couple families
Anglesea — Couple Families: 38.1% Anglesea — Lone Person: 46.0% Anglesea — One Parent Families: 10.0% Anglesea — Group Household: 4.9% Anglesea — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bells Beach 9.3% renting
Bells Beach — Owned Outright: 58.1% Bells Beach — Mortgage: 32.6% Bells Beach — Renting: 9.3%
Anglesea 18.6% renting
Anglesea — Owned Outright: 54.0% Anglesea — Mortgage: 27.4% Anglesea — Renting: 18.6%
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.

Bells Beach Anglesea
England 6.6% / 2.7%
Bells Beach — England: 6.6% Anglesea — England: 2.7%
New Zealand — / 1.0%
Bells Beach — New Zealand: not among its largest Anglesea — New Zealand: 1.0%
Germany — / 0.7%
Bells Beach — Germany: not among its largest Anglesea — Germany: 0.7%
Ireland — / 0.7%
Bells Beach — Ireland: not among its largest Anglesea — Ireland: 0.7%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Bells Beach — Netherlands: not among its largest Anglesea — Netherlands: 0.5%

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

Qualifications

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

Bells Beach Anglesea
Bachelor Degree 27.2% / 21.4%
Bells Beach — Bachelor Degree: 27.2% Anglesea — Bachelor Degree: 21.4%
Certificate III & IV 9.9% / 11.6%
Bells Beach — Certificate III & IV: 9.9% Anglesea — Certificate III & IV: 11.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.6% / 10.2%
Bells Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6% Anglesea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 8.3%
Bells Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Anglesea — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.3% / 4.2%
Bells Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.3% Anglesea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bells Beach 100.0% houses
Bells Beach — Houses: 100.0% Bells Beach — Townhouses: 0.0% Bells Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Anglesea 92.9% houses
Anglesea — Houses: 92.9% Anglesea — Townhouses: 6.5% Anglesea — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bells Beach Anglesea
Median house price — $1,225,000
Median unit price — $782,500
Median land price — $920,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 70 days
from 47 sales

Zoning mix

Bells Beach has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 0%).

Bells Beach Anglesea
Parks and recreation 32% 81%
Environmental 68% 0%
Other and special use 0% 13%
Residential 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
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

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

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.

Bells Beach Anglesea
Houses — 2.0%
$650/wk on $1.65M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Bells Beach Anglesea
House price — Higher than 76% of VIC
Income Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 8% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 18% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 1% of VIC

Liveability

Bells Beach Anglesea
Grade — C
Score — 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Anglesea carries more flood risk (57 vs 0); Bells Beach carries more crime risk (79 vs 44).

Bells Beach Anglesea
Bushfire High
90/100
 High
77/100
Crime High
79/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
57/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
61/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

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

Schools in Bells Beach

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

Schools in Anglesea

  • Anglesea Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bells Beach Anglesea
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 8
Parks & reserves 0 9
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 1
same for both
Waterways 0 17

Mobility

Anglesea sits further from the CBD (121.6 km vs 106 km).

Bells Beach Anglesea
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 106 km 121.6 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 83 min 115 min
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3228
 2.0%
postcode 3230
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 3228
 33
postcode 3230

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.

Bells Beach Anglesea
Car (driver) 59.4% / 55.1%
Bells Beach — Car (driver): 59.4% Anglesea — Car (driver): 55.1%
Worked from Home 32.8% / 36.0%
Bells Beach — Worked from Home: 32.8% Anglesea — Worked from Home: 36.0%
Car (passenger) 7.8% / 2.9%
Bells Beach — Car (passenger): 7.8% Anglesea — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only — / 4.1%
Bells Beach — Walked Only: not among its largest Anglesea — Walked Only: 4.1%
Bicycle — / 1.1%
Bells Beach — Bicycle: not among its largest Anglesea — Bicycle: 1.1%

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

Setting

Bells Beach Anglesea
Elevation 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 726 m
1.0 km to a named beach
 4.7 km
4.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bells Beach Anglesea
Connectivity score 27/100 68/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 41%
3,280 premises

Climate

Bells Beach Anglesea
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)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Bells Beach Anglesea
Division Corangamite Wannon
Member Libby Coker Dan Tehan
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Bells Beach

Beach Coastal Professionals Retirees Rural

Anglesea

Acreage Professionals Retirees

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Anglesea

Anglesea vs Bellbrae Anglesea vs Aireys Inlet Anglesea vs Gherang Anglesea vs Paraparap Anglesea vs Wensleydale
Full data on Bells Beach Full data on Anglesea
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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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