Curlewis vs Leopold

Curlewis is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 41 in Leopold. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Curlewis tends to suit families with children, while Leopold suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Leopold

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Curlewis has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Leopold

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($410,000 vs $600,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Curlewis has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 19%)
  • Leopold has cheaper rent ($375/wk vs $405/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Leopold

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 6/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (85.7 km vs 90.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Leopold

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Curlewis

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (169.2% vs 3.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Curlewis Leopold
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.

Curlewis Leopold
Walkability 6 / 71
Curlewis — Walkability: 6/100 Leopold — Walkability: 71/100
Safety 57 / 57
Curlewis — Safety: 57/100 Leopold — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 100 / 60
Curlewis — Low fire risk: 100/100 Leopold — Low fire risk: 60/100
Low flood risk 100 / 50
Curlewis — Low flood risk: 100/100 Leopold — Low flood risk: 50/100

Demographics

Leopold has more residents (13,272 vs 4,175); Leopold skews older (41 vs 34).

Curlewis Leopold
Population 4,175 13,272
+218% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +169.2% +3.6%
Median age 34 41
Median household income $95,160/yr
+13% vs other
 $82,628/yr
Median weekly rent $405/wk
+7% vs other
 $375/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Curlewis Leopold
0-4 8.6% / 6.1%
Curlewis — 0-4: 8.6% Leopold — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 15.2% / 12.0%
Curlewis — 5-14: 15.2% Leopold — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 5.7% / 5.8%
Curlewis — 15-19: 5.7% Leopold — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 4.8% / 5.3%
Curlewis — 20-24: 4.8% Leopold — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 16.0% / 12.3%
Curlewis — 25-34: 16.0% Leopold — 25-34: 12.3%
35-44 15.1% / 12.3%
Curlewis — 35-44: 15.1% Leopold — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 10.7% / 12.6%
Curlewis — 45-54: 10.7% Leopold — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 10.7% / 12.4%
Curlewis — 55-64: 10.7% Leopold — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 9.0% / 11.4%
Curlewis — 65-74: 9.0% Leopold — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 3.5% / 7.4%
Curlewis — 75-84: 3.5% Leopold — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 0.6% / 2.4%
Curlewis — 85+: 0.6% Leopold — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Curlewis 50.9% couple families
Curlewis — Couple Families: 50.9% Curlewis — Lone Person: 22.3% Curlewis — One Parent Families: 21.3% Curlewis — Group Household: 4.1% Curlewis — Other Families: 1.4%
Leopold 45.1% couple families
Leopold — Couple Families: 45.1% Leopold — Lone Person: 34.1% Leopold — One Parent Families: 16.9% Leopold — Group Household: 2.6% Leopold — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Curlewis 30.8% renting
Curlewis — Owned Outright: 25.7% Curlewis — Mortgage: 43.4% Curlewis — Renting: 30.8%
Leopold 18.6% renting
Leopold — Owned Outright: 38.5% Leopold — Mortgage: 42.8% Leopold — Renting: 18.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Curlewis Leopold
Certificate III & IV 18.3% / 19.0%
Curlewis — Certificate III & IV: 18.3% Leopold — Certificate III & IV: 19.0%
Bachelor Degree 11.2% / 10.1%
Curlewis — Bachelor Degree: 11.2% Leopold — Bachelor Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.6% / 8.9%
Curlewis — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6% Leopold — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / 2.2%
Curlewis — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Leopold — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 2.0%
Curlewis — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Leopold — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

Curlewis Leopold
England 4.2% / 3.5%
Curlewis — England: 4.2% Leopold — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.0%
Curlewis — New Zealand: 1.3% Leopold — New Zealand: 1.0%
Philippines 1.0% / 0.8%
Curlewis — Philippines: 1.0% Leopold — Philippines: 0.8%
India 0.8% / 0.9%
Curlewis — India: 0.8% Leopold — India: 0.9%
Netherlands 0.3% / 0.7%
Curlewis — Netherlands: 0.3% Leopold — Netherlands: 0.7%
South Africa 0.5% / —
Curlewis — South Africa: 0.5% Leopold — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Curlewis 99.1% houses
Curlewis — Houses: 99.1% Curlewis — Townhouses: 1.1% Curlewis — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Leopold 92.2% houses
Leopold — Houses: 92.2% Leopold — Townhouses: 6.5% Leopold — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Curlewis Leopold
Median house price $697,500 $702,500
Median unit price — $525,000
Median land price $600,000 $410,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 100 sales
 29 days
from 162 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Curlewis Leopold
3 bed $645K / $670K
Curlewis — 3 bed: $645K (38 sales) Leopold — 3 bed: $670K (177 sales)

38 vs 177 sales

4 bed $710K / $748K
Curlewis — 4 bed: $710K (116 sales) Leopold — 4 bed: $748K (132 sales)

116 vs 132 sales

5 bed $1.02M / $790K
Curlewis — 5 bed: $1.02M (8 sales) Leopold — 5 bed: $790K (7 sales)

8 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Curlewis Leopold
Rural and farming 75% 74%
Residential 15% 22%
Other and special use 6% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 2%
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

Curlewis Leopold
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +56%
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.

Curlewis Leopold
Houses 4.0%
$560/wk on $730K
 3.8%
$550/wk on $762K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Curlewis Leopold
House price Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
Income Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 50% of VIC
Schools Higher than 25% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 54% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC

Liveability

Leopold is more walkable (71 vs 6).

Curlewis Leopold
Grade C
same for both
Score 47/100 49/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Leopold carries more flood risk (50 vs 0); Leopold carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).

Curlewis Leopold
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Moderate
43/100
same for both
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
50/100
Coastal erosion Low
35/100
 Low
18/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Curlewis Leopold
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Curlewis

  • Bellarine Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Saint Ignatius College Geelong Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Thomas Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Leopold

  • Leopold Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Curlewis Leopold
Supermarkets 1 3
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 4 18
Childcare 1 9
GPs 2 4
Pharmacies 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Curlewis sits further from the CBD (90.7 km vs 85.7 km).

Curlewis Leopold
Walkability score 6/100 71/100
Distance to Melbourne 90.7 km
+6% vs other
 85.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 77 min
Public transport score 72/100 76/100
Peak arrivals per hour 27.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 99.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3222
 0.6%
postcode 3224
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3222
 40
postcode 3224

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.

Curlewis Leopold
Car (driver) 73.6% / 76.0%
Curlewis — Car (driver): 73.6% Leopold — Car (driver): 76.0%
Worked from Home 19.3% / 16.8%
Curlewis — Worked from Home: 19.3% Leopold — Worked from Home: 16.8%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 4.1%
Curlewis — Car (passenger): 4.5% Leopold — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 0.9% / 1.4%
Curlewis — Walked Only: 0.9% Leopold — Walked Only: 1.4%
Bus 0.9% / 1.0%
Curlewis — Bus: 0.9% Leopold — Bus: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Curlewis Leopold
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.9 km
3.9 km to a named beach
 3.4 km
3.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Curlewis Leopold
Connectivity score 79/100 73/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 74%
1,014 premises
 52%
5,907 premises

Climate

Curlewis Leopold
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Curlewis Leopold
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Curlewis Leopold
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Curlewis Leopold
Division Corangamite
same for both
Member Libby Coker
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Curlewis Leopold
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Curlewis

Acreage Coastal Family Young Families

Leopold

Parks Regional Centre

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Curlewis

Curlewis vs Clifton Springs Curlewis vs Drysdale Curlewis vs Wallington

Other comparisons with Leopold

Leopold vs Moolap Leopold vs Wallington Leopold vs Connewarre
Full data on Curlewis Full data on Leopold
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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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