Drumcondra vs Geelong West

Geelong West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 50 in Drumcondra. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Drumcondra, most households are couple families. In Geelong West, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Drumcondra: a median of $1.6 million, against $860,000 in Geelong West, though rent is higher in Geelong West. On these figures, Drumcondra tends to suit couples and older residents, while Geelong West suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Drumcondra carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 84/100)
  • Geelong West has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Geelong West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($860,000 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Geelong West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Geelong West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (93/100 vs 81/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Geelong West

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 11%)
  • is more walkable (93/100 vs 81/100)
  • But Drumcondra has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 14%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Drumcondra Geelong West
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.

Drumcondra Geelong West
Walkability 81 / 93
Drumcondra — Walkability: 81/100 Geelong West — Walkability: 93/100
Safety 41 / 16
Drumcondra — Safety: 41/100 Geelong West — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Drumcondra — Low fire risk: 100/100 Geelong West — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 62
Drumcondra — Low flood risk: 100/100 Geelong West — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Geelong West has more residents (7,345 vs 571); Drumcondra skews older (50 vs 36).

Drumcondra Geelong West
Population 571 7,345
+1186% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.0% +5.4%
Median age 50 36
Median household income $105,144/yr
+11% vs other
 $93,444/yr
Median weekly rent $331/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra Geelong West
0-4 3.9% / 6.8%
Drumcondra — 0-4: 3.9% Geelong West — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 8.8% / 10.3%
Drumcondra — 5-14: 8.8% Geelong West — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 5.1% / 4.1%
Drumcondra — 15-19: 5.1% Geelong West — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.6% / 6.8%
Drumcondra — 20-24: 5.6% Geelong West — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 8.6% / 18.1%
Drumcondra — 25-34: 8.6% Geelong West — 25-34: 18.1%
35-44 10.5% / 16.0%
Drumcondra — 35-44: 10.5% Geelong West — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 13.8% / 13.1%
Drumcondra — 45-54: 13.8% Geelong West — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 15.1% / 10.8%
Drumcondra — 55-64: 15.1% Geelong West — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 17.5% / 8.6%
Drumcondra — 65-74: 17.5% Geelong West — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 8.4% / 3.9%
Drumcondra — 75-84: 8.4% Geelong West — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 2.3% / 1.3%
Drumcondra — 85+: 2.3% Geelong West — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra 55.7% couple families
Drumcondra — Couple Families: 55.7% Drumcondra — Lone Person: 34.3% Drumcondra — One Parent Families: 7.9% Drumcondra — Group Household: 2.1% Drumcondra — Other Families: 0.0%
Geelong West 32.3% couple families
Geelong West — Couple Families: 32.3% Geelong West — Lone Person: 45.5% Geelong West — One Parent Families: 12.9% Geelong West — Group Household: 7.9% Geelong West — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra 24.4% renting
Drumcondra — Owned Outright: 50.7% Drumcondra — Mortgage: 24.9% Drumcondra — Renting: 24.4%
Geelong West 41.2% renting
Geelong West — Owned Outright: 28.1% Geelong West — Mortgage: 30.6% Geelong West — Renting: 41.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Drumcondra Geelong West
Bachelor Degree 20.0% / 19.1%
Drumcondra — Bachelor Degree: 20.0% Geelong West — Bachelor Degree: 19.1%
Certificate III & IV 8.9% / 11.9%
Drumcondra — Certificate III & IV: 8.9% Geelong West — Certificate III & IV: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.0% / 8.5%
Drumcondra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.0% Geelong West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 8.4% / 8.1%
Drumcondra — Postgraduate Degree: 8.4% Geelong West — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.1% / 4.0%
Drumcondra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.1% Geelong West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Drumcondra Geelong West
England 3.7% / 3.0%
Drumcondra — England: 3.7% Geelong West — England: 3.0%
India 0.7% / 2.0%
Drumcondra — India: 0.7% Geelong West — India: 2.0%
Italy 0.9% / 1.5%
Drumcondra — Italy: 0.9% Geelong West — Italy: 1.5%
Scotland 1.8% / 0.4%
Drumcondra — Scotland: 1.8% Geelong West — Scotland: 0.4%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.4%
Drumcondra — Philippines: 1.1% Geelong West — Philippines: 0.4%
China — / 1.5%
Drumcondra — China: not among its largest Geelong West — China: 1.5%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Drumcondra — New Zealand: not among its largest Geelong West — New Zealand: 1.3%
Netherlands 1.2% / —
Drumcondra — Netherlands: 1.2% Geelong West — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra 88.8% houses
Drumcondra — Houses: 88.8% Drumcondra — Flats / Apartments: 4.5% Drumcondra — Townhouses: 6.7%
Geelong West 73.7% houses
Geelong West — Houses: 73.7% Geelong West — Flats / Apartments: 17.2% Geelong West — Townhouses: 9.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Drumcondra Geelong West
Median house price $1,600,000 $860,000
Median unit price — $430,000
Median land price — $725,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 4 sales
 28 days
from 71 sales

Zoning mix

Geelong West has more commercially zoned land (12% vs 2%).

Drumcondra Geelong West
Residential 83% 78%
Commercial 2% 12%
Parks and recreation 8% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 7%
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

Drumcondra Geelong West
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.

Drumcondra Geelong West
Houses — 3.1%
$558/wk on $925K
Units — 5.1%
$460/wk on $472K

Ranking within VIC

Drumcondra Geelong West
House price — Higher than 61% of VIC
Income Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 98% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 49% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 19% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 66% of VIC

Liveability

Drumcondra scores higher overall (84 vs 66); Geelong West is more walkable (93 vs 81).

Drumcondra Geelong West
Grade A+ B
Score 84/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Geelong West carries more flood risk (38 vs 0); Geelong West carries more crime risk (84 vs 59).

Drumcondra Geelong West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 High
84/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 17
within 5 km
 14
within 5 km

Schools

Drumcondra Geelong West
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 2.3 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 1.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.0% 2.4%

Schools in Drumcondra

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

Schools in Geelong West

  • St Patrick's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Ashby Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Drumcondra Geelong West
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 41
Parks & reserves 1 6
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 5
Banks & Bank@Post 0 7
Fuel stations 0 2

Mobility

Drumcondra Geelong West
Walkability score 81/100 93/100
Distance to Melbourne 72.1 km 73.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 63 min
Public transport score 45/100 76/100
Peak arrivals per hour 10.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 129.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 3215
 1.3%
postcode 3218
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 3215
 24
postcode 3218

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.

Drumcondra Geelong West
Car (driver) 55.3% / 56.8%
Drumcondra — Car (driver): 55.3% Geelong West — Car (driver): 56.8%
Worked from Home 34.5% / 30.1%
Drumcondra — Worked from Home: 34.5% Geelong West — Worked from Home: 30.1%
Walked Only 3.4% / 5.4%
Drumcondra — Walked Only: 3.4% Geelong West — Walked Only: 5.4%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 3.6%
Drumcondra — Car (passenger): 3.0% Geelong West — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Bicycle 1.5% / 1.6%
Drumcondra — Bicycle: 1.5% Geelong West — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.8%).

Setting

Drumcondra Geelong West
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 251 m
2.2 km to a named beach
 996 m
2.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Drumcondra Geelong West
Connectivity score 80/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 61%
283 premises
 51%
4,462 premises

Climate

Drumcondra Geelong West
Annual rainfall 454 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Drumcondra Geelong West
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Drumcondra Geelong West
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Drumcondra Geelong West
Division Corio
same for both
Member Richard Marles
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Drumcondra Geelong West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Drumcondra

Coastal Parks Premium Professionals Retirees

Geelong West

Cafe Culture Coastal Parks Professionals Urban Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drumcondra

Drumcondra vs Geelong Drumcondra vs North Geelong Drumcondra vs Rippleside

Other comparisons with Geelong West

Geelong West vs Newtown Geelong West vs Hamlyn Heights Geelong West vs Geelong Geelong West vs North Geelong Geelong West vs Manifold Heights
Full data on Drumcondra Full data on Geelong West
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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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