Drumcondra vs Rippleside

Rippleside is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Drumcondra. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Drumcondra, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Drumcondra: a median of $1.6 million, against $1.15 million in Rippleside, though rent is higher in Rippleside. On these figures, Drumcondra tends to suit couples, while Rippleside suits 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

Drumcondra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (89% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

Rippleside

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,147,500 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Drumcondra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($331/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Drumcondra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 53/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Drumcondra is more walkable (81/100 vs 53/100)
  • Rippleside has more units and townhouses to downsize into (30% vs 11%)

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

Investors

Rippleside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.6% vs 2.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Drumcondra and Rippleside 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 Rippleside
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 Rippleside
Walkability 81 / 53
Drumcondra — Walkability: 81/100 Rippleside — Walkability: 53/100
Safety 41 / 33
Drumcondra — Safety: 41/100 Rippleside — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Drumcondra — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rippleside — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Drumcondra — Low flood risk: 100/100 Rippleside — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rippleside has more residents (994 vs 571); Rippleside rents higher ($400/wk vs $331/wk).

Drumcondra Rippleside
Population 571 994
+74% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.0% +13.6%
Median age 50 47
Median household income $105,144/yr $109,356/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $331/wk $400/wk
+21% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra Rippleside
0-4 3.9% / 4.0%
Drumcondra — 0-4: 3.9% Rippleside — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 8.8% / 11.6%
Drumcondra — 5-14: 8.8% Rippleside — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.1% / 5.0%
Drumcondra — 15-19: 5.1% Rippleside — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 5.6% / 4.0%
Drumcondra — 20-24: 5.6% Rippleside — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 8.6% / 8.4%
Drumcondra — 25-34: 8.6% Rippleside — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 10.5% / 11.9%
Drumcondra — 35-44: 10.5% Rippleside — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 13.8% / 17.1%
Drumcondra — 45-54: 13.8% Rippleside — 45-54: 17.1%
55-64 15.1% / 14.2%
Drumcondra — 55-64: 15.1% Rippleside — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 17.5% / 17.3%
Drumcondra — 65-74: 17.5% Rippleside — 65-74: 17.3%
75-84 8.4% / 4.4%
Drumcondra — 75-84: 8.4% Rippleside — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.3% / 2.6%
Drumcondra — 85+: 2.3% Rippleside — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

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%
Rippleside 43.8% couple families
Rippleside — Couple Families: 43.8% Rippleside — Lone Person: 37.2% Rippleside — One Parent Families: 15.1% Rippleside — Group Household: 2.3% Rippleside — Other Families: 1.6%
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%
Rippleside 25.6% renting
Rippleside — Owned Outright: 45.7% Rippleside — Mortgage: 28.6% Rippleside — Renting: 25.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Drumcondra Rippleside
Bachelor Degree 20.0% / 20.2%
Drumcondra — Bachelor Degree: 20.0% Rippleside — Bachelor Degree: 20.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.0% / 12.1%
Drumcondra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.0% Rippleside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.1%
Certificate III & IV 8.9% / 10.0%
Drumcondra — Certificate III & IV: 8.9% Rippleside — Certificate III & IV: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 8.4% / 6.8%
Drumcondra — Postgraduate Degree: 8.4% Rippleside — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.1% / 3.8%
Drumcondra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.1% Rippleside — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

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 Rippleside
England 3.7% / 4.2%
Drumcondra — England: 3.7% Rippleside — England: 4.2%
Scotland 1.8% / 1.0%
Drumcondra — Scotland: 1.8% Rippleside — Scotland: 1.0%
India 0.7% / 1.5%
Drumcondra — India: 0.7% Rippleside — India: 1.5%
Italy 0.9% / 0.8%
Drumcondra — Italy: 0.9% Rippleside — Italy: 0.8%
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Drumcondra — New Zealand: not among its largest Rippleside — New Zealand: 1.4%
Netherlands 1.2% / —
Drumcondra — Netherlands: 1.2% Rippleside — Netherlands: not among its largest
Philippines 1.1% / —
Drumcondra — Philippines: 1.1% Rippleside — Philippines: not among its largest
China — / 0.8%
Drumcondra — China: not among its largest Rippleside — China: 0.8%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drumcondra 88.8% houses
Drumcondra — Houses: 88.8% Drumcondra — Townhouses: 6.7% Drumcondra — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Rippleside 70.0% houses
Rippleside — Houses: 70.0% Rippleside — Townhouses: 26.4% Rippleside — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Drumcondra Rippleside
Median house price $1,600,000 $1,147,500
Median unit price — $622,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 4 sales
 72 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Drumcondra Rippleside
Residential 83% 57%
Parks and recreation 8% 29%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 5%
Other and special use 0% 5%
Commercial 2% 3%
Planning zones cover 100% of Drumcondra and 99% of Rippleside. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 Rippleside
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 Rippleside
Houses — 2.4%
$525/wk on $1.11M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Drumcondra Rippleside
House price — Higher than 77% of VIC
Income Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 34% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 85% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 4% of VIC

Liveability

Drumcondra is more walkable (81 vs 53); Drumcondra scores higher overall (84 vs 76).

Drumcondra Rippleside
Grade A+ A
Score 84/100 76/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Drumcondra Rippleside
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
67/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
20/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 17
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Drumcondra Rippleside
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
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, 3.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.0% 1.7%

Schools in Drumcondra

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

Schools in Rippleside

  • Indie School Geelong Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Drumcondra Rippleside
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1

Mobility

Drumcondra Rippleside
Walkability score 81/100 53/100
Distance to Melbourne 72.1 km
+1% vs other
 71.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 60 min
Public transport score 45/100 39/100
Peak arrivals per hour 10.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 3215
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 3215
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.

Drumcondra Rippleside
Car (driver) 55.3% / 52.9%
Drumcondra — Car (driver): 55.3% Rippleside — Car (driver): 52.9%
Worked from Home 34.5% / 37.3%
Drumcondra — Worked from Home: 34.5% Rippleside — Worked from Home: 37.3%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 4.1%
Drumcondra — Car (passenger): 3.0% Rippleside — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 3.4% / 1.6%
Drumcondra — Walked Only: 3.4% Rippleside — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bicycle 1.5% / 2.0%
Drumcondra — Bicycle: 1.5% Rippleside — Bicycle: 2.0%
Train 1.1% / 2.0%
Drumcondra — Train: 1.1% Rippleside — Train: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.3%).

Setting

Drumcondra Rippleside
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 251 m
2.2 km to a named beach
 225 m
2.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Drumcondra Rippleside
Connectivity score 80/100 82/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 61%
283 premises
 57%
502 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Drumcondra Rippleside
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

Rippleside

Coastal Parks Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drumcondra

Drumcondra vs Geelong West Drumcondra vs Geelong Drumcondra vs North Geelong

Other comparisons with Rippleside

Rippleside vs North Geelong
Full data on Drumcondra Full data on Rippleside
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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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