Drysdale vs Bellarine

Drysdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 57 in Bellarine. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bellarine, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bellarine tends to suit couples.

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

  • Drysdale has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • Bellarine carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 44/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bellarine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 31%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Bellarine

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

Drysdale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (96.5 km vs 101.2 km)
  • But Bellarine is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bellarine

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 44/100)
  • But Drysdale has more GPs (4 vs 0)

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

Investors

Drysdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.4% vs 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Drysdale Bellarine
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.

Drysdale Bellarine
Walkability 0 / 12
Drysdale — Walkability: 0/100 Bellarine — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 56 / 90
Drysdale — Safety: 56/100 Bellarine — Safety: 90/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Drysdale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Bellarine — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 76
Drysdale — Low flood risk: 100/100 Bellarine — Low flood risk: 76/100

Demographics

Drysdale has more residents (4,976 vs 169); Bellarine has higher household incomes ($115,128 vs $66,196).

Drysdale Bellarine
Population 4,976
+97% vs other
 169
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.4% +0.0%
Median age 52 57
Median household income $66,196/yr $115,128/yr
+74% vs other
Median weekly rent $340/wk $350/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drysdale Bellarine
0-4 3.4% / —
Drysdale — 0-4: 3.4% Bellarine — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 11.6% / 7.1%
Drysdale — 5-14: 11.6% Bellarine — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 5.6% / 4.7%
Drysdale — 15-19: 5.6% Bellarine — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 4.3% / 7.7%
Drysdale — 20-24: 4.3% Bellarine — 20-24: 7.7%
25-34 7.2% / 7.1%
Drysdale — 25-34: 7.2% Bellarine — 25-34: 7.1%
35-44 9.2% / 5.9%
Drysdale — 35-44: 9.2% Bellarine — 35-44: 5.9%
45-54 11.4% / 14.8%
Drysdale — 45-54: 11.4% Bellarine — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 14.0% / 19.5%
Drysdale — 55-64: 14.0% Bellarine — 55-64: 19.5%
65-74 17.1% / 18.3%
Drysdale — 65-74: 17.1% Bellarine — 65-74: 18.3%
75-84 10.9% / 11.2%
Drysdale — 75-84: 10.9% Bellarine — 75-84: 11.2%
85+ 5.1% / 5.3%
Drysdale — 85+: 5.1% Bellarine — 85+: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drysdale 40.0% couple families
Drysdale — Couple Families: 40.0% Drysdale — Lone Person: 42.5% Drysdale — One Parent Families: 13.8% Drysdale — Group Household: 2.4% Drysdale — Other Families: 1.4%
Bellarine 54.1% couple families
Bellarine — Couple Families: 54.1% Bellarine — Lone Person: 35.1% Bellarine — One Parent Families: 10.8% Bellarine — Group Household: 0.0% Bellarine — 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.

Drysdale 17.0% renting
Drysdale — Owned Outright: 50.7% Drysdale — Mortgage: 32.4% Drysdale — Renting: 17.0%
Bellarine 8.3% renting
Bellarine — Owned Outright: 68.3% Bellarine — Mortgage: 23.3% Bellarine — Renting: 8.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Drysdale Bellarine
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 15.4%
Drysdale — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Bellarine — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 14.8%
Drysdale — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Bellarine — Bachelor Degree: 14.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 11.8%
Drysdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Bellarine — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 6.5%
Drysdale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Bellarine — Postgraduate Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 5.3%
Drysdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Bellarine — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

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.

Drysdale Bellarine
England 6.1% / 4.7%
Drysdale — England: 6.1% Bellarine — England: 4.7%
South Africa 0.5% / 1.8%
Drysdale — South Africa: 0.5% Bellarine — South Africa: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Drysdale — New Zealand: 1.2% Bellarine — New Zealand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Drysdale — Netherlands: 0.7% Bellarine — Netherlands: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Drysdale — Scotland: 0.7% Bellarine — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / —
Drysdale — Germany: 0.6% Bellarine — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Drysdale 88.7% houses
Drysdale — Houses: 88.7% Drysdale — Townhouses: 9.7% Drysdale — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Bellarine 100.0% houses
Bellarine — Houses: 100.0% Bellarine — Townhouses: 0.0% Bellarine — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Drysdale Bellarine
Median house price $745,000 —
Median unit price $540,000 —
Median land price $1,175,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 59 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Bellarine has more rural and farming land (98% vs 87%).

Drysdale Bellarine
Rural and farming 87% 98%
Residential 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
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

Drysdale Bellarine
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.

Drysdale Bellarine
Houses 3.7%
$590/wk on $830K
 —
Units 4.3%
$450/wk on $550K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Drysdale Bellarine
House price Higher than 44% of VIC —
Income Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 87% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 33% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 46% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 18% of VIC —

Liveability

Bellarine is more walkable (12 vs 0).

Drysdale Bellarine
Grade B —
Score 53/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Bellarine carries more flood risk (24 vs 0); Drysdale carries more crime risk (44 vs 10).

Drysdale Bellarine
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
44/100
 Low
10/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
24/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
67/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Drysdale Bellarine
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Drysdale

  • Drysdale Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Christian College Geelong - Bellarine Campus Independent · Combined

Schools in Bellarine

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

Amenities in the suburb

Drysdale Bellarine
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 6 0
Childcare 7 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Bellarine sits further from the CBD (101.2 km vs 96.5 km).

Drysdale Bellarine
Walkability score 0/100 12/100
Distance to Melbourne 96.5 km 101.2 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 91 min
Public transport score 76/100 35/100
Peak arrivals per hour 32.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3222
 0.8%
postcode 3223
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3222
 34
postcode 3223

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.

Drysdale Bellarine
Car (driver) 71.9% / 50.9%
Drysdale — Car (driver): 71.9% Bellarine — Car (driver): 50.9%
Worked from Home 20.1% / 36.4%
Drysdale — Worked from Home: 20.1% Bellarine — Worked from Home: 36.4%
Walked Only 2.8% / 7.3%
Drysdale — Walked Only: 2.8% Bellarine — Walked Only: 7.3%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 5.5%
Drysdale — Car (passenger): 4.0% Bellarine — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Train 0.7% / —
Drysdale — Train: 0.7% Bellarine — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.9%).

Setting

Drysdale Bellarine
Elevation 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.0 km 1.8 km

NBN connectivity

Drysdale Bellarine
Connectivity score 68/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
2,672 premises
 1%
79 premises

Climate

Drysdale Bellarine
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)

Drysdale Bellarine
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Drysdale Bellarine
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Drysdale Bellarine
Division Corangamite
same for both
Member Libby Coker
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Drysdale Bellarine
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Drysdale

Acreage Retirees

Bellarine

Coastal Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drysdale

Drysdale vs Clifton Springs Drysdale vs Portarlington Drysdale vs Curlewis Drysdale vs St Leonards Drysdale vs Wallington Drysdale vs Mannerim

Other comparisons with Bellarine

Bellarine vs Clifton Springs Bellarine vs Portarlington
Full data on Drysdale Full data on Bellarine
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.

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