Drysdale vs Portarlington

Drysdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 62 in Portarlington. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Portarlington, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Portarlington: a median of $815,000, against $745,000 in Drysdale. On these figures, Portarlington tends to suit 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

Drysdale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 2)
  • is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 39%)
  • But Portarlington has more parks and reserves (10 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

Portarlington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($590,000 vs $1,175,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Drysdale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 96 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (96.5 km vs 106.6 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Portarlington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (44% vs 33%)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Drysdale returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.7% vs 3.1%)
  • Portarlington is growing faster (22.6% vs 16.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Drysdale and Portarlington 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 Portarlington
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 Portarlington
Walkability 0 / 0
Drysdale — Walkability: 0/100 Portarlington — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 56 / 58
Drysdale — Safety: 56/100 Portarlington — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Drysdale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Portarlington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 47
Drysdale — Low flood risk: 100/100 Portarlington — Low flood risk: 47/100

Demographics

Drysdale has higher household incomes ($66,196 vs $55,328); Portarlington skews older (62 vs 52).

Drysdale Portarlington
Population 4,976
+11% vs other
 4,436
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.4% +22.6%
Median age 52 62
Median household income $66,196/yr
+16% vs other
 $55,328/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+3% vs other
 $331/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Drysdale Portarlington
0-4 3.4% / 2.4%
Drysdale — 0-4: 3.4% Portarlington — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 11.6% / 7.1%
Drysdale — 5-14: 11.6% Portarlington — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 5.6% / 3.2%
Drysdale — 15-19: 5.6% Portarlington — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 4.3% / 2.8%
Drysdale — 20-24: 4.3% Portarlington — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 7.2% / 5.3%
Drysdale — 25-34: 7.2% Portarlington — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 9.2% / 7.2%
Drysdale — 35-44: 9.2% Portarlington — 35-44: 7.2%
45-54 11.4% / 10.4%
Drysdale — 45-54: 11.4% Portarlington — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 14.0% / 17.9%
Drysdale — 55-64: 14.0% Portarlington — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 17.1% / 24.6%
Drysdale — 65-74: 17.1% Portarlington — 65-74: 24.6%
75-84 10.9% / 14.4%
Drysdale — 75-84: 10.9% Portarlington — 75-84: 14.4%
85+ 5.1% / 4.6%
Drysdale — 85+: 5.1% Portarlington — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Drysdale 42.5% lone person
Drysdale — Lone Person: 42.5% Drysdale — Couple Families: 40.0% Drysdale — One Parent Families: 13.8% Drysdale — Group Household: 2.4% Drysdale — Other Families: 1.4%
Portarlington 55.5% lone person
Portarlington — Lone Person: 55.5% Portarlington — Couple Families: 26.3% Portarlington — One Parent Families: 12.6% Portarlington — Group Household: 3.9% Portarlington — Other Families: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
Portarlington 21.7% renting
Portarlington — Owned Outright: 57.3% Portarlington — Mortgage: 21.0% Portarlington — Renting: 21.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Drysdale Portarlington
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 16.0%
Drysdale — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Portarlington — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 9.9%
Drysdale — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Portarlington — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 9.6%
Drysdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Portarlington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 4.1%
Drysdale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Portarlington — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.5%
Drysdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Portarlington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

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 Portarlington
England 6.1% / 5.1%
Drysdale — England: 6.1% Portarlington — England: 5.1%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.7%
Drysdale — New Zealand: 1.2% Portarlington — New Zealand: 1.7%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.5%
Drysdale — Scotland: 0.7% Portarlington — Scotland: 0.5%
Germany 0.6% / 0.6%
Drysdale — Germany: 0.6% Portarlington — Germany: 0.6%
Netherlands 0.7% / 0.4%
Drysdale — Netherlands: 0.7% Portarlington — Netherlands: 0.4%
Italy — / 0.8%
Drysdale — Italy: not among its largest Portarlington — Italy: 0.8%
Greece — / 0.7%
Drysdale — Greece: not among its largest Portarlington — Greece: 0.7%

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%
Portarlington 90.8% houses
Portarlington — Houses: 90.8% Portarlington — Townhouses: 8.1% Portarlington — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Drysdale Portarlington
Median house price $745,000 $815,000
Median unit price $540,000 $520,000
Median land price $1,175,000 $590,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 59 sales
 57 days
from 83 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.

Drysdale Portarlington
2 bed $550K / $650K
Drysdale — 2 bed: $550K (15 sales) Portarlington — 2 bed: $650K (16 sales)

15 vs 16 sales

3 bed $670K / $775K
Drysdale — 3 bed: $670K (51 sales) Portarlington — 3 bed: $775K (100 sales)

51 vs 100 sales

4 bed $832K / $970K
Drysdale — 4 bed: $832K (56 sales) Portarlington — 4 bed: $970K (45 sales)

56 vs 45 sales

5 bed $1.05M / $1.09M
Drysdale — 5 bed: $1.05M (8 sales) Portarlington — 5 bed: $1.09M (10 sales)

8 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Drysdale has more rural and farming land (87% vs 68%).

Drysdale Portarlington
Rural and farming 87% 68%
Residential 8% 15%
Parks and recreation 2% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 7%
Other and special use 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

Drysdale Portarlington
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 Portarlington
Houses 3.7%
$590/wk on $830K
 3.1%
$575/wk on $952K
Units 4.3%
$450/wk on $550K
 4.6%
$515/wk on $580K

Ranking within VIC

Drysdale Portarlington
House price Higher than 44% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Income Higher than 26% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 2% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC

Liveability

Drysdale scores higher overall (53 vs 45).

Drysdale Portarlington
Grade B C
Score 53/100 45/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Portarlington carries more flood risk (53 vs 0).

Drysdale Portarlington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
53/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
69/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

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

Schools in Drysdale

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

Schools in Portarlington

  • Portarlington Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Drysdale Portarlington
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 3 7
Parks & reserves 6 10
Childcare 7 2
GPs 4 3
Pharmacies 2 1
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2
same for both
Fuel stations 2 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Portarlington sits further from the CBD (106.6 km vs 96.5 km).

Drysdale Portarlington
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 96.5 km 106.6 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 96 min
Public transport score 76/100
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 32.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 33.2
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 Portarlington
Car (driver) 71.9% / 63.3%
Drysdale — Car (driver): 71.9% Portarlington — Car (driver): 63.3%
Worked from Home 20.1% / 28.2%
Drysdale — Worked from Home: 20.1% Portarlington — Worked from Home: 28.2%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 4.1%
Drysdale — Car (passenger): 4.0% Portarlington — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 2.8% / 2.7%
Drysdale — Walked Only: 2.8% Portarlington — Walked Only: 2.7%
Bus 0.2% / 1.1%
Drysdale — Bus: 0.2% Portarlington — Bus: 1.1%
Train 0.7% / 0.3%
Drysdale — Train: 0.7% Portarlington — Train: 0.3%

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

Setting

Drysdale Portarlington
Elevation 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.0 km 2.7 km
2.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Drysdale Portarlington
Connectivity score 68/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
2,672 premises
 47%
3,388 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Drysdale

Acreage Retirees

Portarlington

Acreage Coastal Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Drysdale

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

Other comparisons with Portarlington

Portarlington vs St Leonards Portarlington vs Indented Head Portarlington vs Bellarine
Full data on Drysdale Full data on Portarlington
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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