Indented Head vs Portarlington

Indented Head is the younger of the two, with a median age of 59 against 62 in Portarlington. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Indented Head, about half of households are people living alone. In Portarlington, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Portarlington: a median of $815,000, against $702,000 in Indented Head.

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

  • Indented Head carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 42/100)
  • Portarlington has more parks and reserves (10 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Indented Head

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($392,500 vs $590,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($702,500 vs $815,000)

Weighs house 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

Portarlington

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (96 min vs 102 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (106.6 km vs 110.5 km)
  • But Indented Head is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Indented Head is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)
  • Portarlington has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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 house yield.

Where they sit

Indented Head 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.

Indented Head 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.

Indented Head Portarlington
Walkability 18 / 0
Indented Head — Walkability: 18/100 Portarlington — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 78 / 58
Indented Head — Safety: 78/100 Portarlington — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Indented Head — Low fire risk: 100/100 Portarlington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 47
Indented Head — Low flood risk: 37/100 Portarlington — Low flood risk: 47/100

Demographics

Portarlington has more residents (4,436 vs 1,391); Indented Head has higher household incomes ($62,452 vs $55,328).

Indented Head Portarlington
Population 1,391 4,436
+219% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +22.6%
Median age 59 62
Median household income $62,452/yr
+11% vs other
 $55,328/yr
Median weekly rent $346/wk
+4% vs other
 $331/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Indented Head Portarlington
0-4 2.6% / 2.4%
Indented Head — 0-4: 2.6% Portarlington — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 9.6% / 7.1%
Indented Head — 5-14: 9.6% Portarlington — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 2.9% / 3.2%
Indented Head — 15-19: 2.9% Portarlington — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 2.9% / 2.8%
Indented Head — 20-24: 2.9% Portarlington — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 5.0% / 5.3%
Indented Head — 25-34: 5.0% Portarlington — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 8.4% / 7.2%
Indented Head — 35-44: 8.4% Portarlington — 35-44: 7.2%
45-54 12.1% / 10.4%
Indented Head — 45-54: 12.1% Portarlington — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 18.7% / 17.9%
Indented Head — 55-64: 18.7% Portarlington — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 25.8% / 24.6%
Indented Head — 65-74: 25.8% Portarlington — 65-74: 24.6%
75-84 10.2% / 14.4%
Indented Head — 75-84: 10.2% Portarlington — 75-84: 14.4%
85+ 2.0% / 4.6%
Indented Head — 85+: 2.0% Portarlington — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Indented Head 50.7% lone person
Indented Head — Lone Person: 50.7% Indented Head — Couple Families: 32.1% Indented Head — One Parent Families: 12.3% Indented Head — Group Household: 3.2% Indented Head — Other Families: 1.7%
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.

Indented Head 16.0% renting
Indented Head — Owned Outright: 57.4% Indented Head — Mortgage: 26.6% Indented Head — Renting: 16.0%
Portarlington 21.7% renting
Portarlington — Owned Outright: 57.3% Portarlington — Mortgage: 21.0% Portarlington — Renting: 21.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Indented Head Portarlington
England 4.0% / 5.1%
Indented Head — England: 4.0% Portarlington — England: 5.1%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.7%
Indented Head — New Zealand: 1.3% Portarlington — New Zealand: 1.7%
Greece 1.5% / 0.7%
Indented Head — Greece: 1.5% Portarlington — Greece: 0.7%
Italy 1.1% / 0.8%
Indented Head — Italy: 1.1% Portarlington — Italy: 0.8%
Germany 0.6% / 0.6%
Indented Head — Germany: 0.6% Portarlington — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

Qualifications

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

Indented Head Portarlington
Certificate III & IV 16.6% / 16.0%
Indented Head — Certificate III & IV: 16.6% Portarlington — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.4% / 9.6%
Indented Head — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.4% Portarlington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Bachelor Degree 11.1% / 9.9%
Indented Head — Bachelor Degree: 11.1% Portarlington — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 4.1%
Indented Head — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Portarlington — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.5%
Indented Head — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Portarlington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Indented Head 97.8% houses
Indented Head — Houses: 97.8% Indented Head — Townhouses: 2.4% Indented Head — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Portarlington 90.8% houses
Portarlington — Houses: 90.8% Portarlington — Townhouses: 8.1% Portarlington — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Indented Head Portarlington
Median house price $702,500 $815,000
Median unit price — $520,000
Median land price $392,500 $590,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 80 days
from 34 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.

Indented Head Portarlington
2 bed $610K / $650K
Indented Head — 2 bed: $610K (9 sales) Portarlington — 2 bed: $650K (16 sales)

9 vs 16 sales

3 bed $665K / $775K
Indented Head — 3 bed: $665K (43 sales) Portarlington — 3 bed: $775K (100 sales)

43 vs 100 sales

4 bed $1.04M / $970K
Indented Head — 4 bed: $1.04M (21 sales) Portarlington — 4 bed: $970K (45 sales)

21 vs 45 sales

Zoning mix

Portarlington has more rural and farming land (68% vs 42%).

Indented Head Portarlington
Rural and farming 42% 68%
Residential 45% 15%
Parks and recreation 10% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 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

Indented Head 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.

Indented Head Portarlington
Houses 2.8%
$485/wk on $908K
 3.1%
$575/wk on $952K
Units — 4.6%
$515/wk on $580K

Ranking within VIC

Indented Head Portarlington
House price Higher than 28% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Income Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 2% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 68% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 39% of VIC

Liveability

Indented Head is more walkable (18 vs 0); Indented Head scores higher overall (56 vs 45).

Indented Head Portarlington
Grade B C
Score 56/100 45/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Portarlington carries more crime risk (42 vs 22); Indented Head carries more flood risk (63 vs 53).

Indented Head Portarlington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
22/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
53/100
Coastal erosion Low
30/100
 Moderate
69/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Indented Head Portarlington
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Indented Head

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

Schools in Portarlington

  • Portarlington Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Indented Head Portarlington
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 7
Parks & reserves 0 10
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Indented Head sits further from the CBD (110.5 km vs 106.6 km).

Indented Head Portarlington
Walkability score 18/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 110.5 km
+4% vs other
 106.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 102 min 96 min
Public transport score 68/100 76/100
Peak arrivals per hour 22.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 33.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3223
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 34
postcode 3223
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.

Indented Head Portarlington
Car (driver) 62.2% / 63.3%
Indented Head — Car (driver): 62.2% Portarlington — Car (driver): 63.3%
Worked from Home 29.0% / 28.2%
Indented Head — Worked from Home: 29.0% Portarlington — Worked from Home: 28.2%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 4.1%
Indented Head — Car (passenger): 3.9% Portarlington — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 3.2% / 2.7%
Indented Head — Walked Only: 3.2% Portarlington — Walked Only: 2.7%
Bus 0.7% / 1.1%
Indented Head — Bus: 0.7% Portarlington — Bus: 1.1%
Train 0.9% / 0.3%
Indented Head — Train: 0.9% Portarlington — Train: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.3%).

Setting

Indented Head Portarlington
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 701 m
1.2 km to a named beach
 2.7 km
2.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Indented Head Portarlington
Connectivity score 72/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
1,315 premises
 47%
3,388 premises

Climate

Indented Head 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)

Indented Head Portarlington
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Indented Head

Acreage Beach Coastal Outer Retirees

Portarlington

Acreage Coastal Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Indented Head

Indented Head vs St Leonards

Other comparisons with Portarlington

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

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or