North Geelong vs Rippleside

North Geelong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Rippleside. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Rippleside: a median of $1.15 million, against $690,000 in North Geelong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Geelong tends to suit 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

Rippleside

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (67/100 vs 92/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 51%)
  • But North Geelong has more separate houses rather than flats (82% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

North Geelong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($690,000 vs $1,147,500)
  • has cheaper units ($429,000 vs $622,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Geelong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($315/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Geelong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (80/100 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

  • North Geelong has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Rippleside has more units and townhouses to downsize into (30% vs 18%)

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

Investors

North Geelong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 2.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

North Geelong 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.

North Geelong 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.

North Geelong Rippleside
Walkability 80 / 53
North Geelong — Walkability: 80/100 Rippleside — Walkability: 53/100
Safety 8 / 33
North Geelong — Safety: 8/100 Rippleside — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Geelong — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rippleside — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 70 / 100
North Geelong — Low flood risk: 70/100 Rippleside — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Geelong has more residents (3,225 vs 994); Rippleside has higher household incomes ($109,356 vs $77,480).

North Geelong Rippleside
Population 3,225
+69% vs other
 994
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.7% +13.6%
Median age 40 47
Median household income $77,480/yr $109,356/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $315/wk $400/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Geelong Rippleside
0-4 5.6% / 4.0%
North Geelong — 0-4: 5.6% Rippleside — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 10.7% / 11.6%
North Geelong — 5-14: 10.7% Rippleside — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 4.2% / 5.0%
North Geelong — 15-19: 4.2% Rippleside — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 5.8% / 4.0%
North Geelong — 20-24: 5.8% Rippleside — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 16.6% / 8.4%
North Geelong — 25-34: 16.6% Rippleside — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 12.2% / 11.9%
North Geelong — 35-44: 12.2% Rippleside — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 12.0% / 17.1%
North Geelong — 45-54: 12.0% Rippleside — 45-54: 17.1%
55-64 8.3% / 14.2%
North Geelong — 55-64: 8.3% Rippleside — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 9.3% / 17.3%
North Geelong — 65-74: 9.3% Rippleside — 65-74: 17.3%
75-84 7.5% / 4.4%
North Geelong — 75-84: 7.5% Rippleside — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 7.5% / 2.6%
North Geelong — 85+: 7.5% Rippleside — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Geelong 42.0% lone person
North Geelong — Lone Person: 42.0% North Geelong — Couple Families: 34.0% North Geelong — One Parent Families: 16.6% North Geelong — Group Household: 6.3% North Geelong — Other Families: 1.1%
Rippleside 37.2% lone person
Rippleside — Lone Person: 37.2% Rippleside — Couple Families: 43.8% Rippleside — One Parent Families: 15.1% Rippleside — Group Household: 2.3% Rippleside — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Geelong 41.7% renting
North Geelong — Owned Outright: 26.4% North Geelong — Mortgage: 31.9% North Geelong — Renting: 41.7%
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.

North Geelong Rippleside
Bachelor Degree 10.6% / 20.2%
North Geelong — Bachelor Degree: 10.6% Rippleside — Bachelor Degree: 20.2%
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 10.0%
North Geelong — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Rippleside — Certificate III & IV: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 12.1%
North Geelong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Rippleside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 6.8%
North Geelong — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Rippleside — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 3.8%
North Geelong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% 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.

North Geelong Rippleside
England 1.9% / 4.2%
North Geelong — England: 1.9% Rippleside — England: 4.2%
India 3.8% / 1.5%
North Geelong — India: 3.8% Rippleside — India: 1.5%
Italy 1.8% / 0.8%
North Geelong — Italy: 1.8% Rippleside — Italy: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.4%
North Geelong — New Zealand: 1.0% Rippleside — New Zealand: 1.4%
China 1.0% / 0.8%
North Geelong — China: 1.0% Rippleside — China: 0.8%
Germany 1.0% / 0.7%
North Geelong — Germany: 1.0% Rippleside — Germany: 0.7%
Scotland — / 1.0%
North Geelong — Scotland: not among its largest Rippleside — Scotland: 1.0%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Geelong 81.6% houses
North Geelong — Houses: 81.6% North Geelong — Townhouses: 17.9% North Geelong — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Rippleside 70.0% houses
Rippleside — Houses: 70.0% Rippleside — Townhouses: 26.4% Rippleside — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

North Geelong Rippleside
Median house price $690,000 $1,147,500
Median unit price $429,000 $622,500
Median land price $825,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 42 days
from 12 sales
 72 days
from 6 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.

North Geelong Rippleside
3 bed $667K / $1.03M
North Geelong — 3 bed: $667K (45 sales) Rippleside — 3 bed: $1.03M (8 sales)

45 vs 8 sales

4 bed $810K / $1.27M
North Geelong — 4 bed: $810K (16 sales) Rippleside — 4 bed: $1.27M (7 sales)

16 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

North Geelong has more industrially zoned land (41% vs 0%).

North Geelong Rippleside
Residential 19% 57%
Industrial 41% 0%
Parks and recreation 7% 29%
Infrastructure and transport 19% 5%
Commercial 10% 3%
Other and special use 5%
same for both
Planning zones cover 100% of North Geelong 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

North Geelong 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.

North Geelong Rippleside
Houses 3.9%
$528/wk on $700K
 2.4%
$525/wk on $1.11M
Units 6.5%
$420/wk on $335K
 —

Ranking within VIC

North Geelong Rippleside
House price Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Income Higher than 45% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 85% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 96% of VIC —

Liveability

Rippleside scores higher overall (76 vs 50); North Geelong is more walkable (80 vs 53).

North Geelong Rippleside
Grade B A
Score 50/100 76/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

North Geelong carries more flood risk (30 vs 0); North Geelong carries more crime risk (92 vs 67).

North Geelong Rippleside
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 Moderate
67/100
Flood Low
30/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
42/100
 Low
20/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 17
within 5 km

Schools

North Geelong Rippleside
Inside the suburb 2 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, 4.0 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 3.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.8% 1.7%

Schools in North Geelong

  • SEDA College (Victoria) - BVNV Geelong Independent · Secondary
  • SEDA College (Victoria) - Multi Geelong Independent · Secondary

Schools in Rippleside

  • Indie School Geelong Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

North Geelong Rippleside
Cafes & restaurants 8 3
Parks & reserves 4 2
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

North Geelong Rippleside
Walkability score 80/100 53/100
Distance to Melbourne 70 km 71.2 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 58 min 60 min
Public transport score 89/100
Rail
 39/100
Peak arrivals per hour 96.0
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.

North Geelong Rippleside
Car (driver) 64.9% / 52.9%
North Geelong — Car (driver): 64.9% Rippleside — Car (driver): 52.9%
Worked from Home 22.3% / 37.3%
North Geelong — Worked from Home: 22.3% Rippleside — Worked from Home: 37.3%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 4.1%
North Geelong — Car (passenger): 5.1% Rippleside — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 2.3% / 1.6%
North Geelong — Walked Only: 2.3% Rippleside — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bicycle 1.9% / 2.0%
North Geelong — Bicycle: 1.9% Rippleside — Bicycle: 2.0%
Train 1.8% / 2.0%
North Geelong — Train: 1.8% Rippleside — Train: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.9%).

Setting

North Geelong Rippleside
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 903 m
3.8 km to a named beach
 225 m
2.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Geelong Rippleside
Connectivity score 85/100 82/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 65%
2,409 premises
 57%
502 premises

Climate

North Geelong 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)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

North Geelong

Coastal Transport Hub

Rippleside

Coastal Parks Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Geelong

North Geelong vs Norlane North Geelong vs Geelong West North Geelong vs Hamlyn Heights North Geelong vs Geelong North Geelong vs Bell Park North Geelong vs Drumcondra

Other comparisons with Rippleside

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